AFC Notes: Waddle, Howard, Jets, QBs, Mims
The Dolphins just made a massive investment in Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle by taking him with the sixth overall pick. While it’s too early to worry too much, it does sound like Waddle’s ankle may cause some anxiety for Miami fans. Waddle is “still not entirely back” from the broken ankle he suffered during his last season in college, Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network hears. He writes that it’s “still somewhat of an issue” nine months after the injury occurred.
Even though he’s participating in training camp practices, Beasley says he “still at times walks with a limp” and that “there are some within the organization who believe he doesn’t yet have the full explosiveness” he had with the Crimson Tide. Waddle said after a recent Dolphins practice that he was feeling good, but it sounds like this will be a situation to monitor. The injury was a devastating one, so it’s not all that shocking that it’s lingering.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Speaking of potential Dolphins drama, star cornerback Xavien Howard just gave his first press conference since formally requesting a trade. Howard was pretty terse in his media availability and didn’t reveal too much, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. When asked if he was optimistic that an agreement with Miami would be reached, Howard said “That’s up to the Dolphins,” he said. “I’m just here with my teammates.” Howard either wants more guaranteed money from the team, or a trade. He was also asked whether he hoped things would get worked out for him to stay, and he replied “yeah, I hope it gets better. It’s a process. I’m hearing this and that, but nothing is getting done right now.” When asked whether he had spoken to head coach Brian Flores, Howard said “we talked but didn’t go nowhere.” It sounds like things are at an impasse, with no end in sight. Buckle up.
- One of the big questions surrounding the Jets this offseason has been whether they’ll add a veteran backup quarterback. Rookie second overall pick Zach Wilson will be the starter, but New York has very little experience behind him. 2018 fifth-round pick Mike White and 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan are the only two other options on the roster. First-time head coach Robert Saleh “seems oppposed” to the idea of adding a veteran signal-caller, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. If they don’t, “White is the favorite to be the regular season QB2,” Cimini says. White was originally drafted by the Cowboys, but came to New York in 2019. Cimini thinks the team may cut Morgan and try to add him to the practice squad.
- This one will be a disappointment to Jets fans. 2020 second-round pick Denzel Mims is “no better than fifth in the pecking order at wide receiver,” Cimini writes. The team obviously had much higher hopes for him when they drafted him 59th overall just last year. He’s understandably behind veterans Corey Davis and Jamison Crowder, but it sounds like Mims has also already fallen behind free agent signee Keelan Cole and 2021 second-round pick Elijah Moore. Injuries limited the Baylor product to only nine games as a rookie, in which he put up 23 catches for 357 yards.
Nick Foles On Potential Trade
The Bears brought in both Andy Dalton and Justin Fields this offseason, leaving Nick Foles in an awkward spot. He’s currently getting paid a lot of money for a third-string quarterback, so it’s been thought all offseason that a trade could be logical if the right situation arose.
That may have just happened with the Carson Wentz foot injury in Indianapolis. It’s looking like Wentz may miss a significant chunk of regular season time, and Indy doesn’t have any great options to fill-in right now. Foles happened to speak to the media Monday, and appeared to be angling for a trade to the Colts without outright saying it.
Foles raved about Colts head coach Frank Reich, saying “listen, Frank Reich is one of my favorite, if not favorite, coaches of all time,” (Twitter link via Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network). He revealed that there were already a couple of trade opportunities that came the Bears’ way but said “I don’t want to go to someone I don’t know,” (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
For what it’s worth, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson was told the Colts have had no “substantive ‘pt-to-pt’ talks” with the Bears about trading for Foles yet (Twitter link). It seems to be a real possibility and Indy could make it happen but “everybody, including Carson Wentz, would have to be onboard,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says (Twitter video link).
Of course, Foles filled in for an injured Wentz during the Eagles’ legendary Super Bowl run while Reich was Philly’s OC, so there’s a lot of history here that could complicate things.
Meanwhile, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets the financial breakdown of what Foles would be owed if acquired in a trade. He’s got a $4MM guaranteed salary for 2021. In 2022 he’s got a guaranteed $4MM roster bonus with a $4MM base salary ($1MM of which is guaranteed). Essentially the Colts would have to pay him $4MM this year and at least $5MM next year if they traded for him. Nothing seems imminent, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear more.
Carson Wentz To Have Surgery, Out 5-12 Weeks
Yesterday, it was reported that Carson Wentz was looking to avoid surgery on his troublesome foot and heal up with rest and rehab. Clearly over the past 24 hours that was ruled out, since Colts head coach Frank Reich announced Monday that Wentz would have surgery and be sidelined for the next 5-12 weeks.
That’s a pretty open-ended timetable for a return, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when Wentz will actually be back under center. Five weeks could have him back right in time for the start of the regular season, 12 weeks means he’d miss almost half the regular season. Reich revealed the injury isn’t exactly new, with doctors telling the team it may date back to Wentz’s high school football days.
Apparently there’s an old broken bone in his foot that has now become loose. The surgery will be to remove the bone. It’s a tough blow for a Colts team that had playoff aspirations. They’ve been tight-lipped about the situation, and it’s also unclear what they plan to do at quarterback if Wentz does in fact miss regular season games.
They could go with last year’s fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, who didn’t sniff the field as a rookie, or with former Packers and Cardinals backup Brett Hundley who they just signed the other day. Hundley does at least have a decent amount of starting experience. Rookie sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger from Texas is on the roster as well, and a trade for a veteran is a distinct possibility at this point.
There are also significant draft pick implications with this timeline. When Indy made the trade with the Eagles to land Wentz, they agreed to give up a 2022 second-round pick. However, that pick becomes a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75 percent of the team’s snaps this season, or 70 percent and they make the playoffs.
It’ll be very interesting to see how that now plays out. If Wentz is going to come very close to missing say a fourth of the season, it might be in the team’s best interest to sit him an extra week and save the ever valuable first-round pick.
Extra Points: Maye, Covid, Vikings, Raiders
Marcus Maye and the Jets didn’t come to an agreement before the deadline for franchise-tagged players, meaning the safety will play the 2021 season under the $10.6MM tag. We heard recently that the two sides never came close, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com opined that they would be heading for divorce this next offseason since another tag would cost the team $12.7MM in 2022. Yesterday Maye “expressed frustration” about the situation and “hinted he hasn’t ruled out asking for a trade if he’s tagged again in 2022,” Cimini writes. “I’ve got 17 weeks to be the best that I can be — and once we get to that point, we’ll cross that line again,” Maye said cryptically when asked if he’d approached the Jets about a potential trade.
When asked if he felt treated fairly throughout the process this summer, Maye said “to say fair, unfair … I’d say somewhere in the middle,” before adding “from my end, I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t satisfied.” New York insisted all offseason that locking Maye up was high on their agenda, but the Florida product clearly doesn’t feel like they were being truthful with that sentiment. The Jets, of course, went through a similar situation with fellow safety Jamal Adams before ultimately trading him to Seattle. For what it’s worth, Maye didn’t sound intent on playing elsewhere, saying he just wants to play “wherever I’m welcome. I was drafted here. I’d love to be here.” This will be a situation to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Here’s more from around the league as we wrap up Sunday evening:
- The NFL adopted strict COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players this offseason, and it’s now clear they’re going to be serious about enforcing them. Unvaccinated players will automatically be fined $14,650 for every violation of the protocols, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. That might not be a fortune for the league’s stars, but it’s almost half a game check for younger and cheaper players. Potential violations of the protocol include not wearing a mask when required to or not adhering to the strict rules about socializing. There’s already been a fair amount of drama surrounding the protocols even as training camps just start to get underway, so we’ll likely see a whole lot more before the season is done.
- Speaking of those COVID-19 protocols, the Vikings are now very shorthanded at quarterback because of them. With Kellen Mond testing positive for the virus, fellow passers Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley had to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as close contacts. That left former Washington quarterback Jake Browning as the only active signal-caller they have. As such, Minnesota is looking to add a veteran free agent quarterback, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Tomasson reports 2020 UDFA from North Arizona Case Cookus is a “strong possible option” to be signed. He later tweeted that a source told him Cookus would workout for the team on Monday. Former St. John’s (MN) quarterback Jackson Erdmann will also be present at that workout, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. Erdmann recently played in the Johnny Manziel-affiliated Fan Controlled Football League. Presumably, somebody will be signed from this workout.
- Raiders running backs coach Kirby Wilson abruptly retired a couple weeks ago, and now we know who will be replacing him. Las Vegas will have offensive quality control coach Tim Berbenich coach the running backs this year (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Other coaches will also assist, Rapsheet hears, but Berbenich will be the one in charge. Wilson had been a running backs coach in the NFL since 1997 with the Patriots, and had coached under Jon Gruden in Tampa before re-joining him with the Raiders in 2019. Berbenich also was on Gruden’s staff for a few years with the Bucs, and has been with the Raiders since 2018. He was previously an offensive quality control coach. He’ll now lead a new-look backfield after the offseason signing of Kenyan Drake to pair with Josh Jacobs.
Saints To Sign CBs Prince Amukamara, KeiVarae Russell
All offseason, we’ve been hearing about how the Saints would likely add some veteran cornerback help. Now finally on August 1st, it appears they’re signing two.
New Orleans plans to sign both Prince Amukamara and KeiVarae Russell pending the passing of physicals, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. We heard last night that the team was hosting Amukamara on a visit. The 19th overall pick of the 2011 draft was a full-time starter with the Bears from 2017-19, but spent 2020 on the Cardinals’ practice squad. The Super Bowl XLVI champ has 99 career starts under his belt, so he’s got plenty of experience. He turned 32 in June.
Russell was a third-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2016. He was surprisingly cut in September of that year, getting waived shockingly early for a 74th overall pick. Russell latched on with the Bengals for the next three seasons, but was mostly a special teamer. He was on the Packers’ practice squad for most of last season, and was elevated to the active roster for a couple playoff games.
In addition to top corner Marshon Lattimore, the Saints also have longtime vet Patrick Robinson and 23-year-old Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on the depth chart. With these two vets soon to be in the fold, New Orleans will now have pretty solid depth at the position after cutting starter Janoris Jenkins this offseason.
Contract Details: Chubb, Thomas, Allen, Wilson
Let’s catch up on the details of some of the big contracts recently signed around the NFL:
- We heard last night that Browns running back Nick Chubb was signing a big three-year extension worth $36MM with $20MM guaranteed. We’ve got the full equation now, thanks to what a league source told Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com. For starters, Chubb is getting a $12MM signing bonus. It also turns out that not *quite* $20MM is fully guaranteed. The actual guarantee is only $17.133MM. However, it’s almost effectively $20MM, since the other $2.87MM in guarantees vests in 2022 and it’s incredibly unlikely Chubb would be off the roster by then. Chubb will have low salaries and low cap hits in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, he’ll have a cap hit of $14.85MM. He’ll have a $10.85MM salary but only the $2.87MM of that will be guaranteed. In 2024, he’ll have a non-guaranteed salary of $11.775MM and a cap hit of $16.2MM for his final year.
- Washington just made Logan Thomas the seventh highest-paid tight end in the game, and now we have new figures on his deal. His three-year, $24MM extension will give him a cap hit of $6.465MM in 2022, $8.75MM in 2023, and $8.315MM in 2024, John Keim of EPSN.com reports. The dead cap hits for those three years will be $7.465MM, $3.5MM, and $1.75MM respectively. In other words it won’t be too hard for the team to get out of the contract after 2022 if they wanted to. Thomas will receive a $300K roster bonus each season, and is due a $500K roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2024 league year, so that will be an important date in the final season of his new pact.
- Thomas wasn’t the only player to get an extension from Washington this past week. The Football Team also gave defensive tackle Jonathan Allen a big four-year, $72MM deal. We didn’t previously know the full guaranteed amount, but it’s apparently $35.6MM. Allen’s cap hits for those four new seasons will be $9.5MM, $21.5MM, $21.5MM, and $23MM, Keim writes. As such, he won’t start really weighing down Washington’s books until 2023. He has a $14MM salary for that season which becomes guaranteed on the third day of that league year. His dead cap charges will be $26MM, $18MM, $12MM, $6MM for 2022-2025.
- Zach Wilson and the Jets avoided potential disaster by agreeing to terms on his rookie deal right before training camp started, and now we have more context on the holdup. We knew there was an issue about potential signing bonus money deferment, and it turns out New York wanted the rookie quarterback to wait to get a significant amount of cash. The Jets “only opened negotiations last week,” and wanted Wilson to defer a whopping $6MM of his signing bonus to 2022, a source told Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter link). After the team relented and agreed to pay the whole signing bonus upfront, Wilson hopped on a plane to New York. In return, the Jets did get some of the offset language they were seeking.
Titans Claim K Sam Ficken Off Waivers
It didn’t take long for Sam Ficken to find a new home. Just a day after getting cut by the Jets, the kicker has been claimed by the Titans, the team announced Sunday.
Tennessee cut fellow kicker Blake Haubeil in a corresponding roster move, and also announced they’ve placed tight end Briley Moore on injured reserve. A Penn State product, Ficken went undrafted in 2015. He didn’t even sign his first NFL contract until 2016, and didn’t make a regular season roster until December of 2017 with the Rams. He kicked in a few games with Los Angeles between 2017-18, both times as a fill-in for an injured Greg Zuerlein.
After quick stints with the Seahawks and Packers, Ficken eventually landed with the Jets in September of 2019, where he found his first real home. He’s been New York’s kicker for most of the last two seasons, with mixed results. Injuries limited him to only nine games last year, in which he made 13 of 15 field goals and 12 of 15 extra points.
In 2019 he was shakier, making only 19 of 27 field goal attempts across 15 games. He’ll now battle it out with Tucker McCann to be the Titans’ next permanent kicker after they elected not to re-sign Stephen Gostkowski this offseason.
Haubeil is an undrafted rookie from Ohio State. Moore is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State who suffered a knee injury.
Saints To Host Prince Amukamara
The Saints just agreed to terms with running back Devonta Freeman, and he might not be the only big name veteran they add. New Orleans is also hosting cornerback Prince Amukamara for a visit on Saturday, a source told Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (Twitter link).
The 19th overall pick of the 2011 draft, Amukamara was on the Cardinals’ practice squad last year but didn’t appear in a game. He had spent the previous three seasons as a full-time starter in Chicago. Amukamara was originally drafted by the Giants, and he won Super Bowl XLVI with the team as a rookie. After his first five years in New York he signed a one-year deal with Jacksonville.
After that one season with the Jaguars he signed with the Bears, who gave him a three-year, $27MM extension in March of 2018. In February of 2020, he was cut. He’s never been a top-tier talent but has been a pretty solid starter at times, and he had double digit passes defended in both 2018 and 2019.
New Orleans is also bringing in fellow corner KeiVarae Russell for a workout, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Russell, a third-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2016 draft, has appeared in just 21 games (one start) since he entered the league, so he does not offer nearly the same level of experience as Amukamara. The Packers signed Russell to a reserve/futures deal in January but cut him loose in May.
The Saints have been linked to free agent cornerback help all offseason after releasing Janoris Jenkins back in March, so it wouldn’t be shocking if they made a move here. After top corner Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans also has longtime vet Patrick Robinson and youngster Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The club also signed veteran slot man Brian Poole last week.
Giants Sign Todd Davis
The Giants signed interior offensive lineman Joe Looney to a contract on Saturday, and they also added another longtime vet. New York inked free agent linebacker Todd Davis to a contract, the team announced in a release.
Davis worked out for the Giants earlier this week, and they apparently liked what they saw. The unheralded Sacramento State product started out as an UDFA in 2014, and carved out a heck of a career for himself. After starting his career with the Saints he was claimed off waivers by the Broncos midway through his rookie season, and quickly established himself in Denver.
He played a real role on the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, and became a full-time starter the following year in 2016. From 2016-19, he started at least 14 games at inside linebacker in four straight seasons. Davis was released two years into the three-year $15MM deal that he signed in March of 2018.
He latched on with the Vikings last September, and appeared in 11 games with six starts for Minnesota. Always a run defender first and foremost, Davis turned 29 in May. The Giants currently have a pretty young linebacking group, so Davis will provide some veteran leadership right off the bat.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/21
We’ve got a bunch of minor moves to report from what turned out to be a pretty busy Saturday in the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Tuzar Skipper
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/retired list: WR Derrick Willies
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Danny Isidora
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Brett Hundley, DT Joey Ivie
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Tevin Jones
- Cut: LB Leon Jacobs, K Aldrick Rosas
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Jerald Hawkins
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
New York Jets
- Signed: K Matt Ammendola
- Cut: K Sam Ficken
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Sean Mannion
Washington Football Team
- Claimed off waivers from Dolphins: OL Ross Reynolds
Hundley is the biggest signing on this list. The Colts adding him is a pretty good sign they expect Carson Wentz to miss some significant time. Assuming Wentz misses games, Hundley will battle it out with second-year pro Jacob Eason.
A couple of kickers who have started a bunch of games both found themselves sent packing in Ficken and Rosas. Mannion latched on with the Seahawks. He’s familiar with new Seattle OC Shane Waldron from their time together with the Rams, explaining why the Seahawks added him as an option behind Russell Wilson.