Cardinals To Meet With CB Jeff Gladney
After getting acquitted by a jury on assault charges, Jeff Gladney is starting to generate some interest around the NFL. According to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter), the former first-round pick will meet with the Cardinals tonight.
The cornerback was released by the Vikings last August following an indictment for domestic violence. Gladney was accused of choking, punching, and shoving a woman during an incident in April, 2021.
The TCU product was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Vikings. He got into 16 games (15 starts) as a rookie, finishing with 81 tackles and three passes defended.
The Cardinals are one of nine teams that have yet to agree to terms with an outside free agent. We’ll see if Gladney ends up being the first.
Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Sam Eguavoen
Sam Eguavoen is staying with the Dolphins. The linebacker is inking a new one-year deal with Miami, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
The one year pact will pay Eguavoen $2MM, with $800K of the deal fully guaranteed.
The Texas Tech product had to settle for a CFL gig after going undrafted in 2015, and he ended up spending three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He got a chance with the Dolphins in 2019, and he’s made the most of his opportunity, appearing in all 49 games for Miami over the past three years.
That includes a 2021 campaign where Eguavoen collected 16 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble-return touchdown in 17 games. While Eguavoen spent some time on defense, he had a particularly large role on special teams.
Latest On FA OL Terron Armstead
Terron Armstead should earn himself a nice pay day this offseason, but it sounds like he’d consider taking a discount with the Saints depending on their QB situation. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), Armstead is waiting to see if Deshaun Watson lands in New Orleans before figuring out his next step.
While Armstead is a free agent, he’s presumably among the Saints players actively recruiting Watson to New Orleans, according to Wilson.
Armstead is among the top free agents remaining on the board. The veteran has spent his entire career with the Saints, earning three-straight Pro Bowl nods between 2018 and 2020. The lineman has seen time in 97 career games (93 starts).
The 30-year-old started each of his eight games in 2021. He missed a handful of games with a knee injury, and he’ll reportedly need offseason surgery to repair the ailment.
Jets To Re-Sign DT Nathan Shepherd
Nathan Shepherd is sticking around New York. The Jets are re-signing the defensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
Shepherd was a third-round pick by the Jets in 2018, and while he’s never developed into a consistent starter with the organization, he’s still carved out a role on defense.
In four seasons with the team, Shepherd has seen time in 56 games (nine starts). That includes a 2021 campaign where he saw time in all 17 games for the Jets (one start), collecting 28 tackles and eight QB hits.
He saw time on 42 percent of his team’s defensive snaps and 30 percent of the Jets’ special teams snaps.
Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Extension With Packers
Aaron Rodgers has officially signed his record-breaking extension with the Packers, and we’re getting more clarity on the mind-numbing numbers.
Rodgers will earn $150.815MM over the next three years ($42MM in ’22, $59.5MM in ’23, $49.3MM in ’24), with the next two years fully guaranteed (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter). As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets, the expectation is that Rodgers would retire after that 2024 campaign. If he decides to continue playing, the final two years of the deal (stemming from the four-year extension, five years total) would need to be reworked.
As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, Rodgers will see $123.52MM in “new money” on the extension, translating to a “new money average” of $61.7MM (considering the additions of 2023 and 2024, coupled with the 2025 and 2026 dummy years). As Florio points out, that’s a significant jump from the previous-high of $45MM per year.
Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted out a helpful guide on how Rodgers’ extension will impact the Packers’ cap over the next three years:
- 2022: $28.5MM cap number (down from $46.7MM)
- 2023: $31.6MM cap number (up from $7.7MM on a previously voidable year)
- 2024: $40.7MM cap number
DL Eddie Goldman To Meet With Ravens
Eddie Goldman‘s first free agent visit will be in Baltimore. The veteran defensive lineman is expected to meet with the Ravens on Friday, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
The Bears cut Goldman last week after they couldn’t work out a trade for the veteran defensive lineman. Two years remained on Goldman’s $10.5MM-per-year deal, and cutting the veteran saved the Bears more than $6MM in cap space.
Goldman, 28, returned to the Bears after opting out of the 2020 season. He started 10 games, upping his total to 73 as a pro. The Bears gave him an extension worth $42MM in 2018, but because his contract tolled after he passed on the 2020 season, Goldman was signed through 2023.
The Ravens have revamped their defense a bit over the past week. After releasing cornerback Tavon Young last week, the team inked safety Marcus Williams to a whopping five-year, $70MM deal. Goldman would be another notable addition to new DC Mike Macdonald‘s defense.
Colts To Re-Sign OL Matt Pryor
The Colts are bringing back Matt Pryor. The team is re-signing the offensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $5.5MM with $6MM upside.
The 2018 sixth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, starting 10 of his 27 games. The lineman was traded to Indy (along with a seventh-round pick) for a sixth-round pick prior to the 2021 season.
During his lone season with the Colts, the 27-year-old saw time in all 17 games, starting five. He saw time on 40 percent of his team’s offensive snaps and 19 percent of their special teams snaps.
Texans Rework OL Laremy Tunsil’s Contract
Laremy Tunsil is staying in Houston. The veteran offensive lineman has agreed to a restructured deal with the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
The Texans converted Tunsil‘s base salary into a signing bonus, opening $8.4MM in cap space. The team also reduced the player’s cap number from $26.1MM to $17.7MM. The lineman’s $18.5MM salary for 2023 remains unchanged. Tunsil inked a three-year, $66MM extension with the Texans in 2020.
Tunsil had been mentioned as a trade candidate, and reports confirmed that the two-time Pro Bowler was on the block. That was partly due to Tunsil’s salary, but former first-round pick Tytus Howard showed promise when playing at tackle last season, making the veteran expendable.
Tunsil was traded from the Dolphins to Houston in 2019 for a pair of first-round picks. He earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his first two seasons with the organization, but he missed out in 2021 after he was limited to only five games thanks to a thumb injury.
Panthers To Sign RB D’Onta Foreman
Christian McCaffrey should (hopefully) be back in full force next season, but his supporting cast will look a bit different. The Panthers are signing running back D’Onta Foreman, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Foreman will sign a one-year deal worth $2MM, according to Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
Foreman had a standout career at Texas, but he struggled to put it together during his first four seasons in the NFL. He finally emerged in 2021 with the Titans while filling in for Derrick Henry. Foreman ultimately finished last season with 566 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 133 carries. He also added another 123 yards via nine receptions.
The 2017 third-round pick previously spent time with Texans, Colts, Titans (first stint), and Falcons. Prior to 2021, Foreman had collected only 421 rushing yards in 17 career games.
Rookie Chuba Hubbard ended up starting 10 games as a rookie while filling in for McCaffrey last season, and the fourth-round pick will likely serve as McCaffrey’s top backup in 2022. Foreman could find himself third on the depth chart, but depending on the guarantees, he could end up competing with the likes of Ameer Abdullah and Spencer Brown for a roster spot. On the flip side, considering McCaffrey’s injury history, there’s a chance the team stocks up at the position.
Giants To Sign QB Tyrod Taylor
The Giants have been looking for a high-level backup for Daniel Jones, and they’ve apparently found one. The team is signing quarterback Tyrod Taylor, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Taylor is inking a two-year deal worth $11MM and a max value of $17MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The QB will get $8.5MM in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
The Giants were reportedly in the market for a player who could provide some competition in the QB room, with Mitchell Trubisky among their targets before he landed in Pittsburgh. This logic makes sense; Jones has been inconsistent during his three seasons in the NFL. He went 4-7 as a starter in 2021, and while he completed a career-high 64.3 percent of his passes, he also tossed only 10 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions. While the team has committed to Jones for next season, they also want to provide him with some competition.
So, in comes Taylor. The veteran joined the Texans last year, and he ended up getting six starts for his new team. He went 2-4 in these contests, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 966 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions. He added another 151 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. There is some familiarity with the QB and the front office; new Giants GM Joe Schoen crossed paths with Taylor when the two were in Buffalo.
While the Texans sound set with Davis Mills as their quarterback in 2022, the team did have some interest in retaining Taylor. We heard earlier this week that Houston was impressed by the QB’s professionalism and ability to mentor the team’s younger quarterbacks.