Titans Have Discussed New Deal With LB Harold Landry
Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry had a breakout season at the perfect time, finishing with a career-high 12 sacks before hitting free agency this offseason. Naturally, the organization wants to keep Landry in Tennessee, as GM Jon Robinson told reporters today.
“I hope so, but there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Robinson said when asked if he thinks Landry will be back next season (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “He’s certainly worked hard. He’s been about what we’re about. We’re going to do our best to keep him.”
Robinson also acknowledged that the Titans have discussed a new deal with Landry.
“Yeah, we’ve had some discussions,” Robinson said. “We will continue to have those discussions. We’ve got a meeting later this week. Continue to work through that situation, we’ve got a little bit of time on the tag decision. We’ve got a little more time on hopefully a long-term solution. Continue to work through that. We’ll see how it goes.”
The Titans are a bit strapped for cash at the moment ($8.3MM over the cap), so they’ll have to do some maneuvering to afford Landry’s next deal. This will be especially true if the organization simply decides to tag the 25-year-old, which would be valued at $18.5MM. Wilson estimates that Landry could earn between $17MM and $19MM on the open market.
Landry was a second-round pick out of Boston College in 2018, and he’s spent his entire four-year career with the Titans. After serving as mostly a backup during his rookie campaign, Landry has started all 49 games for Tennessee over the past three years. That includes a 2021 campaign where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Buccaneers, Falcons
After getting canned as Jaguars special teams coordinator, Nick Sorensen has found a new gig in San Francisco. The veteran coach will join the 49ers staff as a defensive assistant, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Prior to his one-year stint on the Jaguars coaching staff, Sorensen had a stint with the Seahawks as their special teams assistant and assistant secondary coach.
The 49ers are also hiring Stephen Adegoke as a defensive quality control coach (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). Adegoke last served as a graduate assistant on the University of Michigan’s staff.
Meanwhile, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that veteran running backs coach Bobby Turner is stepping away from his role with the 49ers, although the 72-year-old isn’t necessarily retiring. Turner has been a RBs coach in the NFL since 1995, and he’s been with the 49ers since 2017. Former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who joined the 49ers as assistant head coach, is expected to work closely with the running backs.
More coaching notes out of the NFC…
- The Buccaneers announced that Larry Foote will move from outside linebackers coach to inside linebackers coach (via The Athletic’s Greg Auman on Twitter). Veteran assistant Bob Sanders, who worked with head coach Bruce Arians in Arizona, will be taking over as OLBs coach. Auman also tweets that the Buccaneers hired two new quality control coaches in Jeff Kastl (offense) and Joey Fitzgerald (defense).
- The Commandeers announced today that they’ve promoted four coaches (via Williams): Todd Storm (offensive quality control coach to assistant tight ends coach), Luke Del Rio (offensive quality control coach to assistant quarterbacks coach/offensive quality control), Vincent Rivera (defensive quality control to assistant linebackers coach/defensive quality control), and Cristian Garcia (coaching intern to defensive quality control coach).
- The Falcons are hiring Steven King as a special teams assistant, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (via Twitter). King served as the Tar Heels special teams quality control coach in 2021. He’ll report to Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
- Mark DeLeone is out as the Lions inside linebackers coach, reports Tim Twentyman of the team’s website (on Twitter). Kelvin Sheppard, who spent last season as outside linebackers coach, will move to inside linebackers coach. Meanwhile, following the promotion of Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand will be the Lions new tight ends coach.
- Ramsen Golpashin, who recently served as an offensive line and defensive line analyst with UCLA, will join the Packers staff as an offensive quality control coach, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Golpashin has also become a hot name on the draft circuit, working with top linemen prospects like Ickey Ekwonu and Aidan Hutchinson.
Texans Open To Re-Signing S Justin Reid
After starting 53 games for the Texans over the past four seasons, Justin Reid is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. If the Texans have their way, they’ll re-sign the 25-year-old safety.
“I’ve talked to his representatives, we’ve had some dialogue,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said today (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “I’m certainly open to bringing Justin back. Justin is a good player. He’s well thought of around the league. I know he has a lot of respect for Lovie. He had an opportunity to play in his system. If he has an opportunity to come back here, it’s another year in the same system.
“Free agency is free agency, so the market dictates where players fit and how they fall. We’ll evaluate everything. Justin is a good player and he’s done a lot of good things for the team and in the community so we’ll see how it goes in the next couple of weeks.”
One source told Wilson that Reid is expected to have a “healthy enough market” when he hits free agency, with the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens mentioned as potential suitors. In fact, the league source believed the market for the safety could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston. However, the promotion of Lovie Smith could be a “game-changer” when it comes to Reid’s mentality heading into free agency.
The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He’s spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.
Browns Want To Keep TE David Njoku, Willing To Pay $10MM+
The Browns are motivated to keep David Njoku in Cleveland. Mary Kat Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that the organization “definitely” wants to retain their tight end.
Specifically, the front office is “prepared to pay him the double-digit millions” that he’d presumably command on the open market. The team has also had consistent talks with Njoku’s representatives over the past few months. The report seems to hint that Njoku will listen to other suitors, but the Browns will be waiting with a sizable offer.
This news comes as a bit of a surprise after the organization inked Austin Hooper to a hefty four-year, $44MM deal in 2020. Njoku subsequently requested a trade, but his camp rescinded that request a few months later, and the tight end has remained in Cleveland. Things have clearly gotten better between the two sides; before this past season, Njoku made it clear that he wants to stay with the organization.
“I’ve been here (Cleveland) for four years going on five,” Njoku said in August. “I don’t know anything different. I want to keep being here.”
While Njoku will presumably command a hefty pay day when he hits free agency, the former first-round pick hasn’t put up huge numbers during his time in Cleveland. He topped out in 2018 with 639 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After a pair of underwhelming, injury-riddle seasons in 2019 and 2020, the 25-year-old somewhat bounced back in 2021, finishing with 36 receptions for 475 yards and four scores.
Latest On QB Aaron Rodgers’ Future With Packers
The Packers are preparing for a future where Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the organization and Rodgers’ representatives have been working on a new contract should the QB stick around Green Bay.
sSpecifically, the two sides are eyeing a short-term deal that would make Rodgers the NFL’s highest-paid player on a per-year basis. Patrick Mahomes currently leads the NFL with a $45MM AAV. Rodgers ranks seventh at $33.5MM.
“Nothing is done, but they are having discussions,” Rapoport said (via NFL.com’s Michael Baca). “They are having negotiations to have a deal, hopefully for them, ready to go if and when Aaron Rodgers firmly and finally decides that he wants to return.”
There are some similarities here to 2018, when the Packers had to pony up a record-breaking deal to keep Rodgers with the Packers. We heard recently that Rodgers was seeking a contract that would pay him $50MM per season, although the QB quickly shot down those rumors. While this would be a monster number and represent a seismic increase in quarterback salaries over the past two years, Rodgers is now negotiating with back-to-back MVPs on his resume.
Of course, there’s still one obvious wrinkle interfering with the negotiations. Rodgers has not informed the Packers he wants to stay in Green Bay, and multiple teams have reportedly sent the Packers trade offers. Rodgers does intend to inform the Pack of his decision soon,
Panthers TE Ian Thomas Facing Five Misdemeanor Charges
After earning a new contract from the Panthers last week, tight end Ian Thomas is now dealing with some legal issues. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Thomas is facing five misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident last summer.
[RELATED: Panthers Re-Sign TE Ian Thomas]
According to the report, police approached Thomas after they noticed he was driving a motorized dirt bike that didn’t have a license plate (Thomas was also traveling with a driver of an ATV that also didn’t have plates). After initially slowing down for the officer, Thomas and the other driver accelerated and left the scene. Thomas later stopped and was arrested. He was booked on five counts, including reckless driving and felony fleeing to elude. Thomas’ attorney told Person that prosecutors have reduced the one felony charge to a misdemeanor.
A team spokesperson told Person that the organization was aware of the matter and notified the NFL following the arrest. In other words, this isn’t surprise news to the Panthers, and they were aware of the legal matter when they inked the tight end to a new deal.
Thomas’ rookie contract was set to expire, leading to the new deal. A former fourth-round pick, his rookie campaign was the most productive, as he totaled 36 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. In the the past three years, the 25-year-old hasn’t topped 20 receptions or 188 yards. His work as a blocker has made up for that, earning him a snap rate of over 60% for each of the past two seasons. Durability hasn’t been an issue, either, as he has yet to miss a game in his career
Raiders, Jaguars To Pursue Davante Adams If WR Hits Free Agency
The Packers are preparing to use the franchise tag on Davante Adams, but that won’t stop other teams from expressing interest in the star receiver. According to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com, if Adams doesn’t get tagged and hits the open market, the Raiders and Jaguars will be among the teams that will pursue the free agent. Pauline also mentions the Broncos as a suitor, backing a previous report, and he lists the Chargers as a “team to watch.”
[RELATED: Packers Preparing To Put Franchise Tag On Davante Adams]
Derek Carr played with Adams at Fresno State, and the two have publicly talked about a potential reunion for some time. The Raiders are armed with about $40MM in cap space, and Josh McDaniels and co. would surely like a top-end receiver to pair with receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. DeSean Jackson provided a bit of a spark after joining the organization, but there’s no guarantee he sticks around. The team also lost a key future piece in Henry Ruggs, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the Raiders add to their receiving corps.
The Jaguars have an awe-inspiring $70MM to play with, and the organization has been interested in pairing Trevor Lawrence with an elite receiver. Adams is used to winning, so it remains to be seen (in the hypothetical where he hits the open market) if he’d pursue a lucrative contract with a lesser team. Of course, Adams could also be a key piece in helping Jacksonville return to the postseason.
The Chargers are an interesting suitor considering their current receiver situation. Keenan Allen is set to earn $19MM in 2022, while breakout star Mike Williams is hitting free agency. While Allen’s spot in Los Angeles seems secure, the team could end up punting on the up-and-coming Williams and pivot to an elite option like Adams.
Green Bay has not used its tag since 2010 (Ryan Pickett) but is prepared to cuff its All-Pro wide receiver. Hopes for an Adams extension continue to be on hold. The sides have not discussed an extension since the Packers’ season ended last month.
Jaguars Re-Sign OL Tyler Shatley
Tyler Shatley will be sticking around Jacksonville. The Jaguars have re-signed the offensive lineman, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
It’s a two-year deal that can be worth up to $6.8MM, per Pelissero. The deal includes $2.35MM in guaranteed money.
Shatley’s versatility on the offensive line has made him a mainstay in Jacksonville. After going undrafted out of Clemson in 2014, the lineman caught on with the Jaguars, and he’s been with the team ever since.
The 30-year-0ld has seen time in 111 games (33 starts) during his eight years with the organization. That includes a 2021 campaign where he started eight of his 17 games, with the majority of his playing time coming at center. Considering his experience and ability to play multiple positions, the Jaguars made it a clear priority to re-sign the veteran. Now, he’ll be locked in through the 2023 campaign.
Browns Rework Jack Conklin’s Contract
The Browns are starting to carve out some extra cap space. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the Browns have reworked the final year of offensive lineman Jack Conklin‘s contract.
As Yates notes, Conklin was due a non-guaranteed $12MM in 2022. Now, he’ll earn $8MM in fully guaranteed money, plus up to $4MM in play-time incentives (starting at 55% and up to 75%). Conklin initially signed a three-year, $42MM deal with the Browns in 2020.
Now, Conklin will be locked in for 2022, he can still earn up to the $12MM he was due, and the Browns save $4MM in cap space. The Browns already entered the offseason with plenty of breathing room under the cap, with ESPN’s Jake Trotter citing their projected cap space at $27.32MM.
Following a four-year stint with the Titans that had both highs (like earning All-Pro honors as a rookie) and lows (like having his fifth-year option declined), Conklin joined the Browns in 2020. He started all 15 of his games in 2020 and earned another All-Pro nod, but he was limited to only seven starts in 2021 after suffering a torn patellar tendon.
Browns Make Changes To Coaching Staff
The Browns coaching staff will look at bit different next season. Per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, the Browns have promoted Drew Petzing to quarterbacks coach.
Petzing has made a name for himself as Cleveland’s tight ends coach, leading to him getting an interview for the Raiders offensive coordinator gig. While he didn’t end up getting that major promotion, he will be taking on a larger role on the Browns’ offense.
“We feel like he has a unique perspective that he can contribute with those quarterbacks and help in their development,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said (via Ulrich). “He’s an important piece of our offensive staff, and we’re excited to get him and [offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt] working together.”
Stefanski didn’t have a QB coach on his staff through the first two years of his tenure in Cleveland, with Van Pelt basically holding those duties. The Browns filled their new TEs coach opening by promoting T.C. McCartney.
With McCartney getting a bump, the Browns have also promoted Jonathan Decoster to offensive assistant to offensive quality control coach. Decoster has had coaching stints at Old Dominion, West Virginia State, Nevada, and LSU. Per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com, the Browns have also moved Ashton Grant to offensive quality control coach, moved Stephen Bravo-Brown from defensive quality control coach to assistant special teams coach, and added the title of “assistant wide receivers coach” to chief of staff Callie Brownson. The Browns also hired Jordan Thomas as assistant defensive line coach and Jeff Anderson as defensive quality control coach.