Latest On Eagles DE Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham and the Eagles are interested in a new deal, and it sounds like there’s confidence that a deal could soon be finalized. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s “mutual interest” in Graham re-signing with Philly, and a new contract “could come prior to free agency.”
[RELATED: Eagles’ Brandon Graham Intend To Play In 2024]
There were some whispers earlier today that the Eagles and Graham had indeed agreed to a new deal. Rapoport said that isn’t true, but the reporter did provide some optimism that a deal could be completed sooner than later.
After spending the past 14 seasons with the Eagles, it would be a major surprise if the two sides couldn’t find common ground. After finishing up his three-year, $40MM extension with the Eagles in 2022, Graham re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year, $5MM deal last offseason. He was coming off an 11-sack campaign the last time around, but after failing to come close to those numbers in 2023, Graham may have to accept an even lower total in 2024.
Following the Eagles’ disappointing finish to the 2023 campaign, there was some speculation that the 35-year-old could look to hang up his cleats. However, Graham was quick to dismiss that notion, stating that he still has a “little bit of juice” and intends to have a “farewell tour” in 2024. The former first-round pick also hinted that he’d be interested in sticking with the organization when his playing career comes to an end.
While Graham’s counting stats dropped in 2023 (16 tackles, three sacks), Pro Football Focus still ranked him 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders. He got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps, and assuming Graham re-signs with the organization, he’ll likely be eyeing a similar role in 2024. Graham will also have an opportunity to build on some of his franchise marks next season. The veteran only needs 3.5 sacks to pass Clyde Simmons for third place on the franchise leader board, and he needs one forced fumble to break away from Seth Joyner for sole possession of second place on the team’s all-time list.
Bills Trade OL Ryan Bates To Bears
After signing Ryan Bates to an offer sheet back in 2022, the Bears have finally got their guy. The team announced that they’ve acquired the offensive lineman in a trade with the Bills. Chicago will be sending Buffalo a 2024 fifth-round pick. Pending a physical, the deal will become official on March 13. Buffalo will designate this a standard – rather than post-June 1 – move, per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia.
The 2019 undrafted free agent out of Penn State has spent the majority of his professional career in Buffalo, appearing in 73 games across five seasons. Bates served primarily as a backup/special teamer through his first two seasons in the NFL, but following a 2021 campaign where he got into about 25 percent of his team’s offensive snaps, the guard/center became a popular name in restricted free agency.
After being slapped with the restricted free agent tender, Bates found a suitor in the Bears, who inked the lineman to an offer sheet. The Bills ultimately matched the offer, signing Bates to a new four-year, $17MM deal.
Bates quickly helped validate Buffalo’s decision. He started all 15 of his appearances for the Bills in 2022, with Pro Football Focus ultimately grading him as a middle-of-the-road lineman. However, he found himself back on the bench this past season. With center Mitch Morse, right guard O’Cyrus Torrence, and left guard Connor McGovern not missing a start, Bates was limited to a career-low 35 offensive snaps.
The 27-year-old was destined for a backup role once again in 2024, and with a $5.5MM cap hit, it seemed unlikely the Bills would keep him around. Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News points out that Bates also wanted to start, and he’ll likely have that opportunity in Chicago.
Bates’ ability to play all over the offensive line should afford him a role in Chicago. For the time being, he’ll likely be the assumed starter at center with Lucas Patrick hitting unrestricted free agency.
Lions Re-Sign Shane Zylstra
After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Shane Zylstra will likely be sticking in Detroit for the 2024 campaign. The Lions announced that they re-signed the tight end today. Zylstra was set to become an exclusive rights free agent.
The former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State had a brief stint with the Vikings before catching on with the Lions in 2021. After getting into four games as a rookie, Zylstra appeared in 13 games in 2022, finishing with 11 catches while playing in about 25 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
He was set to take on an even bigger role in 2023 but suffered a knee injury following a hit from teammate Khalil Dorsey during training camp. He was waived/injured by the organization in early August but ultimately reverted to their injured reserve. At the time of the injury, coach Dan Campbell reflected on Zylstra’s value to the Lions.
“He was a pivotal part of our success last year once we started turning the corner,” Campbell said (h/t Pride of Detroit). “And he just does everything right, man. He works, he’s a grinder.”
Sam LaPorta should lead the Lions’ depth chart for the foreseeable future, and the organization is also set to return James Mitchell, who has seen time in 29 games across the past two seasons. Zylstra could slide in as a primary backup with Brock Wright hitting restricted free agency and veteran Anthony Firkser reaching unrestricted free agency.
Ravens “Likely Won’t Re-Sign” Odell Beckham Jr.
It sounds like Odell Beckham Jr.‘s stop in Baltimore may only last one season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that the Ravens “likely won’t re-sign” the veteran wide receiver. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley also hints that the Ravens may move on from OBJ, although the writer merely states that “it’s unknown” if the two sides will agree to another pact.
General manager Eric DeCosta told Hensley that he’s been in contact with Beckham since the season ended. While the executive wouldn’t completely close the door on another season, he made it clear that the organization will first consider other options.
“I love Odell,” DeCosta said (via Hensley). “He’s become a great friend of mine and a friend to the Ravens, and I think we’ll just kind of assess and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”
After missing the entire 2022 campaign with a knee injury, Beckham inked a one-year, $15MM deal with the Ravens last offseason. He got into 14 games with his new squad, hauling in 35 catches for 565 yards, the second-highest total on the team. While his counting stats were down, OBJ still set a career-high with 16.1 yards per catch, an indication that the 31-year-old still has something left in the tank.
While John Harbaugh wouldn’t definitively say if the wideout would be back next season, he did sound pleased with the veteran’s performance.
“I know that’s probably a question that people are asking,” Harbaugh said (via Hensley). “I’ve got my fingers crossed. We’ll see. That’s kind of out there. Those are those things that kind of answer themselves in time.”
While Beckham had a clear role in 2023, he may simply be squeezed out of the picture in 2024. As Hensley details, the team has high hopes for former first-round pick Rashod Bateman, and the team already brought back Nelson Agholor on a new deal. With Zay Flowers atop the depth chart and the team potentially eyeing wideouts in the draft, there might just not be a spot for Beckham on next year’s team.
Falcons To Pursue Kirk Cousins?
The Falcons have already been connected to a couple of available QBs, including Justin Fields and (most recently) Baker Mayfield. There could now be another big-name quarterback to add to the list. Dianna Russini of The Athletic expects the Falcons to “compete” for Kirk Cousins‘ services.
[RELATED: Falcons Interested In Baker Mayfield?]
According to Russini, the Falcons believe Cousins is the type of quarterback who can elevate the organization from “fringe playoff team to a contender.” Further, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is familiar with Cousins based on their time together in Washington.
Quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson has never worked alongside Cousins, but he does come from the same Sean McVay tree as Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. Russini cites that “seamless transition” as a reason why Cousins would make sense for Atlanta.
Despite coming off a torn Achilles, Cousins is expected to be the first QB domino to fall this offseason. A number of teams have been loosely connected to the veteran, but the majority of reports have focused on a return to Minnesota. Cousins has spent the past six seasons with the Vikings, guiding the team to winning records in three of those campaigns. However, the veteran only has a single playoff win to show for his efforts, and his playoff deficiencies will likely be reflected in his next contract.
Cousins has already earned $231MM in his career, including an initial contract with the Vikings (three years, $84MM) that was fully guaranteed. Cousins didn’t get the same kind of guarantees on his subsequent contracts in 2020 (two years, $66MM) and 2022 (one year, $35MM), but his camp has shown an ability to garner significant contracts throughout his career.
Those guarantees could end up being relevant during this year’s free agency. We previously heard that the Vikings were uncomfortable with some of the guarantee specifics during extension talks with the quarterback, resulting in talks ultimately breaking down. The Vikings have some incentive to re-sign Cousins as soon as possible, as the organization will be left with a $28.5MM dead-money charge if he isn’t re-signed by the start of the 2024 league year (3pm CT March 13). Considering the suitors that are starting to line up, Cousins may prefer to test the waters instead of immediately re-upping.
The Falcons will reportedly be active in looking for an upgrade on Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. The organization is currently armed with more than $25MM in cap space, and general manager Terry Fontenot has made it clear that he’ll consider every option as he looks to improve the position.
“That’s a top priority for us this offseason,” Fontenot recently said. “We are not going to close any doors. Be it trades, free agency [or] the draft. We’ll make sure we keep an open mind there. We’ll attack it and make sure that we get it right.”
49ers Promote Nick Sorensen To DC, Add Brandon Staley To Staff
After eyeing five candidates for their open defensive coordinator job, the 49ers have landed on an in-house option. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers are promoting defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator. The 49ers are also hiring another DC candidate, Brandon Staley, for a “prominent staff role,” according to Schefter. That could include the role of assistant head coach.
Following a 10-year playing career, Sorensen transitioned to coaching in 2013. He spent close to a decade on the Seahawks staff, initially working as an assistant special teams coach before moving to the defensive side of the ball, where he served as the team’s secondary coach for four years.
The Jaguars hired him as their special teams coordinator in 2021, but he only lasted a season in Jacksonville before joining the 49ers as a defensive assistant in 2022. It took him one year to earn a promotion to defensive pass game coordinator/nickels coach.
While the 49ers cast a relatively wide net to replace Steve Wilks, the organization hinted that they were valuing continuity in their search. The 49ers also interviewed defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks for the role, and Schefter notes that the organization didn’t want to “stray far from what it has done defensively for the past seven years.” In fact, Schefter adds that part of the reason why Wilks was fired was because of his inability to “adapt to the defensive scheme” of former 49ers squads led by Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans.
While Sorensen has only been on the staff for two seasons, he does possess familiarity with the team’s scheme. Pete Carroll ran a similar defense in Seattle, and Schefter notes that Sorensen’s experience was “perhaps most valuable” in his promotion.
Staley was fired by the Chargers back in December following two-plus seasons with the organization. He finished his head coaching stint with a 24-24 record, including a single one-and-done playoff appearance. Prior to his stint with the Chargers, Staley served as the defensive coordinator with the Rams in 2020. He also previously served as linebackers coach for the Broncos and Bears.
While Staley’s defensive scheme differs from the 49ers’ scheme, GM John Lynch said that wouldn’t prevent the coach from joining the staff.
“He’s a really bright dude,” Lynch said (via Schefter). “We have an open mind, but we do know there’s certain core principles that we’re going to always be on the defensive side. … I wouldn’t rule him out because of that.”
Staley is expected to be the team’s new assistant head coach, a role previously held by Anthony Lynn (who, ironically, was also a former Chargers HC). After spending the past two seasons in San Francisco, Lynn joined Dan Quinn‘s new Commanders staff as their run game coordinator/running backs coach.
Tyron Smith Unlikely To Return To Cowboys
Tyron Smith‘s 13-year stint in Dallas has likely come to an end. The impending free agent left tackle is unlikely to return to the Cowboys, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Cowboys, LT Tyron Smith Discuss Possible Return]
This news comes on the heels of yesterday’s report that Smith and the Cowboys discussed a potential return while at the combine. Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes that the Cowboys still have interest in re-signing the lineman, but it’s clear the two sides are “drastically apart in the financial framework” of a deal.
The 2011 first-round pick has spent his entire career with the Cowboys, earning five All-Pro nods and eight Pro Bowl appearances. Smith inked an eight-year, $109MM contract back in 2014 that once reset the position’s market. Thanks to multiple restructurings, the veteran earned only $7.3MM this past season, and the organization opted to not hand him an extension.
Injuries continue to plague Smith’s career; the lineman has missed at least three games each season since 2015. The left tackle missed 27 combined games in 2020 and 2022, and he got into 24 of 34 possible games during his two most-recent “healthy” seasons (2021, 2023).
As we passed along yesterday, Smith and the Cowboys agreed to a new practice regimen that was intended to keep the 33-year-old healthy. The organization has also been willing to tolerate his absences as long as he was available for the team’s biggest games. Smith hasn’t missed any of the team’s four playoff games over the past three seasons.
While injuries are a clear issue at this stage of Smith’s career, the offensive lineman has continued to perform when on the field. Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-best offensive tackle this past season, including a position-leading pass-block score. Other than his lost 2020 and 2022 campaigns, Smith has graded as at least a top-20 OT in each of his NFL seasons, and it doesn’t look like he’s showing any signs of slowing down.
Still, considering his age and injury risks, Smith can’t expect to break the bank on his next deal. Pro Football Focus pointed to Terron Armstead‘s five-year, $75MM contract with the Dolphins in 2022 as a comparison. While the former Saints OT had his fair share of injuries at the time of the signing, he was also significantly younger than Smith is now. The site ultimately settled on a one-year, $10MM contract for Smith, which would keep him around the top-20 highest-paid players at his position. If a bidding war develops, the veteran could climb the AAV list, although he may be hard pressed to get a long-term deal.
As for the Cowboys, the team seems to have an in-house replacement for Smith. The team used a first-round pick on Tyler Smith in the 2022 draft, and the lineman has only missed three games through his first two seasons in the NFL. Jon Machota of The Athletic notes that offensive tackle is a likely target of the organization with their No. 24 pick.
Giants To Release OL Mark Glowinski
Mark Glowinski‘s stint with the Giants has come to an end after two years. The team is releasing the veteran guard, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Glowinski signed a three-year, $20MM deal with the Giants back in 2022. This move will save the organization $5.7MM against the cap, per Fowler.
The former fourth-round pick served mostly as a backup during his time with the Seahawks, but he emerged as a starter while in Indianapolis. Glowinski started 55 of his 59 appearances for the Colts, with Pro Football Focus grading him as a top-25 guard in three of his four seasons with the team.
The cash-strapped Giants made him one of their big-name signings during the 2022 offseason, and the veteran ended up starting all 16 of his appearances during his first season in New York. Things didn’t go nearly as well during his second season.
Glowinski was benched following a poor Week 1 showing, with Marcus McKethan taking over as the starting right guard. Glowinski was only used as an injury fill-in for the rest of the season, starting six of his 13 appearances. The 31-year-old lineman was limited to only 520 offensive snaps, his lowest total since 2017.
The veteran guard will likely have to settle for a one-year deal during this visit to free agency, but Pro Football Focus shows that the lineman hasn’t completely fallen off. The site graded him 25th among 79 qualifying guards this past season, including a top-15 grade for his run-blocking ability.
Teams Proposing Pushing Trade Deadline From Week 8 To Week 10
FEBRUARY 28: A half-measure move to Week 9 has generated some traction, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The 49ers, Commanders, Eagles, Jets and Lions are joining the Browns’ push to propose moving the trade endpoint back. That said, disagreement exists among GMs and owners if the deadline needs to be moved at all.
Competitive balance reasons emerged when we last heard this matter brought up, and Jones adds the league wants to protect against potential tanking, something that could conceivably arise by giving sellers two extra weeks to determine their paths. The next round of league meetings are set for March 24-27.
FEBRUARY 27: While we heard a few months ago that the NFL is unlikely to delay their current trade-deadline setup, that won’t stop some teams from pushing for a change. During an appearance on PFT Live, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the Browns and several other teams have proposed pushing the trade deadline from the end of Week 8 to the end of Week 10 (via PFT on X).
[RELATED: NFL Unlikely To Move Trade Deadline]
While teams have a handful of reasons for pushing for a change to the deadline date, Berry noted that the most obvious logic is because the NFL never adapted the date when switching to an 18-week schedule. The NFL moved the deadline to Week 8 back in 2012, but they kept their deadline the same when they added a week to their schedule in 2021.
“We want to retroactively correct the fact that the trade deadline never moved when the season expanded to 17 games,” Berry told reporters (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “If, at some point in the future, the regular season expands to 18 games, we wanted to be proactive in terms of the positioning for the trade deadline.”
Further, Berry and rival teams believe that pushing the trade deadline back would only benefit the NFL as a whole. The expanded opportunity to improve a team via trade would assist with the “competitive integrity” of the league, according to the executive.
“We think as a league it makes sense to give teams the most flexibility as long as possible to have the best product down the stretch run of the playoffs,” Berry stated (h/t Spencer German of Browns Digest). “We wanted to make sure we maintained the competitive integrity of the season so you don’t get into player dumping late in the year.”
Berry also simply pointed to rival sports leagues as a reason for pushing back the NFL trade deadline. MLB’s trade deadline checks in around two thirds of the way through the season, while the NBA and NHL come after the half-way point of the campaign. The NFL deadline comes in at about 45% of the way through the season, and Berry noted to reporters that the proposed change would push that mark to about 55% of the way through the season. The GM also noted that a Week 10 deadline is notable because it’s been more than a decade since a team has been eliminated from postseason contention earlier than Week 11.
The NFL’s deadline change in 2012 led to an increase in in-season trading, and another change would only help to further increase the number of deals. After the 2022 deadline featured a record 10 trades on deadline day, multiple teams reached out to the league office about the prospect of moving the deadline back. Nothing came of it in time for the 2023 campaign, and while the NFL doesn’t sound overly receptive to making a change in 2024, Berry and his counterparts appear to have a strong argument when the owners meet next month.
Latest On Patriots OL Michael Onwenu
With Michael Onwenu set to hit free agency in a few weeks, the Patriots offensive lineman is currently operating without an agent. The lineman recently informed NFL teams that he has “terminated his prior relationship” with representatives Roosevelt Barnes and Jovan Barnes, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. NFL Players Association records also show that Onwenu doesn’t currently have an agent.
This could end up being a non-story. After all, players need to wait five days after terminating representation before hiring a new agent, per Florio. However, there’s also the possibility that the lineman could simply be looking to represent himself. With rookie contracts becoming more and more standard, we’ve seen a handful of first-year players enter the NFL without representation. However, it’s extremely rare for a veteran to operate without an agent, especially when they’re set to hit free agency for the first time in their career.
Onwenu has spent his entire career in New England. The former sixth-round pick found himself in and out of the starting lineup in 2021, but he started all 32 of his appearances over the past two years. Listed as a tackle in 2023, Pro Football Focus ranked Onwenu 29th among 81 qualifiers this past season. The lineman ranked top-10 at his position in each of his first three seasons in the league.
The 26-year-old may simply be gearing up to sign with the highest bidder in free agency. The Patriots apparently remain an option to retain the offensive lineman, with executive Eliot Wolf telling reporters today that the latest development about Onwenu’s representation doesn’t change anything for the organization.
“It doesn’t impact us,” Wolf said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “Mike is a core player for us. It’s no secret we want to try to keep Mike, and it will just be a little bit of a wrinkle dealing with him. Mike is really smart, he’s introspective, he’s thoughtful, and he understands; he knows what he wants, which is always good when you’re dealing with a player. He’s certainly someone we view as a cornerstone for us.”