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Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22

July 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

USFL DPOY Chris Odom Auditions For Bengals, Cardinals, Saints

July 26th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Ben Levine

JULY 26: Odom’s workout itinerary surfaced Tuesday. The USFL Defensive Player of the Year auditioned for the Bengals, Cardinals and Saints, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Odom first trekked to Arizona and Cincinnati but headed to New Orleans today. It certainly looks like he will have options to tack an NFL season onto his spring-summer USFL work. He would be following a few others once he latches on with a team.

JULY 9: Chris Odom put himself back on the NFL map with a strong performance in the USFL. The edge rusher’s agent announced that Odom has three upcoming workouts with NFL teams (h/t to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). The agent didn’t reveal the three squads, but he said the “calls are starting to come in fast” for his client.

The son of longtime Colts linebacker Cliff Odom, Chris Odom went undrafted out of Arkansas State in 2017. He bounced around the NFL a bit, spending time with the Falcons (two stints), Packers, and Washington. He’s ultimately saw time in 11 NFL games, collecting 16 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. He also spent time in the AAF and the CFL before landing his most recent gig is the United States Football League.

Back in February, Odom was selected in the second round of the USFL draft. He proceeded to have a standout season with the Houston Gamblers, earning league Defensive Player of the Years honors after compiling 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and four blocked field goals. That performance has apparently put him back on the NFL radar, but during a conversation with Yahoo’s Chris Estrada, Odom was still focused on his USFL squad. While he acknowledged that “whatever opportunity presents itself [after the USFL season], then so be it,” he reiterated how important it was to him that the USFL gave him the opportunity to showcase his skills.

“I have teammates that haven’t played football in a year, two years, three years, some even four years – whether it wasn’t the right opportunity, injury, COVID,” Odom said. “We all just were happy to be able to play football again. So we all just wanted to show everybody what we were capable of.”

We recently saw one USFL player take his talents back to the NFL when linebacker Christian Sam signed with the Cowboys.

Details On Kyler Murray’s New Contract Extension

July 23rd, 2022 at 3:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals made headlines Thursday with the announcement that they finally came to terms with quarterback Kyler Murray on a five-year, $230.5MM extension with a total guaranteed amount of $160MM. Now, thanks to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, we have a bit more information on the details within the contract. 

Murray was guaranteed $104.3MM at signing composed of a $29.04MM signing bonus, the 2022 base salary of $965,000, the 2023 base salary of $2MM, the 2023 workout bonus of $1MM, the 2023 option bonus of $36MM, and $35.3MM of the 2024 base salary worth $37MM total. The rest of the $160MM guaranteed amount is guaranteed for injury at signing and is fully guaranteed at certain dates. In March of 2024, the 2025 base salary of $18MM fully guarantees. Murray also has a 2025 90-man offseason roster bonus of $11.9MM guaranteed for injury at signing that fully guarantees in March of 2024. $26.8MM of the 2026 compensation in guaranteed for injury at signing. In March of 2025, the 2026 compensation fully guarantees in the amount of $36.8MM. Finally, in March of 2026, the 2027 base salary of $19.5MM fully guarantees.

There are a number of roster and workout bonuses laden throughout the duration of the deal. In addition to the guaranteed $1M 2023 workout bonus, Murray is due workout bonuses of $1M in 2024, $1.86MM in 2025, $1.86MM in 2026, $1.8MM in 2027, and $1.8MM in 2028. In addition to the guaranteed $11.9MM 90-man offseason roster bonus in 2025, Murray will earn 90-man offseason roster bonuses of $17MM in 2026, $14.19MM in 2027, and $7.7MM in 2028. In 2028, Murray will also be due a $2MM training camp bonus. Not only will Murray earn the annual offseason roster bonuses, the contract is also set up for Murray to earn a per game active roster bonus of $50,000 from the 2024 season through the 2028 season for a potential of $850,000 in each of those five seasons.

From the 2024 season through the 2028 season, Murray can earn two different incentive bonuses worth $750,000 apiece in each season. The first salary escalator activates if Murray records 600 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in a season. The second salary escalator is based on 70% playing time in the regular season, 70% playing time in the NFC Championship game, and an NFC Championship game victory.

Murray’s total contract value of $230.5MM ranks third for NFL quarterbacks behind Josh Allen (six-year, $258.03MM) and Patrick Mahomes (ten-year, $450MM). Both the amount guaranteed at signing and the total guaranteed amount rank second among NFL quarterbacks behind Deshaun Watson‘s fully-guaranteed five-year, $230MM contract. The average annual value of Murray’s contract is $46.1MM, which also ranks second for NFL quarterbacks behind Aaron Rodgers who recently signed a deal worth $50.27MM per year.

The 24-year-old Murray has started 46 games since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019, only missing three games last season with an ankle injury while amassing a record of 22-23-1. Murray has improved his standing as a top NFL quarterback each year in the league. After ending the 2019 season ranked as the 19th-best quarterback (according to Pro Football Focus), Murray ranked as the 11th-best quarterback in 2020 and the 9th-best quarterback this past season.

In 2022, with contract decisions now behind him, Murray will focus on furthering the team’s improvement. After improving the Cardinals’ win total from five to eight games in his first two seasons, Murray quarterbacked nine wins in 2021 en route to the team’s 11-6 record, leading Arizona to it’s first playoff appearance since 2015. Unfortunately, Murray and the Cardinals lost their first playoff game in six years and will now strive for postseason success in 2022.

The Cardinals’ offense returns many of its weapons from last year. The team only had to replace two main contributors, subbing out Chase Edmonds for Darrel Williams and losing leading receiver from last season Christian Kirk but replacing him with Baltimore’s leading wide receiver in 2021, Marquise Brown. Arizona faces the difficult challenge of a division that includes the Seahawks, 49ers, and reigning Super Bowl champion Rams, but, with no further financial distractions under center, the Cardinals are set up to continue their annual improvement.

Cardinals Make Three Roster Moves

July 22nd, 2022 at 6:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals made plenty of headlines yesterday by making quarterback Kyler Murray the league’s second-highest paid player. They have made some other, less substantial moves today. 

The team announced that tight end Maxx Williams has been placed on the active/PUP list. The 28-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury in October, leaving a significant hole in Arizona’s offense. To fill the void, the Cardinals traded for Zach Ertz days later. Still, Williams did enough in his third year in the desert to earn a one-year contract this offseason.

The former second-rounder is no stranger to injuries. Williams has played a full season only once in his seven-year career, back in 2019. Since then, he has made just 14 appearances in total, prompting the Cardinals to retain Ertz and add Trey McBride in the draft. Williams will therefore have plenty of competition for playing time upon his return.

Meanwhile, the team also confirmed the signing of wideout Victor Bolden Jr. The five-foot-nine, 175-pounder played a pivotal role in helping the Birmingham Stallions win the USFL title. Overall, he ranked fourth in the spring league with 415 receiving yards, numbers which translated to the championship game (of which he was named MVP). In addition, he showcased his ability as a returner, with 794 yards on special teams. That was Bolden’s calling card during his previous stint in the NFL, which began by signing as a UDFA with the 49ers in 2017 and ended last summer when he was waived by the Lions.

Lastly, to make room for Bolden, the Cardinals released undrafted receiver Jared Smart. If Bolden can make Arizona’s roster as a returner in particular, he could round out the team’s WR corps, which already features the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, A.J. Green, Antoine Wesley and Andy Isabella at the top of the depth chart.

Cardinals, Kyler Murray Finalize Extension

July 21st, 2022 at 11:20am CST by Adam La Rose

After a tenuous offseason in which he first became eligible for an extension, Kyler Murray is now on the verge of a lucrative second contract. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Cardinals are “working to close a monster extension” with the former No. 1 pick.

Rapoport adds that the deal will make Murray “one of the NFL’s highest-paid players,” and that is has now been finalized (Twitter link). The team has corroborated (via Twitter) that the contract is in place. The two sides have been negotiating “for weeks” to hammer out terms, and now the process has reached the finish line. The deal comprises a five-year extension, meaning that Murray (who has two years remaining on his rookie contract) will remain under contract with Arizona through 2028. 

Regarding financial details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the pact has a total value of $230.5MM, adding that the contract carries $160MM in guaranteed money. At a annual average value of $46.1MM-per-year, this deal makes Murray the NFL’s second highest-paid QB, behind Aaron Rodgers. It also ranks second in terms of guaranteed compensation, trailing only the historic $230MM deal the Browns gave Deshaun Watson, ever dollar of which is assured. Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds that Murray will make $69MM over the first two years of the extension, and $106.15MM by year three (Twitter link).

Murray, 24, has been a full-time starter immediately since entering the NFL in 2019. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, he has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons. That made a long-term commitment seem inevitable, but tensions have run high between the player and club leading up to this deal.

Back in February, there were reports of acrimony as the window for an extension to be signed was soon to be opened. Weeks later, Murray’s agent issued, in essence, an ultimatum to the team detailing his contributions to the franchise, along with a blueprint for an extension. Things looked bleak in terms of the relationship between the two sides at that point, but the situation steadily progressed as the offseason moved closer to the summer, when a deal of this magnitude was always more likely to be signed.

In June, it came out that an extension being finalized ahead of training camp was quite likely. Now, the Cardinals have their franchise centerpiece in place for the long-term future. Questions about his leadership will no doubt remain, and in fact be amplified, by his rank amongst the highest-paid players in the league. Delivering postseason success will likewise become an even greater expectation with this deal in place. Meanwhile, this contract shows the close link between the value of Watson’s extension and the financial terms Murray ended up agreeing to. It will be worth watching if any Lamar Jackson deal ends up taking on a similar form.

Rodney Hudson To Return To Cards In 2022

July 18th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Rodney Hudson‘s minicamp absence, speculation ensued about the Cardinals’ future at center. But the former Pro Bowler is planning to return for a second season with the team.

Hudson plans to play in 2022, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds the veteran snapper is expected to report for Cardinals training camp next week (Twitter link). The Cardinals have essentially confirmed this (on Twitter). Given Hudson’s talent level, this should be a big boost for the Cardinals.

The team acquired Hudson from Las Vegas last year and extended him on a three-year deal worth $30MM. While Hudson — a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders — is one of seven centers attached to eight-figure-per-year contracts, he is the league’s seventh-highest-paid snapper. Money may or may not have led to the uncertainty surrounding Hudson’s 2022 status, but the Cardinals will have their most decorated offensive lineman back at work soon.

Hudson’s deal runs through 2023 and features a $10MM cap spike from 2021, when the 33-year-old blocker was on the Cards’ payroll at $2.86MM, to this year ($12.61MM cap figure). The Cardinals guaranteed Hudson $10.9MM at signing, though $16MM of this contract is guaranteed for injury. The former Chiefs third-round pick missed five games last season, joining Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins as vital Cards offensive cogs to miss extended stretches, but was back in uniform for the team’s final three games.

The Cards had Justin Pugh taking center reps during their offseason program, potentially as a contingency plan. Pugh has spent extensive time at both guard and tackle in the NFL, but center marked new territory for the ex-first-rounder. Hudson returning will keep Pugh at guard, bolstering Arizona’s front overall. The team also returns veteran tackles D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum.

Receiving Pro Bowl nods in 2016, ’17 and ’19, Hudson is now on his fourth NFL contract. The Raiders signed him away from the Chiefs in 2015 and extended him in 2019. Amid an O-line overhaul last year, the Raiders were set to make Hudson a cap casualty. But the Cardinals swooped in with a trade offer, agreeing to send a 2021 third-round pick for Hudson and a seventh-rounder. They extended him soon after.

Pro Football Focus rated Hudson near the bottom of its center performance list last season, slotting him 31st. But the 12th-year veteran still represents a key player for a Cardinals team that is working on a Murray extension. Another offseason crisis appears to be averted.

Cardinals WR Rondale Moore In Store For Increased Workload

July 17th, 2022 at 9:39am CST by Rory Parks

Cardinals WR Rondale Moore is expected to see more of the field in 2022, as Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus writes (subscription required). Given the departure of Christian Kirk in free agency and the six-game suspension that DeAndre Hopkins will serve to start the season, that should not come as much of a surprise, but it is noteworthy nonetheless.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged earlier this year that Moore — who saw 45% of Arizona’s offensive snaps in his rookie campaign in 2021 — will be a bigger part of the offense, and he specifically referenced the need to give the second-year pro more opportunities in space. Indeed, Moore’s size (5-7, 180) makes it difficult for him to physically dominate off the line of scrimmage, and his high-end speed will be best-utilized if QB Kyler Murray can get him the ball with room to run.

Interestingly, Moore’s ostensible big-play potential was not put on display last year. The Purdue product posted a measly 1.2-yard average depth of target in 2021, which, according to Kevin Cole of Pro Football Focus, was the third-lowest mark among rookie wideouts since 2006 (subscription required). Especially surprising is the fact that, of Moore’s 54 receptions, 37 came behind the line of scrimmage (h/t Neil Dutton of 4for4.com). And, as Cole posits, Arizona’s draft-day acquisition of similarly diminutive speed merchant Marquise Brown could mean that the club does not see Moore as a legitimate field stretcher.

The good news for Moore is that he was quite efficient with his targets, as one would hope for a player running primarily short and intermediate routes. His 54 catches came on just 64 passes thrown in his direction, good for a terrific 84.4% catch rate despite a low 8.1 yards-per-reception average.

Per Alex Sutton of CardsWire.com, the slot receiver role vacated by Kirk is generally assumed to belong to Moore. That is where he saw the majority of his snaps in 2021, and that familiarity can only help. Both Kingsbury and assistant head coach Shawn Jefferson have said that they will expand Moore’s route tree in 2022, and even if he is not asked to run many go routes in 2022, the presence of Brown — and Hopkins, when he returns from suspension — could open up the field for Moore to make the most of his speed and post significant YAC.

In addition to his expected uptick in snaps on the offensive side of the ball, Moore still projects as the club’s primary return man. He returned 21 punts and 13 kickoffs last year, though his averages (8.1 yards per punt return, 22.4 yards per kick return) were not particularly notable.

During Hopkins’ absence, the Cards are expected to have Brown and A.J. Green receive the bulk of the work outside the numbers.

Cardinals, Kyler Murray Progressing On Extension?

July 14th, 2022 at 10:34am CST by Sam Robinson

The acrimony between Kyler Murray and the Cardinals appears long in the rear-view mirror. Arizona’s franchise quarterback may be moving toward an extension.

Mentioned months ago as eyeing a deal ahead of training camp, Murray may get his wish. Conversations between the Cardinals and Murray’s camp are going smoothly, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington, who calls an extension ahead of training camp a “very reasonable likelihood” (on Twitter).

Both Michael Bidwill and GM Steve Keim targeted the late-summer window as the time when a Murray extension would most likely happen. Kliff Kingsbury, extended along with Keim this offseason, stumped for a Murray deal as well. This process has been back on track for months. After reports of strife between Murray and the Cardinals and a report before the draft indicating the team had not yet made an offer, Murray said he was not seeking a trade and subsequently reported to OTAs and minicamp. That was interpreted as a sign he and the team were back on the same page. It appears that interpretation was correct.

The Cards have Murray signed for two more years, via a $29.7MM fifth-year option exercised in May, but first-round QBs usually sign their first extensions ahead of their third seasons. Since the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie salaries and timetables, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Ryan Tannehill (with the Dolphins) proceeded on that course. Lamar Jackson did not, making the Murray negotiations of particular relevance to the Ravens QB.

Murray and Jackson may be the first quarterbacks to go through with extensions in the aftermath of Watson’s fully guaranteed Browns deal; thus, the structures of each extension-eligible passer’s accord could be seminal moments for the QB market. With Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert extension-eligible next year, how the Cardinals’ Murray deal looks will be important for the Bengals and Chargers’ plans.

But Murray, 25 in August, should be expected to land a deal near or beyond the $45MM-per-year point. Four passers are signed for at least $43MM AAV. He represents the Cards’ first homegrown QB with superstar potential since the franchise’s 1988 relocation. Each of the above-referenced QB extensions ran for at least four years, with Allen’s at six and Mahomes’ at 10. With Murray already signed through 2023, it should be expected his next Cards accord will run into the late 2020s. While Murray’s place in the current QB landscape is not yet known, Arizona appears ready to find out while paying him top-tier money.

2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team

July 6th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

Between now and training camp, additional free agents will join teams. Several big names — from 2010s All-Decade-teamers Ndamukong Suh and Julio Jones — to longtime starters like Odell Beckham Jr., Jason Pierre-Paul, Trey Flowers and J.C. Tretter remain available as camps approach.

With savings from post-June 1 cuts in the rear-view mirror and fewer than 25 draft picks yet to sign their rookie deals, we have a pretty good idea of teams’ cap-space figures. Here is how the league currently stacks up for available funds:

  1. Cleveland Browns: $40.9MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $25.1MM
  3. Chicago Bears: $23MM
  4. Dallas Cowboys: $22.5MM
  5. Las Vegas Raiders: $21.6MM
  6. Washington Commanders: $17.7MM
  7. Green Bay Packers: $16.9MM
  8. Miami Dolphins: $16.5MM
  9. Seattle Seahawks: $16.4MM
  10. Cincinnati Bengals: $15.8MM
  11. Los Angeles Chargers: $14.5MM
  12. Pittsburgh Steelers: $14.3MM
  13. Kansas City Chiefs: $14.3MM
  14. Atlanta Falcons: $13.4MM
  15. Philadelphia Eagles: $12.8MM
  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $12.4MM
  17. Indianapolis Colts: $12.3MM
  18. Tennessee Titans: $11.9MM
  19. Arizona Cardinals: $11.5MM
  20. Denver Broncos: $11.5MM
  21. Minnesota Vikings: $10.9MM
  22. New Orleans Saints: $10.7MM
  23. Detroit Lions: $9.8MM
  24. New York Jets: $9.6MM
  25. Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  26. Los Angeles Rams: $7.7MM
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars: $7.7MM
  28. New York Giants: $6MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.6MM
  30. San Francisco 49ers: $4.7MM
  31. Baltimore Ravens: $3.9MM
  32. New England Patriots: $1.9MM
  • The Browns reduced Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 base salary to the veteran minimum. The suspension candidate’s cap number checks in at just $10MM, though the figures from the fully guaranteed deal the Browns authorized begin spiking in 2023. Watson’s cap number is set to rise to an NFL-record $54.9MM next year.
  • Carolina has been in talks with Cleveland for months regarding a Baker Mayfield trade. The sides have not come to an agreement on how to divide Mayfield’s guaranteed $18.9MM salary. While the Browns are believed to have come up to around $10MM, Mayfield remains on their roster.
  • The Bears, Cowboys and Raiders each vaulted into the top five because of post-June 1 cuts. Chicago and Las Vegas were the only teams to designate the maximum two players as post-June 1 releases.
  • The Seahawks have been connected to a Mayfield trade, but they have been more likely to pursue the disgruntled QB via free agency — should this process reach that point. A Mayfield free agent signing would not require Seattle to make adjustments to its cap sheet.
  • After restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ contract last year, the Chiefs have not done so in 2022. The superstar passer is attached to a $35.8MM figure — the second-highest 2022 cap charge.
  • Atlanta’s cap space factors in the team’s league-leading $63.2MM in dead money, a figure mostly created by Matt Ryan‘s individual dead-cap record ($40.5MM) emerging after the Falcons traded their 14-year starter to the Colts.
  • Upon learning Tom Brady would be back for a third Florida season, the Buccaneers did restructure his deal. Brady counts just $11.9MM on Tampa Bay’s 2022 cap sheet, but due to the void years that helped the team save money, that number spikes to $35.1MM in 2023 — when Brady is not under contract.
  • San Francisco power brokers have said for months a Jimmy Garoppolo trade is the organization’s goal. With the passer not yet fully cleared, the team — which is preparing for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa extensions to come to pass at some point — has a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap charge on its payroll. Releasing Garopppolo would save the 49ers $24.2MM.
  • The Ravens have attempted to go forward with a Lamar Jackson extension, but the team has confirmed the quarterback has not expressed much interest in doing a deal now. The sides did discuss the former MVP’s deal during minicamp. Jackson is tied to a $23MM fifth-year option salary.

NFL Teams With Most Dead Cap

July 5th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons made history when they traded Matt Ryan to the Colts this offseason. As a result of the trade, the Falcons were left with a record-breaking $40.5MM in dead cap. Thanks to the Ryan trade (as well as the trade of Julio Jones and the release of Dante Fowler), the Falcons lead the NFL with a whopping $63MM in dead cap heading into next season.

For a team that’s probably not looking to compete in 2022, this isn’t the biggest deal in the world. For competitive squads, a hefty dead cap charge could drastically limit their ability to add to their squad following final roster cuts and into the regular season. A team’s current dead cap commitment could also influence who they decide to cut at the end of the preseason.

So which teams have the most dead cap on their books? We’ve listed them in order below (h/t to Sportrac):

  1. Atlanta Falcons: $63,209,124
  2. Chicago Bears: $57,643,341
  3. Philadelphia Eagles: $54,915,221
  4. Houston Texans: $52,289,341
  5. Seattle Seahawks: $46,022,390
  6. New Orleans Saints: $33,347,982
  7. Pittsburgh Steelers: $30,863,174
  8. Las Vegas Raiders: $29,441,565
  9. New York Giants: $29,262,372
  10. Green Bay Packers: $24,628,608
  11. Carolina Panthers: $23,507,283
  12. Dallas Cowboys: $22,713,132
  13. Minnesota Vikings: $22,092,189
  14. Jacksonville Jaguars: $21,852,872
  15. Detroit Lions: $20,324,288
  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $19,445,910
  17. Cleveland Browns: $18,774,054
  18. Buffalo Bills: $16,601,356
  19. Denver Broncos: $14,938,136
  20. Tennessee Titans: $14,290,108
  21. Los Angeles Rams: $13,522,002
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $12,292,703
  23. Arizona Cardinals: $10,278,530
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: $9,592,578
  25. New England Patriots: $9,158,009
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8,483,400
  27. Kansas City Chiefs: $7,982,236
  28. Indianapolis Colts: $7,037,428
  29. San Francisco 49ers: $6,495,221
  30. Washington Commanders: $6,300,496
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $3,661,167
  32. New York Jets: $2,092,411
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