K Michael Badgley Re-Signing With Lions
The Lions have their placekicker going into next season, reportedly agreeing to terms with Michael Badgley, according to Badgley’s agent Brian McLaughlin (Twitter). Badgley made the Lions his fifth team in as many years last season and impressed the team enough down the stretch to earn a new contract for 2023. 
Badgley initially signed with the Colts in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Miami (FL), leaving Coral Gables as the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in points scored and field goals made. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster, Badgley eventually signed with the Chargers. He struggled to stay on the field in his first two seasons but impressed as a rookie converting 15 of his 16 attempted field goals and 27 of 28 extra point attempts while earning the nickname of Money Badger. His sophomore season was nearly as impressive as he only missed three field goals and made all of his extra points.
A rough 2020 season that would see him miss nine field goals and three extra points would lead to a position battle in camp. The Chargers waived the young kicker after he failed to beat out Tristan Vizcaino in a camp kicking competition. Vizcaino wouldn’t last long in Los Angeles after missing five extra points the next season. Badgley would rebound, signing to the Titans’ practice squad and appearing in one game for Tennessee.
After getting waived by Tennessee, Badgley would win a kicking competition in Indianapolis, beating out Brett Maher, Aldrick Rosas, and Riley Patterson for a backup position behind an injured Rodrigo Blankenship. He would finish the season for the Colts after Blankenship was placed on injured reserve, missing only three field goals and making all 39 of his extra point attempts.
Badgley started 2022 as a free agent and eventually signed with the Bears as Cairo Santos was away from the team for personal reasons. He would only play one game for Chicago but would make all four field goals he would attempt in the game. Badgley was released the following week but quickly picked up by the Lions.
With Austin Seibert battling a groin injury and backup kicker Dominik Eberle struggling, Badgley took hold of the kicking job. He finished the year for the Lions, converting 24 of 28 field goal attempts and making all 33 of his extra points.
Since the departure of long-time kicker Matt Prater, the Lions kicking position has been in flux. The team will hope that Badgley can add a touch of stability to a position that has lacked it in the last few years.
Jaguars Re-Sign CB Tre Herndon
In what has now become an annual post, the Jaguars have re-signed cornerback Tre Herndon to one-year contract, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The new deal is reportedly worth $2.6MM, guaranteed, his highest deal yet with the team. 
A former undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2018, Herndon has spent all of the first five years of his career in Jacksonville. His role with the team over the years has varied greatly. His status has diminished from a starting position in the 2019 and 2020 seasons to a backup role in the past two years.
In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Herdon started in three games, but that was outweighed a bit by the seven games in which he only appeared on special teams.
The position group that Herndon returns to will likely be led by Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams. Herndon will likely be competing with Montaric Brown for the next position on the depth chart after the release of former starter Shaquill Griffin.
Latest On Bills S Damar Hamlin
It’s been a long road for Bills safety Damar Hamlin as he’s continued to recover from his on-field cardiac incident in early January. A long road remains in front of him, as well, but early indications were that Hamlin had a desire to return to the field and play professional football again. According to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, Hamlin’s intentions remain focused on playing in the NFL again as things continue to trend “in the right direction.” 
The early indications came directly from Hamlin but came with several future medical evaluations to undergo and several expert opinions to be sought. The recent updated information comes from general manager Brandon Beane, who has been very involved in Hamlin’s recovery process, so far.
Beane visited the second-year safety this week, and Hamlin once again confirmed his intentions. Beane explained that there is at least one more doctor visit lined up for Hamlin but that things are “trending in the right direction.”
“We’ll get him through all (his medical consultations),” Beane said of the plans moving forward for Hamlin, “and then we’ll make sure all of our medical people are hearing all those opinions on each visit and make sure that we’re all on the same page of what it would like.”
As far as a timeline for a decision, Beane believes that Hamlin’s medical evaluations and consultations should be wrapping up in April, allowing the team and Hamlin to make a fully informed decision. He said that the date can always change if a doctor in April says they would like to see Hamlin back in their office in May, but so far, everything has checked out up to this point.
The Bills have no need to rush Hamlin back onto the field. The team returns starting safeties Jordan Poyer, who recently re-signed to a new deal to remain in Buffalo, and Micah Hyde, who missed most of last season with a foot injury. Hyde’s injury was what pushed Hamlin into a starting role last season, and with Hyde returning to the field, Hamlin will be allowed to work his way back to the field without the pressures of needing to perform as one of the team’s top two safeties.
However long it takes for Hamlin to return to 100-percent, a return to the field would be nothing short of a miraculous outcome after what we witnessed on that field in January. We at PFR truly wish Hamlin the best in his rehabilitation and health as things continue to trend is a positive direction for the 24-year-old.
Latest On Potential Commanders Sale: Snyder, Owners, Harris
The Dan Snyder era in Washington may be on its last legs, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. Sources have said that the word being used to describe the sale within the facilities is “imminent,” leading some to speculate about just how soon this all may come.
Assisting in this theory is the rumor that Snyder and his wife, Tanya, have reportedly cleared out of the Commanders’ facility in anticipation of the sale. The departure occurred back in late December, a bit over a month after the couple announced they were considering a sale. The announcement was followed by the process of drawing in bidders, but despite that process, many in league circles have been skeptical that the Snyders seriously intended to sell.
This new evidence may bring a bit more validity to Snyder’s claims of consideration. That being said, there is no confirmed purchasing group at this time. As many as three different prospective buyers have toured the facility and stadium, but the organization refuses to comment on the potential sale.
Here are a few other rumors surrounding the potential sale of the Commanders:
- A committee meeting took place recently including some of the league’s owners. According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, a decision still has not been made concerning the prospect of taking a vote to remove Snyder from ownership should he refuse to sell the team. Snyder’s wife continues to represent the Commanders in league meetings, an arrangement put in place following attorney Beth Wilkinson’s investigation into Snyder and the team. There’s been no reports that she has addressed the owners, and members of the owners’ finance committee claim that they have heard no specifics on a potential transaction.
- One of the potential bidders rumored to be in the running to buy is Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Harris’s bid was recently bolstered by the addition of DC billionaire Mitchell Rales. Rales is the co-founder of the Danaher Corporation, the largest company in Washington.
CB Greedy Williams Agrees To Terms With Eagles
As the Browns bring in one 2019 second-round pick who has failed to live up to expectations, it appears they will not be returning another as cornerback Greedy Williams has agreed to a new contract to join the Eagles, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The 25-year-old is set to join the NFL’s 2022 runner-up for another run in 2023. 
As a rookie, Williams started 12 games, missing a four-game stretch near the beginning of the season. He failed to nab an interception and only tallied two passes defensed as he struggled initially in coverage, but he was a strong defender against the run. Williams was forced to miss the 2020 season as he dealt with nerve issues in his shoulder.
Coming back from the injury in 2021, Williams had perhaps his strongest season. While Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome would serve as starters throughout the year, Williams played a large role, as well, playing in every game but one and starting eight contests. Williams received the third-largest snap share out of the cornerbacks room, playing just over half the team’s defensive snaps. Williams was productive in his second season on the field, as well, reeling in two interceptions and breaking up 10 pass attempts.
This most recent season saw injuries return to bite the young corner as he would start the year on injured reserve. Williams would return to the lineup after missing the team’s first five games, but following a 2-5 start to the season, the Browns began to search for possible trade partners willing to give up some value for Williams. With Williams future in Cleveland in question, his playing time plummeted to the point that he was only playing on special teams in the waning weeks of the season.
Williams now finds himself in a secondary with two veteran, established cornerbacks in James Bradberry, who re-signed this week, and Darius Slay, who narrowly avoided release and signed an extension today. Williams will find himself competing mainly with Avonte Maddox for backup snaps in Philadelphia. If he can return to his 2021 form, the Eagles will have four capable corners roaming in the secondary.
Browns Signing DT Trysten Hill
The Browns continue to reshape their defensive line, signing former Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The addition is one of several changes the team has made as Cleveland attempts to improve on a defense that gave up the eighth-most rushing yards in the league last year while tallying the sixth-fewest sacks. 
A second-round pick out of UCF in 2019, Hill’s career has suffered from his inability to stay on the field. During a disappointing rookie season, Hill was a healthy scratch for nine games due to poor etiquette at the team facilities. The young lineman had been sent home for arriving late to practice and falling asleep during a presentation from guest speaker and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Despite an injury to the team’s starting defensive tackle, Hill’s issues off the field were bad enough to keep him out of the lineup.
In his sophomore season, due to an injury to starter Gerald McCoy, Hill started the year as the team’s starting defensive tackle. An ACL tear would end his season after five games, though. Hill was finally able to return from the injury in November of the following year but was suspended for a game weeks later after punching then-Raiders lineman John Simpson in a postgame altercation. Between personal behavior, injuries, and suspensions, Hill has only appeared in 31 of a possible 66 games over his career.
As Hill continued to slide down the depth chart in Dallas, the Cowboys decided to waive the young tackle after failing to find a trade partner that might take him. He was claimed off the waiver wire by the Cardinals the next day, allowing him to compete for snaps with Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter, and Michael Dogbe. He functioned in a backup capacity for most of the rest of the season before being placed on injured reserve to end the season.
In Cleveland, Hill will serve as a depth piece on a retooled Browns defensive line that is losing Taven Bryan, Chase Winovich, and Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. The Browns targeted replacing some of that loss by signing veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson earlier this week. The team was also considered a favorite to sign former Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, as well, until the young defender agreed to a deal with the Seahawks.
Right now, favorites for playing time on the Browns’ defensive front are Tomlinson, Jordan Elliott, and Perrion Winfrey. Hill will compete with a number of other backups for playing time in rotation with those three. Cleveland will be a clean slate for him to attempt to make up for the shortcomings of his past NFL history.
Cardinals Release C Rodney Hudson, WR Chosen Anderson
MARCH 16: Arizona will use the post-June 1 designation for the Hudson release. In a procedural move, the Cardinals also released J.J. Watt using this designation. They will pick up $3.05MM in cap space this summer as a result of the Hudson move. Watt announced his retirement shortly before the Cards’ season finale.
MARCH 6: The Cardinals are partaking in some cost-cutting measures for the sake of their salary cap and are expected to part ways with center Rodney Hudson and wide receiver Chosen Anderson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The two are recent additions who were unable to contribute much of what was expected of them last season. 
Hudson, we recently reported, is expected to retire this spring. He flirted with the idea in the last offseason before ultimately coming back to the team. Unfortunately, the decision didn’t amount to much for Arizona as Hudson was placed on IR and missed much of the season. Back in January, Hudson agreed to a restructured contract that dropped his 2023 base salary to $2.05MM, an amount that indicated both retirement and this eventual release. With a post-June 1 designation, cutting Hudson will result in $3.05MM in cap savings and $1.76MM in dead money, as opposed to $5.28MM in dead money pre-June 1.
Anderson’s release is a no brainer for the Cardinals. The contract they inherited for Anderson from the Panthers included a potential out in 2023, allowing them to release him with no dangers of dead money. Releasing Anderson will alleviate Arizona of his full $12MM cap hit. Anderson has fallen from the heights of his strong run from 2017-2020. In 10 games with the Cardinals after the trade, Anderson only recorded seven receptions for 76 yards, the worst ten-game stretch of his career.
It will be interesting to see what the market is for Anderson. In a relatively weak wide receiver free agent market, Anderson joins the likes of Robert Woods, DJ Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Julio Jones in free agency. Woods and Smith-Schuster are perhaps the strongest of the group and should fetch decent contracts. Most other available receivers with NFL experience will likely be reliant on fit and scheme to find their homes.
Hudson’s future is still up in the air, as foregone as it may seem. Everything seems to indicate that he will hang up his cleats, but Hudson may spurn retirement again and return to play a 13th season. Rapoport indicates that Hudson will make a decision soon.
Regardless of his decision, Arizona has reportedly made theirs to move on from both Hudson and Anderson. They’ll likely be in the market to replace both players’ positions, but for now, the moves clear out at least Anderson’s $12MM and potentially a total of $15.05MM in cap space.
Dolphins Re-Signing CB Nik Needham
Cornerback Nik Needham will be continuing his career with Miami after reportedly signing a new one-year, $2MM deal to remain with the Dolphins, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Needham rejoins a group that is sure to look very different in 2023. 
Needham has been in Miami since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP in 2019. Needham failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie but was promoted to the active roster in October of that year and proceeded to start in 11 of his 12 appearances for the rest of the year. Needham recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defensed as a rookie.
For the next two years, Needham was a spot starter and rotated in plenty for Miami’s defense. He nabbed two picks in each of the following two years and tallied 12 passes defensed over that span. He also recorded a sack in each of his first three seasons.
In 2022, Needham was forced back into a starting role after starting cornerback Byron Jones sat out the year with an Achilles injury. Unfortunately, Needham suffered an Achilles tear of his own and only was able to appear in six games before spending the rest of the season on injured reserve.
After playing out his initial entry level deal, Needham was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender for 2021 and a restricted free agent tender in 2022. The Dolphins had expressed interest in bringing the 26-year-old back earlier this year and have officially gotten the deal done.
Most of the main staff of defensive backs should be returning next season alongside Needham, but the supporting staff should look fairly different. The Dolphins acquired Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Rams and brought in former Ravens and Lions safety DeShon Elliott to compete with Brandon Jones for starting time next to Jevon Holland. With Byron Jones and Eric Rowe hitting the free agent market, those two are expected to have a part in filling those roles.
Needham will likely return to his backup rotation role behind Xavien Howard and Ramsey. He and Kader Kohou will be the top options off the bench when the team needs an extra corner on the field. It’s a best-case scenario for both sides of the deal as Needham isn’t forced to face a discounted free agent market after his injury and the Dolphins are able to return a reliable backup with starting ability.
Giants Sign Former Jets WR Jeff Smith
Wide receiver Jeff Smith will be staying in New York. He won’t be re-signing with the Jets in order to do so, though. The former Jet will be swapping Big Apple franchises and signing a new contract with the Giants, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Smith originally signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He was cut during final roster cuts before the regular season and signed to the team’s practice squad. Smith was promoted to the active roster for one game and recorded a catch for 12 yards as a rookie before being placed on injured reserve five days later. He would start 2020 on IR, as well, but would still play 12 games that season. He’s missed games here and there with injury, but for the most part, he’s remained on the active roster since being activated as a rookie.
Smith’s sophomore season was probably his strongest in terms of playing time and production. He received the fourth-highest offensive snap count in the wide receivers room behind Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder, and Denzel Mims. In the following years, Smith received the eighth- and sixth-highest snap counts in 2021 and 2022, respectively. 2020 was his strongest season statistically, too, as it saw him record career-highs in targets (37), receptions (17), and yards (167). He has yet to record an NFL touchdown. Smith signed an exclusive-rights free agent tender to remain with the Jets in 2022.
He leaves one New York team for the other as the Jets continue to target assets in an effort to satisfy Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who intends to play for the Jets once trade compensation is worked out. He makes his way to the Giants, where Kenny Golladay, Richie James, Marcus Johnson, and Darius Slayton have all found their way to free agency.
Slayton and James were the team’s top two receivers in terms of playing time and statistics last year. The Giants return a group of receivers that collectively missed a large portion of games in 2022. Smith will be competing with Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard, and Wan’Dale Robinson for the bulk of the team’s playing time. The three combined to miss 31 games last season. Should they struggle to stay on the field again, Smith will be competing with David Sills, Collin Johnson, and others for playing time behind them.
The Giants added a huge safety blanket for newly extended quarterback Daniel Jones, acquiring tight end Darren Waller from Las Vegas in a trade this week. They’ll need to add more than just Waller, though, if they expect to have a potent passing attack to supplement running back Saquon Barkley‘s ground game. Smith is a minor step towards that goal, but the team will likely need to do much more to be competitive.
Jets To Re-Sign DL Solomon Thomas
After a year with the Jets, Solomon Thomas will be returning to New York. The veteran defensive lineman is signing a one-year deal to remain with the team, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The new deal is reportedly worth $3.9MM, a nearly 75-percent increase on last year’s deal with the team. 
The former third-overall pick in 2017 has struggled throughout his professional career to find the success he saw in his two years at Stanford. After racking up 11.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss as a member of the Cardinal, Thomas has failed to reach those numbers in six years as a pro, only tallying 10 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in the NFL. Solomon added injury to insult in 2020, tearing his ACL after the 49ers declined to exercise the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.
Since then, Thomas has bounced from Las Vegas to New York, playing full seasons with both teams following his injury. Thomas didn’t start any games for the Jets but was one of the first names called off the bench in rotation last year. With two of the names usually playing ahead of him, Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd, departing in free agency this year, Solomon should have a new opportunity to try and earn a starting role.
Solomon is still young, entering the 2023 regular season at 28 years old, and has a familiarity with the Jets system. He likely won’t be a favorite to start, but with the recent departures, he could find additional playing time this coming season. He’s shown an ability to come back strong after a serious injury and will continue to try to make his way in the NFL with the Jets.