Jets “Highly Motivated” To Add Jadeveon Clowney
Following Jadeveon Clowney‘s visit with the Jets earlier this month, the team is focused on getting a deal finalized. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Jets are “highly motivated” to sign the veteran edge rusher to a contract. Schultz notes that the two sides have been in “constant contact” since their in-person meeting.
[RELATED: Panthers To Meet With Jadeveon Clowney]
Since losing Bryce Huff to the Eagles, the Jets have been hunting for some reinforcement on the edge. As Schultz notes, the Jets were in the running for Shaquil Barrett “until the very end,” but they lost out on that sweepstakes when the pass rusher signed with the Dolphins.
Now, they’re shifting their focus to Clowney, who is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The former first-overall pick got into 17 games (15 starts) for the Ravens in 2023, finishing with 9.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded Clowney 18th among 112 qualifying edge defenders.
In New York, Clowney would slide right into the rotational pass-rush role previously held by Huff, who finished last season with 10 sacks. While Huff didn’t start a game last year, he still got close to 500 defensive snaps playing alongside Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers. For comparison’s sake, Clowney garnered 654 snaps with the Ravens in 2023.
We heard previously that the Ravens were looking to retain the veteran, and Clowney also met with the Panthers during his free agency tour. According to Schultz, both of those teams remain in the hunt for the free agent, but it sounds like the Jets have been especially active in finalizing a deal.
Eagles To Sign QB Will Grier
Will Grier is back in the NFC. After spending the 2023 campaign touring the AFC, the former Panthers draft pick is signing with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The quarterback is signing a one-year deal.
[RELATED: Steelers To Trade Kenny Pickett To Eagles]
Grier was a third-round pick by the Panthers back in 2019, and he garnered his only two career appearances as a rookie. Grier got two starts that season, going 0-2 while completing 53.8 percent of his passes for 228 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.
He spent the 2020 campaign as the QB3 behind Teddy Bridgewater and P.J. Walker, and following Carolina’s 2021 acquisition of Sam Darnold, Grier was let go. He caught on with the Cowboys, where he’d spend a pair of seasons as the third quarterback.
Grier was waived by Dallas after the 2023 preseason, and following a brief stint on the Bengals practice squad, Grier joined New England as part of the team’s QB3 carousel. The 28-year-old spent most of the 2023 campaign with the Patriots, alternating between the practice squad and active roster. After not getting into a game with New England, he ended this past season on the Chargers active roster.
Grier will once again be competing for a QB3 spot in 2024, this time in Philly. The Eagles already brought in Kenny Pickett as the backup to Jalen Hurts, meaning Grier will likely be competing with 2023 sixth-round pick Tanner McKee for the third spot on the depth chart. Fortunately for Grier, it shouldn’t take him long to learn Philadelphia’s offense. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore previously coached Grier when the two were in Dallas.
Latest On Giants’ QB Situation
After the Giants poked around at the likes of Russell Wilson and landed on Drew Lock, there was some speculation that the organization could be looking to manufacture a QB competition. Seahawks GM John Schneider only fueled that fire earlier this week, telling Seattle Sports 710AM that the Giants lured Lock away from Seattle by selling the QB on the “opportunity to compete to be the starter.”
[RELATED: Giants To Sign QB Drew Lock]
Lock was quick to dismiss that notion. After inking his one-year deal with the Giants yesterday, the QB told reporters that it’s clearly been conveyed to him that Daniel Jones is the starter.
“Now, I need to come in and push Daniel to be the best that he can be,’’ Lock said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). “I’ve had both sides of this. I’ve been the guy to push a starter, I’ve been the starter that’s being pushed by the backups. It’s about making that room the best it can be. If we can do that, the sky’s the limit for this team.’’
As Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes, it was likely Jones’ career-long injury issues and Brian Daboll‘s quarterback-friendly system that helped lure Lock to New York. Both Tyrod Taylor and Mitch Trubisky parlayed stints as Daboll’s QB2 into larger pay days, and Lock is surely hoping for the same outcome.
Lock could have an opportunity to start in 2024 as Jones continues to rehab a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season, but the new addition will simply be keeping the seat warm. That’s a big reason why the Giants didn’t end up adding Wilson to the mix; as Lowe reports, the Giants didn’t make the veteran QB “any promises about playing time.” The Giants also tried to retain Taylor, as Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes. Ultimately, Taylor was able to garner a higher offer from the Jets than what Lock settled for with the Giants.
While the Giants continue to give Jones a vote of confidence, that doesn’t mean the team is entirely comfortable with his future outlook. As Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports writes, Jones’ injury history has “shaken” the Giants’ faith in the franchise QB. The former first-round pick has only made it through one season unscathed, and that’s led the team to consider taking a quarterback in next month’s draft. Even after handing Jones a four-year, $160MM extension last offseason, the Giants have scouted many of the draft’s top quarterback prospects. If the organization does pull the trigger on a rookie signal-caller, that will only further cloud the team’s QB picture moving forward.
Jets, Cowboys Were “Main Options” For Tyron Smith
Before Tyron Smith caught on with the Jets via free agency, the left tackle considered returning to the Cowboys for a 14th season. During his introductory videoconference with the Jets on Thursday, Smith admitted that the Cowboys and Jets were his “main options.” The lineman also seemed to hint that there weren’t many suitors lining up for his services.
[RELATED: LT Tyron Smith Signs With Jets]
“I’m not going to lie, it was slightly stressful a little bit,” Smith said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I’ve never been in that spot before. I didn’t know how to handle it, and it went by for a week, but I just felt like it was forever.
“The way things were looking in Dallas, I knew it was most likely going to be the Jets. Honestly, I got excited for a new chapter in my life.”
We heard in early March that Smith and the Cowboys were discussing a new deal, but the veteran started to consider other options when negotiations failed to progress. There were reports that the two sides were “drastically apart in the financial framework” of a new contract. Smith ended up accepting an incentive-laden contract to protect Aaron Rodgers in New York. The lineman will anchor a new-look offensive line that also features newcomers John Simpson and Morgan Moses.
“I just feel like they have all the pieces together right now, and they’re getting the final pieces this offseason to produce a team that can go all the way,” Smith said of his decision to ultimately sign in New York.
Injuries were the story during Smith’s long stint in Dallas, with the lineman missing at least three games each season since 2015. Despite the absences, Smith was still among the best OTs in the NFL when healthy. This past season, Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-best offensive tackle, including a position-leading pass-block score. His 13-game campaign in 2023 earned him his fifth career All-Pro nod.
The Jets will likely prioritize Smith’s late-season health as they eye a long playoff run. The lineman told reporters that he’s feeling “great” and didn’t end the 2023 campaign with any notable injuries. This uptick in health followed a revised practice regimen in Dallas, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Jets follow a similar template in 2024.
Ravens To Sign LB Chris Board
Chris Board is heading back to where he started his NFL career. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports that the free agent linebacker is signing with the Ravens.
The 2018 UDFA out of North Dakota State got his NFL start with the Ravens in 2018. He only missed a pair of regular season games during his four years in Baltimore, transforming into one of the team’s top special teams aces. Board also got a look on defense during his final two seasons with the Ravens, compiling 72 tackles and 2.5 sacks between those two campaigns.
Board spent the 2022 season with the Lions, serving in a similar role to his final years in Baltimore. He reverted back to just a special teams role with the Patriots in 2023. In 17 games in New England, Board got into only a single defensive snap, although he did log a career-high 407 ST snaps.
As Ryan Mink of the Ravens website points out, Baltimore has been in the hunt for a player like Board since they lost Del’Shawn Phillips in free agency. Phillips got into 81 defensive snaps this past season but played on a career-high 375 special teams snaps. Board will likely see a similar role in 2024 as an inside linebackers option behind Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, and recent re-signee Malik Harrison.
Panthers Sign WR David Moore
9:44pm: Justin Strnad has had a change of heart. After being close to finalizing a deal with the Panthers, the free agent linebacker will actually be returning to Denver on a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
7:40pm: Dave Canales is adding a familiar face to his offense. The Panthers announced that they’ve signed wide receiver David Moore.
The new Panthers head coach was the Seahawks WRs coach when Seattle added Moore as a seventh-round pick in 2017. Then, when Canales was brought in as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator last year, Moore soon followed. The wideout also spent the 2023 season playing under new Panthers OC Brad Idzik, who served as Tampa Bay’s wide receivers coach in 2023.
The veteran received hasn’t produced much in recent years; his five-catch showing with Tampa Bay in 2023 marked his most productive campaign since 2020. Moore earned his worth last season thanks to a pair of huge plays. He had a 52-yard touchdown that capped a win over the Packers, and he caught a 44-yard score in the Buccaneers’ playoff win over the Eagles.
Moore previously showed a nose for the end zone during his time in Seattle. The receiver had 13 touchdowns between 2018 and 2020 despite never being higher than third on the depth chart. The veteran will likely slide in towards the bottom of the WR pecking order in Carolina. The team returns both Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo, and they’ve added Diontae Johnson this offseason via trade.
The Panthers also made a move on defense, adding linebacker Justin Strnad on a one-year deal, per Joe Person of The Athletic. Similar to Moore, Strnad is also familiar with the coaching staff, having played under DC Ejiro Evero when the coach held the same role in Denver. Strnad spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, compiling 46 tackles while seeing the majority of his snaps on special teams.
Rams OC Mike LaFleur “Open” To Zach Wilson Reunion
While the Jets gave Zach Wilson permission to seek a trade last month, it’s been a quiet market for the former second-overall pick. However, the quarterback could be a match with his former offensive coordinator.
[RELATED: Jets Give QB Zach Wilson Permission To Seek Trade]
As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Rams are a “logical landing spot” for Wilson. Breer also notes that Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur would be “very open to a reunion.” LaFleur previously served as the Jets OC during Wilson’s first two years in the NFL.
Wilson’s 2023 showing wasn’t any worse than his two years under LaFleur. The coach previously admitted that the organization may have made a mistake immediately starting the quarterback as a rookie. While the former Jets OC placed plenty of blame on the young signal-caller during their time together in New York, LaFleur later conceded that Wilson’s lack of development was also the fault of the coaching staff.
“For two years, we haven’t done our job with him,’’ LaFleur said following the 2022 campaign (via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post). “Any player at any position that isn’t producing to the level they’re capable of, as a coach you’ve failed them. There’s a two-way street with it — the player’s got to meet you in the middle with it.”
Ultimately, LaFleur was the one held responsible for the offensive’s shortcomings, with the Jets and the OC agreeing to part ways last offseason. It took less than a month before the coach landed the same job with the Rams.
Breer provides more logic for why Wilson could be a fit in Los Angeles. The writer opines that the quarterback needs a year to “reset,” an opportunity he’d surely have with the Rams. With Jimmy Garoppolo now with the Rams as a QB2 behind Matthew Stafford, Wilson probably wouldn’t see the field in 2024 (barring a funky turn of events during Garoppolo’s two-game suspension).
Wilson was unexpectedly thrust back into the starting lineup following Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury. The QB’s third season as a starter proved to the Jets that it was time to move on. With a divorce all but inevitable, the organization recently granted Wilson permission to find his next home. A possible sixth- or seventh-round pick could be the return, but even with the Jets basically giving him away, teams may be wary of taking on Wilson’s $11MM cap hit.
Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo Discusses Two-Game Suspension
Jimmy Garoppolo is set to be the backup to Matthew Stafford next season, but the recent Rams acquisition won’t immediately start the season as the QB2. Garoppolo drew a two-game ban from the NFL for violating the league’s PED policy, keeping him off the active roster until Week 3.
[RELATED: Rams To Sign QB Jimmy Garoppolo]
The veteran officially inked his deal with the Rams today and met with reporters, where he admitted that he “messed up” the NFL’s Therapeutic Use Exemption policy. As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic writes, the NFL allows players to get an exemption for banned substances, something Garoppolo apparently failed to do.
“That was … I hate to joke about it, but I just messed up the T.U.E. when I first got to Las Vegas,” the quarterback said (via Rodrigue). “… Bad timing, I guess.”
Garoppolo was released by the Raiders last week following a disappointing 2023 campaign. The veteran inked a three-year deal with the organization last offseason but was benched after tossing nine interceptions in six starts. While the 32-year-old won’t be in a position to start, he’s surely counting on better results in Los Angeles if he is pushed into the starting lineup.
Garoppolo had plenty of success playing under Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers head coach joins Rams head coach Sean McVay in using offensive schemes derived from the Mike Shanahan-Gary Kubiak system. As Rodrigue points out, Garoppolo also has experience playing under Rams tight ends coach/pass game coordinator Nick Caley and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during his stints in New England and San Francisco.
The free agent acquisition understands the QB hierarchy in Los Angeles and isn’t expecting to be anything more than injury insurance, even when considering his familiarity with the offense. Instead, Garoppolo is looking forward to playing his role and returning to the field as soon as possible.
“I’m excited to start this new journey,” he said (via Rodrigue). “I don’t exactly know what is in store for me, ‘re-set,’ ‘re-invent,’ whatever you want to call it. I’m just excited to get back on the football field and start slinging it around with some new guys. I love football.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/24
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Casey Toohill
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: WR James Proche
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Kris Boyd
- Waived: CB Ka’dar Hollman
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: G Danny Pinter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT PJ Mustipher
Seahawks To Sign S K’Von Wallace
Following a half-year stop in Tennessee, K’Von Wallace is back in the NFC. The free agent safety is signing with the Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. It will be a one-year deal for Wallace.
The former Eagles fourth-round pick spent three years as a backup in Philadelphia before getting waived at the end of the 2023 preseason. He caught on with the Cardinals and proceeded to start five of his seven appearances with the organization, collecting 43 tackles and one interception.
He was waived by Arizona in October and landed with the Titans, where he started seven of his 10 appearances down the stretch. Wallace added another 46 tackles to his resume during his short stint in Tennessee. For his full-season performance, Pro Football Focus graded him 39th among 95 qualifying safeties, with the site being especially high on his coverage ability.
After moving on from Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, the Seahawks have been searching for some safety depth. The team previously brought in former Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins, adding the veteran to holdovers like Julian Love and Coby Bryant.