HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Broncos Rework WR KJ Hamler’s Contract

June 30th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Adam La Rose

KJ Hamler is entering the final year of his rookie contract, one which he and the Broncos hope will involve a clean bill of health for the first time in his career. Tweaks to his deal reflect the injuries which have marred his NFL tenure to date.

The Broncos have agreed to an adjusted pact with the wideout, as detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Hamler’s base salary ($1.58MM) will remain the same, but $417K in incentives have been added, giving him extra earning potential ahead of free agency next March. Protections for the team are present as well, however.

An IR split specific to a particular injury has been included in the new deal, Yates adds. As a result, Hamler’s cap hit will be lowered if he spends time on injured reserve with the particular injury mentioned in the clause. The 23-year-old has battled a number of ailments since being drafted by the Broncos, including ACL, hip and hamstring issues.

As a result, he has played just 23 games across his three years in the NFL, including 10 in the past two seasons. Hamler has made 12 receptions over that span, and his 52.5% career catch percentage, coupled with his availability issues, have left his future with the team in doubt. Denver has Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton at the top of the WR depth chart, as well as returnee Tim Patrick. The Broncos also signed Marquez Callaway in free agency and selected Marvin Mims in the second round of this year’s draft to give themselves protection against further injury issues.

Hamler is currently recovering from a torn pec suffered in March. The Penn State product is expected to be healthy in time for training camp next month, but injuries will no doubt be a talking point ahead of his fourth (and potentially final) season in the Mile High City. He will enter 2023 with a new contract in hand, while the team will have insurance against a repeat of his previous missed time.

Latest On Cardinals S Budda Baker

June 30th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

A busy Cardinals offseason has seen a number of changes take place on the field, the sidelines and in the front office. The status of safety Budda Baker remains undetermined, though.

The two-time All-Pro’s trade request became public in April, though it dated back to the end of the 2022 season, one which saw Arizona go 4-13 and set the stage for what is expected to be a long-term rebuilding process. To little surprise, finances were a central part of Baker’s desire to be moved. He reportedly asked to either become the league’s top-paid safety or moved to a new team.

On the latter point, Baker’s agent David Mulugheta informed NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that their camp is not seeking to reset the safety market (video link). Derwin James tops the list in terms of AAV and guarantees at the position with an average of $19MM per season on his current Chargers pact. Baker ranks seventh in that regard with a $14.75MM figure. Two years remain on the 27-year-old’s contract, which does not include any outstanding guranteed money.

Aside from financial matters, Garafolo notes that Baker informed the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 campaign that his intention was to play on a contending team. The direction Arizona is now headed in would point to a trade becoming a distinct possibility, considering Baker’s continued production. He earned a fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) Pro Bowl nod last season after collecting 111 tackles, a pair of interceptions and seven pass breakups. His trade market would likely be dictated by the willingness of acquiring teams to commit to a new contract, however.

Baker was present for Cardinals minicamp earlier this month, though he did not take part in on-field practices. Garafolo notes that the former second-rounder is expected to attend training camp in July, but a similar hold-in would not come as a surprise if his contract status remains unresolved. With many of the team’s other offseason decisions taken care of, it will be interesting to monitor how this situation is handled by the Cardinals in the coming weeks.

Lions OC Ben Johnson Addresses Decision To Withdraw From HC Searches

June 30th, 2023 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ offensive output in 2022 came as a surprise to many, but it put offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in position to interview for multiple head coaching positions. He quickly backed out of other teams’ searches for a HC, though, electing to remain in Detroit for the coming campaign.

That decision earned him a sizeable raise, and it will give him the opportunity to continue working with head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff. The latter’s performance – especially in the back half of the season – helped Detroit rank fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring en route to a 9-8 finish. Johnson was viewed as an instrumental part of the team’s success, and he drew considerable interest on the head coaching market as a result.

The 37-year-old took virtual interviews with the Colts and Texans, but the job he was most closely connected to was that of the Panthers. Johnson (who had not served as a coordinator before 2022) was considered a favorite for the Carolina gig before he decided to stay in place. The allure of carrying on with Campbell and Goff in particular convinced Johnson to avoid taking a new position for at least one more year.

“He’s one of the biggest reasons why I didn’t want to leave,” Johnson said of Goff, via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required). “I feel we are tied together to a degree. He’s an extension of me, and I’m an extension of him. I’ve told him multiple times his success is my success and vice versa.”

Goff’s success under Campbell and Johnson (as opposed to the latter’s predecessor, Anthony Lynn) came as a surprise, and it could earn him an extended look in the Motor City. The Lions have explored the idea of a new deal for the 28-year-old, despite their decision to select Hendon Hooker in this year’s draft. Two years remain on Goff’s current deal, which includes no guranteed money in 2024.

That will no doubt lead to questions about his long-term future in Detroit as the coming season plays out. Optimism for a repeat of 2022’s success would be well-founded in the fact that Johnson will still be at the helm of the team’s offense, something which may be the case for years to come beyond 2023.

Titans T Nicholas Petit-Frere Hit With Six-Game Gambling Suspension

June 29th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another name in the NFL’s gambling crosshairs has dropped. The league will hand a six-game suspension to Titans tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere for violating the gambling policy, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

A third-round Titans draftee last year, Petit-Frere became the team’s starting right tackle as a rookie. Petit-Frere said in a statement he did not gamble on NFL games but admitted to violating the betting policy. His betting on non-NFL games from a team facility will induce the six-game ban.

This comes a day after Schefter reported other players, in addition to Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, were targets in the league’s gambling probe. This is the first mention of Petit-Frere, however, in connection with gambling. Rodgers is set to draw a season-long ban for making bets on NFL games. Expanding what is becoming a widespread issue for the NFL, Petit-Frere is the seventh known player popped for a 2023 gambling violation.

This suspension is consistent with the bans handed to Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams and former Detroit wideout Stanley Berryhill. While other since-cut Lions — and Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney — were hit with indefinite suspensions for betting on NFL games, Williams and Berryhill were found to have bet on other sports from team grounds.

Chosen 69th overall out of Ohio State last year, Petit-Frere won the Titans’ starting tackle job in training camp. He started 16 games as a rookie, during a season in which Tennessee’s offensive line endured a rash of injuries. By season’s end, longtime starters Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones and Nate Davis were on IR; Petit-Frere and guard Aaron Brewer were the only first-string blockers left standing. The team has since cut Lewan and Jones; Davis signed with the Bears in free agency. Petit-Frere and Brewer are ticketed to stick as starters, but the Titans will need to make other plans at right tackle to start the season.

Pro Football Focus did not view Petit-Frere’s rookie year fondly, grading the former Big Ten blocker 74th among tackles last season. The Titans have also gone through some issues staffing their right tackle spot in recent years; this adds to a growing list.

Since the team passed on Jack Conklin‘s fifth-year option, it has not enjoyed continuity at the position. After Conklin left for Cleveland in 2020, the Titans drafted Isaiah Wilson in the first round. Wilson became a spectacular bust, playing all of four NFL plays, and lasted one season in Tennessee. The Titans then drafted North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz in the 2021 second round. Radunz has been unable to win the right tackle job, losing the camp competition to Petit-Frere. Radunz could find himself back in the mix for the role, but the Titans’ offseason retooling effort up front now will include a right tackle change as well.

This move also could affect where the Titans station first-round pick Peter Skoronski. Viewed as a guard by most evaluators, the Northwestern prospect played only tackle while in college. He worked at both tackle and guard during the Titans’ offseason program. Sixth-rounder Jaelyn Duncan and swingman Jamarco Jones also loom a potential stopgap options, in case the Titans view Skoronski as a guard. The team also may look for a veteran. Dennis Kelly, who started for the team in 2020, is unattached. Though, George Fant, a three-year Jets starter, probably represents the top available option. Marcus Cannon, Ja’Wuan James and Chris Hubbard are also available.

Tennessee’s O-line will now roll out four new starters to open the season. Brewer is expected to shift to center to replace Jones, but new pieces will comprise the rest of the group. The Titans signed left tackle Andre Dillard in free agency, with ex-49ers exec-turned-GM Ran Carthon adding former San Francisco guard Daniel Brunskill as well. Another new blocker will now be in line to follow Dillard, Brunskill and Skoronski as a Titans starter — health permitting — in Week 1.

Colts Waive Isaiah Rodgers, Rashod Berry

June 29th, 2023 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The two Colts to receive indefinite suspensions for violating the NFL’s gambling policy are no longer with the team. Indianapolis waived cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and defensive end Rashod Berry on Thursday.

Both were found to have bet on NFL games; as a result, each player is banned for the entire 2023 season. Rodgers and Berry cannot return to the league without being reinstated, with 2024 representing the earliest reinstatement window.

While Berry only joined the Colts after being added off the Jaguars’ practice squad in January, Rodgers has been a key contributor on the team throughout his career. Indianapolis’ primary kick returner over the past three seasons, Rodgers also started nine games at corner in 2022. The Colts were planning to make Rodgers a key part of their 2023 secondary as well.

“We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league’s gambling policy,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said. “The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance. As an organization we will continue to educate our players, coaches, and staff on the policies in place and the significant consequences that may occur with violations.”

A 2020 sixth-round pick, Rodgers is believed to have made “hundreds” of wagers; some of those were reportedly bets on Colts games. Rodgers, 25, was tied to a $2.7MM base salary this season. This suspension not only will cost the UMass alum that money; it threatens his career. Rodgers working as a starter for a second straight season would have put him on the radar for a notable free agency payday in 2024 — or possibly a Colts extension — but he is now in NFL limbo.

Unaware of this investigation until recently, the Colts had already made big-picture decisions at cornerback this offseason. They traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in March and let part-time 2022 starter Brandon Facyson walk in free agency. Facyson, who competed with Rodgers for the boundary job opposite Gilmore during training camp last year, started four games in 2022. He has since rejoined the Raiders.

Although Rodgers is a 5-foot-10 cover man out of the Division I-FCS level, this is a notable loss for Indianapolis. Pro Football Focus ranked Rodgers as the fifth-best cornerback during the 2022 season. This assessment came on just 283 defensive snaps, but Rodgers had shown promise in limited duty. The 170-pound defender intercepted three passes in 2021 and recovered four fumbles last season. He also returned a kick for a score in 2020.

The Colts did use a second-round pick on Kansas State corner Julius Brents, and standout slot defender Kenny Moore remains with the team. Indianapolis also used fifth- and seventh-round picks on corners (Darius Rush, Jaylon Jones) but may need to add a veteran to replace Rodgers.

While the Lions have cut four of the five players on their roster who received gambling suspensions, Rodgers is the most notable player to be cut because of a gambling suspension. Jameson Williams, who received a six-game ban for betting on non-NFL games on team grounds, remains with the Lions. The Titans are not moving on from starting right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, who was also handed a six-game suspension. Shaka Toney remains with the Commanders, though he is the only player thus far to receive an indefinite suspension and not be cut.

Both a tight end and defensive end at Ohio State, Berry played in eight games — with the Patriots and Lions — between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. While the Lions connection is notable given their lead role in 2023’s NFL gambling saga, Berry spent much of the 2022 season on the Jags’ practice squad. Detroit waived Berry in May 2022; the NFL investigation indicated Berry, Rodgers and free agent Demetrius Taylor bet on NFL games during the ’22 season.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Discusses Contract

June 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Travis Kelce outperformed most wide receivers in 2022, finishing with the third-most receptions (110) in the NFL. However, thanks to a four-year extension he signed with the Chiefs in 2020, he’s making an average of $14.3MM a year…a far cry from what some of the league’s top receivers are earning.

In a long ranging interview with Tom Kludt of Vanity Fair, Kelce acknowledged that he’s underpaid when you consider his production. The veteran joked that his managers and agents often remind him of that fact, encouraging him to seek more money from the Chiefs. However, Kelce also recognizes that his affordable deal plays a part in the Chiefs’ ability to remain competitive, and it sounds like he values the championships more than the extra money he could get on the open market.

“When I saw Tyreek [Hill] go and get 30 [million] a year, in the back of my head, I was like, man, that’s two to three times what I’m making right now,” Kelce said. “I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win. I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.

“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit. It makes you think you’re being taken advantage of. I don’t know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I’m quote-unquote worth. But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day.”

Kelce has been one of the league’s most productive offensive players over the past seven years, averaging an incredible 96 receptions, 1,230 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns per season. However, his career earnings sit below $65MM; there are 13 current wide receivers earning more than that on their current contracts alone.

Kelce doesn’t even lead his own position from an AAV perspective. George Kittle set the market right before Kelce signed his most recent extension, and Darren Waller has since reset the position when he inked a new deal with the Raiders in 2022.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, it doesn’t sound like Kelce is overly concerned about his contract status, and the tight end told Kludt that he intends to see out his current contract. The four-year, $57MM extension that the tight end signed in 2022 is set to expire at the end of the 2025 campaign.

Latest On CB Kyle Fuller

June 29th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Kyle Fuller‘s debut season with his hometown Ravens ended after only one game, but there’s a chance the veteran cornerback sticks around Baltimore. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that Ravens officials “have monitored Fuller’s recovery” from a torn ACL.

Fuller signed a one-year deal with the Ravens last offseason and was immediately tossed into the starting lineup. However, the cornerback tore his ACL during Baltimore’s Week 1 win, ending his season prematurely.

When we last saw Fuller play a full season, he got into 16 games (10 starts) with the Broncos in 2021. The veteran was a trade candidate leading up to that year’s deadline, but he ended up sticking in Denver and finishing with 51 tackles and four passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked him 111th among 116 qualifying cornerbacks that season.

According to Zrebiec, Fuller remained with the team even after suffering his injury, so he’s already had a chance to familiarize himself with Mike Macdonald’s defense. Pro Football Focus hasn’t graded the veteran as an above-average CB since his All-Pro season in 2018 with the Bears, but Zrebiec notes that Fuller’s ability to play both outside and slot corner could lead to a veteran role in Baltimore for the 2023 campaign.

Marlon Humphrey and Rock Ya-Sin are projected to start on the outside for Baltimore while Brandon Stephens is slated for a start at nickelback. Other than that trio, the Ravens are eyeing a grouping of inexperienced cornerbacks that includes fifth-round rookie Kyu Blu Kelly and 2022 fourth-round picks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams.

Buccaneers Promote Mike Greenberg, John Spytek To Assistant GMs

June 29th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers made a few notable changes to their front office today. The team announced that Vice President of Football Administration Mike Greenberg and Vice President of Player Personnel John Spytek will now serve as assistant general managers.

Greenberg has spent 16 years in the NFL, the majority of them with Tampa Bay. Per the team’s release, the executive often worked alongside general manager Jason Licht when it came to salary cap management, contract negotiations, Collective Bargaining Agreement compliance, and the organization’s financial/strategic planning.

Spytek, who will be entering his eighth season with the Buccaneers, was worked alongside Licht on the NFL Draft, “key free-agent acquisitions,” and other personnel decisions. In his role as Vice President of Player Personnel, the executive oversaw the college and pro scouting departments.

The team also announced that Jackie Davidson has been named Vice President of Football Research and Shane Scannell has been named Director of Pro Scouting. Davidson was previously a senior director and will support both the front office and coaching staff “in roster and strategy decisions through research and development of analytical tools and methods.” Scannell was promoted from assistant director and will work alongside Director of Player Personnel Rob McCartney on “advance scouting.”

Panthers Sign DL Taylor Stallworth

June 29th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have added some defensive line depth. Agent Brett Tessler tweeted that defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth has signed a one-year deal with the organization.

Despite going undrafted out of South Carolina in 2018, Stallworth has managed to put together a productive five-year career. The defensive lineman got into 18 games through two seasons with the Saints to begin his career, and he later appeared in 32 games for the Colts between 2020 and 2021.

Stallworth split this past season with the Chiefs and Texans, compiling 10 tackles in seven games. He landed on Houston’s IR back in May, but he was released via injury settlement a few weeks later. In 57 career games (two starts), the 27-year-old has collected 52 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 14 QB hits. He’s also seen time in four postseason contests.

In Carolina, Stallworth will be reunited with head coach Frank Reich, who spent two years coaching the defensive lineman in Indy. Listed at six-foot-two and 300 pounds, Stallworth could play a role at either defensive tackle or nose tackle for the Panthers. He’ll be competing with the likes of 2020 sixth-round pick Bravvion Roy and 2022 UDFA Marquan McCall for reps behind projected starters Shy Tuttle and Derrick Brown.

Latest On Investigation Into Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

June 29th, 2023 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:34pm: The NFL is opening its own investigation, as noted by Andy Slater of Fox 640 (Twitter links). The league is seeking the video which shows the incident, and is also requesting to interview every member of law enforcement involved in the case. Plenty of time likely remains until any decision is made by the NFL with respect to discipline, but their decision to open an independent probe marks a notable development in this unfolding situation.

12:57pm: While briefly rumored to be fading from the radar, latest Tyreek Hill off-field storyline is not going away. More details are coming out about the Dolphins wide receiver committing an alleged assault at a Miami-area marina last week.

The marina employee Hill is believed to have struck is a 57-year-old man, according to Sheldon Fox and Ruben Rosario of WSVN. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office is investigating Hill for misdemeanor battery, Angie DiMichele of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Hill, 29, has been accused of slapping the employee during a dispute that came about after the receiver and others attempted to board a boat without permission.

Hill and an unidentified man were fishing for tarpon from the marina dock, which a Kelley Fishing Fleet employee told police (via DiMichele) is illegal. Two women in Hill’s group joined the men on a docked private boat. After being told to exit the boat, Hill “became enraged” at the boat captain and needed to be restrained by other members of his group, DiMichele reports. An expletive-laden tirade ensued, with Hill soon identifying himself as “No. 10 from the Miami Dolphins,” telling the boat captain that he could “buy you and the boat.”

Surveillance video backs up this report, according to the Sun Sentinel, which notes the employee Hill slapped is not the boat captain that initially drew his ire. Hill, whom DiMichele adds was “feeling disrespected,” slapped a Kelley Fishing Fleet employee on the back of the head as he walked by. The alleged victim did not initially know it was a Dolphins player who had hit him, but after the incident, Hill told one of his associates to give the man $200, DiMichele adds. The employee did not accept the money.

The video in question will certainly come into play regarding potential NFL discipline. The employee whom Hill is believed to have slapped ran into an office, as the receiver was being held back by a member of his group, and locked the door. The aforementioned Hill associate later told the accuser the receiver wanted to apologize, leading to the $200 offer. After the employee re-emerged from the office and declined the money, Hill left.

NFL discipline will almost definitely not commence until the State Attorney’s Office’s investigation wraps. No charges are necessary for the league to act, as past suspensions have shown, and Hill’s history could affect potential NFL punishment, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes.

The talented receiver came into the league with ugly baggage, having pleaded guilty to punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend while in college. The 2014 incident led to Hill being booted from the Oklahoma State football and track teams. Hill finished his college career at Division II West Alabama, seeing the arrest lead to a drop into the 2015 fifth round, where the Chiefs selected him. In 2019, an audio tape of Hill threatening the same woman, the mother of his children, produced a child abuse investigation. Limited in part by a lack of cooperation from a Kansas City, Kan., District Attorney’s office, the NFL did not suspend Hill. The Chiefs subsequently signed Hill to a three-year, $54MM extension, one that included protections for the team in the event of more off-field issues.

Hill has become one of this era’s best wide receivers. The Dolphins sent a five-pick package, including a 2022 first-round choice, to the Chiefs for the accomplished speed merchant in March 2022. Miami then made Hill the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, at $30MM per year. Hill totaled career-high numbers in receptions (119) and yardage (1,710) during his first Dolphins season. A suspension would certainly change the complexion of Miami’s offense.

Load More Posts