HEADLINES

Month: April 2023

WR Zay Flowers To Visit Ravens

April 16th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens have made a pair of veteran additions to their receiver room this offseason, but they continue to look into the top options at the position in this year’s draft class.

That will include hosting Zay Flowers on a top-30 visit tomorrow, per NFL Network’s Taylor Bisciotti (Twitter link). The Boston College product has had a busy schedule already, which comes as no surprise given his status as one of the top vertical threats in particular amongst other first-round prospects in the 2023 class.

Flowers has already met with the Giants, Raiders, Cowboys, Patriots and Saints. It came out recently that he will also visit the Bills, a team which, like the Ravens, has been connected to a notable receiver addition during this month’s draft. Baltimore has already added Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. as veteran signings aimed at boosting their underwhelming passing attack.

Each of those pacts were one year in length, though, so a long-term investment at the position could still pay dividends for the Ravens. Baltimore owns pick No. 22, which could put them in range to land one of the first-round WR locks in this year’s class, one noted more for its depth than its star power. In addition to Flowers, they have also looked at Jordan Addison as well as Quentin Johnston and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who are all likely to hear their names called on Day 1.

Flowers put himself in the conversation for the top wideout this year after he set new career highs in 2022, his fourth season with the Eagles. The 5-10, 177-pounder totaled 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns on 78 catches, demonstrating his abilities both on the outside and in the slot. It is the latter alignment which is likeliest for Flowers at the NFL level, though, albeit one which should allow him to provide value at all levels of the field.

Despite the continued need for a young receiver this year, the Ravens have recently been linked to using their top pick on a corner. That position is certainly one of need at the moment, but addressing it would significantly decrease the high-end pass catching options available to them later in the draft. As a result of the Roquan Smith trade, Baltimore doesn’t own a second-rounder and their highest pick after the first round is No. 86. Flowers will be long gone by that point, but the Ravens will do their due diligence on him as they prepare for, in all likelihood, a rookie wideout addition at some point in the near future.

5 Key Stories: 4/9/23 – 4/16/23

April 16th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Attention continues to shift to the draft, but teams are still making moves on the free agent and trade fronts in advance of adding rookies to their rosters; one major off-the-field development took place recently, as well. Here is a quick recap of the past week’s top headlines:

  • Harris Reaches Agreement To Purchase Commanders: The Dan Snyder era in Washington appears to be on the verge of coming to an end, with the Commanders owner reaching agreement on a sale which would see the group led by Josh Harris take over the Commanders. The $6.05 billion price would make this the second straight year in which the North American sports record was shattered in terms of sale price (with the Broncos going for $4.65 billion last summer). Harris is already a majority owner in the NBA, NHL and English Premier League. Now, he is poised to inherit a franchise which has been marred by poor play, numerous scandals and the need for a new stadium (unless today’s news regarding new bidder Brian Davis changes the situation). Investigations into workplace culture and financial impropriety centered on Snyder’s tenure at the helm, meanwhile, remain ongoing.
  • Lions Deal Okudah To Falcons: The Lions moved on from the third overall pick in 2020, cornerback Jeff Okudah, in a trade with the Falcons. By receiving a fifth-round pick in return, the move marks a highly underwhelming end to Okudah’s tenure in Detroit, which included multiple injury problems. The 24-year-old showed some of the substantial potential he had coming out of college during the 2022 campaign, and should have a significant role in the Falcons’ new-look secondary. A strong season in 2023 could bode well for both team and player, though, with Okudah looking to play his way into a second contract in Atlanta or elsewhere.
  • Ravens, Beckham Agree To Deal: All signs seemed to be pointing to Odell Beckham Jr. signing with the Jets, but the veteran wideout instead agreed to a one-year deal with the Ravens. Baltimore guaranteed $15MM for the three-time Pro Bowler, while incentives could push the maximum value of the pact to $18MM. That far outpaces what many believed Beckham, 30, would be able to sign for considering his missed time (including the entire 2022 season) due to multiple ACL injuries. The Ravens’ gamble comes as part of their retooling effort in the passing game, and it has led to the further expectation that quarterback Lamar Jackson (who helped recruit Beckham) will remain with the team in one form or another in 2023.
  • White, Baker Request Trades: Two high-profile defenders – Buccaneers linebacker Devin White and Cardinals safety Budda Baker – have each asked to be traded amidst unproductive contract talks. White is under contract for one more season on the fifth-year option, but he is reportedly seeking one of the most lucrative deals at the position from Tampa or an acquiring team. Baker, meanwhile, let the Cardinals know in February that he was eyeing a new deal to make him the league’s highest-paid safety; two years remain on his 2020 extension, which doesn’t include any guaranteed money in 2023 or ’24. Both teams will look to navigate these developments as they continue contract talks in an attempt to avoid needing to part ways with either player.
  • Carter Still Likely Top 10 Pick? Plenty of speculation has surrounded Jalen Carter in the build-up to the draft, considering his legal situation and underwhelming showing at Georgia’s pro day. Despite those factors, the defensive tackle is still expected to be a top 10 pick. The Bears and Eagles – who hold picks No. 9 and 10, respectively – have both shown interest in Carter and would be well-suited to add him to their defensive fronts. Other teams like Seattle, Detroit and Las Vegas have done their homework on him, which could create a competition to secure him early on Day 1. Despite a number of teams reportedly taking Carter off their draft boards altogether, he shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called next week.

Stephon Gilmore Requested Trade From Colts?

April 16th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Rory Parks

It came as something of a surprise when the Colts traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in March. After all, Indianapolis just signed the 2019 DPOY to a two-year, $20MM contract last year, and he was a rare bright spot in a generally disappointing 2022 season for the club.

Plus, while Gilmore’s age (he is entering his age-33 season) and contract status did not help matters, the Colts’ return of a fifth-round pick seemed underwhelming in light of Gilmore’s 2022 performance and overall track record. GM Chris Ballard later conceded that the trade was partly motivated by cap considerations, and we have since learned that Gilmore may have actually requested a trade out of Indianapolis.

Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner suggested as much, saying, “Gilly is at a different point in his career than I am. He just finished up Year 11, and I’m going into Year 9, so you know, if I was in his position, maybe I would have considered the same thing” (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “That’s the best decision that he made for him and his family, and I’m all for it.”

It seems, then, that Gilmore was the one who set the wheels of a trade in motion, and he did so in order to play for a team that has more of a chance to compete for a championship in 2023, and perhaps beyond. Gilmore does have a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Patriots, though it makes sense that he would want a shot at another title and does not see the Colts — who appear poised to start either a rookie or a bridge passer at quarterback in 2023 — as an immediate contender.

The Gilmore trade does leave Indianapolis rather thin at the CB position, the team’s reported optimism about its incumbents notwithstanding. If Ballard hits on his expected selection of a QB with his top choice in this month’s draft, The Colts could quickly reemerge as championship hopefuls. However, Buckner — who also lived through a rebuild during the early part of his career with the 49ers — does not appear willing to do the same in Indianapolis.

“I hate that word (rebuild),” Buckner said. “My rookie year in San Francisco, we went 2-14, the coach got fired, we brought in Kyle [Shanahan] and the majority of the roster was gone. Brought in new guys, and it took a couple of years. … We were building a team, a culture and all of that, but I was a young player, so I was able to grind through those tough years. … As you get older, rebuild’s definitely not a word you want to hear.”

Buckner, who recently agreed to a restructure to provide the Colts with 2023 cap relief, is under contract through 2024. However, he is scheduled to carry a $22.8MM cap number next year, and depending on what Indianapolis’ future looks like at the end of the upcoming season, he may not be particularly amenable to an extension that would smooth out that charge.

Josh Harris Raises Bid For Commanders; Brian Davis Still In Play

April 16th, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 16: The fact that Snyder’s agreement with Harris is a non-exclusive one could be a factor as the sale of the Commanders nears its conclusion. Per Darren Haynes, Laura Wainman, and Erin Spaht of WUSA9, Washington, D.C. native Brian Davis has made a $7 billion cash bid to purchase the club. Davis would become the NFL’s first Black owner if his bid were to accepted.

The WUSA9 trio add that Davis is willing to indemnify Snyder — meaning he would assume any legal liability stemming from the investigations currently surrounding Snyder — and would pay the first $1 billion within 24 hours. The remaining $6 billion would be paid out within a week.

It is easy to see the appeal of such a proposal, and as of Thursday evening, Bank of America — which is handling the the sale offers — was still in communication with Davis.

APRIL 13, 7:15pm: The finish line appears in sight as Snyder has reportedly reached an agreement with Harris’ group to sell the team for $6.05 billion, according to Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport tempers the excitement a bit by pointing out that the agreement is not exclusive, meaning another bidder could theoretically still come in and bid higher for the franchise. The deal has been agreed to but is not yet official. Barring any snags in the process, however, Harris is expected to become the next owner of the Washington Commanders.

2:58pm: Harris looks to have increased his offer. The NBA and NHL owner submitted a $6.05 billion bid for the Commanders, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). This is expected to be the winning bid for the franchise. No papers have been signed just yet, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) Apostopoloulos is not completely out of the running. But Harris appears on the cusp of buying the team from Snyder.

This can be classified as a preliminary agreement, according to the Washington Post, and the Commanders are close to becoming the first American sports franchise to sell for more than $5 billion. This approximately $6 billion price will smash the record the Broncos set last year. Walton’s Denver offer obliterated the previous NFL record; Harris’ bid will be worth nearly triple what Tepper paid to acquire the Panthers in 2018.

12:48pm: Apostolopoulos has not bowed out of the pursuit yet. The Canadian billionaire real estate developer is believed to be in a “head-to-head race” with Harris, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim. Apostolopoulos joined Harris, Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta and an anonymous group in bidding on the team.

Citing a recent Forbes valuation, Fertitta bid $5.6 billion as well, Jhabvala adds (Twitter link). Harris is not planning to increase his bid, and Fertitta does not sound like he will move much higher. No NFL vote on either Harris or Apostolopoulos will likely be held, per Keim, until the next round of owners’ meetings, which are set for May 22-24 in Minneapolis. But it does not appear the Commanders’ next owner is known just yet.

12:15pm: Less than 24 hours after reports indicated Jeff Bezos did not plan to bid on the Commanders, a sale is near the finish line. Josh Harris and Dan Snyder are nearing an agreement, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, bid $5.6 billion for the franchise, Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post report. No terms have been submitted to the league, and Harris’ prospective purchase will still need to be approved by at least 24 NFL owners. Snyder has not informed the NFL he is selling just yet, but Maske adds (via Twitter) the hope is an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks. The approval part of a deal is expected to be a formality, with Harris having been vetted during his run at buying the Broncos last year.

This process, which began late last year when Snyder hired a firm to explore selling the team after 23 years as owner, looks to be close to the goal line. Sportico reports Snyder and Harris have agreed in principle (Twitter link). Harris’ ownership group includes NBA legend Magic Johnson and billionaire Mitchell Rales.

Snyder, 58, bought the franchise in 1999 for $800MM. Snyder’s ownership tenure has been roundly criticized, and scandals have engulfed him for years. The repeated investigations into workplace misconduct and financial impropriety moved a possible vote to remove Snyder from his post onto the radar. A sale, however, has always been the NFL’s preferred outcome. No owner has ever been voted out. Instead, Snyder looks to be stepping away on his own. Further pointing to an NFL exit, Dan and Tanya Snyder have since named England as their usual place of residence.

The embattled owner had insisted for years he would never sell the team. But investigations — including two by the NFL and one by the House Oversight Committee — overshadowed the final years of his tenure. A 2022 ESPN report that indicated Snyder had hired firms to collect dirt on some of his fellow owners, along with Roger Goodell, emerged just before sale rumors began. Snyder denied having done so, but sale rumors surfaced shortly after that denial.

Mary Jo White’s investigation is ongoing, but that probe — one that will lead to a written report of the findings, as opposed to the 2021 investigation which did not produce a report — is believed to be nearing a conclusion. Snyder, whom the NFL fined and handed a de facto suspension at the end of its initial probe, had previously demanded indemnification to protect him against further repercussions. Owners have shot down that demand.

From 1972-91, Washington appeared in five Super Bowls and won three. During Snyder’s ownership, the team has never advanced to the playoffs in consecutive years and has won 10 games in a season only three times. Snyder’s ownership tenure has never produced more than 10 wins in a season. Front office, coaching and quarterback instability have plagued the team. Should Harris indeed take over, his restoration task will dwarf the ones David Tepper or Rob Walton needed to complete.

Walton outbid Harris for the Broncos, but the latter remained on the ownership radar. He joined Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos in submitting record-setting bids late last month. Harris, 58, will end up paying over a billion more for the Commanders than Walton paid for the Broncos (an American sports-record $4.65 billion), but the NBA and NHL owner has moved close to entering the country’s most popular sports league.

Harris is a Chevy Chase, Maryland, native who bought the Sixers in 2011. His ownership group acquired the Devils two years later. Harris also owns English Premier League franchise Crystal Palace. In June 2020, Harris purchased a stake ($140MM, approximately 5%) of the Steelers. Tepper also bought an NFL team after having been a Steelers minority owner. Like Tepper, Harris will need to sell that stake before taking over in Washington.

The Oversight Committee’s investigation into Snyder and the Commanders wrapped late last year. Its report accused Snyder of permitting and participating in a longtime toxic workplace culture. Snyder is believed to have leaked the emails that led to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders exit, and the Committee accused the NFL in assisting the Washington owner in preventing the 2021 Beth Wilkinson probe from producing a written report. The forthcoming White report likely represents the next shoe to drop for Snyder, who is also being investigated by the office of Virginia’s attorney general. A lawsuit from the D.C. attorney general, one that also included the NFL, has accused Snyder of “colluding to deceive and mislead customers.”

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah On RB Situation, Za’Darius Smith

April 16th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings made a strong contractual commitment to longtime backup running back Alexander Mattison when the new league year opened in March, just days after reports surfaced indicating that the team was considering trading RB1 Dalvin Cook. When asked if he would have signed Mattison to a two-year, $7MM deal ($6.35M guaranteed) if he knew Cook would still be on the roster, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that the two players can continue to co-exist, just as they have done for the past four years.

“I think in theory they could exist, of course,” Adofo-Mensah said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Different style of backs. Again, we talk about the systems we’re trying to play. Together, they’re different style of backs. They could fit complementary together, for sure.”

Nonetheless, Adofo-Mensah appeared to suggest that, even if Cook is back with Minnesota in 2023, it would not be on his current deal, which will pay him $10.4MM in 2023.

“Conversations are always ongoing with [Cook],” the GM said. “We’re trying to be solutions-oriented, always trying to put the roster together within our constraints.”

Of Cook’s $10.4MM payout, only $2MM is guaranteed as of the time of this writing. That amount became guaranteed on March 17, since Cook was still a member of the club on that date. As Florio posits, however, the team really had no way to avoid that obligation; it was already guaranteed for injury, and Cook was unlikely to pass a physical due to a lingering shoulder ailment.

As such, the fact that Cook remains on the club post-March 17 does not shed much light on his future in Minnesota, and Florio believes a trade or release is still a strong possibility. After all, the remainder of Cook’s 2023 salary does not become guaranteed until the start of the regular season. The Dolphins may no longer be interested in Cook after re-signing Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, but other RB-needy clubs will doubtlessly be tempted by the four-time Pro Bowler, especially if those clubs are unable to land a quality back in the draft.

On a related note, Adofo-Mensah said that conversations are also ongoing with LB Za’Darius Smith (Twitter link via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). Smith requested his release last month, though it was reported at the time that the club had no intention of obliging. The edge rusher is under contract through 2024, and Seifert suggests that Smith, like Cook, could be a trade asset.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera On LG Competition

April 16th, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Rory Parks

Last March, the Commanders signed Andrew Norwell to a two-year, $10MM contract and installed him as their starting left guard. Aside from the last game of the season, Norwell played every offensive snap for Washington in 2022, but his roster spot could be in jeopardy.

When recently asked about his club’s LG competition, head coach Ron Rivera said he expects a real battle between fourth-year pro Saahdiq Charles and second-year blocker Chris Paul (Twitter link via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington). As for Norwell, Rivera simply said, “he’s going to be there.”

That is hardly a strong vote of confidence for a player who was brought in as a worthy replacement for Brandon Scherff, who defected to the Jaguars in free agency last year after a brilliant seven-year tenure with Washington that included five Pro Bowl bids and one First Team All-Pro designation. Unfortunately for Norwell, his performance in his first year with the Commanders was not especially compelling.

After earning First Team All-Pro acclaim himself in 2017, his final season with the Panthers, Norwell secured a then-record contract with Jacksonville, and his play in Duval County, while generally solid, did not necessarily match the club’s financial commitment. In 2022, Norwell received a 59.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which was the lowest mark of his nine-year career and which positioned him as the 47th-best guard out of 76 qualifiers. He was charged with five penalties and 29 total pressures allowed, including four sacks.

Still, his 127 career starts are unrivaled by Charles, who has taken all of 61 snaps at left guard in his three-year career, and Paul, a 2022 seventh-rounder whose only action of his rookie campaign came in the Week 18 contest that Norwell sat out. So it stands to reason that Washington would keep Norwell around at least long enough to see if the Charles-Paul battle yields promising results, or if running it back with Norwell is a better solution for a team that could be deploying a largely inexperienced Sam Howell at quarterback.

However, if Charles and/or Paul should prove themselves capable of a starting role in spring workouts and training camp, Norwell’s contract could work against him. Due to the void years that were tacked onto the end of his deal, releasing Norwell prior to June 1 would create $2.8MM in dead money versus a savings of only $2.3MM. A post-June 1 release, though, would create savings of $4.4MM on the 2023 ledger against just $700K in dead money.

If Rivera’s comments are any indication, Norwell may find himself a cap casualty this summer.

Latest On Terry McDonough’s Claims Against Cardinals, Michael Bidwill

April 16th, 2023 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this month, former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough filed an arbitration claim against the team and owner Michael Bidwill. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, the specific causes of action are breach of contract, retaliation after engaging in protected activity, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and civil conspiracy. In response, Cardinals PR consultant Jim McCarthy released a statement that has attracted widespread criticism.

The statement, which can be found here, levies a number of personal attacks against McDonough, including allegations that he engaged in “extreme domestic violence,” abandoned responsibility to one of his daughters by cutting her off financially, and made a practice of undermining fellow employees. Assuming those allegations — some of which, like his purported abdication of his parental duties, are seemingly unrelated to his duties with the Cardinals — are true, it is fair to wonder why Arizona would have employed him for the past 10 years (according to NBC Sports’ Peter King, McDonough was just dismissed earlier this year).

It would seem, as Florio suggests in a separate piece, that the more prudent course of action for the team would have been to simply deny the allegations and allow the arbitration process to play out. Claims like McDonough’s are resolved via internal channels that are generally weighted in the team’s favor, and the Cardinals’ response may prove to be an unnecessary measure that has, at best, resulted in bad optics for the franchise.

Per Daniel Wallach, legal analyst for The Athletic (Twitter thread), the statement may have also created additional causes of action for McDonough that would allow him to take his fight to the public forum of a courthouse as opposed to the more sheltered arbitration setting. Wallach suggests that the “extreme domestic violence” claim in particular could give rise to two separate torts: “false light invasion of privacy” and “public disclosure of private facts.” If McDonough chooses to file suit, the homefield advantages that Bidwill and the Cardinals enjoy in the league’s arbitration procedures would no longer be present.

As King writes, if it becomes clear throughout this impending saga that Bidwill, as McDonough alleges, supplied McDonough and former head coach Steve Wilks with burner phones to secretly communicate with then-suspended GM Steve Keim, then the NFL would be forced to suspend Bidwill. Interestingly, Wilks’ existing lawsuit against the Cardinals alleging racial discrimination included an averment that, “there is evidence of Mr. Keim’s input and participation during his so-called suspension” (via Florio). It is possible that Wilks’ allegation is a reference to the burner phone scheme, which would seem to corroborate McDonough’s claims. Arizona, meanwhile, does not deny that the burner phones were used; the team simply asserts that Bidwill acted swiftly to end the practice when he learned about it.

From a long-term perspective, the portions of McDonough’s filing that do not include burner phones could be more damaging to Bidwill if they are substantiated. McDonough accuses Bidwill of treating a Black employee and two pregnant women poorly and creating “an environment of fear for minority employees.” He avers that Bidwill is abusive and engages in widespread workplace misconduct, and he is not the only former staffer to make such a claim.

As Florio details, former Cardinals executive V.P. and COO Ron Minegar wrote a resignation letter to Bidwill in December 2019, one page of which was included in McDonough’s arbitration claim. In that letter, Minegar, like McDonough, asserted that Bidwill put an end to a review of the team’s workplace culture in 2019 when the early responses were largely unfavorable and cast Bidwill himself in a negative light.

Minegar wrote, “sadly, we learned that a majority of our employees are working in fear. There are several factors, but much of this was directed at you based on the poor interaction they’ve had with you. … What was your reaction when you saw the preliminary responses? Instead of leaning into it and trying to change things for the better, you shut the study down.”

He added, “I am sad for you and worried about you. You deserve to be happy, but you are miserable. You know it. The people around you feel it daily and it impacts them more than you understand.”

In 2022, Minegar sent an email to Bidwill in which he congratulated his former employer on the halftime tribute the team conducted in honor of Bidwill’s father. He took that opportunity to apologize to Bidwill for his part in the deterioration of the relationship between the two men, and said, “I wrote this very private note to Michael to ‘Make Amends’ as part of my program of sobriety which I have undertaken for the past 1000+ days.”

Minegar says that, for the first time since his resignation three years prior, Bidwill recently reached out to him, asking if he could use Minegar’s email in his response to McDonough’s claims. Minegar agreed, but only if the entire email and the entire resignation letter were publicized. Much to Minegar’s dismay, Bidwill did not oblige.

“Unfortunately, [Bidwill and McCarthy] opted to pick and choose segments of the letter in an attempt to put their position in a favorable light,” Minegar said. “I stand by the statements I made in my December 2019 letter and am willing to discuss with the involved parties as part of the NFL’s Arbitration Process.”

McDonough argues that Bidwill’s conduct is “significantly worse” than that of Robert Sarver, the former owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns who was suspended by the NBA for a year and fined $10MM before ultimately selling the team. It is obviously far too soon to consider whether the Wilks and McDonough actions will lead to a similar outcome for Bidwill, but the reports stemming from those disputes and Bidwill’s responses thereto do paint an unflattering picture of the owner and his club. Time will tell whether the Cardinals can reverse their on- and off-field fortunes under Bidwill’s stewardship.

Dolphins To Sign WR Chosen Anderson

April 15th, 2023 at 10:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chosen Anderson had an underwhelming 2022 campaign with the Panthers and Cardinals, but he is now set for a new start. The veteran receiver has agreed to a deal with the Dolphins, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques (Twitter link).

Anderson, 29, saw his time in Carolina come to an abrupt end with a sideline argument with interim head coach Steve Wilks leading to his mid-game dismissal. He was traded to Arizona the following day, in a move which came as no surprise given the way his relationship with the Panthers unravelled. Anderson had been unable to replicate his 2020 success (95 catches, 1,096 yards) in the year-plus since that time, and thus represented a logical change-of-scenery candidate.

The former Jet arrived in Arizona with the opportunity to carve out a notable role for himself, but that didn’t take place. Anderson logged a snap share of just 30% in 10 games with the Cardinals, registering seven scoreless receptions. He was among the team’s cost-cutting releases last month, which allowed him to choose his next destination via free agency.

Miami will present a challenge for Anderson in terms of finding snaps in a starting or rotational capacity. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle comfortably sit atop the Dolphins’ WR depth chart, but Anderson will now look to add to the team’s options behind those two at the position. Miami is undecided on the fate of veteran Cedrick Wilson, but they are willing to trade him. Especially if the latter is moved, Anderson could have a path to earning a 53-man roster spot this summer.

The Dolphins will represent Anderson’s fourth NFL team, and an opportunity to rebuild his value to an extent. Several years removed from not only his lone 1,000-yard campaign, but also the 2017 season in which he totaled 941 yards and seven touchdowns, the former UDFA is likely eyeing a complimentary workload at most for the remainder of his career. His next chapter will take place in Miami, where the team will look to replicate its 2022 success in the passing game while Anderson will look for some long-term stability in his latest home.

TE Darnell Washington Visits Panthers, Cowboys

April 15th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

This year’s tight end class is said to be far deeper and more talented than any of those in the recent past. Darnell Washington is one of several highly-touted prospects at the position, and has drawn interest from multiple teams in the pre-draft process.

The Georgia product recently met with the Panthers and Cowboys, as noted by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 and ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter links). Those teams are in far different situations with respect to their draft positioning, but they likely aren’t the only ones doing their homework on the uber-athletic pass catcher.

Washington spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, and the 2022 campaign was his most productive. He totaled 28 catches for 454 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all new career highs. Those numbers (along with his prowess as a run blocker) helped lead Georgia to another national championship, and confirmed his status as one of the top tight ends in this year’s class. He followed that up with an impressive showing at the Combine, during which he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash.

The Panthers will use the top pick on a quarterback, the identity of which seems to be coming into focus as the first round approaches. Their next selection is No. 39, which would likely be in the range for Washington and most other seam-stretchers this year. Carolina has already made a big move at the TE spot this offseason, inking Hayden Hurst to a three-year, $21.75MM deal in free agency.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, have yet to make an addition on the open market. Longtime starter Dalton Schultz took a one-year pact with the Texans, despite Dallas reportedly having offered a significantly more lucrative extension. That leaves the latter team in need of a new No. 1 option at the position; while in-house candidates are in place, the Cowboys have frequently been connected to using a Day 1 or 2 selection on a tight end.

Dallas owns pick No. 26, which could be around the time the first tight ends start coming off the board. Washington faces competition from Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid in particular to be the first to hear their name called at the position, and several high-profile prospects will last into the second and third rounds. The Cowboys have the 58th and 90th selections, which will give them multiple chances to add a seam-stretcher, be it Washington or another prospect they take an extended look at.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/23

April 15th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s lone minor move in the NFL:

Seattle Seahawks

Winston, 26, saw his only regular season game action come with the Saints in 2021. In a three-game stint in New Orleans, he racked up 119 scoreless yards on 10 catches. The former UDFA was claimed off waivers by the Browns this past August, but wasn’t able to land a spot on their 53-man roster. He joined Seattle’s practice squad in October and signed a reserve deal with them at the end of the season. Now, he will look for a new NFL home.

 

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