HEADLINES

Month: April 2023

Jets, DL Quinton Jefferson Agree To Deal

April 12th, 2023 at 8:49am CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 12: The deal will check in at $3.6MM in base value, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who adds the veteran defender will see $2.75MM guaranteed (Twitter link). Jefferson can collect up to $4.25MM via incentives on his latest contract. The Jets tacked on four void years to minimize Jefferson’s 2023 cap hit.

APRIL 6: Quinton Jefferson is making a return to the AFC East. The Jets announced on Thursday that they have signed the veteran defensive lineman, giving them an experienced producer along the defensive front. SNY’s Connor Hughes was the first to report a deal was imminent (Twitter link).

Jefferson has played for three teams, but is best known for his time with the Seahawks. He began his career in Seattle, operating as a starter in 2018 and 2019. His production to finish out his rookie contract earned him deals with the Bills and Raiders, with whom he enjoyed steady campaigns. A career-best 47 tackles in Vegas helped guide him back to the Emerald City in 2022, though that reunion didn’t entirely go according to plan.

Seattle ended up releasing the 30-year-old in a cost-cutting move last month. The cap savings helped the Seahawks sign Dre’Mont Jones to provide an upgrade along the defensive front, particularly in the pass-rushing department. Jefferson did, however, set a new personal mark with 5.5 sacks and six tackles for loss last season, despite logging the lowest snap share of his career since 2017.

That points to the Maryland alum being at least an effective rotational player with the Jets in 2023. New York has All-Pro Quinnen Williams in place at the heart of their defensive front, but Jefferson could step into the role vacated by the free agent departure of Sheldon Rankins. While this deal represents a notable addition on New York’s part, it might not be the only one amongst veteran d-linemen.

Hughes tweets that the Jets remain in on Al Woods, who like Jefferson has had multiple stints in Seattle. Woods has a visit lined up with New York, though a reunion with the Seahawks also may not be off the table. Hughes also names former Lion and Ram A’Shawn Robinson as a name to watch as the Jets look to continue adding depth along the interior. Regardless of what other moves they make, Jefferson is now in place as a starting-caliber option.

Buccaneers LB Devin White Requests Trade

April 11th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Devin White is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2023, but he may not do so in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers linebacker has requested a trade, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine (Twitter link).

Laine’s colleague Adam Schefter tweets, to no surprise, that Tampa has no intention of moving the former fifth overall pick. White has operated as a full-time starter throughout his four-year tenure with the Bucs, and has a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro nomination to his name. White’s option checks in at $11.7MM.

As is often the case, this trade request stems from frustration with contract talks. Negotiations have not gained traction, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). White, 25, is not eligible for free agency until 2024, due to the Bucs exercising his fifth-year option in May 2023. And the off-ball linebacker market has seen some notable developments this year.

Two teams — the Ravens and Bears — authorized top-five contracts at the position in 2023. Following a fall trade, Roquan Smith secured a $20MM-per-year deal with Baltimore to set the market at the position. In the early hours of this year’s legal tampering period, Tremaine Edmunds agreed to an $18MM-AAV pact with the Bears. That deal sits fourth among ILBs. Considering C.J. Mosley‘s Jets contract — a $17MM-per-year accord that changed the positional market — was finalized in 2019, it will likely take top-five money here for White to sign a second Bucs deal.

A noticeable gap between White’s production and Pro Football Focus grades has been in place for years. While White has generally been regarded as an upper-echelon off-ball ‘backer, PFF has consistently disagreed with that perception. The advanced metrics site, while steadily rating Lavonte David as one of the game’s best, has viewed White far off that tier. White has never carried a PFF grade north of 60th among linebackers. Over the past two seasons, the former No. 5 overall pick has rated outside the top 70. The site has annually viewed the LSU product’s coverage and run-defense abilities as lacking, with pass-rushing production (20.5 career sacks) propping up his grades.

Traditional numbers suggest the sideline-to-sideline playmaker resides among the game’s better linebackers. During Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV-winning season, White totaled a career-high 140 tackles and added a staggering nine sacks and 16 quarterback hits. White has surpassed the 120-tackle plateau in each of the past two years, not missing a game. White added two forced fumbles last season and finished with eight tackles for loss for the second straight year. This included an emotional performance that came shortly after White’s father died just before the Bucs’ Germany game.

The Bucs made White the highest non-rush linebacker draftee since 2009, drafting him to play in Todd Bowles‘ defense. The fit has not always been perfect, as accusations of loafing on plays emerged during the Bucs’ underwhelming 2022. Bowles defended White and did not demote him; White has played at least 95% of the Bucs’ defensive plays in each of the past three seasons. But it is worth wondering how the organization views the young defender through a long-term lens.

Tampa Bay re-signed David to a fourth contract and, despite being more than $50MM over the cap weeks ahead of free agency, found room to bring back Jamel Dean, who was drafted two rounds after White in 2019. Several vets from the Bucs’ Super Bowl defense remain on the team, and the organization wanting White back will limit his options. The 2020 CBA’s holdout restrictions further limit contracted players’ options, as even medium-length camp holdouts threaten to delay a player’s free agency. We are months away from camp, however, and this trade request obviously will make for a more interesting offseason for the Bucs.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/11/23

April 11th, 2023 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: P Ryan Anderson

Denver Broncos

Anderson joins 2022 seventh-round pick Trenton Gill on the Bears’ offseason roster. Gill punted in all 17 Chicago games last season. After a record-setting career at Division III’s Olivet College (Mich.), Anderson set a Rutgers record with 44.4 yards per punt as a senior in 2017. Previous efforts to make an NFL roster did not pan out; Anderson, 27, has never played in a regular-season game.

Emmanuel Forbes, O’Cyrus Torrence, Brian Branch On Lions’ Visit Schedule

April 11th, 2023 at 9:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to bigger names at No. 6 overall, the Lions have two first-rounders. Players who should be expected to factor into Detroit’s second selection — No. 18 — are showing up on their pre-draft radar.

Detroit’s No. 6 pick belonged to the Rams, via the Jared Goff trade, but the NFC North team is gathering intel on prospects who could be available at 18. The Lions will host Florida offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence on April 17, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets, adding a visit with Alabama defensive back Brian Branch is also on the team’s itinerary. Ditto Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, per WCBI’s Jon Sokoloff (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Lions To Meet With Will Anderson Jr.]

A transfer from Louisiana to Florida last year, Torrence finished his lone Gators season as a consensus All-American at guard. He grades this draft’s top interior O-lineman available, per Scouts Inc. and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who each have the one-and-done SECer ranked just outside the top 30.

The Lions agreed to a reworked deal with Halapoulivaati Vaitai this offseason and have their other guard starter, Jonah Jackson, going into a contract year. Graham Glasgow is back on the team, but the 2016 Lions draftee is on a one-year agreement. Vaitai’s reworked contract also removed 2024, moving the injury-plagued blocker into a contract year.

Forbes notched three pick-sixes last season and holds the career Division I-FBS record with six in his career, getting there despite playing just three seasons with the Bulldogs. Forbes intercepted 14 passes in total in college, but size will cloud his tremendous production numbers. The 6-foot-1 corner weighed 166 pounds at the Combine. Scouts Inc. still rates Forbes just inside the top 30.

Branch checks in a few spots lower, but the former Crimson Tide safety profiles as the headliner of a mediocre crop at the position. Branch, who goes 5-11 and 190 pounds, offers flexibility as well; he saw considerable time in the slot at Alabama. He joined Torrence as a consensus All-American last season.

Coming off a season in which they ranked last defensively, the Lions have made major additions in the secondary this offseason. They brought in Cameron Sutton and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The team also added ex-49er Emmanuel Moseley on a lower-cost deal and re-signed Will Harris. They traded Jeff Okudah to the Falcons on Tuesday. At safety, the Lions have Gardner-Johnson as an option — though, he primarily patrolled the slot during his time under Aaron Glenn in New Orleans — along with second-year cog Kerby Joseph and veteran Tracy Walker.

Lions To Host QB C.J. Stroud

April 11th, 2023 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

When the Lions acquired Jared Goff as a throw-in piece in 2021’s Matthew Stafford trade, they picked up an extra first-round pick for taking the then-downward-trending quarterback’s contract. Lions brass, however, continued to insist Goff was not viewed internally as a bridge QB. His 2022 play opened the door to a longer-term partnership.

Goff remains attached to his Rams-constructed extension, which runs through 2024, and the Lions passed on opportunities to select a quarterback in 2021 and ’22. While the organization remains committed to Goff, finding a potential successor is not exactly off the radar. Dan Campbell confirmed as much recently, and the team has Hendon Hooker on its pre-draft visit list.

A bigger name has emerged on that list. C.J. Stroud will visit the Lions this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Stroud is widely expected to be drafted before the Lions go on the clock (No. 6 overall, via the Rams), but Detroit will still do some additional work on the latest Ohio State-developed passer set to become a first-round pick. The Lions have used one first-round pick on a passer over the past two decades, with their Stafford choice starting the 2009 draft.

Stroud remains in consideration, along with Bryce Young, to go first overall to the Panthers. If Carolina goes with Young’s upside and leaves the 6-foot-3 Stroud on the board, QB-needy teams will certainly be monitoring the Texans at No. 2.

Rumblings on Houston not being committed to drafting a QB at 2 continue to surface, and the team’s talks with Chicago on trading up for No. 1 suggest the Nick Caserio-led franchise believes a value gap exists between Young and Stroud or vice versa. Should the Texans pass (for Will Anderson Jr. or a trade-down maneuver), the Cardinals should see interest in their No. 3 pick intensify. Arizona has heard from at least six teams about that pick. A pre-draft trade is unlikely, as teams will surely want to see how the board looks after two picks.

Lions GM Brad Holmes was with the Rams when they traded up for Goff. The Lions would certainly be a dark-horse candidate to move up, given Goff’s 2022 resurgence and manageable contract ($33MM per year). The Colts, Raiders and Titans have been linked to trade-up maneuvers, with the Seahawks and others lurking. Should a third quarterback go off the board before the Lions go on the clock at 6, at least one more high-end non-QB prospect will be there for Campbell’s team, who can bolster its roster with the two first-round picks it carries.

Stroud’s draft stock has soared higher than Buckeye predecessors Justin Fields or Dwayne Haskins‘, with his dominant showing against eventual champion Georgia nearly moving Ohio State into the national championship game. Stroud combined for 85 touchdown passes and just 12 interceptions during his two starter seasons, finishing in the top four in each of the past two Heisman votes.

But the Lions, who also hold the No. 18 overall pick, will continue to conduct QB research before the draft. They will gather some more info on Stroud, joining other teams here. Stroud’s Colts meeting, which comes after his California-based workout with the AFC South team, is set for this week as well. Most of the teams picking in the top eight will go through meetings with Stroud during the pre-draft interview process. Stroud’s all-important Panthers meeting has also yet to transpire.

Panthers Meet With CB Tre Flowers

April 11th, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although teams’ primary focuses are on the draft presently, a number of notable free agents remain on radars. The Panthers huddled up with one of them recently.

Tre Flowers met with Carolina brass, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The five-year veteran cornerback spent the past two seasons with the Bengals but has a clear tie to the Panthers. Carolina GM Scott Fitterer‘s lengthy Seattle tenure overlapped with much of Flowers’ three-plus-season run in the Pacific Northwest.

Fitterer resided as one of John Schneider‘s right-hand men when the Seahawks drafted Flowers in the 2018 fifth round. Continually preferring to wait on corners and develop them, rather than pay up to keep non-Richard Sherman pieces at the position, the Seahawks have had continued success with Day 3 coverage investments. Sherman proved the exception regarding an extension, but the Hall of Fame candidate was also a Day 3 draftee. Flowers came in shortly after the Seahawks cut bait on Sherman’s second contract.

Now 27, Flowers has spent much of the past two seasons as a Cincinnati backup. Despite Chidobe Awuzie‘s injury, the Bengals did not use Flowers as a starter last season. The 6-foot-3 defender did play 171 defensive snaps, however, and has two seasons of starter experience. Flowers intercepted a pass last season — his first since a three-INT 2019 — but remained on the backup level during his one-year, $1.85MM deal.

The Seahawks gave Flowers 30 starts over his first two seasons, plugging him into their lineup immediately. The organization soured on Flowers in 2020, benching him before waiving him during the 2021 season. Fitterer was in Carolina when Seattle waived Flowers.

The Panthers have Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson atop their corner group, and former top-10 pick C.J. Henderson remains on the roster as well. Henderson, whom Fitterer and Matt Rhule acquired in 2021, struggled last season. Both he and 2021 fifth-rounder Keith Taylor ranked outside the top 100 at the position, per Pro Football Focus, last season. The Falcons also brought in Flowers, who has worked as a boundary corner, for a visit earlier this offseason. But Atlanta has signed Mike Hughes and traded for Jeff Okudah, the latter move transpiring earlier Tuesday.

Giants To Host WRs Jordan Addison, Jalin Hyatt; Team High On Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

April 11th, 2023 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants made a surprising voyage to the divisional round last season, they are still a team featuring some clear needs heading into the draft. A No. 1-caliber wide receiver is one of them.

The Giants have done their homework on this year’s wide receiver crop leading up to pre-draft visit season, spending time with each of this year’s top-rated wideouts previously. But they will continue to exhaust resources to gauge pass catchers’ viability. USC’s Jordan Addison will meet with the Giants next week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt is also headed to New York for a Wednesday visit, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

One of the fastest receivers in this year’s class, Hyatt said his hamstring tightened up before he ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine. He did not run at Tennessee’s pro day. While both NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Scouts Inc. have Hyatt outside the top 40, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller views the 176-pound burner as a potential top-25 selection. The Bills, Cowboys and Saints have met with Hyatt as well.

Hyatt broke through for a stunning performance against Alabama — in Tennessee’s October win — with a 207-yard, five-touchdown display. Hyatt rode that outing to the Biletnikoff award. Last year represented Hyatt’s only notable run of production with the Volunteers; prior to his 1,267-yard season, the 6-foot target did not top 300 receiving yards in 2020 or ’21.

The Giants, who hold the No. 25 pick, dined with Jaxon Smith-Njigba ahead of the Ohio State alum’s pro day last month. While they are looking into Addison, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds Smith-Njigba is the receiver the Giants most likely view as this class’ top prize. A hamstring injury nagged Smith-Njigba throughout last season, but his 2021 — when the slot player’s 1,606 receiving yards dwarfed the totals of first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave — still has his stock high. Smith-Njigba might not be available when the Giants pick, and his skillset might not be ideal for a team hoarding slot types already (Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder to go with Wan’Dale Robinson). A number of teams are looking into the latest draft-eligible Buckeyes receiver talent.

New York is also doing work on front-seven prospects. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and edge rusher Will McDonald are on the radar, with SI.com’s Albert Breer indicating (via Twitter) the Iowa State edge visited Monday while the Clemson interior defender is in town today.

Once a top-five national recruit, Bresee bounced back from an injury-plagued 2021. Grading as Jeremiah’s No. 37 prospect, the 298-pound D-tackle could profile as a late-first-round prospect. McDonald saw action in five Cyclones seasons and finished two of them (2020, 2021) in double digits for sacks. The 6-foot-4 edge combined for 26 tackles for loss in that span as well. Both Scouts Inc. and Jeremiah slot McDonald — the Cyclones’ all-time sack leader (34) — 26th in this class.

The Giants are fairly well-invested on both their defensive line and at outside linebacker. They used the No. 5 overall pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux last year and have former second-rounder Azeez Ojulari going into his third season. Up front, the team has Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Both players are going into contract years, though Lawrence extension talks have begun. A Williams extension also would reduce his mammoth 2023 cap number ($32.26MM).

Falcons Re-Sign WR KhaDarel Hodge

April 11th, 2023 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons have added multiple receivers this offseason, bringing in Scotty Miller and Mack Hollins. But they will keep KhaDarel Hodge in the mix as well. Hodge re-signed with the team Tuesday.

A sixth-year veteran who has worked on special teams and as a reserve wideout, Hodge will head into his second offseason as a Falcon. The team brought in the former Rams UDFA last year and used him in all 17 games.

Perhaps best known for his two-year Browns tenure, Hodge has played for four teams in five seasons. The small-school product totaled a career-high 202 receiving yards last season, catching 13 passes and scoring his first career touchdown — a 25-yarder during a Thursday game against the Panthers — during his trial run with the Falcons.

Hodge has also spent time with the Lions, who rostered the Prairie View A&M alum in 2021. The 5-foot-11 receiver played 60% of Atlanta’s special teams plays as well, making nine ST tackles last season. Hodge’s special teams experience will likely give him an edge in the competition for backup jobs come training camp.

Atlanta has not brought back Olamide Zaccheaus, a Thomas Dimitroff-era pickup, and has been connected to wide receivers during the pre-draft process. The team has an opening for a starter alongside Drake London. But Hodge, 28, is back in position to push for a depth role on Arthur Smith‘s team.

USC Adds Kliff Kingsbury To Staff

April 11th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 11: USC has announced the hire. The former Cardinals and Texas Tech head coach is now in place on Riley’s staff, with the school confirming the hire is for a senior offensive analyst position.

APRIL 10: Kliff Kingsbury had been linked to a potential season off, but the ex-Cardinals leader did interview for multiple NFL gigs. Instead, the recently fired HC looks set to return to the college ranks.

Lincoln Riley is expected to add Kingsbury to his USC staff, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Kingsbury came to the Cardinals after having agreed to become the Trojans’ offensive coordinator. He did not last long with the Trojans previously but now intends to join a new USC staff. Riley and Kingsbury were briefly teammates at Texas Tech and later coached against each other in the Big 12.

Josh Henson is in place as the Trojans’ OC; Pelissero adds Kingsbury is expected to work with the Los Angeles-based program’s quarterbacks. The sides had been in talks for months, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com tweets. This will be an interesting time for that partnership, with USC rostering Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who is a candidate to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. Kingsbury’s title is expected to be senior offensive analyst, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets.

Upon returning from his much-referenced Thailand trip, Kingsbury interviewed for the Texans’ OC position and met with the Ravens about a potential job. The Patriots were also linked to the four-year Cardinals HC, but he appears fine with staying out of the NFL for a bit. This will be an interesting landing spot for Kingsbury, whom the Cards fired despite extending him in March 2022.

Kingsbury, 43, led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021, doing so despite injuries to key personnel (DeAndre Hopkins, J.J. Watt). But the Rams routed the Cards in the wild-card round, seemingly moving Kingsbury back toward a hot seat. Arizona instead extended both Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim ahead of free agency last year. Both are now gone, and the team is attempting to reboot after a 4-13 season. The Cardinals are on the hook for Kingsbury payments through 2027, though offset language could affect how much the NFC West team owes its former coach.

USC initially hired Kingsbury shortly after his 2018 Texas Tech ouster. The Pac-12 school brought in Kingsbury in November 2018, but the Cardinals somewhat surprisingly swooped in for a January 2019 HC hire. This has come under scrutiny, via Steve Wilks joining Brian Flores‘ class-action discrimination lawsuit, but Kingsbury did snap the Cards’ playoff drought. Kingsbury has spent all but the past four seasons coaching at the college level, leading the Red Raiders from 2013-18 and coaching at Division I-FBS programs for 11 years in total.

Riley being Kyler Murray‘s former coach adds a layer to this hire as well, but the ex-Oklahoma HC has now coached three Heisman-winning quarterbacks (Williams, Murray, Baker Mayfield) since 2017. This could put Kingsbury in position to move back onto the NFL radar soon, though it cannot be assumed he will be interested in returning to league in the near future.

RB Mark Ingram Wants To Play In 2023

April 11th, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Long after the initial waves of free agency, a number of veteran running backs remain unsigned. One of those is Mark Ingram, who has his eyes set on playing a 13th campaign in the NFL.

The 33-year-old spent last season with the Saints, having made a return to where he began his career the previous fall. Ingram had a memorable tenure in New Orleans between 2012 and 2018, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Given the arrival of Alvin Kamara, though, his chance to re-take a lead role required a new environment.

Signing a three-year deal in Baltimore allowed the former Heisman winner to do just that. Ingram racked up 1,265 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns in his debut Ravens season in 2019. That suggested his second act could involve a repeat of that performance for at least a few more years, but his production has dropped considerably since that point. Ingram has amassed only 1,086 rushing yards since 2020, and he was limited to 10 games last season due to an MCL injury.

That will no doubt hurt his free agent value as he looks to extend his playing career by at least one more season. The fact that Ingram has always worked as part of a tandem or committee in the backfield, however, is something he is acutely aware of as he weighs his options.

“I think sharing backfields, I think not getting overloaded with 300 carries a season for like five or six seasons in a row, I think that has helped me make it to Year 13 and still have a good body where I feel strong, I feel explosive, I feel like I can contribute and produce at a high level,” he said, via Mark Inabinett of Alabama.com.

Ingram is joined by the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt as backs with significant pedigree who are facing uncertain futures. The latter three are all likely to find new homes earlier than Ingram, but the post-draft period will provide more clarity with respect to which teams are still in need of depth additions at the position. At that point, Ingram may be in line to land with the Saints on another new deal, or with a new team as he looks to add to his career achievements.

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