Contract Details: Decker, Mixon, Ngakoue, Dotson
There have been a handful of extensions, reworked contracts, and brand-new deals signed over the past few weeks. We’ve provided updates on some of those notable deals below:
- Taylor Decker, LT (Lions): Four-year, $60MM extension. Includes $7.5MM signing bonus (paid out in 17 installments in 2020). Salaries: $6.85MM (2020), $13MM fully guaranteed (2021), $14.75MM fully guaranteed (2022), $13.7MM (2023), $12.95MM (2024). $250K workout bonuses (2022-2024), $500 roster bonus (2024). Via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter.
- Joe Mixon, RB (Bengals): Four-year, $48MM extension. Includes $10MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1.3MM (2020), $8MM (2021), $8MM (2022), $9.4MM (2023). $9.6MM club option in 2024. $500K in playing time bonuses, $200K in offseason workout bonuses (each season). Via Rapoport on Twitter.
- Yannick Ngakoue, DE (Vikings): One year, $12MM reworked deal. $8MM base salary and $4MM signing bonus. Via Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling on Twitter.
- Demar Dotson, RT (Broncos): One-year, $3MM deal. $1.15MM salary ($400K guaranteed). $100K roster bonus, $250K game-day roster bonuses. $1.5MM in incentives. Via Mike Klis of 9News on Twitter.
Dolphins Activate CB Xavien Howard
The next time the Dolphins take the field for practice, they’ll finally have Xavien Howard leading the defense. The team announced today that they’ve activated the cornerback off the reserve/COVID-19 and active/physically unable to perform lists.
This is a significant step for Howard, who was limited to only five games last year before suffering a knee injury. That ailment forced him to undergo surgery, but the 27-year-old had been rehabbing at the Dolphins’ facility since June. Howard was formally placed on the PUP late in July, and a recent COVID-19 test forced his placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Now, Howard will be looking to take another step forward following a 2018 campaign where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod. That season, the former second rounder compiled 35 tackles, 12 passes defended, and a league-high seven interceptions in only 12 games. Howard has been with the organization since 2016, appearing in 40 total games.
The Dolphins will be hoping that Howard will team up with free agent addition Byron Jones to form one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL. The team has a mixed bag of depth behind that duo, including Jamal Perry, Nate Brooks, and Nik Needham.
Lions Work Out QB DeShone Kizer
Another team is giving DeShone Kizer a look. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the quarterback auditioned for the Lions today.
The 2017 second-rounder started 15 games for the Browns as a rookie, completing 53.6-percent of his passes for 2,894 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 419 rushing yards and five scores on 77 carries. Of course, Kizer also tossed 22 interceptions and went 0-15, and Cleveland dumped in a trade to Green Bay during the 2018 offseason.
The Notre Dame product got into three games with the Packers in 2018, but he was cut by the organization at the end of the 2019 preseason. He later caught on with the Raiders, and he spent most of the season on their roster despite never getting on the field. He was waived by the organization back in May. Since that time, Kizer had a workout with the Titans, but he left Tennessee without a deal.
The Lions don’t seem like they’re necessarily in need of a backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford. The team inked Chase Daniel to a three-year, $13.05MM deal this past offseason, and they’re still rostering David Blough, who started five games for Detroit last season.
Kizer wasn’t the only player to work out for the Lions on Thursday. The team also hosted wideouts Lee Morris and A.J. Taylor.
Cardinals Cut CB B.W. Webb
B.W. Webb‘s stint with the Cardinals lasted all of (*checks calendar*) six days. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that Arizona has cut the veteran cornerback.
The Cardinals signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal last Friday, and it was believed he’d fill in for the injured Robert Alford (who suffered a season-ending pec injury). However, the team has since added some depth to their secondary, as they signed both Ken Crawley and Dre Kirkpatrick. With the cornerbacks room getting increasingly crowded, the Cardinals apparently saw no use for Webb.
It was only last offseason that Webb was able to snag a two-year, $10.5MM deal from the Bengals, but he only lasted a single season in Cincinnati. He ultimately started 12 of his 15 games in 2019, compiling 37 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defended. He was released by Cincy back in March.
However, he had a stronger season in 2018 as a member of the Giants. As our own Zach Links pointed out last week, Webb ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No.77 cornerback, putting him on the same tier as the likes of Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jimmy Smith. Thanks in part to those metrics, it wouldn’t be shocking if Webb catches on with another squad before the season begins.
Injury Notes: Alford, Hargrave, Jets, Tretter
Cardinals cornerback Robert Alford did indeed suffer a torn pectoral yesterday, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the injury will sideline the veteran for the 2020 season.
This is a tough outcome for both Alford and the organization. Arizona inked the defensive back to a three-year, $22.5MM deal in 2019, but Alford missed his first season with the organization after suffering a leg injury. There was optimism out of the Cardinals’ camp that Alford would return to full strength in 2020, but this injury has obviously put a snag in his comeback attempt.
Alford spent the first six seasons of his career with the Falcons, collecting 303 tackles and 10 interceptions in 88 games (76 appearance). The veteran also appeared in five playoff games for Atlanta, and he had had a pick-six on Tom Brady during the Falcons’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.
Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of his performance during his last healthy campaign in 2018, so this could realistically be the end for the 31-year-old.
Let’s check out some more injury updates from around the NFL…
- The Eagles got some good news today, as they learned that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered only a “minor pectoral strain” (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). The injury is expected to sideline the veteran for only a few weeks. The 27-year-old inked a three-year, $39MM deal with Philly this past offseason after compiling 60 tackles and four sacks with the Steelers in 2019. When he’s back to full health, he’ll join Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson to form one of the top defensive tackle groupings in the NFL
- Jets wideout Vyncint Smith will miss the next five to eight weeks as he recovers from a core-muscle injury, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The 24-year-old got into 13 games (four starts) for New York last season, hauling in 17 receptions for 225 yards. As Cimini notes, the organization could be scrambling for receiver depth, as Josh Doctson has opted out of the upcoming season and rookie Denzel Mims is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
- Browns center J.C. Tretter underwent a minor knee procedure and will miss the next few weeks, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). The veteran opted for the procedure to clean up loose bodies and remedy discomfort. The NFLPA President has spent the past three seasons with Cleveland, starting each of the team’s 48 games.
Jaguars DE Rodney Gunter Stepping Away From Football
Rodney Gunter is calling it a career, at least temporarily. The Jaguars defensive end revealed last night that he’s stepping away from football at the advice of doctors. In a procedural move, the Jaguars placed Gunter on the reserve/retired list.
In a statement, Gunter explained that he was diagnosed with a severe heart condition, and he could have ruptured his aorta is he continued his football career. Surgery could eventually remedy the issue, and that would theoretically allow him to return to the football field. However, the 28-year-old currently doesn’t meet the specific criteria for the procedure, so he’s understandably stepping away from football as he awaits his next steps.
On Monday, head coach Doug Marrone praised the player’s offseason work ethic, and he revealed that he offered Gunter a staff position with the purpose of keeping him around the team.
“These are the things that are very difficult,” Marrone said. “Things come up that are out of your control and take away things that you love and want to do…It’s just an awful feeling. It really is. It’s just tough.”
The 2015 fourth-round pick had spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cardinals, including a 2019 campaign where he finished with 31 tackles and three sacks in 13 games. He signed a three-year, $18MM deal with Jacksonville this past offseason, and he was expected to replace traded defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Now, Jacksonville will be scrambling to figure out their defensive line depth, especially with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue avoiding camp. As ESPN’s Michael DiRocco notes, the team’s already seen nose tackle Al Woods and defensive end Lerentee McCray opt out of the upcoming season, while defensive tackles Dontavius Russell and Brian Price were placed on IR.
Titans Work Out QBs Trevor Siemian, DeShone Kizer
The Titans were busy today, as the organization worked out four notable offensive players. USA Today’s Mike Jones reports (via Twitter) that the team auditioned quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and DeShone Kizer, running back D’Onta Foreman, and tight end Geoff Swaim.
It’s not too surprising that the Titans are sniffing around for help at quarterback. After all, the team has a pair of unproven options behind Ryan Tannehill in Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald. Siemian would certainly provide the Titans with the experience they’re presumably seeking, although the 28-year-old has only seen time in one game over the past two years (thanks in part to a season-ending ankle injury during the 2019 campaign). The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.
Following an ugly 2017 campaign that saw him go winless in 15 starts for the Browns, Kizer has spent time with the Packers and Raiders. Still only 24 years old, the former Notre Dame standout has 11 career touchdowns vs. 24 career interceptions.
Following an award-winning career at Texas, Foreman was drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Texans. He saw time in 10 games as a rookie, compiling 327 rushing yards and two scores on 78 carries. A torn Achilles suffered towards the end of that 2017 campaign limited him to only a single appearance in 2018, and he was cut the following preseason. He briefly caught on with the Colts, but he sat as a free agent for all of the 2019 season.
Swaim, a former seventh-round pick, spent four seasons with the Cowboys, including a 2018 season where he hauled in a career-high 26 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. He signed with the Jaguars last season, but he was limited to only 13 receptions in six games.
It wasn’t just those four players who auditioned for Tennessee today. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets, the Titans also hosted wide receivers Krishawn Hogan and A.J. Taylor, cornerback Andre Chachere, and running back Marcus Marshall.
Texans Activate CB Gareon Conley
Gareon Conley has passed his physical and is good to go for training camp. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans have activated the cornerback from the physically unable to perform list.
The 25-year-old had undergone knee surgery during the offseason, and his recovery forced him to land on PUP late last month. Now, the defensive back can return to the field prior to a crucial season.
Last October, the 2017 first-round pick was traded to the Texans from the Raiders for a third-round pick. Conley played fine for Houston down the stretch; he started six of his eight games for the Texans, compiling 27 tackles and 11 passes defended. He also started both of Houston’s playoff games, collecting 11 tackles and one sack.
However, thanks in part to his underwhelming performance in Oakland, the Texans declined Conley’s fifth-year option back in April. That makes the defensive back an unrestricted free agent following the 2020 campaign, and he could increase his stock following a solid showing with the Texans. It sounds like Conley is excited to prove his worth, as defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver told Wilson that the cornerback is “champing at the bit” to return to the field.
“Gareon, while he did have surgery, he is starting to feel better,” Weaver said. “I know he’s on PUP right now but he’s champing at the bit to get back out there. He’s already coming up to me asking about when we can watch film together so he can know what I’m thinking when I’m making play calls and things of that nature.”
RB Lamar Miller, Patriots Agree To One-Year Deal
Lamar Miller is heading to New England. The veteran running back is signing with the Patriots pending a physical, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’ll be a one-year deal for Miller.
It was just about one year ago that the 29-year-old tore his ACL in a preseason contest while playing for the Texans. As Schefter notes on Twitter, the running back is “said to he fully recovered and ready to play this season.”
Miller had been with the Texans since 2016, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season. During that 2018 campaign, the veteran rushed for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) while adding 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown. While he only rushed for 18 yards during that season’s playoff loss to the Colts, he did add eight receptions for 63 yards.
Prior to his stint with the Texans, the former fourth-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins. This included 2014 and 2015 campaigns where he averaged 985.5 rushing yards and eight touchdowns per season.
Miller is joining a very crowded depth chart in New England, and today’s signing makes it even more uncertain. Sony Michel disappointed during his sophomore campaign (and he’s currently sitting on the PUP), but he still managed to finish the 2019 season with 912 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The team is also rostering versatile veterans like James White and Rex Burkhead, and there was some hope that 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris could contribute following a pseudo-redshirt year.
Of course, that running game should also feature plenty of Cam Newton. While Miller’s path to a roster spot is more uncertain than the quarterback’s, the duo could be called on to lead a revamped New England offense in 2020.
Vikings Waive LB Cameron Smith, Expect Him To Land On IR
In a procedural move, the Vikings announced that they have waived linebacker Cameron Smith. However, this doesn’t mean it’s the end of his tenure with the organization.
As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press points out (on Twitter), the front office expects Smith to clear waivers and land on their injured reserve. The reporter adds that the player is expected to earn his fully $675K base salary.
The 23-year-old revealed this weekend that he needs to undergo open-heart surgery and will miss the entire 2020 campaign. Fortunately, Smith also revealed that he opted for a procedure that will allow him to continue his NFL career once he’s fully recovered.
“I found out I need open heart surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve that I was born with,” Smith posted on Instagram. “Although this will unfortunately end my 2020 season, it is really a blessing that we found this as my heart is severely enlarged and wouldn’t have lasted much longer. I found this out after I tested positive for COVID and had to have further testing done as protocol. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I could really feel him on this one!
“By no means am I ready to be done playing football, there is still so much more I want to accomplish on the field. I’m going to attack this like everything else I have in life. Already looking forward to the comeback! #SKOL”
The Vikings selected the USC product in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. The linebacker saw time in five games as a rookie, compiling eight tackles.