Buccaneers To Decline Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s Fifth-Year Option
The final pick of the 2021 first round won’t have his fifth-year option exercised. The Buccaneers won’t pick up Joe Tryon-Shoyinka‘s option for the 2025 season, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.
This move will make the linebacker a free agent following the 2024 campaign. Tryon-Shoyinka would have been attached to a fully guaranteed $13.25MM for the 2025 season had the Buccaneers picked up his fifth-year option option.
This isn’t a huge surprise considering the former 32nd-overall pick’s lack of production through three NFL seasons. Tryon-Shoyinka has yet to top 50 tackles or 10 tackles for loss in a season, although he has compiled at least four sacks in each of his three campaigns.
That includes a 2023 season where the linebacker finished with 45 stops, five sacks, and seven QB hits in 17 games (12 starts). Pro Football Focus ended up ranking the 25-year-old 71st among 112 qualifying edge defenders, with the site giving him some hope for his pass-rush ability.
Tryon-Shoyinka should continue manning one of the starting OLB spots in 2024 opposite YaYa Diaby. However, the organization has started to add some depth to the position, as the Buccaneers selected Chris Braswell in the second round of last weekend’s draft.
Broncos To Decline Zach Wilson’s Fifth-Year Option
As expected, the Broncos won’t be committing to Zach Wilson for the 2025 campaign. According to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, the Broncos have informed Wilson’s camp that they won’t be picking up the quarterback’s fifth-year option.
[RELATED: 2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Considering the $22.41MM commitment that the option would have required, it’s not a surprise that the Broncos won’t lock themselves into that salary. Wilson will now hit free agency following the 2024 campaign, and he’s set to earn more than $5MM in what will be the final season of his rookie contract (the Jets are picking up a portion of that tab).
The Broncos acquired the former second-overall pick last week, swapping a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round pick along the way. Things have already changed since that acquisition, as the Broncos reached a bit for Bo Nix in the first round. The rookie could end up leading the depth chart in 2024, with only Wilson and Jarrett Stidham standing in the way.
Wilson, of course, will be seeking a fresh start in Denver. Following two underwhelming seasons to begin his career, the Jets made a major pivot last offseason when they acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. The veteran suffered a season-ending injury in his first drive with his new squad, forcing Wilson back into the limelight. The third-year quarterback ended up going 4-7 under center, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Jets allowed Wilson to seek a trade elsewhere this offseason, although the market was predictably light considering the player’s lack of production and $11MM cap charge. They eventually found a taker in the Broncos, but following today’s move, this could prove to be only a one-year stop in Denver for Wilson.
Packers Sign Eight UDFAs
After leaving this past weekend with one of the league’s largest draft classes, the Packers are continuing to add rookies to their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed eight undrafted free agents:
- Peter Bowden, LS (Wisconsin)
- James Ester, DL (Northern Illinois)
- Ralen Goforth, LB (Washington)
- Jarveon Howard, RB (Alcorn State)
- Donovan Jennings, OL (South Florida)
- Trente Jones, OL (Michigan)
- Rodney Mathews, DL (Ohio)
- Messiah Swinson, TE (Arizona State)
South Florida offensive lineman Donovan Jennings earned a significant pay day to join the Packers. The rookie got a $10K signing bonus and $100K in guaranteed salary to catch on with Green Bay, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. As Wilson notes, that signing bonus is higher than any the organization handed out in 2023, and the Packers also didn’t give any of their UDFAs guaranteed money last offseason.
Elsewhere on offense, the team added Arizona State’s Messiah Swinson. The tight end had 15 catches during his first season in Arizona in 2022, but he followed that up with only six receptions in 2023.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers added a pair of pass rushers in James Ester and Rodney Mathews. Ester compiled eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss during his final three seasons at Northern Illinois, while Mathews collected 14.5 tackles for loss in his final three seasons with the Bobcats.
Steelers Sign Five UDFAs
After adding seven players in the draft, the Steelers have added five more rookies to their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed five undrafted free agents:
- Beanie Bishop, CB (West Virginia)
- Daijun Edwards, RB (Georgia)
- John Rhys Plumlee, QB (Central Florida)
- Julius Welschof, LB (Charlotte)
- Jacoby Windmon, LB (Michigan State)
After adding one linebacker in the third round (NC State’s Payton Wilson), the Steelers have added another two players at the position. Jacoby Windmon is the more accomplished of the two UDFAs, with the linebacker collecting 119 tackles and 6.5 sacks with UNLV in 2021. However, he didn’t see nearly as big of a role after transferring to Michigan State in 2022, compiling 41 stops across two seasons with the team. Julius Welschof was a situational defensive lineman during his time at Michigan and Charlotte, and the Steelers are apparently looking to switch the prospect to a new position.
After three seasons of mostly sitting on the bench at Ole Miss, John Rhys Plumlee caught on with UCF as their starting QB between 2022 and 2023. He got into 23 games over the past two seasons, completing 63 percent of his passes for 4,857 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also added 1,367 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 265 carries. In Pittsburgh, he’ll learn from a pair of prolific runners (one former, one current) in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Kaden Davis, CB Quavian White
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Tyron Billy-Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Oshane Ximines
The Patriots have added some linebacker depth in Oshane Ximines, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants. A third-round pick in 2019, Ximines ended up getting into 48 games during his time in New York, compiling 71 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He was limited to only three games this past season while alternating between the Giants practice squad and active roster.
In New England, he’ll be reunited with outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who previously served in the same role with the Giants. The Patriots will be hoping the new addition can provide some depth at strongside linebacker behind the likes of Matt Judon and Josh Uche.
Cardinals To Decline Zaven Collins’ Fifth-Year Option
Zaven Collins will be a free agent following the 2024 campaign. Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort revealed that his team won’t be picking up the linebacker’s fifth-year option, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.
Had the Cardinals picked up Collins’ 2025 option, they would have been on the hook for a $13.25MM cap hit. It seems that the lofty financial commitment is the biggest reason why the fifth-year option won’t be picked up, and Ossenfort acknowledged that Collins remains in the organization’s plans.
“We want to keep Zaven around here,” Ossenfort told the “Burns and Gambo” show (via Urban). “It’s just the fifth-year option, it removes some flexibility in terms of the (salary) cap. We’re going to have some discussions here. Love Zaven, love where he’s at, love what he brings for our defense and hopefully (we) keep him around here for a long time.”
The 16th-overall pick in the 2021 draft spent most of his rookie season in a backup role, but he compiled 100 tackles in 16 starts as a sophomore. The Cardinals moved him to outside linebacker for the 2023 campaign, and Collins proceeded to compile 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks while getting into 58 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 44th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, although his pass-rush grade left plenty to be desired.
The Cardinals intend to keep Collins on the edge once again in 2024, meaning the impending free agent could only increase his value with a strong performance. At the very least, Collins will have two paths to joining teams (ILB and OLB) when he hits free agency after the season.
Rams Sign RB Boston Scott
The Rams have added a veteran to their running backs room. The team has signed long-time Eagles back Boston Scott, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be a one-year pact for Scott.
The former sixth-round pick has spent the majority of his career in Philadelphia, appearing in 75 regular season games and eight postseason contests. He saw a significant role between 2019 and 2021, averaging nearly 500 yards from scrimmage per season. Scott also made a name for himself with his continued dominance against the Giants, with the RB tallying 10 of his 17 career touchdowns against the division opponent.
He only started two of his 30 appearances over the past two years, averaging 185 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per season. This included a 2023 campaign where Scott finished with 138 yards from scrimmage, his lowest total since he was shut out in two games as a rookie.
Kyren Williams will be back to lead the Rams RB corps in 2024, but his backups will look different. Neither Royce Freeman nor Darrell Henderson were retained, and the team added Blake Corum in the third round of this year’s draft. Scott will likely compete with Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans for a spot on the bottom of the depth chart.
Falcons Sign 10 UDFAs
After finishing the weekend with one of the more questionable draft approaches, the Falcons have rounded out their rookie class with 10 undrafted free agents. The team announced that they’ve added the following UDFAs:
- Ryan Coll, OL (Richmond)
- JaQuae Jackson, WR (Rutgers)
- John Paddock, QB (Illinois)
- Nolan Potter, OL (Northern Illinois)
- Jayden Price, CB (North Dakota State)
- Anthony Sao, CB (MidAmerica Nazarene)
- Ryan Sanborn, P (Texas)
- Austin Stogner, TE (Oklahoma)
- Trey Vaval, CB (Minnesota State-Mankato)
- Isaiah Wooden, WR (Southern Utah)
The Falcons added another rookie QB to their roster in Illinois signal caller John Paddock. The prospect got a chance to start during his final season at Ball State before transferring to the Fighting Illini in 2023. At Illinois, Paddock only took over late in the season but still managed to finish the campaign with 1,278 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Falcons weren’t finished adding to their offense, signing three skill players to the roster. It’s actually the tight end, Austin Stogner, who has the most accomplished resume of the group. Stogner collected 84 receptions in a college career that saw him bounce from Oklahoma to South Carolina back to Oklahoma. This included a 2023 campaign where he finished with 17 catches for 196 yards.
The organization may be setting up a punting competition by adding Ryan Sanborn to the depth chart. Sanborn spent four years at Stanford before joining Texas for the 2023 campaign. The Falcons are still rostering last year’s starter, Bradley Pinion.
Lions Acquire No. 132, Select Utah’s Sione Vaki
The Eagles are apparently determined to add as many 2025 picks as possible. The team has made their third trade of the day, sending picks No. 132 and No. 210 to the Lions for picks No. 164, No. 201, and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The Lions have used their pick on Utah Swiss Army Knife Sione Vaki.
The prospect played on both sides of the ball during his time in college. On defense, he mostly played safety, collecting 92 tackles in 26 games across two seasons. He started playing some running back for the 2023 campaign and ended up garnering 42 carries for 317 yards and two touchdowns. He also added another 11 catches for 203 yards and three scores.
Considering that positional versatility, Vaki should have multiple paths to sticking around the NFL.
49ers Acquire No. 129, Select Louisville RB Isaac Guerendo
The 49ers are moving up the board, acquiring pick No. 129 from the Jets. In return, San Francisco will send New York picks No. 173 and No. 176.
The team has used their new selection on Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo.
After transferring from Wisconsin to Louisville for the 2023 campaign, Guerendo had a breakout season. The running back finished the year with 1,044 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns, and he also returned 11 kickoffs for 211 yards.
Guerendo will look to compete for backup reps behind Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. The Niners are still rostering Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason, and they also added Patrick Taylor Jr. to the group. It may take the rookie some time until he’s able to break into the rotation, but he should be able to contribute on special teams for the time being.