HEADLINES

Month: April 2023

49ers GM John Lynch Confident In Nick Bosa Extension; No Deal Imminent

April 1st, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

As has been the case on several occasions in recent years, the 49ers have a major extension to attend to this offseason. Nick Bosa remains eligible for a new deal, one which has the chance to be historic for defensive players in its size.

The 2019 second overall pick is set to earn just under $17.9MM in 2023 on the fifth-year option, but that figure will comfortably be eclipsed on his second contract. Coming off a campaign in which he led the league in sacks, the Defensive Player of the Year could become the NFL’s top paid defender with an extension. That should be expected to be finalized this offseason, though a firm timeline is not currently in place.

“He’s training. He’s doing what Nick Bosa does,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said at the annual league meetings, “and we’re going to address his contract at some point. I know that it will take persistence, it will take patience, all the things I said before” (h/t Rohan Chakravarthi of 49erswebzone.com).

Last offseason, Lynch made it clear that multi-year deals for both Bosa and wideout Deebo Samuel had been budgeted for. In the latter’s case, contract talks broke down to the point that Samuel requested a trade, something the team never gave serious consideration to. In the end, the sides agreed on a three-year, $71.5MM deal in the summer to keep him in the Bay Area as a key part of the team’s nucleus.

A Bosa extension will likely be notably more lucrative. The 25-year-old has racked up 43 sacks in 51 career games, adding eight forced fumbles and 56 tackles for loss in that span. Rebounding from his injury-shortened 2020 campaign, the three-time Pro Bowler has remained healthy for the past two seasons, helping the 49ers enjoy consecutive trips to the NFC title game.

“He’s a really good player who’s going to get everything that he’s earned and deserves, and I do like our track record of getting [extensions] done,” Lynch said, adding on the subject of a potential timeline that, “they don’t come as quick as you’d like sometimes… And this one, I don’t know where that would be. I don’t think that has to be the case, but we’ll see where it goes.”

The NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher is Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, who averages $28MM per year on his current deal. Amongst all defensive players, that figure trails only Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald ($31.6MM). Bosa could command a deal outpacing each of those players given his age and production, and a turbulent negotiating period certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented for the 49ers. Given Lynch’s remarks, though, a monster deal coming together in the near future would come as little surprise.

Raiders To Host DT Jalen Carter

April 1st, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

After spending the 2022 season as arguably the top prospect in the country, Jalen Carter‘s draft stock has taken a considerable hit recently. The former Georgia defensive tackle entered into a plea agreement stemming from his misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, and delivered an underwhelming Pro Day performance.

That has led to speculation regarding how far down the board Carter will fall. A selection inside the top-10 remains a possibility, however, with the Lions hosting him on a top 30 visit. The team set to select one spot after Detroit – the Raiders – will do the same, as noted (on Twitter) by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Raiders own the seventh overall pick in the draft, one which could allow them to draft a long-term quarterback project to one day succeed free agent addition Jimmy Garoppolo. Head coach Josh McDaniels spoke earlier this month about the team’s desire to land a more permanent solution than the 31-year-old, though the 2023 class’ top four passers may already be off the board by the time Vegas makes their pick. In that scenario, a defensive prospect would become appealing for the team.

Carter cemented his status as one of, if not the top defenders in this year’s class during his third and final campaign with the Bulldogs. The 6-3, 310-pounder matched his 2021 production with three sacks this past season, adding seven tackles for loss. His contributions to a second straight national title for Georgia have since been overshadowed by his legal issues, though, along with reports of concerns over his character and conditioning.

Interestingly, the news of Carter’s visit comes just two days after Vic Tafur of The Athletic reported that the Raiders no longer had the All-American under consideration to be drafted (subscription required). As Tafur noted, Vegas will do their due diligence in this case, though some similarities exist between Carter and former first-round wideout Henry Ruggs. The latter was released following DUI-related charges stemming from an accident which resulted in the death of Tina Tintor and her dog, so a hesitance regarding Carter could be understandable from the team’s perspective.

The Raiders struggled across the board on defense last season, and their only outside addition along the defensive interior so far in free agency has been journeyman John Jenkins. Carter could certainly help Vegas both against the run and as a pass-rusher, and more will certainly be gleaned from the team during his visit. Whether or not the Raiders will be willing to draft him later this month, however, will be worth watching in the build-up to the draft.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith Addresses Commitment To Desmond Ridder, Lamar Jackson Interest

April 1st, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

For weeks, teams around the league have had the option of making an aggressive pursuit of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, since he was issued the non-exclusive franchise tag. Very little interest has emerged regarding either an offer sheet or a tag-and-trade, however, including from the Falcons, a team many pointed to as a potential landing spot.

Atlanta was the first team reported to turn down interest in acquiring the former MVP, whose contract standoff with the Ravens has taken a number of public turns. The most recent of those, of course, was Jackson’s revelation that he has a month-long standing trade request with Baltimore, since the team has remained unwilling to meet his asking price.

One day after Jackson’s desire to be traded become known, the Falcons committed to 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback heading into next season. The 23-year-old served as Atlanta’s QB1 for four games to close out the 2022 campaign, taking over from veteran Marcus Mariota. Ridder didn’t put up eye-catching numbers in his audition, but he did enough to convince the Falcons to avoid the high cost (in both draft capital and finances) which would be required to land Jackson.

“He won a lot of games in college and helped Luke Fickell at Cincinnati really change the whole culture of that program,” Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link). “And I certainly think that experience, you start that many games coming in helps… And certainly there’s a lot of things we all can continue to improve, but we’ve got a lot of faith in him.”

Ridder, the second signal-caller drafted in last year’s underwhelming class, went 2-2 in his rookie year. He has three more years of being team-friendly from a financial standpoint, which helps explain the Falcons’ decision to opt for a patient approach under center. The cap dilemma Atlanta would put themselves in – not long after clearing up a number of expensive contracts, including that of Matt Ryan – remains a key reason why they have shied away from Jackson.

“The belief becomes so much more transactional,” Smith said. “It’s our job to understand the markets that’s going on, and who’s available, who’s not, do they fit… at the end of the day you’ve got to do what you think is best for your team and what you’re building and how it fits into that puzzle.”

The Falcons currently have just over $21.5MM in cap space, which ranks sixth in the NFL. That comes after the team elected to add veteran Taylor Heinicke as their backup, a role he is willing to accept. While Jackson would offer far more in the way of pedigree than that duo, Atlanta remains in line with the rest of the league in turning their attention away from him during roster-building season.

Steelers Meet With CB Joey Porter Jr.

April 1st, 2023 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Like Kenny Pickett last year, the Steelers are plenty familiar with Joey Porter Jr. The son of the longtime Pittsburgh linebacker nevertheless went through the official process of a pre-draft visit with the team, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes.

The younger Porter is one of the top cornerbacks available in this year’s class, but because of the Penn State product’s local ties, the 6-foot-2 defender does not count against the Steelers’ 30 allotted pre-draft visits. Porter has been training at the team facility at points during the pre-draft run-up, per Rutter, working with his father in advance of a near-certain first-round selection. The Steelers had a chance to study Pickett up close, with the quarterback having played at Pitt; Porter attended high school in the Pittsburgh area before his Nittany Lions run.

Porter Sr. — a 1999 third-round Steelers pick — spent eight seasons with the franchise, collecting a Super Bowl ring as a starting linebacker for the 2005 team. The brash defender later served on Mike Tomlin‘s staff from 2014-18. His son joins Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), Devon Witherspoon (Illinois), Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State) and Deonte Banks (Maryland) as those expected to be first-round picks at the position this year.

Porter declared for the draft after his redshirt-junior season, and although he did not intercept a pass last season, Pro Football Focus charged him with just one 15-plus-yard completion allowed. The second-team All-American deflected a career-high 11 passes last year. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades Porter as this year’s No. 19 overall prospect; NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah slots him 15th. Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock sends Porter to the Patriots at No. 14 overall and Banks to the Steelers at 17.

The Steelers will be one of the teams connected to corners in Round 1. They let Cameron Sutton walk, not offering him a deal on par with what the Lions proposed, and added Patrick Peterson. But Tomlin is preparing to use Peterson at both corner and safety in his age-33 season. Pittsburgh has Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon each tied to $4MM-per-year contracts; both pacts expire after the 2023 season.

RB Phillip Lindsay Lands In XFL

April 1st, 2023 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Phillip Lindsay has made a few million since the Broncos rescinded his RFA tender in 2021, but the former UDFA success story has not been able to catch on since the successful start to his career. His latest move will be a showcase opportunity in one of this year’s two spring leagues.

The XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons are signing Lindsay, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Lindsay, 28, last played for the Colts in the NFL, but the team released the veteran running back from its practice squad in November of last year.

It has been rather surprising to see Lindsay unable to carve out much of a role outside of Denver. The Broncos scrapped their plans at running upon seeing the hometown product’s form during his 2018 rookie season. Lindsay finished his first year with 1,037 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. In 2019, the Colorado alum crossed the 1,000-yard barrier again to become the only UDFA in NFL history to amass back-to-back 1,000-yard years in his first two seasons.

The Broncos’ decision to give Melvin Gordon a two-year, $16MM deal in 2020 altered Lindsay’s path. After being rumored to be on Denver’s extension radar, Lindsay struggled through an injury-plagued 2020 slate and was a free agent in 2021. The Texans gave Lindsay a one-year, $3.25MM deal shortly after the Broncos rescinded his tender, but the diminutive back only averaged 2.6 yards per carry (50 totes) that year — one he finished with the Dolphins after the Texans waived him. Lindsay totaled 15 carries for the Colts last season.

Three weeks remain in the XFL’s third regular season. This one is on track to finish, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the league’s second effort three years ago, and Lindsay will join ex-NFLers Josh Gordon, Ben DiNucci and others attempting to stand out on the June Jones-coached Sea Dragons in the season’s final weeks.

Bears Eyeing Pass-Rushing Help

April 1st, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears entered free agency with a significant cap-space edge on the rest of the league. They pursued Mike McGlinchey and added Nate Davis, but linebacker — via the top-five ILB contract they gave Tremaine Edmunds and the addition of T.J. Edwards — represented the team’s primary focus on this year’s market.

But the Bears looked into splashier additions on their defensive line. Chicago pursued the top D-linemen on this year’s market, Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Defensive tackle featured higher-end talent compared to edge rusher, with the likes of Javon Hargrave (49ers), Dre’Mont Jones (Seahawks) and Zach Allen (Broncos) each going for at least $15MM per year. Hargrave went to San Francisco on a contract — four years, $84MM — that ties for the third-highest AAV among interior D-linemen.

Edge rusher did not supply as many options, but most of the top edges available at free agency’s outset remain unattached. Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark and ex-Bears first-rounder Leonard Floyd are available, along with the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram. The Bears do not profile as a 2023 contender, making a hired gun-type veteran less logical. But the team, which did sign hybrid D-lineman DeMarcus Walker, is looking for more help at the position.

While the Bears should not be ruled out from adding one of these defensive ends, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs notes the more likely path will be via the draft. But Matt Eberflus confirmed the position will be a priority. The Bears, who traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn in 2022, finished with a league-worst 20 sacks last season. No Chicago D-lineman totaled more than three.

“You guys know and you can see it. We obviously need some spots on our whole football team, but certainly our lines,” Eberflus said, via Jahns. “We’re still working on that, still going to be a work in progress. We’ll be looking for different avenues through the draft and free agency to … address that.”

Trading down from No. 1 to No. 9 will likely remove the Bears from draft real estate necessary to select Alabama’s Will Anderson, whom ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades as this class’ second-best prospect. The first non-quarterback-choosing team will undoubtedly consider Anderson. But the other top-slotted edges among this crop — Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech), Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) and Myles Murphy (Clemson) — could be on the board when Ryan Poles‘ team selects.

Chicago also acquired Carolina’s second-round pick in the March swap for the No. 1 overall choice, giving the NFC North team two second-rounders (Nos. 53 and 61). The Bears, who obtained No. 53 in the Roquan Smith trade, used their own second-round pick to acquire Chase Claypool from the Steelers at the deadline. While Biggs adds tackle and cornerback also profile as top need areas for the rebuilding team, the Bears should be expected to come away with a defensive end with one of their three first- or second-rounders.

Contract Details: Hughes, Hollins, Anderson, Scott, Johnson, Evans, Morstead, Ham

April 1st, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on more deals signed recently around the NFL:

  • C.J. Ham, FB (Vikings): Two years, $8.65MM. The extension, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has a guaranteed amount of $4.4MM composed of a $2.3MM signing bonus, Ham’s 2023 base salary of $1.1MM, and $1MM of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $2.4MM. The 2025 base salary is worth $2.55MM. Ham is set to earn $100,000 workout bonuses in each year of the newly extended deal.
  • Mike Hughes, CB (Falcons): Two years, $7MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $3.24MM consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus, Hughes’s first year base salary of $1.08MM, and his 2023 roster bonus of $660,000. The second year base salary is worth $2.57MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $35,000 for a potential season total of $595,000.
  • Trenton Scott, G (Commanders): Two years, $3.02MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $655,000 consisting of a $305,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Scott’s first year base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The second year base salary is worth $1.13MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $15,000 for a potential season total of $255,000. Scott can earn an additional $500,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
  • Justin Evans, S (Eagles): One year, $1.59MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 composed of a $250,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Evans’ base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $15,294 for a potential season total of $260,000. Evans can earn an additional $1.25MM through incentives based on playing time and a Pro Bowl selection.
  • Henry Anderson, DE (Panthers): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $152,500 consisting of Anderson’s signing bonus. His base salary is worth $1.17MM.
  • Thomas Morstead, P (Jets): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $1.09MM consisting of a $152,500 signing bonus and $940,000 of Morstead’s base salary (worth a total of $1.17MM).
  • Justin Hollins, OLB (Packers): One year, $1.28MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $155,000 consisting of Hollins’s signing bonus. The base salary is worth $1.08MM. The deal includes a workout bonus of $45,000, and Hollins can earn an additional $350,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
  • Ty Johnson, RB (Jets): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $250,000 consisting of a $75,000 signing bonus and $175,000 of Johnson’s base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). Johnson can earn a $77,500 roster bonus if he’s active in New York’s Week 1 matchup.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Draft Plans

April 1st, 2023 at 11:50am CST by Ely Allen

When the Panthers sent a haul over to Chicago for the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023, many came to the conclusion that Carolina would be taking the obvious route and drafting a quarterback. While Alabama quarterback prospect Bryce Young had been widely considered the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board for some time, the Panthers’ move almost immediately had eyes turned towards Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. So, which rookie will end up rocking the Panther blue and silver behind center next year?

Many view the Panthers’ actions as a dedicated attempt at a smokescreen. While the organization has dedicated significant resources into the research of all the draft’s top quarterback prospects, many are still very much convinced that Stroud is the pick, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Head coach Frank Reich and company, though, have been adamant that they are considering each of the draft’s top four prospects equally. Reich claims to have learned his lessons from his time in Philadelphia, when the Eagles selected Carson Wentz second overall. He preaches patience, stressing that the organization has time. He doesn’t want the team to fall in love too fast and abandon the process.

This has led to a cross-country business trip for many of the Panthers’ decision makers. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Carolina staffers embarked on a Week of Quarterbacks attended by Reich, general manager Scott Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, senior assistant Jim Caldwell, and vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman. The first two visits, in Columbus and Tuscaloosa, even included owners Dave Tepper and Nicole Tepper. The group started at Ohio State with Stroud, went to Alabama for Young, traveled to Kentucky for Will Levis, and took a short break at the owners’ meetings before heading down to Gainesville for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Each visit entailed a steak dinner with the prospect, a meeting with the quarterbacks’ head coaches, and a workout at their respective pro days.

Although the evaluation appears to be a group project of sorts, Fitterer asserts that each staffer is holding their cards close to the vest. He wants each of them to come to their own conclusions with no biases and, a week or so before the fateful date later this month, they will get together to conclude the process of making a decision.

While the general perception of their draft board hasn’t really changed, Fitterer provided some analyses of the first three quarterbacks they saw. He claimed Levis “had the strongest arm of the group.” He praised Stroud’s fluidity and was pleasantly surprised by Young, saying that the diminutive passer “had a little bit better arm than (they) thought,” in terms of both strength and accuracy. He praised Young’s ability to adapt to his size, asserting that a lifetime of football at that size has contributed to an effective accommodation and compensation.

Despite all the evaluations and field trips, when Person put together a seven-round mock draft for the team yesterday, Stroud remained the pick. Person was seemingly tempted to rock the boat and make the swap for Young, amid buzz he had heard at the owners’ meetings, but regardless, Stroud appears to remain the guy. Not only does his accuracy rival that of Young’s, but Stroud has a more ideal frame than Young, which seems to be attractive to the organization. Stroud’s size contributes to his strength and durability but doesn’t hinder his fluidity or athleticism out of the pocket.

The Panthers are trying to convince the world that they haven’t already made up their minds, and they’re spending a lot of money to do it. Overall, the consensus hasn’t changed. Most in league circles continue to believe that Stroud’s name will be the first one called on April 27.

NFC Coaching Updates: Giants, Commanders, Eagles, Bucs, Seahawks

April 1st, 2023 at 10:26am CST by Ely Allen

The Giants announced the finalization of their 2023 staff early last month, according to Giants staff writer Michael Eisen. We’ve covered a couple of minor changes in previous posts, but there are a number of new updates in this announcement that have yet to be covered.

With the departure of Tony Sparano Jr., who left to coach the Colts‘ offensive line, New York has hired Chris Smith to fill the role of assistant offensive line coach. Smith has just finished a six-year career at Holy Cross, serving as offensive coordinator last year and offensive line coach, run game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator in previous years. The team also promoted two assistants. An offensive assistant with New York last year, Christian Jones will serve in 2023 as assistant quarterbacks coach. Angela Baker, the inaugural recipient of the Rosie Brown Minority Coaching Fellowship, will move from offensive quality control coach to offensive assistant.

Two staffers received promotions on the defensive side of the ball, as well. Last year’s assistant defensive backs coach Michael Treier was promoted to safeties coach for this year. And, after spending time as a football data & innovation research analyst, Ben Burress will rejoin the coaching staff in 2023 as a defensive assistant.

The Giants made a special teams addition, as well, hiring former Lions defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas to fill a role as the team’s second assistant special teams coach.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the league:

  • A strong candidate early in their search, the Commanders announced the hiring of Bobby Engram as their new wide receivers coach. The former Seahawks wideout has coaching stints at the 49ers and Ravens but mostly recently served as offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. Washington also hired Shane Toub as the team’s offensive quality control coach. Toub was a defensive quality control coach at Kansas last year after serving in the same position for the Bears previously. The team also hired former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard as a defensive quality control coach. Howard started coaching in 2015, about nine years after his playing career ended. This will be his first NFL coaching opportunity. Lastly, as the Commanders continue to try and fill their vacant offensive line coaching role, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post provided the update that head coach Ron Rivera has informed John Matsko that they will not be hiring him for the job.
  • New Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai filled two position coaching roles last month. The team tweeted out that they would be hiring D. J. Eliot as their new linebackers coach. Eliot has been coaching at the college level since 1999, serving as defensive coordinator for Colorado, Kansas, and Temple, most recently. Eliot will receive his first NFL opportunity under Desai. Philadelphia also brought in Ronell Williams to serve as nickels coach, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Williams previously served as a defensive quality control coach for the Bears.
  • The Buccaneers have added a new role to their staff, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN, hiring Jordan Somerville as their new assistant quarterbacks coach. Somerville coached running backs at New Mexico before serving last year as an offensive analyst at Oregon. This will be Somerville’s first NFL role.
  • The Seahawks made an addition to their defensive staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, hiring Roy Anderson as secondary coach. Anderson comes over after three years as assistant defensive backs coach in Minnesota. With the addition of Anderson, Karl Scott, who served last year as defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach, will now take the title of defensive passing game coordinator/senior assistant.