RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 4/18/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Signed:
- Rams: LB Travin Howard
ERFAs
Signed:
- Browns: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, G Michael Dunn
- Chargers: T Storm Norton
- Jets: CB Javelin Guidry, S Elijah Riley, WR Jeff Smith, DE Tim Ward
- Lions: WR Tom Kennedy, TE Brock Wright
- Packers: LB Krys Barnes, TE Dominique Dafney, C Jake Hanson, T Yosh Nijman, LB Randy Ramsey; WR Malik Taylor
- Ravens: C Trystan Colon, QB Tyler Huntley, LS Nick Moore, LB Kristian Welch
Contract Details: Brown, Mack, Woods
Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:
- Trent Brown, OL (Patriots): two-year, $11.5MM deal. Brown’s deal includes a $750K weight bonus in 2022 and 2023, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. He’ll earn $150K if he shows up to the first day of offseason program at 385 pounds or less, another $75K if he’s at or under 375 pounds by June 1, another $75K if he’s at or under 365 pounds by July 15, and $25K weekly bonuses if he’s at 365 pounds or less each Thursday during the season.
- Marlon Mack, RB (Texans): signed. It’s a one-year, $2MM deal, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $250K signing bonus, a $1.25MM base salary, and $29K in per-game roster bonuses.
- Auden Tate, WR (Falcons): one-year deal. The deal includes a $1.03MM base salary and only counts $930K against the cap, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter). Tate can also earn $5K per-game roster bonuses.
- Xavier Woods, S (Panthers): three-year, $15.75MM deal. Deal includes more than $6MM in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $5MM signing bonus. Woods can earn $250K for each Pro Bowl he makes. The safety will be owed a $1MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2023 league year.
- Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets): one-year deal. The deal is worth $2.25MM, including $1.9MM in guaranteed money, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Thomas can earn another $2.5MM in incentives.
- Will Hernandez, OL (Cardinals): one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.18MM, with $1.04MM in guaranteed money, according to veteran reporter Howard Balzer. The deal includes a $152K signing bonus. As a veteran qualifying contract, the deal counts $1.04MM against the cap.
- Jesse Davis, OL (Vikings): one-year, $3MM deal. The deal includes a $1.5MM signing bonus, a $1.25MM fully guaranteed base salary, a $50K workout bonus, and up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses, tweets Ben Goessling of the Star-Tribune.. There’s also a void year in 2023.
- Randy Bullock, K (Titans): signed. It’s a two-year deal worth $4.68MM, plus additional money for incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Falcons Eyeing QBs With No. 8 Pick?
The post-Matt Ryan era has started in Atlanta, and while the organization may have inked Marcus Mariota to a deal, there’s a good chance the organization selects a quarterback in the upcoming draft. League sources expect the Falcons to select a signal-caller with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
[RELATED: QB Matt Corral To Visit Five Teams]
Who would the Falcons ultimately select with that pick? Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), the Falcons are a potential landing spot for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. The reporter notes that most scouts believe Willis is more of a project and won’t be ready to start during his rookie campaign, which would make him an ideal pairing with someone like Mariota.
Of course, with a handful of QB-needy teams ahead of them in the draft (including the Panthers at No. 6, who Fowler also mentions as a suitor for Willis), the Falcons front office can’t put all of their eggs in one basketball in pursuit of the Liberty QB. We heard recently that the team met with Ole Miss alum Matt Corral. North Carolina’s Sam Howell was the third QB to earn a top-3o visit with the Falcons.
After losing out on Deshaun Watson and trading away Ryan, the Falcons signed Mariota to a two-year contract. The former Titan and Raider is in line to start for the first time since 2019, but he would likely provide a short-term solution at the position at best. Mariota went 2-4 during his six-game stint as Tennessee’s starter in ’19, although he did toss seven touchdowns vs. only two interceptions.
Latest On Panthers QB Plans
While the NFL’s quarterback carousel is just about complete, we still don’t have clarity on the Panthers’ QB position. Heading into the offseason, GM Scott Fitterer admitted that the quarterback job was “open,” but after losing out in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, Fitterer walked back his remarks and stated that incumbent Sam Darnold was in the lead for the starting nod. Now, with the NFL Draft coming up at the end of the month, the organization still isn’t ruling out selecting a QB with the No. 6 pick.
[RELATED: Panthers Considering Trades For No. 6 Pick]
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the “consensus of the people in this league” is that the Panthers will ultimately select a QB in the upcoming draft, with Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett considered the favorites. While Albert Breer of SI.com agrees with the QB sentiment, he hasn’t heard as much buzz about Pickett, and “with jobs on the line this year,” the organization may play it safe by taking the most NFL-ready option. Besides Willis, Breer also points to Matt Corral and Desmond Ridder as options. Sam Howell and Bailey Zappe were also included in the team’s 30 allotted prospect visits.
We learned recently that a trade down is a real possibility, and that could ultimately open the door to the Panthers selecting a quarterback with their first-round pick. The popular sentiment has been that No. 6 is too early to select from this year’s crop of quarterbacks. However, a trade for a mid-first would be “more palatable” for the front office.
While the Panthers could look to a first-round QB, Darnold still believes he’s ready to compete for the starting gig. Following an inconsistent start to his career with the Jets, Darnold underwhelmed during his first season with the Panthers, guiding the team to a 4-7 record while tossing nine touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions.
“It’s truly whatever happens happens, because at the end of the day it’s out of my control, and I know that,” Darnold,said during a recent podcast appearance (via ESPN’s David Newton). “I have enough security in myself where I can say, ‘I know I’m a good quarterback. I know I can be a good quarterback in this league. I’ve proved it.’
“And I know there’s a team, if something happens, that would want me.”
Meanwhile, following whispers that the Panthers could be the most likely landing spot for Browns QB Baker Mayfield, Panthers receiver Robby Anderson made it pretty clear what his feelings were on the rumors. On Instagram, Anderson commented “Nooooo” under a picture connecting Mayfield to Carolina (h/t Brad Stainbrook of CBS Sports on Twitter).
Bengals WR Tee Higgins Had Shoulder Surgery
Tee Higgins recently went under the knife. The Bengals wideout had his labrum repaired last month, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Fortunately, Higgins expects to be healthy in time for training camp.
“That’s the plan,” Higgins said (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). “Hell of a (Super Bowl) game, but it wasn’t the outcome me and my teammates expected. It’s going to motivate all of us, but we know what it takes to get back to the Super Bowl. That’s what we look forward to doing next season.”
Higgins initially suffered the shoulder injury early in the 2021 season. The receiver decided to put off surgery until the offseason, and with the Bengals making a run to the Super Bowl, Higgins wasn’t able to have the procedure until March. Even with the delayed response to the injury, it sounds like Higgins will still be on track for training camp.
The 2020 second-round pick built off a strong rookie campaign with an even better sophomore season. The 23-year-old finished the season with 74 receptions, 1,091 yards, and six touchdowns. He added another 18 catches in four playoff games, including a pair of touchdown receptions in the Super Bowl.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/22
Today’s minor moves, including some restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents who signed their tenders:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed ERFA tender: OL Blake Hance
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: P Hunter Niswander
Detroit Lions
- Signed ERFA tender: DE Jessie Lemonier
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed RFA tender: LB Marcus Allen
Rams K Matt Gay Signs RFA Tender
Matt Gay has signed his tender. The restricted free agent kicker has re-signed with the Rams, reports Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (on Twitter).
Following a breakout 2021 campaign where he earned his first career Pro Bowl nod, the Rams slapped Gay with a restricted free agent tender. The one-year tender will lock the kicker into a $2.54MM salary for the 2022 campaign.
Gay had stints with the Buccaneers and Colts before catching on with the Rams in 2020. He got into seven games during his first season with the organization, and he had the full-time gig by the time the 2021 campaign came around.
This past season, the 28-year-old connected on 32 of his 34 field goal attempts and 48 of his 49 extra point tries. Gay also came through in the playoffs, converting 80 percent of his field goals and all 11 of his extra point attempts. This included a Super Bowl-winning performance where the kicker finished with five points.
Latest On Free Agent WR Jarvis Landry
Jarvis Landry is still unsigned, and the veteran receiver may remain a free agent through the end of the month. According to USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, Landry could wait until “dust from the NFL Draft settles” before making a decision on his future.
[RELATED: WR Jarvis Landry Seeking $20MM AAV?]
Landry has been connected to a number of teams since he was released by the Browns last month. Dragon confirms that there are “multiple” teams still interested in adding the wide receiver, and Dragon also reiterates a previous report that Landry could even land back in Cleveland. Besides a Browns reunion, the Chiefs, Saints, and Falcons have been mentioned as suitors for the 29-year-old.
Once Landry joins a new squad, it will be interesting to see how much he’s adjusted his worth since hitting free agency. A report from last month indicated that the veteran was seeking a contract that would pay him at least $20MM per year. His previous contract with Cleveland featured an AAV of just over $15MM, but the expectation is that his next deal will not hit even that yearly average, let alone a $20MM/year rate.
Landry, 30 in November, agreed to a five-year, $75.5MM extension with the Browns after they traded for him in 2018. He delivered two Pro Bowl seasons in Cleveland and served as Baker Mayfield‘s most consistent target. However, the veteran averaged just 47.5 receiving yards per game last season and missed five weeks of action.
Latest On Browns QB Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield is on his way out in Cleveland, and the quarterback is starting to speak his mind about the entire situation. After being bumped to the trade block following the Browns’ acquisition of Deshaun Watson, Mayfield stated that he’s felt disrespected throughout the whole ordeal.
[RELATED: “No Market” For Baker Mayfield]
“I feel disrespected 100% because I was told one thing and they completely did another,” Mayfield said during his appearance on the “Ya Neva Know: You Know What I Mean?” podcast (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “That’s what I’m in the middle of right now. And you know what? OK. I got my taste of it because I’ve had four different head coaches in four years, a bunch of different coordinators. I’ve had the highs, and they always come back.”
Mayfield is referring to statements made by Andrew Berry back in January, when the GM said he fully expected the former first-overall pick to be under center for Cleveland in 2022. Things have obviously changed following the blockbuster acquisition of Watson, and while it hasn’t been explicitly stated, there’s no way the Browns enter next season with Mayfield still on the roster.
We heard recently that the Browns were struggling to find a suitor for Mayfield, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes that neither side wants this tension to linger deep into the offseason. In fact, the reporter believes we could get a resolution in the coming weeks. So where could Mayfield land? The quarterback has some of his own theories.
“Um … Seattle?” Mayfield said during his podcast appearance (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “I mean it’d probably be the most likely option. But even then, I have no idea.”
Panthers Considering Trades For No. 6 Pick
In their quest to add more draft capital, the Panthers are dangling the No. 6 pick. According to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi (on Twitter), the Panthers have talked to multiple teams about trades for the sixth-overall pick.
[RELATED: Panthers Eyeing Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross]
Thanks to deals for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, the Panthers’ second selection of the draft is No. 137. By trading down, the Panthers could pick up some extra draft picks. Besides their first- and fourth-round selections, the Panthers also have two fifths, one sixth, and one seventh.
A trade down could also open the door to the Panthers selecting a quarterback with their first-round pick. The popular sentiment has been that No. 6 is too early to select from this year’s crop of quarterbacks. However, as Giardi notes, a trade for a mid-first would be “more palatable” for the front office. Carolina has done extensive quarterback prep, with six QBs — Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell, and Bailey Zappe — being included in the team’s 30 allotted prospect visits.
If the Panthers end up keeping their pick, the expectation is that they’ll select an offensive lineman with the sixth-overall pick. We heard recently that the organization had identified tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross as prime candidates for their first-round pick. Offensive lineman Evan Neal is also working out for the Panthers this week.