Latest On Colts, RB Jonathan Taylor
With the franchise tag extension deadline in the rearview mirror, the Colts’ negotiations with Jonathan Taylor may bring the next major checkpoint for a freefalling running back market. This partnership may be experiencing turbulence.
The Colts and the 2021 rushing champion have held extension discussions, though those did not sound especially serious. And Jim Irsay has interjected regarding the recent effort by running backs to assess their options as a group.
“We have negotiated a CBA,that took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides..to say now that a specific Player category wants another negotiation after the fact,is inappropriate [sic],” Irsay said (via Twitter). “Some Agents are selling ‘bad faith.'”
As the Jeff Saturday decision and recent Colts quarterback endeavors have shown, Irsay is not afraid to speak his mind and make demands of his front office. Irsay’s comments obviously carry weight, given his position as the team’s longtime owner, and Taylor’s agent has chimed in. Hired this offseason, First Round Management’s Malki Kawa replied (via Twitter) to Irsay, indicating “Bad faith is not paying your top offensive player.”
Since that response, Kawa has liked a few tweets suggesting a Colts-Taylor separation could happen and responded to a post from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport by indicating he doubts the situation can be salvaged (Twitter link). Taylor had said in June he wanted to retire a Colt. The direction of the running back market does not provide much leverage for Taylor, whose contract expires after the season. As the Cowboys, Giants and Raiders showed, the Colts can also use a low-cost franchise tag to keep Taylor off the 2024 market.
Following last week’s tag deadline that left Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard tied to $10.1MM tenders for 2023, Taylor expressed disappointment in the state of the running back position. Although it took many years for the league to collectively catch up with the thinking Mike Shanahan showed with the Broncos in the 2000s, when the Super Bowl-winning HC responded to Terrell Davis‘ career-altering knee injury by plugging in a handful of backs in an effort that saw six players surpass 1,000 rushing yards from 1998-2006, the NFL has effectively labeled this position as disposable.
While the 2020-21 round of extensions went better for teams than the Todd Gurley–Ezekiel Elliott–David Johnson–Le’Veon Bell batch did in the late 2010s, no back has approached the Christian McCaffrey–Alvin Kamara salary tier since those contracts were agreed to in 2020. The Giants-Barkley talks settled in at barely $13MM per year and steadily decreased, as New York upped its guarantee number. Jacobs, McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler and others have joined Taylor in expressing dismay at what has happened to their position’s market. It actually cost more for the Steelers to tag Bell in 2017 ($12.1MM) than it did for the Cowboys, Giants and Raiders to cuff their top backs this year.
“The market is what the market is,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said, via The Athletic’s James Boyd (subscription required). “But saying that, like I’ve always told you, you pay good players. You pay guys that are gonna help you win, regardless of the position. We think very highly of Jonathan. … We think that’ll play out over time and work out the way it should either way.”
Taylor won the 2021 rushing title by more than 500 yards but missed six games due to injury last season. Despite Irsay saying Taylor was “healed up” from his offseason ankle surgery, the Colts stashed the fourth-year back on the active/PUP list to start camp. A big year would seemingly give Taylor some momentum to push for the McCaffrey-Kamara tier, especially as the salary cap keeps climbing, but this offseason’s wave of setbacks to the RB market presents an unstable future for the position’s veterans. This exchange between Irsay and Taylor’s agent will increase attention on how the Colts proceed with their All-Pro talent.
Giants-Saquon Barkley Fallout: Negotiations, Incentives, Trade, RB Coalition
The long-running Saquon Barkley-Giants saga has hit a pause, with the Pro Bowl running back signing a revised franchise tag that includes a small incentive package. Unable to negotiate a long-term deal until January, Barkley returned to the team for the start of training camp.
Barkley relayed his disappointment about the talks failing to produce an offer he deemed respectable, indicating Thursday (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) if the Giants had submitted worthwhile terms he would have signed an extension. Rumors pointed to the Giants upping their guarantee offer past the $22MM mark but decreasing the deal’s AAV below $12MM. Previous reports had placed an earlier Giants proposal past $13MM-per-year territory. But Barkley will enter this season on the $10.1MM tag, being in the same boat as Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs.
While Barkley did not express dissatisfaction about the Giants paying Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas — on deals worth $40MM, $22.5MM and $23.5MM per year, respectively — and not him, he did note (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) the continued devaluation of the running back position is unfair. He took part in the recent Zoom call involving several running backs, and Chargers standout Austin Ekeler recently confirmed (via USA Today’s Tyler Dragon) more discussions among RBs are on tap.
Declining to discuss details of the proposals each side made during the negotiations, the sixth-year running back said (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the Giants having the leverage from the tag led to no deal commencing. But the Giants reached out to Barkley for a way to bring him back into the fold, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Had the incentive package — worth $909K — emerged, Vacchiano echoes previous reports by adding Barkley was considering not showing up until just before the season.
The 26-year-old RB said skipping regular-season games would be an option, but it does not look like he strongly considered that path — one that would have meant passing on $561K game checks. Barkley could have taken the Le’Veon Bell route to preserve his body for a free agency bid, but considering the state of the RB market five years after Bell’s gamble, it is unlikely a Jets-like parachute would have awaited had he done so.
“If I sat out this year and we didn’t have a good record, do you think that’s gonna make another team in free agency or the Giants want to have me come back the next year after I sat out a whole year?” Barkley said, via SNY.com. “‘We want to give you $15MM a year now.’ I don’t think that’s how it’s going to work.
“After having conversations and really breaking it down, you say the only way that I’m going to make a change or do something that’s gonna benefit for myself and my family is doing what I do best. That’s showing up, playing the game I love and do it at a high level.”
As for Barkley’s incentives, they are classified as not likely to be earned. As such, the $909K number will not go on New York’s 2023 cap sheet. If Barkley hits any of the benchmarks, those numbers will go on the team’s 2024 payroll. Each number is tied to Big Blue making the playoffs, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, who notes the rushing yards (1,350), receptions (65) and touchdowns (11) totals are each worth $303K and only vest if the team reaches the postseason (Twitter links).
Barkley last hit 65 catches in 2018, which was also his only season with 11-plus TDs. He has never rushed for 1,350 yards. If the Giants tag Barkley again, the incentives would be part of that agreement as well, Albert Breer of SI.com adds. But the base value of a 2024 tag would still be $12.1MM.
A report indicated the Giants heard from two teams — one of them the Dolphins — on a prospective Barkley trade following the failed extension talks, but GM Joe Schoen insisted no discussions occurred. The Giants listened on Barkley trade interest last year, but he bounced back from an injury-plagued stretch and drew the franchise tag. The team can still trade Barkley before this year’s deadline, though no extension agreement can commence. The Giants trading the New Jersey native would leave them vulnerable at running back, hence the decision to keep him via the tag in March.
“We never had a conversation about trading Saquon Barkley. Never,” Schoen said, via Raanan. “We get calls all the time. We’ve already gotten them this offseason, whether it’s our 10th corner … or one of your top guys. We get those calls all the time, even in June.
“… We talked for over 9½ months, and we came to a landing spot and they came to a landing spot. We couldn’t bridge the gap [on a long-term deal]. Like I said, that’s OK. Saquon has to do what is best for him and his family. I respect the hell out of Saquon.”
Broncos RB Javonte Williams Avoids PUP To Start Camp
JULY 27: Williams confirmed (via 9News’ Mike Klis) Thursday he has been cleared for contact work. The North Carolina alum said he was told his recovery timetable could last around a year. Instead, he has been cleared before the 10-month mark. Sean Payton said the team will proceed cautiously with Williams, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
JULY 23: The Broncos delivered some good news as they announced some injury list placements today, leaving third-year running back Javonte Williams off of any lists as he continues to work his way back from last year’s season-ending injury. While there’s still work to be done, Williams’s continued participation in this offseason points to a Week 1 return for Denver’s lead back. 
Williams suffered a blow to his sophomore season when he suffered a torn ACL after only four weeks of play last year, ending his season. The initial diagnosis was dire enough, but further reports detailed that Williams had also torn his LCL and posterior lateral corner, making his road to recovery a bit longer.
As Denver entered into the offseason, the goal became clear: get Williams back in time for training camp. Things were looking positive as Williams was on the field for spring activities. He only worked out in a limited capacity, but getting Williams on the field at all that early was a big step. Earlier this month, Williams expressed much of the same optimism that his team had been expressing publicly, believing himself that he’d be able to make a return by training camp. His absence from any designated injury lists today is yet another good sign of where he’s at in his recovery.
Williams injury had originally occurred during a season in which he was expected to take on much more work after splitting carries with Melvin Gordon as a rookie. When he returns this season, though, there won’t be too big of an expectation to work as a bell-cow in the Broncos offense. New head coach Sean Payton is certainly familiar with two-headed rushing attacks dating back to the Pierre Thomas–Reggie Bush duo and the Alvin Kamara–Mark Ingram combinations in New Orleans. While Gordon is now in Baltimore and Mike Boone found his way to Houston, Denver plans to pair Williams with former Bengals rusher Samaje Perine, who signed with the team in March. Perine has a history of being a strong RB2 over his career, which should take a bit of the pressure off of Williams’s shoulders.
While Williams’s absence from any lists is the main news, the Broncos did move four players from the active roster, according to Broncos lead writer Aric DiLalla. Outside linebacker Baron Browning and wide receiver Kendall Hinton were placed on the physically unable to perform list, while wide receiver K.J. Hamler and nose tackle Mike Purcell were placed on the non-football injury list.
Browning underwent knee surgery in June, but he hasn’t yet been ruled out from returning in time for the regular season. Hinton also went through a knee procedure, so his placement on the list is no surprise. Hamler was expected to be ready in time for training camp as he works his way back from a pectoral tear, but Denver will have to wait a little longer.
AFC South Notes: Titans, Colts, Ryans, Jags
The max-value figure in DeAndre Hopkins‘ Titans deal emerged when he committed to the team, but guarantee numbers had been elusive. No longer, as the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin details Tennessee’s true commitment to its new WR1. The two-year, $26MM pact contains $10.98MM guaranteed at signing (Twitter link). The Chiefs and Patriots preferred incentive-laden contracts that did not come especially close to the guarantee figure the Titans authorized.
The contract also includes three void years. The void numbers allowed the Titans to keep Hopkins’ 2023 cap number low ($3.67MM), and the team can move on — via a post-June 1 cut designation — in 2024 fairly easily. Tennessee could create $14MM in 2024 cap space by using the June 1 mechanism, as it did with Julio Jones last year, should this fit not work out. This decision will likely come in March, as OverTheCap notes Hopkins is due a $4.06MM bonus if on the Titans’ roster by Day 5 of the 2024 league year. That setup stands to prevent Hopkins from another summer free agency stay.
Here is the latest from the AFC South:
- Careful not to divulge too much about the Colts’ QB plan, Shane Steichen confirmed Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson would rotate with the first team during training camp. Minshew began that rotation as the first-teamer to start camp, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 notes. Although Richardson did not gain much seasoning as a Florida starter and is considered a rawer prospect than Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, his draft slot points to extensive rookie-year work. Jim Irsay confirmed as much earlier this month, indicating Richardson needs to play early. Minshew, who worked with Steichen in Philadelphia, signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal in March.
- DeMeco Ryans will not work as a CEO-type coach with the Texans, with NFL.com’s James Palmer noting he will call the team’s defensive plays this season (Twitter link). The former Houston linebacker called San Francisco’s defensive plays from 2021-22, becoming a hot HC candidate after the 49ers’ defense ranked first across the board last season. Matt Burke will serve as a non-play-calling Texans DC.
- Both Joey Porter Jr. and Will Levis were in the mix for fully guaranteed rookie contracts, but neither received such terms. Levis did fare better than last year’s No. 33 overall pick, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the Titans QB’s four-year deal is 91.5% guaranteed. That is up from the $80.4% guarantee last year’s No. 33 choice (Buccaneers D-lineman Logan Hall) received on his rookie deal. Levis also secured training camp roster bonuses totaling $1.76MM from 2023-26. Those figures are fully guaranteed through 2025, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger tweets.
- The Titans’ first-rounder, Peter Skoronski, spent time at guard and tackle during the team’s offseason program. But Mike Vrabel provided some clarity about the No. 11 overall pick’s NFL path. The college tackle is working as a guard right now. Considering the Titans brought in tackles George Fant and Chris Hubbard on visits last week and have Nicholas Petit-Frere set to return to his right tackle post once his six-game gambling suspension ends, it makes sense the Titans would keep Skoronski at guard. Neither Fant nor Hubbard have signed with the team.
- Evan Engram‘s three-year, $41.25MM Jaguars extension includes three void years, with Wilson noting (via Twitter) the deal will void 23 days before the 2026 league year. Pro Bowl incentives — worth $250K per year — are also present in the tight end’s contract.
- Veteran tight end Luke Stocker‘s playing career wrapped after 11 seasons (2011-21), and Vrabel said during a recent appearance on Taylor Lewan and Will Compton‘s Bussin’ With the Boys podcast that he is part of the Titans’ coaching staff. Stocker, 35, was with the Titans from 2017-18, overlapping with Vrabel during the latter season. He also played with the Bucs, Falcons and Vikings.
Bengals Extend DE Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson was not entering a contract year, but the Bengals will push the defensive end’s current agreement into an additional season anyway. The team announced Hendrickson’s deal, via a one-year add-on, now runs through 2025.
The former Saints draftee signed a four-year, $60MM deal in 2021 and has become an impact player for the Bengals. This agreement will likely provide more guaranteed money for Hendrickson, and it stands to create some cap space for Cincinnati this year. The deal will indeed raise Hendrickson’s 2023 payout, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that Hendrickson will earn $21MM in new money, including a $5MM raise this year and a $16MM payout in 2025 (2024 remains unchanged).
Hendrickson’s initial Cincy contract includes a $15.5MM 2023 cap number and a $17.5MM 2024 cap hit. Conversations about a new deal took place last year, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., and an unexpected resolution emerged. With Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert having signed, the final QB extension domino resides in Cincinnati.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have been in talks for months on an extension that almost definitely will make the former No. 1 overall pick the NFL’s highest-paid player. The Bengals also have Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson going into contract years. This Hendrickson agreement should help on these fronts.
Hurts, Jackson and Herbert each raised the AAV bar this offseason, with the Chargers quarterback setting it at $52.5MM on his Tuesday extension. It will be interesting if Burrow aims to create a bit of a gap between himself and the field, seeing as he has quarterbacked the Bengals to back-to-back AFC championship games — a franchise first — and changed the trajectory of a previously downtrodden team. Mike Brown has mentioned the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes model as a potential target, but no QB extension since has followed that path. Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450MM Kansas City extension in 2020, but only one passer since — Josh Allen — has even committed to six years.
As for Hendrickson, he has shown his Saints contract year was no fluke. After not producing much during his first three seasons, the former third-round pick totaled 13.5 sacks in 2020. He collected 14.5 sacks in his Bengals debut, adding 3.5 more during the team’s run to Super Bowl LVI. Last season, Hendrickson finished with eight sacks and 24 QB hits.
Although this agreement will increase Hendrickson’s 2023 earnings, it is interesting Florida Atlantic alum would sign off on pushing a $15MM-per-year contract beyond its previous endpoint. The edge rusher market will continue to rise, especially after Nick Bosa‘s upcoming extension, and Hendrickson could have increased his leverage by entering a contract year in 2024. A 2025 free agency trip could have certainly been lucrative, assuming Cincinnati’s top pass rusher keeps up his current pace. Hendrickson is now tied to the Bengals through his age-31 season.
Then again, Hendrickson was tied to a nonguaranteed 2024 payment and would have turned 30 before a potential free agency bid anyway. Now, the productive pass rusher — whose 2021 deal included just $16MM fully guaranteed — will pick up more cash while still in his prime.
Jones: Cowboys Submitted Long-Term Offer To RB Tony Pollard
Receiving far less attention than the other two running backs hit with the franchise tag this year, Tony Pollard signed his tender early and has been with the Cowboys this offseason. After not reaching an extension agreement before the July 17 deadline, Pollard will be attached to the $10.1MM tag salary this season.
The Cowboys are not believed to have engaged in serious negotiations with Pollard, but executive VP Stephen Jones confirms (via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken) the team submitted an offer. Jones said the team made Pollard a long-term proposal, but it is unknown if the dual-threat back gave serious consideration to accepting it.
Not averse to seeing players spend seasons on the tag, the Cowboys also made a multiyear offer to Dalton Schultz. That proposal was believed to be a longer-term deal than the 2022 tag recipient preferred, though Schultz joined Dolphins 2022 franchise player Mike Gesicki in not doing well on this year’s open market. After being tagged at $10.9MM last year, Schultz signed a one-year deal worth $6.25MM (with the Texans) in March. The Cowboys also saw DeMarcus Lawrence (2018) and Dak Prescott (2020) play on the tag. Both players eventually signed extensions.
Jones did not confirm Pollard is firmly in the team’s long-term plans, but unlike Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, the former fourth-round pick does not have significant tread on his tires. Ezekiel Elliott‘s former backup has only logged 510 career carries, along with 121 receptions, in four seasons. The Cowboys depended on Pollard last year — a season in which the former fourth-round pick totaled 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns — and will rely on him again in 2023, assuming his recovery from a broken leg and high ankle sprain finishes smoothly.
The team has higher priorities on the extension front. Trevon Diggs just signed an extension that pays him top-five money at his position. CeeDee Lamb‘s eventual payout will cost the Cowboys more, and the team has Terence Steele on its extension docket as well. Perennial All-Pro Zack Martin is also waging a holdout.
Considering where the RB market went this offseason, Pollard residing in limbo does not separate him from most of the other standouts at his position. The Cowboys can re-tag Pollard at 120% of his 2023 salary. The team went to this well with Lawrence in 2019, and the talented defensive end signed an extension that offseason.
Pollard, 26, signing his franchise tag locks him into that $10.1MM amount this year. As they did with Prescott in 2021, the Cowboys can also reach an extension agreement with Pollard that keeps him off the market next year. The team must wait until January to resume talks, however.
Colts Sign DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
JULY 27: The Colts will bring Muhammad back on a league-minimum deal, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). For a player with six years of service time, that number checks in at $1.1MM. Indianapolis will guarantee the veteran edge defender $500K.
JULY 21: Al-Quadin Muhammad is set to make a return to his most productive NFL home. The veteran defensive end agreed to a one-year deal with the Colts, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey confirmed the reunion. 
Muhammad had been on the open market since February. He was released by the Bears after one season spent under head coach Matt Eberflus in Chicago. The pair had previously spent time together in Indianapolis when Eberflus served as defensive coordinator of the Colts. Muhammad’s final season there saw him record six sacks, leading to expectations he would carry over that production into the Windy City.
However, the 28-year-old registered only one sack with the Bears while playing a signficant role on the team’s underwhelming pass rush group. He, like many other veteran edge rushers, remained unsigned through the summer while evaluating opportunities ahead of training camp. A deal sending him back to Indianapolis could help him regain his previous form while maintaining the team’s pass rush effectiveness.
In a 2022 season in which hardly anything went according to plan, the Colts finished in the top 10 in sacks with 44. Free agent addition Samson Ebukam and 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye will be leaned on heavily off the edge, but Muhammad should be expected to serve a notable rotational role in his return. His snap shares ranged between 42% and 73% during his four-year Colts stint (2018-2021).
Muhammad’s second tenure in Indianapolis will be his first under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The latter’s first year in place of Eberflus drew mixed reviews, but he is in place for a second season in charge of the unit. A rebound from his disappointing Bears stint could help Muhammad’s free agent prospects next year on the open market while giving the Colts’ defensive boost a front.
Jets, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Revised Deal
A resolution to Aaron Rodgers‘ financial future has arrived. The Jets signed their new franchise quarterback to a two-year contract worth $75MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). 
Rodgers was already under contract through 2024, but his decision to push a fully-guaranteed roster bonus to next season as part of his blockbuster move to New York left the team with an enormous bill of $107.55MM for next year. The four-time MVP was due nearly $110MM guaranteed prior to today’s news, meaning he took a pay cut which will benefit the Jets.
Pelissero adds that the new contract is technically five years in length, with option years being added to help spread out the bonus payments included. Rodgers’ cap hit will sit just under $9MM this season, and he will receive a $35MM roster bonus next week, while drawing a base salary of over $38MM in 2024. The deal includes no-tag and no-trade clauses (Twitter links). ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the pact also includes a non-guaranteed $37.5MM in 2025, while adding that Rodgers’ 2024 cap hit will check in at $17.1MM.
Not long after the trade which ended his Packers career, it was confirmed a new Rodgers deal was being worked on by the Jets. Progress on that front came slowly, but it was learned recently that the revised pact had been worked out. Mike Florio of Pro Footbal Talk was the first to report that terms had been agreed to, and both sides can now move forward with more clarity regarding the immediate future.
Given the unique contract situation he was in upon arrival in New York, the 39-year-old Rodgers faced questions about how willing he would be to play more than one season as a Jet. He stated last month that, while the team’s success and his health status will be key determining factors in his decisions, he intends to play at least the next two campaigns in New York. That should give the win-now franchise multiple attempts to find success in a crowded division and conference at the twilight of the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Eight quarterback deals (including last night’s Justin Herbert mega-extension with the Chargers) include more than $75MM in total guarantees, but prior to this agreement, only Deshaun Watson‘s was guaranteed in full. Rodgers will thus add considerably to his career earnings while providing the Jets with cap flexibility to help manage a roster which faces substantial expectations for the next two seasons.
Giants Extend LT Andrew Thomas
Although the Giants had the opportunity to keep Andrew Thomas on his rookie contract through the 2024 season, they will add the ascending left tackle to their list of newly extended talents. Thomas agreed to terms on a five-year extension Wednesday morning.
After giving Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence big-ticket deals earlier this year, Big Blue is coming in with a deal that will make Thomas the NFL’s second-highest-paid offensive lineman. Thomas signed a five-year, $117.5MM extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. While Thomas’ deal falls short of Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM-AAV mark that emerged earlier this year, Schefter adds the fourth-year blocker secured an O-line-record $67MM guaranteed. The Giants have announced the extension.
The Giants selected Thomas fourth overall in 2020 and picked up his fifth-year option in the spring. During an offseason in which the team was unable to come to terms with Saquon Barkley on a long-term agreement, the Giants have reached extension pacts with three more Dave Gettleman-era cornerstones. Joe Schoen has authorized a $40MM-per-year Jones deal and a $22.5MM-AAV Lawrence re-up. Two months after Lawrence’s agreement, Thomas is now the Giants’ second-highest-paid player.
These terms come after Thomas built on his 2021 rebound season last year, earning his first All-Pro nod. The Georgia alum earned second-team All-Pro acclaim for his work in the Giants’ surprise playoff season. After struggling as a rookie, Thomas has become the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle. This agreement solidifies that status.
The prospect of an early Thomas extension surfaced in April, but teams as a rule wait until first-rounders’ contract years before reaching long-term agreements. Several players have bucked that trend, though the Giants had never previously made such an investment. But Thomas, 24, joined that group Wednesday. In the fifth-year option era, Thomas is only the fifth tackle to sign an extension with two rookie-contract years remaining.
Instead of being tied to a $1MM base salary and a $4MM roster bonus for 2023, Thomas beat Ronnie Stanley‘s guarantee mark by nearly $3MM. That is an impressive feat, considering the Ravens left tackle’s guaranteed-at-signing term paced the field by nearly $15MM. Thomas’ AAV comes in just ahead of Trent Williams‘ $23MM number, which the 49ers signed off on in March 2021. With the salary cap on the rise, Thomas will be one of the players to benefit.
It took Thomas giving up considerable control over his career to make this windfall possible, however. This extension locks down the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle through the 2029 season. Tunsil has twice managed to secure market-resetting extensions on three-year accords, and while Thomas could have increased his leverage by entering a contract year in 2024, the Giants put together an early proposal he could not refuse. Thomas’ 2023 cap hit will drop from $10.3MM to around $5MM, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets.
Struggling to fill their left tackle post since their Super Bowl XLVI group splintered in the early 2010s, the Giants have seen their Thomas bet pay off. The team had used a top-10 pick on Ereck Flowers and given Nate Solder a position-record deal in March 2018. Neither move worked. When Solder opted out of the 2020 season, that opened the door for Thomas, who initially was set to begin his career at right tackle. When Solder returned in 2021, Thomas did not move off his blindside spot.
After Thomas’ rough rookie season, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-20 tackle in 2021. Last season, PFF ranked Thomas third among all tackles; ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted him 10th at the position. The Giants will bet on many more productive years, and Thomas will take the early cash rather than try the Tunsil approach. Due to this agreement, it will be a while before Thomas becomes an extension candidate again. He, Lawrence and Jones are each signed through at least 2026.
Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles
Like Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni led the Eagles to a Super Bowl in his sophomore HC effort. The endings proved different, as Philadelphia’s defense could not stop Patrick Mahomes in a shootout, but the Eagles went from 9-8 in 2021 to the NFC’s best team. While this represents considerable progress after the team did not tumble onto the rebuilding tier — as many expected — in 2021, this offseason featured defections from both starters and staffers.
Two new coordinators and five new defensive starters will be in place this season. The Eagles, however, hover as the NFC favorites. Their roster blueprint has also changed. The quarterback they once drafted as Carson Wentz insurance is now signed to a monster extension.
Extensions and restructures:
- Reached five-year, $255MM extension with QB Jalen Hurts ($110MM guaranteed)
- Signed RT Lane Johnson to four-year, $80.75MM extension ($30MM guaranteed)
- Agreed on three-year, $42MM extension with CB Darius Slay ($23MM guaranteed)
- Created $2.5MM in cap space by restructuring K Jake Elliott‘s deal
Hurts has completed one of the most remarkable ascents in modern quarterback history. Eagles brass was split on the ex-Alabama and Oklahoma passer, with some in the organization wanting the team to take safety Jeremy Chinn in the 2020 second round. The Eagles defied traditional roster-building measures by selecting Hurts in Round 2, doing so less than a year after giving Wentz a $32MM-per-year extension. They took on a then-record dead-money hit ($33.8MM) by trading Wentz in 2021, but even after Hurts spent a full season as a starter, Philly was not fully committed to him.
Jeffrey Lurie expressed hope the Eagles would not bring in a quarterback to compete with Hurts in 2021, but during the season, the owner was still believed to be higher on the then-accuracy-challenged QB than Howie Roseman. In turn, the Eagles looked into higher-profile trade options in 2022. But neither Russell Wilson nor Deshaun Watson would waive their respective no-trade clauses to join the Eagles. Philly did not end up a finalist for Watson. Although the Eagles had wanted Wilson in the 2012 draft and were prepared to make a substantial trade offer to the Seahawks 10 years later, the perennial Pro Bowler steered his way to the Broncos. Wilson’s no-trade clause now looms as a significant Eagles “what if?” scenario, as Hurts removed much of the doubt about his future last season.
The Eagles went 16-2 in games Hurts started last year, and the stout quarterback went toe-to-toe with Mahomes in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts’ completion rate (66.5%), yards per attempt (8.0), passer rating (101.5) and QBR (66.4 — fourth overall) took substantial leaps last season. Philadelphia’s decision to trade for A.J. Brown paid off in more ways than one, with the ex-Titans wideout breaking the Eagles’ single-season receiving record and aiding Hurts in the process. Philly’s years-long commitment to beefing up its offensive line boosted Hurts as well, as his nearly unstoppable QB sneak — which the NFL considered outlawing before standing down this offseason — became a tremendous drive-extending or drive-finishing tactic that benefited the Eagles (and fantasy GMs) in key spots.
Hurts going from an uncertain piece in the Eagles’ big-picture puzzle to surefire extension candidate could have made talks complicated, especially with the Eagles having a 2024 franchise tag at their disposal. But the soon-to-be 25-year-old QB signed in April. Just as they had done in 2019 with Wentz, the Eagles went first on a QB extension. This paved the way for the Ravens to end their years-long impasse with Lamar Jackson, which led to the Chargers’ Justin Herbert deal and will set up Joe Burrow to finish this round of market reshaping.
Hurts did not flirt with Watson-like guarantees, with the deals for he, Jackson and Herbert successfully pegging the Browns contract as an outlier. The Eagles gave Hurts $110MM guaranteed — a cool $120MM south of Watson’s monstrous figure — and used a startling seven void years to spread out the cap hit. As a result, Hurts will not even count $40MM on the Eagles’ cap until 2027. By then, the salary cap could be close to $300MM. Of course, Hurts will need to continue on the path he started in 2022 to justify this expense. The Eagles were not shy about recommitting to a quarterback, despite Wentz rapidly fading from franchise centerpiece to supplanted starter. And while the team let a number of key defenders walk in free agency, most of the same pieces remain in place for Hurts to succeed going forward.
One of those is Johnson, who has been the Eagles’ right tackle since Michael Vick‘s final season with the team. This is the former No. 4 overall pick’s fourth contract with the Eagles, who previously extended him in 2016 and 2019. This contract only tacked on a year to Johnson’s deal but rewarded the cornerstone lineman with $30MM in additional guarantees. Johnson played through an adductor tear in the playoffs, putting off surgery. If Johnson plays out this contract, he could pass Tra Thomas for the most starts by a tackle in Eagles history. As of now, Johnson (127 starts) sits fourth on that list. But he has been an indispensable cog for the Eagles.
On the Hall of Fame radar as a three-time All-Pro, Johnson aided LeSean McCoy to a rushing title and helped the Eagles lead the league in rushing in 2021. Wentz and Hurts have benefited tremendously from the 10-year veteran, and while the Eagles have a replacement for Jason Kelce in place, they have not made plans to succeed Johnson just yet. This will be Johnson’s age-33 season; Pro Football Focus has ranked the Wisconsin product as a top-10 tackle during each of Hurts’ full seasons as a starter. The extension, which includes three void years, dropped Johnson’s 2023 cap hit by more than $9MM.
Johnson’s status with the Eagles was not in question, but Slay’s was during an eventful March span. In less than a week’s time, the decorated cornerback went from discussing an Eagles extension to being granted permission to seek a trade to moving close to a post-June 1 cut designation to making it back to the extension radar and finalizing a deal. The Eagles had talked terms with Slay, who was going into the final season of a three-year, $50MM contract. After those discussions — which may or may not have included a pay-cut request — did not progress, the Eagles allowed him to talk trades. The Ravens and even the Cowboys came up as suitors, but the Eagles and Slay found a resolution.
This did make for an interesting turn of events, as Slay turned 32 in January. Yet the Eagles will guarantee him $23MM — not bad for a player who has now signed three extensions and already pocketed nearly $87MM during a 10-year career. The Eagles made a modest bet on Slay in 2020, prying him from the Lions for third- and fifth-round picks. The former third-rounder has provided considerable ROI, making two Pro Bowls as an Eagle. PFF slotted Slay as a top-25 corner in both years, and while teams do not make a habit of giving 30-something corners big-money deals, this pact will keep Slay’s cap hits below $12MM in 2023 and ’24.
This deal will keep Darius Slay–Darius Slayton matchups coming for at least another year, thanks to the latter’s Giants re-signing, and because of the four void years attached, Slay would bring at least $9MM in dead money if cut at any point before 2026.
Trades:
- Sent Lions No. 219, 2025 fourth-rounder for RB D’Andre Swift, No. 249
Swiftly becoming expendable after the Lions chose multipurpose back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, the former Detroit second-round pick generated interest from multiple teams. The oft-RB-inquiring Dolphins emerged on the radar, but the Eagles pulled the trigger on a deal. A much brighter future could exist for Swift in Philadelphia. Being phased out in Detroit, the Georgia product has a chance to start for a team that just booked a Super Bowl berth.
Injuries have impeded Swift for much of his NFL career, but the pass-catching back has never missed more than three games in a season. Swift totaled 25 touchdowns in Detroit, amassing 2,878 scrimmage yards over his first three seasons. Swift has never taken more than 151 handoffs in a season. His 364 career carries certainly could appeal to the Eagles, who let Miles Sanders (739 career totes) walk in free agency.
The Eagles are open to a Swift extension, but it will likely depend on how he performs in a contract year. This is not a good time for RB value, but Swift’s receiving prowess could help him. That said, the Eagles have not been big on involving their backs in the passing game since Hurts’ debut. Sanders totaled 20 catches for 78 yards last season, while Kenneth Gainwell led Philly backs with 169 receiving yards. It is possible the Eagles will explore this dimension further with a better receiving RB, but early returns with Hurts do not bode well for the 24-year-old’s aerial skills to be utilized properly.
Re-signings:
- James Bradberry, CB: Three years, $38MM ($20MM guaranteed)
- Jason Kelce, C: One year, $14.25MM ($14.25MM guaranteed)
- Fletcher Cox, DT: One year, $10MM ($10MM guaranteed)
- Brandon Graham, DE: One year, $5MM ($5MM guaranteed)
Three of the Eagles’ core four along their lines played on expiring deals last season. Despite each player having at least 11 years’ experience, the batch of 30-somethings is back for at least one more go-round. Kelce again considered retirement, but the All-Pro center/podcast host/SNL special guest re-signed for a 13th season. The longest-tenured Eagle, Graham is back for a 14th year. Although Philly has now drafted defensive tackles from Georgia in each of the past two years, Cox remains in the team’s plans ahead of his 12th season. Graham, Kelce and Cox all arrived during Roseman’s first three years as GM; they join Johnson as part of a storied quartet in Eagles history.
