Jets Contract Details: Perriman, Desir, McGovern
Here’s some of the contract details for a number of Gang Green’s offseason additions:
Connor McGovern, (Jets): three-year, $27MM, $17MM guaranteed; $4MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $8MM (fully guaranteed), 2022: $9MM; $1MM roster bonus in 2020, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic New York.
Breshad Perriman, (Jets): one-year, $6.5MM, $6MM guaranteed; $3MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $3MM (fully guaranteed); $500k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic New York.
Pierre Desir, (Jets): one-year, $4MM, $2MM guaranteed; $2MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $1.25MM; $375k in attainable incentives, $500k in per-game roster bonuses, and $1.37MM in incentives based on playing time and awards, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic New York.
Eagles Eyeing Quarterbacks In Draft?
During the pre-draft process, the Eagles have been doing some due diligence on a number of quarterbacks expected to be late-round selections in the upcoming draft, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports, and he expects the team to come away with one. Mike Kaye of NJ.com examines four potential fits and what the fallout of their selections could mean for the other backup quarterbacks on the roster like Kyle Lauletta and Nate Sudfeld.
While no Day 3 pick would be expected to compete for the team’s starting job, held by Carson Wentz, his extensive injury history makes questions about the team’s backup a particular concern for the defending NFC East champs. Of course, Philly may be less focused on replacing Lauletta and Sudfeld and more so targeting a raw prospect who can develop next season on the team’s practice squad.
The 26-year old Sudfeld is entering his fourth NFL season but has only thrown 25 career passes. Just a 6th round pick out of Indiana in 2016, Sudfeld at one time, developed a decent reputation with some speculating he could be a starter elsewhere down the road. In fact, the Eagles applied a restricted-free agent tender on him just last offseason. However, this year as an unrestricted free agent his market was not quite as lively and he returned on a one-year, $2MM deal.
Lauletta was selected in the 4th round by the Giants in 2018, but general manager Dave Gettleman and co. waived him after just one season on the roster. The Eagles signed him to their practice squad last season, but their long-term vision for his role remains unknown. With such little proven talent behind the oft injured Wentz it makes sense that the team is looking at bringing in some competition.
NFL Draft Virtual Contact Rules
While it is obviously a low priority in the grand scheme of things, the limitations on travel and physical contact have come at an inopportune time for draft prospects and team decision-makers. With the draft still on schedule to take place at the end of April, prospects would normally be traveling around the country to team facilities to conduct in-person workouts, interviews, and physicals. Now that the league has pretty much suspended outside visits, teams are going to have to get creative.
Under the unusual circumstances, the NFL is allowing teams to virtually contact an unlimited number of prospects, at most, three times per week, for one hour, according to Mike Florio of ProFootball Talk. So agents will surely be making sure their clients have the most updated version of Skype and Zoom.
Combine interviews are most notorious for puzzles and mind games that teams will play on prospects. It will be interesting to see if since teams are unable to run prospects through physical workouts more stories begin emerging about creative and unusual ways that some teams might try to use these virtual contact meetings to gauge characteristics in prospects.
Agent Notes: Suh, Thomas, Harris
Here are some updates on a number of players’ representation, all reported by Liz Mullen.
- Ndamukong Suh chose not to sign with an agent prior to his most recent free-agency and instead represented himself when he agreed to a one-year, $8MM deal to stay with the Buccaneers (Twitter link).
- Draft prospect Jeff Thomas, a wide receiver out of Miami, has decided to change his representation as we approach the home stretch to the draft. Instead of going forward with First Round Management LLC, he will be represented by Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey at Rosenhaus Sports (Twitter link).
- Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris re-signed with the team on a one-year deal worth up to $3.25MM. However, that did not come before a recent game of musical chairs representing Harris. Ryan Williams of A1 NFL negotiated his re-up in Denver, but he had switched from the National Sports Agency to Rosenhaus Sports in January (Twitter link).
AFC Notes: Campbell, Patriots and Jets Cap
Many in and around the league were shocked that the Ravens were able to acquire defensive lineman Calais Campbell from the Jaguars for just a fifth-round pick. Baltimore had limited cap space entering the offseason, but decided the value was too good to let the opportunity to add Campbell go. However, it appears Campbell had his eyes set on the Ravens as well. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Campbell agreed to take less money from Baltimore than he would have received elsewhere because he believed the organization is well equipped to win moving forward.
Here are some more notes from around the AFC:
- Mike Reiss of ESPN details the Patriots salary cap situation in his weekly quick hits piece. Reiss notes that with at least 20 roster spots left to fill, more than $25MM in dead money on the books for next season, and nearly zero remaining cap space remaining, the team will likely need to make some cap-saving move (whether through an extension, pay-cut, or release). Most notably, New England’s strapped cap situation makes it hard to envision them finding a way to add a free agent quarterback like Cam Newton or Jameis Winston.
- Like New England, the Jets have very little cap flexibility remaining for this offseason. However, unlike their division-rival, New York is gearing up to be a major player in next year’s free agency, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The majority of the Jets spending this offseason has been on one-year deals once they missed out on their top targets and now the team is set to have more than $80MM in cap space (per Over the Cap estimates).
Tony Boselli Hospitalized With COVID-19
Bleacher Report NFL columnist Mike Freeman has been keeping close tabs on those tied to the NFL who are dealing with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier Saturday afternoon, Freeman reported (via Twitter) that former Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli had been hospitalized with COVID-19. Freeman followed up, adding the 47-year old Boselli was first placed in the intensive care unit, but appeared to improve and was receiving treatment elsewhere.
Boselli was the second overall pick in the 1995 draft by Jacksonville where he would spend the entirety of his seven-year career. While his career was cut short, Boselli still managed to receive five Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections during his playing career. In fact, Boselli has been on the preliminary nominees’ list for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on every cycle since 2009.
Hopefully, Boselli can serve as a reminder to anyone continuing to take the current public health situation lightly. Everyone needs to do everything they can to help minimize their risk of contracting and spreading the virus. Negligence from public officials and people will get people hospitalized and potentially killed. At this point, many more people (in the NFL and otherwise) are going to contract the virus and face dire health circumstances, but if everyone takes responsibility for what they can control we can hopefully minimize the toll of this crisis from becoming worse than our negligence has already made it.
We at PFR join everyone in wishing Boselli and all those dealing with severe cases of COVID-19 the best in their fights.
Seahawks To Sign Chance Warmack
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks and guard Chance Warmack have come to terms on an agreement. Warmack, a first-round pick out of Alabama in the 2013 NFL Draft, once was one of the best young guards in the league but has only played 7 snaps over the past two seasons. The deal spans one season, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN (via Twitter).
The tenth overall selection by the Titans, Warmack immediately entered Tennessee’s starting lineup and graded as a well-above-average guard (per Pro Football Focus) for the first three seasons of his career. However, the combination of injuries and poor play quickly derailed a once-promising career.
After a difficult 2016 season, the Titans declined Warmack’s fifth-year option. When he became a free agent, the Eagles gave Warmack an opportunity, but he failed to replicate his early-career success and was relegated to backup duty. The Seahawks, whose struggles along the offensive line have been well documented, will surely give Warmack a chance to regain his old form.
Patriots To Sign Brandon Copeland
Linebacker Brandon Copeland has come to an agreement with the Patriots on a one-year deal, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. Copeland can receive up to $1.1MM in the deal, according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan.
Over his four-year career, Copeland has split his time with the Lions and Jets. While he has only started 14 games over his four-year career (10 of which came in 2018), he has appeared in 60 games accruing 107 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks.
In 2019, with the Jets, Copeland received a 58.6 player grade from Pro Football Focus, which was the 49th highest grade of 89 qualified linebackers.
Patriots To Sign Brian Hoyer
The Patriots will once again reunite with quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. While Hoyer immediately becomes the most experienced signal-caller in Foxborough, it remains difficult to envision him entering the season as the team’s starter. NFL Insider Adam Caplan added that the deal is worth $2MM for one season and is fully guaranteed.
Hoyer was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State by the Patriots in 2008 before he was released in 2012. After stints with the Steelers and Cardinals, Hoyer found his first extended playing time with the Browns. Over a couple of seasons in Cleveland, Hoyer started 16 games in which the team went 10-6.
Of course, when the Browns decided to go in a direction, Hoyer went on to play with the Texans, Bears, and 49ers before rejoining the Patriots for 2017 and 2018. Last offseason Hoyer signed with the Colts and became the primary backup to Jacoby Brissett in the 2019 season. Now, Hoyer will be in a familiar situation but will be there for the first time without Tom Brady in New England.
Contract Details: Lawson, Trufant, Shelton, Witten,
Kyler Fackrell (Giants), One year, $4.6MM, $3.5MM guaranteed, base salary 2020: $2.6MM, $2MM roster bonus, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
Antonio Hamilton (Chiefs), One year, $1.047MM, $887.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910k ($750k guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Shaq Lawson (Dolphins), Three years, $30MM, $21MM guaranteed, $4MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $6.4MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $7.9MM (fully guaranteed), 2022: $8.9MM; $2.5MM fully guaranteed roster bonus in 2020, $100k workout bonus in 2020-2021, potential $2MM in annual incentives, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
John Miller (Panthers), One year, $4MM, $2MM guaranteed, $2MM signing bonus; salary 2020: $1.79MM; $160k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Danny Shelton (Lions), Two years, $8MM, $4MM guaranteed, $2.5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $1.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $4MM, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
Desmond Trufant (Lions), Two years, $20MM, $14MM guaranteed, $5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $4.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $9.5MM ($4.5MM guaranteed for injury at signing); $500k in annual per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jihad Ward (Ravens), One year, $1.047MM, $637.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910,000 ($500,000 guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jaylen Watkins (Texans), Two years, $3MM, $300k guaranteed, $300k guaranteed; salaries 2020: $1.1MM, 2021: $1.4MM; 200k first-game roster bonus in 2020, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jason Witten (Raiders), One year, $4MM, $3.5MM guaranteed; salary 2020: $3.5MM (fully guaranteed); $500k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.