Jets In “No Rush” To Extend DT Leonard Williams
The Jets are in “no rush” to extend the contract of defensive tackle Leonard Williams, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
Because he is a former first-round pick, Williams is under Jets control through the 2019 campaign thanks to his fifth-year option. Williams, 23, is scheduled to earn nearly $3MM in base salary for the upcoming season before seeing his pay balloon to $14.2MM in 2019. Given his contract structure, Williams isn’t an immediate priority for New York, and Williams has indicated he’s not concerned about his next deal.
However, Williams does seem to have some sort of monetary goal in mind. When asked if he wants to become the league’s highest-paid defensive lineman, Williams hedged with his answer. “It’s one of my goals to be one of the best players, one of the best defensive linemen,” Williams said, per Cimini. “When that comes, then I think the money comes with it.”
Williams has completed three NFL seasons, meaning he is now eligible for an extension. The former sixth overall selection, Williams earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 and graded as the No. 21 interior defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. He’s appeared in all 48 possible games during his career, and last season posted two sacks and 22 tackles in 16 starts.
Thus far, no member of the 2015 draft class has inked an extension.
Saints Notes: Ingram, Davenport, Koo
Running back Mark Ingram is back at Saints practice after skipping organized team activities in May, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Ingram’s presence doesn’t come as a surprise, as he indicated late last month that he’d been in attendance for mandatory minicamp. A free agent at the end of the 2018 season, Ingram will begin the campaign by serving a four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension. New Orleans figures to hand a full workload to second-year running back Alvin Kamara, although the club is scheduled to audition veteran runners Jamaal Charles and Terrance West this week.
Here’s more on the Saints:
- Rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport will undergo thumb surgery on a minor injury, but is expected to return in time for training camp, as Underhill writes in a full piece. Davenport will wait until after minicamp to have the operation, so he’s unlikely to miss any practice sessions. The Saints sacrificed a great deal of draft capital in order to land Davenport, trading two first-round selections and a fifth-rounder for the right to move up to pick No. 14. While Davenport’s injury seems negligible, New Orleans should have enough defensive end depth if he does end up missing significant action, as Alex Okafor (recovering from his own injury), Trey Hendrickson, and George Johnson, among others, are available.
- In addition to Charles and West, the Saints plan to work out a number of players during their minicamp, including kicker Younghoe Koo (Twitter link via Larry Holder of NOLA.com); wide receiver Kevin Snead, tight end Jack Tabb, punter Jonathan Hernandez, and offensive lineman Trevor Darling (Twitter links via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com); and wide receiver Josh Smith (Twitter link via Underhill). Of the group, Koo is the only member with NFL experience, as he spent four games as the Chargers’ kicker in 2017 before being waived.
- In case you missed it, the Saints were one of five teams to use a post-June 1 release designation, meaning they were able to free up $3MM in cap space on June 1 as a result of tight end Coby Fleener‘s release.
Bengals, DE Carlos Dunlap Making Progress On Extension
The Bengals have made progress on a contract extension for Carlos Dunlap, as the veteran defensive end told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
Dunlap staged something of a short-lived holdout by failing to attend organized team activities earlier this year, but Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said Dunlap’s absence was “not a big deal.” Dunlap has since reported, and claims his missed practice sessions were not contract-related. Instead, Dunlap said he simply preferred to work out in Florida, although he did sacrifice a $300K bonus by doing so.
“All the comments and everything talking about the reasons for me not being here obviously hit home a little bit because they painted me to be a selfish guy, which was not my objective,” Dunlap said, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “My goal was to make sure I was in the best shape for when football starts so that I can be there for my team for the long haul.”
The Bengals have two high-profile defensive linemen entering contract seasons, as both Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins‘ deals expire after the 2018 campaign. While Cincinnati may view Atkins as a priority, Dunlap also needs a new pact, as the six-year, $40MM extension he signed in 2013 is now coming to a close. Dunlap, 29, will earn a base salary of $7MM for the upcoming season.
Dunlap is still an excellent player, as he’s averaged 10 sacks over the past three years and graded as the NFL’s No. 23 edge defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. But the Bengals have invested heavily in defensive ends in recent drafts, picking up Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis, and — most recently — Sam Hubbard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/12/18
Today’s minor moves:
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Scott Simonson
- Waived/injured: CB Aaron Davis
Jets Audition DL Courtney Upshaw, WR Kamar Aiken
The Jets are working out defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw and wide receiver Kamar Aiken, reports Calvin Watkins of Newsday (Twitter links).
Upshaw, 28, entered the league as an outside linebacker, but has since morphed into a defensive end/tackle hybrid (the same role he’d likely play in the Jets’ 3-4 scheme). After joining the Falcons in 2016, Upshaw recorded 23 tackles, one forced fumble, and a half-sack in 13 appearances (five starts). Last year, Upshaw had nine total tackles and one sack and played on just 226 snaps. His only known interest this year came from the Eagles, who met with him in early May.
Aiken, like Upshaw, posted a disappointing 2017 campaign: instead of running with the Colts’ second wide receiver job, Aiken managed only 155 receptions and 133 yards in 15 games (seven starts). His last meaningful production came in 2015, when the former undrafted free agent put up nearly 1,000 yards with the Ravens. In New York, he’d compete for time on a crowded wideout depth chart that also includes Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, and Quincy Enunwa.
Latest On Colts QB Andrew Luck
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has still not thrown a regulation-size football since October — while he resumed throwing today, Luck tossed a high school football during practice, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
This isn’t the first time Luck has used smaller-sized football as part of his rehabilitation process, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who notes Luck previously threw kiddie-sized footballs in April. Luck, who missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with a shoulder injury, will be on a scaled-back schedule during training camp, per Holder, although Schefter reports Luck won’t have any physical limitations.
The story of Luck’s rehab, of course, is filled with stops and starts, and Colts management maintained at various points in 2017 that Luck was in no danger of missing the season. So while it’s fair to take today’s news with a grain of salt, Luck himself does appear to have a more optimistic view of his own health than he’d held previously. “Absolutely,” Luck said when asked if he’ll be ready for Week 1, tweets Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. “No knock on wood. I believe it in my bones.”
When healthy, Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL: he posted more than 70 combined touchdowns in 2014 and 2016, and the 28-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler. But Luck was limited to only seven total games in 2015 and 2017, and it’s fair to wonder whether his shoulder will hold up for a full season.
Cowboys “Holding Out Hope” Of Acquiring Earl Thomas?
While there has been no recent movement in talks regarding a trade that would send Seahawks safety Earl Thomas to the Cowboys, Dallas has “quietly held out hope” that it may acquire the All-Pro defensive back, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram.
The Cowboys have made no secret in their interest in Thomas, and the club reportedly had talks with the Seahawks near the draft. However, Dallas balked at sending a second-round pick (which would have been the 50th overall selection) to Seattle in exchange for Thomas. Since that time, Seahawks general manager John Schneider acknowledged that while his team did have discussions involving Thomas, no deal was “remotely close to happening.”
However, Thomas has since continued his holdout: he did not report to mandatory minicamp earlier this week, and indicated he’ll continue to stay away from the Seahawks until his contract is “resolved.” Thomas’ absence isn’t major news in and of itself, but Seattle reportedly hadn’t had any conversations about Thomas’ deal — which expires after the 2018 season — as of late May. As such, there may not be a clear resolution in sight.
Thomas is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.5MM in 2018, so the Cowboys — who have roughly $11.5MM in cap space — would be able to fit him on their books. Given that Thomas’ is clearly unhappy with his current contract, Dallas would likely need to extend the 29-year-old. Seattle, meanwhile, would incur a dead money charge of $1.9MM as a result of a Thomas trade.
Arguably the most consistent safety in the NFL since 2010, Thomas graded as the league’s No. 9 safety in 2018, per Pro Football Focus. In Dallas, Thomas would not only give the Cowboys over either Jeff Heath or Xavier Woods, but reunite with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, who is now Dallas’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
5 Key NFL Stories: 6/3/18 – 6/10/18
Julian Edelman suspended four games. The NFL suspended Edelman for a quarter of the 2018 campaign for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Edelman is appealing the ban, but if the suspension holds, he’ll lose nearly $1MM in combined base salary, roster bonuses, and a signing bonus proration, while his incentive package will also more difficult to attain. Now 32 years old, Edelman missed the entire 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL. If Edelman is out for the season’s first four games, the Patriots will be forced to rely on fellow wideouts Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Jordan Matthews, among others.
Shane Ray needs another wrist surgery. After missing eight games with a wrist issue in 2017, Ray will need to undergo another operation for the same wrist injury. Ray has already had a disappointing offseason, as the Broncos declined his 2019 fifth-year option, meaning he’ll hit free agency next spring. Now, his platform season could be in question, as there is no guarantee Ray will be on the field for Week 1. Ray, who posted eight sacks in 2016, is now expected to be fourth in line for pass-rushing snaps in Denver, behind Von Miller, Shaquil Barrett, and fifth overall selection Bradley Chubb.
Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski attend Patriots minicamp. After an offseason filled with drama, both Brady and Gronk appeared at Gillette Stadium last week. Brady re-affirmed this relationship with New England and head coach Bill Belichick is still in a good place, while Gronkowski was presumably skipping organized team activities in an effort to get a reworked contract. Gronkowski trade rumors surfaced on Twitter last week, but there is reportedly “zero truth” about reports which Gronk labeled “fake news.”
Bears bring back Zach Miller. After suffering a devastating injury in 2017, Miller was told he might lose his left leg. Nine surgeries later, Miller’s leg is safe, but he faces a lengthy uphill battle if he wants to return to the NFL. Chicago re-signed him last week in something of a goodwill gesture: while Miller has already been placed on the physically unable to perform list (meaning he won’t play in 2018), he can collect a salary and benefits as he continues rehab.
Mychal Kendricks finds a new home. After an odd turn in which Kendricks denied that he’d signed with the Browns, Cleveland announced that it had officially signed the former Eagles linebacker. Kendricks’ one-year, $3.5MM deal comes with just $500K guaranteed, so he’s not a lock for the Browns’ squad. That’s especially true given that Cleveland already boasts three starting-caliber linebackers in Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, and Joe Schobert.
PFR Originals: 6/3/18 – 6/10/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- We covered six notable moves in our This Date In Transactions History series:
- Ryan Posner on Colin Kaepernick‘s six-year, $126MM contract extension with the 49ers, signed well before the now-free agent quarterback began his protests against police brutality.
- Zach Links also covered a 49ers’ extension in the six-year, $42MM extension Joe Staley inked in 2009, a deal which quickly proved to be below-market (San Francisco has since extended Staley again).
- Zach touched on the 2010 trade that sent wide receiver Isaac Bruce from the 49ers back to the Rams, allowing him to retire with his original organization.
- Zach also looked at the six-year extension tight end Rob Gronkowski signed with the Patriots in 2012, a deal which (at the time) made him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.
- Ben Levine examined the five-year extension inked by Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget in 2015, noting that the now-suspended interior defender has since seen his salary reduced.
- Andrew Ortenberg went over the rookie contract signed by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez in 2009, prior to the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement in 2011.
- As of last week, 20% of 2018 NFL draft picks remained unsigned. That figure has dropped a bit since (the Rams signed their entire draft class, for example), but there are still 17 first-rounders without a contract in place.
- In a pair of polls, Andrew asked PFR readers which clubs in the AFC North and AFC West posted the best overall offseasons.
- Zach explained the concept of offset language in NFL contracts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/10/18
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Josh Woods