QB Baker Mayfield, Browns Haven’t Had “Substantive Extension Talks”
The Browns’ season opener is only days away, but it doesn’t sound like the organization is any closer to extending Baker Mayfield. Cleveland’s front office and Mayfield’s reps still haven’t engaged in “substantive extension talks,” per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
This isn’t a huge surprise, as Cabot notes that “this has been the plan all along” and both sides are “cool” with the timing. On the flip side, it’s a bit surprising that the two sides haven’t at least swapped different variations of an extension. It was assumed that the two sides would be able to proceed on negotiations after Josh Allen inked his new deal with the Bills, but there haven’t been any developments in Cleveland since early August.
From Mayfield’s perspective, it makes some sense to wait on a new deal. After all, the former first-overall pick is already locked into his $18.85MM salary for 2022. If Mayfield takes another step this upcoming season, he could command a new contract that pays north of $40MM per season. His track record probably doesn’t warrant that demand at the moment.
The former No. 1 overall pick finished second in the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting but regressed in 2019. After the Oklahoma product bounced back in 2020, the Browns may be willing to see if he can keep that momentum going to start this season before committing. For what it’s worth, Mayfield recently made it clear that he didn’t mind negotiating during the upcoming season, so one of the sides could end up blinking in the upcoming weeks.
Falcons Place CB Kendall Sheffield On IR
Kendall Sheffield is heading to the IR. The Falcons placed the cornerback on injured reserve today, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
Sheffield was a fourth-round pick by Atlanta in 2019, and he proceeded to start 20 of his 29 games through his first two seasons in the NFL. That included a 2020 campaign where the defensive back compiled 51 tackles, one forced fumble, and three passes defended in 13 games (nine starts).
The 25-year-old had been dealing with an undisclosed injury for weeks, and he finished the preseason without getting a snap. Now, he’ll be sidelined for at least the next three weeks, but it’s uncertain if he’ll have his starting gig when he returns. AJ Terrell, Fabian Moreau, and Isaiah Oliver are currently expected to lead the depth chart at cornerback.
With Sheffield sidelined, Chris Williamson could be an option to get promoted from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/21
We’ve compiled today’s minor NFL transactions below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR with injury settlement: P Dom Maggio
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR with injury settlement: DT Treyvon Hester
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LS Cole Mazza
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: G Nate Davis, C Ben Jones
Latest On Steelers LB T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt still doesn’t have a new contract, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects that his star linebacker will get his desired deal and will be at practice tomorrow.
“I remain optimistic that something is going to get done from a deal perspective,” Tomlin said today (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “That aside, you know, I’m expecting him to work tomorrow. I’m proceeding with the assumption that he’s going to work tomorrow. You know, that’s kind of the approach that I’m taking.”
However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport isn’t as confident (Twitter link). Watt’s status for tomorrow’s practice is “up in the air,” something that’s especially relevant considering the Steelers’ “practice-to-play” philosophy. Rapoport notes that the Steelers and Watt’s camp had “intense contract negotiations” throughout the summer, and the Steelers are holding fast to their organizational philosophy of not engaging in contract talks after Week 1. Rapoport warns that this deal could take a “very, very long time” and “could get difficult,” meaning Watt could play out the season on the final year of his contract.
So, there’s two matters at hand: Watt’s status for Week 1 and Watt’s extension. Assuming the Steelers stick to their guns, Watt won’t see the field this weekend unless he practices. If Watt sticks to his guns, he won’t practice until he gets a new deal. The main holding point at the moment is guaranteed money, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Twitter. Rapoport provides additional context, citing that the Steelers’ refusal to give anyone full guarantees after the first year of an extension. Watt is presumably pushing for more guaranteed cash.
Watt is currently set to hit free agency following the upcoming campaign. There’s a good chance the former first-rounder becomes the highest-paid defensive player in league history, which would mean an AAV of over $27MM with roughly $80MM in full guarantees. Watt’s performance to date justifies that type of expenditure. Stout against the run and pass, the 26-year-old (27 in October) graded out as Pro Football Focus’ third-best edge player last season out of 108 qualifiers. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, and he has averaged about 14 sacks a year since his sophomore campaign.
Contract Restructures: Graham, Nassib, Ryan
With the start of Week 1 quickly approaching, NFL front offices are still finding ways to open some cap space. A handful of players restructured their contracts today, and we’ve compiled some of the notable transactions below:
- TE Jimmy Graham, Bears: Converted $5.825MM of salary into signing bonus, opening $4.66MM in cap space while also adding four voidable years to contract (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). The veteran inked a two-year, $16MM deal with the Bears prior to last season, and he finished his first season in Chicago with 50 receptions for 456 yards and eight touchdowns.
- DE Carl Nassib, Raiders: Converted $2.51MM of salary into a signing bonus, opening $2.008MM in cap space (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). Nassib inked a three-year, $25MM deal (including $16.75MM guaranteed) with the Raiders last offseason. The 28-year-old got into 14 games (five starts) during his first season in Las Vegas, finishing with 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and nine QB hits.
- DB Logan Ryan, Giants: Converted “most of the base salary” into signing bonus (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). The veteran was set to earn around $5.5MM this upcoming season. After inking a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason, Ryan signed a three-year, $31MM extension (with $20MM guaranteed) in December. After switching from cornerback to safety, Ryan finished his first season in New York with 94 tackles, three forced fumbles, nine passes defended, and one interception.
- OT Duane Brown, Seahawks: Converted $7MM of base salary into signing bonus, saving the team $3.5MM in cap space. After skipping training camp in pursuit of an extension, we learned earlier today that the veteran lineman got an extra year tacked onto his contract. Indeed, as veteran reporter John Clayton points out, Brown got an extra year “with an injury protection benefit for 2022.”
Texans To Sign WR Danny Amendola
Danny Amendola has found his next gig. After working out for the Texans earlier today, the veteran wideout is signing with the organization, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.
The move is a bit of a homecoming for the 35-year-old; Amendola grew up in The Woodlands and went to college at Texas Tech. The move also reunited the receiver with general manager Nick Caserio, who was a former executive in New England. Thanks to the New England connection, the Texans are also rostering former ex-Patriots like Rex Burkhead and Marcus Cannon.
Following the departures of Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, and Keke Coutee, Brandin Cooks is the only holdover from last season’s receivers corps. The Texans added Chris Conley and return man Andre Roberts in free agency, traded for Anthony Miller, and drafted Nico Collins in Round 3, and Amendola will be competing with that grouping for reps.
Following a five-year stint with the Patriots that saw him earn a pair of Super Bowl rings, Amendola spent the 2018 season with the Dolphins before spending the past two campaigns with the Lions. The wideout had two solid seasons in Detroit, finishing with 108 receptions for 1,280 yards in 29 games (15 starts).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/21
We’ve compiled today’s practice squad moves below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Qadree Ollison
- Released: C Sam Jones
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB John Brannon
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Josh Woods
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Jake Browning
- Released: P Drue Chrisman
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Bobby Hart
New York Giants
- Signed: WR C.J. Board, OT Korey Cunningham
- Released: DB Jordyn Peters, G Kenny Wiggins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Henry Mondeaux, LB Delontae Scott, WR Tyler Vaughns
- Moved to IR: WR Rico Bussey
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Gavin Heslop
- Released: TE Mark Vital
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: K Jose Borregales
Washington Football Team
- Signed: OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
- Released: C Jon Toth
This Date In Transactions History: Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell Signs Franchise Tender
On this date in 2017, Le’Veon Bell‘s first holdout officially came to an end. On September 4, 2017, the star running back inked his franchise tender with the Steelers.
By the start of the 2017 regular season, Bell had already established himself as one of the best running backs in football. The former second-round pick had exceeded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three of his first four seasons, and he collected 31 touchdowns through his first four campaigns. Thanks to that production, Bell wanted to be paid like one of the top running backs in the NFL, and the Steelers were certainly willing to oblige…on their terms. The team seemed to be operating on a year-by-year approach before committing big money to Bell. It was hard to blame the organization; the running back missed three games as a rookie, 10 games in 2015, and another four games in 2016. The team clearly wanted Bell to prove he could stay healthy.
Ultimately, Bell stayed home during training camp and the 2017 preseason after the two sides couldn’t reach agreement on an extension before the deadline. Bell’s decision to hold out was mostly a sign of defiance, but it didn’t sound like there was any tension between the two sides. It was reported throughout the offseason that Bell would show up for Week 1, and he did just that. That led to the September 4th transaction, when Bell inked his franchise tender. The move locked him into a one-year, $12.12MM deal.
Bell had another standout season in 2017, and he managed to appear in 15 games. He earned first-team All-Pro honors after finishing the season with 1,946 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on a league-leading 406 carries. He also had a pair of touchdowns in the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Jaguars.
Instead of inking Bell to a long-term deal, the Steelers decided to play hard ball again in 2018. The team utilized the franchise tag for a second-straight season, meaning Bell would earn $14.5MM that year. Predictably, the running back held out again, but he’d never return to the team. He didn’t report to the team prior to the deadline to ink his franchise tender, making him ineligible to play in 2018. The Steelers didn’t use the franchise tag in 2019, which finally made Bell a free agent.
The running back ended up getting a four-year, $52.5MM deal from the Jets, and he was somewhat productive during his first season in New York, finishing with 1,250 yards from scrimmage. He dealt with injuries in 2020 and hinted that he wanted a trade, leading to his outright release. He caught on with the Chiefs for the stretch run, and he finished with 353 yards from scrimmage in his nine games with Kansas City. He only saw time in one of the Chiefs’ three playoff games. The 29-year-old remains unsigned for the 2021 season.
It’s hard not to wonder how Bell’s career would currently look had he not sat out that 2018 campaign. His 2017 holdout was a precursor of things to come, and despite the fact that he signed his tag (on this date in 2017), the whole event certainly played a role in his future negotiations with the Steelers.
Lions WR KhaDarel Hodge Reworks Contract
After getting claimed off waivers by the Lions this week, wideout KhaDarel Hodge has taken a pay cut. The wide receiver has agreed to a restructured deal, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Hodge was previously set to earn a non-guaranteed $2.133MM, and it looked like the receiver was about to earn zilch when he was waived by the Browns earlier this week. Now, he’ll earn a $920K base salary, with at least the $80K signing bonus being guaranteed.
The 2018 undrafted free agent spent his rookie season with the Rams before catching on with the Browns in 2019. He ended up seeing time in 25 games (one start) during his two years in Cleveland, hauling in 15 receptions for 256 yards. Hodge has also been productive on special teams, including a 2019 season where he finished with 13 tackles.
Detroit will likely use Hodge in a similar special teams role, but there could be some opportunities for him on offense. The 26-year-old will be joining a depth chart that’s currently led by the likes of Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, Quintez Cephus, and Tom Kennedy.
Jets S Marcus Maye Discusses Extension Negotiations
The Jets slapped safety Marcus Maye with the franchise tag earlier this offseason, but the two sides couldn’t agree on an extension during the ensuing negotiations. When asked about the stalled discussions and a lack of a long-term deal, Maye admitted that he stopped thinking about it once training camp started.
“Once that was over with, I just put it to the side and got back to the basics of playing football,” he said (via Jack Bell of the team’s website). “Once I get on the grass I never worry about anything else.”
Fortunately for the Jets, Maye seems to be prioritizing his on-field status over his salary. When asked if winning or salary was more important, the defensive back made it clear that it’s the former.
“Winning games is first, that’s what you play the game for,” Maye said. “Also taking care of your family and making sure you’re set up for the future. Control the controllables. If you have no control over something, there’s no point in getting all upset. If you’re not here to win games, then what are you doing this for?”
Entering his fifth NFL season, Maye is the longest-tenured Jets player on the roster. The former second-round pick has started each of his 54 games in the NFL, and that includes 32-straight starts between 2019 and 2020. Last season, the 28-year-old finished with a career-high 88 tackles to go along with two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He’s expected to start alongside Lamarcus Joyner at safety.