Jets Sign WR Chris Hogan
The Jets are adding a veteran to their WR corps. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Gang Green is signing 32-year-old wideout Chris Hogan (Twitter link).
New York is quite familiar with Hogan, who started seeing regular playing time with the division-rival Bills in 2014 and who became a key piece of the Patriots’ offense after New England signed him away from Buffalo in 2016 as a restricted free agent.
During his three-year tenure with the Pats — which included two Super Bowl wins — Hogan averaged a regular-season slash of 36/550/4 and averaged over 15 yards per catch (including a league-best 17.9 figure in 2016). He was equally valuable in the playoffs, recording 34 catches for 542 yards and four TDs in nine postseason games.
He hooked on with the Panthers last offseason, and while his 2019 campaign was largely ruined by injury, he could still be an important contributor for the Jets. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes, promising but raw second-round rookie Denzel Mims is battling a hamstring injury, and beyond Breshad Perriman and slot man Jamison Crowder, the team’s receiver depth chart is incredibly thin.
This will sort of complete Hogan’s tour of the AFC East. In addition to his stints with the Bills and Patriots, Hogan, a 2011 UDFA out of Monmouth, spent some time on the Dolphins’ practice squad in the early part of his career.
Washington QB Alex Smith Activated
One of the most remarkable comebacks in NFL history is complete. Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has been activated off the PUP list and will return to the field, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic was the first to report (via Twitter). The team formally announced the move this morning.
By now, most NFL fans know the story. Smith, whom Washington acquired in a trade with the Chiefs in January 2018 and subsequently signed to a four-year, $94MM extension, broke the tibia and fibula in his right leg during a game against the Texans in November 2018. The injury was gruesome to behold, and its aftermath was even worse.
Smith developed sepsis, and the possibility of amputation was very real. The three-time Pro Bowler even indicated that he feels lucky just to be alive. He ultimately underwent 17 operations but vowed to resume his playing career, though his wife, Elizabeth, has understandably been conflicted on the matter.
But in an Instagram post that preceded Jhabvala’s report, Elizabeth wrote, “Hard work pays off! Lots to celebrate in the Smith house tonight,” and uploaded a video showing Alex’s family spraying him with champagne.
Of course, much has changed since Smith’s injury (aside from his team’s name). Washington was 6-3 and in the thick of the the NFC East race before Smith was hurt, but they ended up 7-9 that season and finished third in the division. They drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 draft to be their QB of the future, and after they limped to a 3-13 record last season, they overhauled their front office and coaching staff, bringing in Ron Rivera as their new field general.
Rivera has previously indicated that Smith would be included in the team’s QB competition if activated, and while it would be surprising to see anyone other than Haskins under center when Week 1 rolls around, it’s clearly unwise to count Smith out. As John Keim of ESPN.com writes, Smith will be on the field when Washington begins full-pad work on Tuesday.
Now 36, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 draft will, if nothing else, provide invaluable veteran mentorship for Haskins and Kyle Allen. Smith will carry a $21.4MM cap charge in 2020, but Washington can release him after the season for some significant cap relief. He is due to count $24.4MM against the cap in 2021, but his dead cap hit drops to $10.8MM.
Falcons Sign Luke Stocker
Free agent tight end Luke Stocker is expected to rejoin the Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Stocker took a visit with the club earlier this week.
The 32-year-old spent the first 6+ years of his career with the Bucs, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. During that time, he played under Dirk Koetter, the former Tampa head coach who became the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2019, which may be what brought Stocker to Atlanta on a two-year deal last offseason.
But the Falcons released Stocker in March, right before the team completed a trade with the Ravens for fellow TE Hayden Hurst. Hurst sits atop the team’s depth chart now that Austin Hooper has moved on to the Browns, but aside from the Hurst deal, Atlanta did not do much to add to the tight end position, so it circled back to a familiar face.
Stocker has always been more of a blocker than a receiver, and he has also spent time at fullback. He caught just eight passes for 53 yards last year, and with Hurst slated to get the targets that went Hooper’s way, it’s unlikely that he will see much of an uptick in the receiving game. But he provides experience and depth that the Falcons are lacking at tight end, so it’s a good fit for both sides.
Chiefs Sign Travis Kelce To Extension
Hours after the 49ers and tight end George Kittle agreed to a record-breaking extension, the Chiefs agreed to a new deal with their own stud TE, Travis Kelce. It’s a four-year, $57.25MM deal with $28MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). On Friday morning, the Chiefs officially announced Kelce’s new contract.
Kelce was already under club control through 2021, and the extension will be added onto that pact, keeping the five-time Pro Bowler with Kansas City through 2025, his age-36 season. He will not take home any new money this year, as Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, but he will be due a sizable guaranteed roster bonus early next year. The Chiefs, of course, authorized a historic ten-year contract for QB Patrick Mahomes just last month, so the league’s premier QB-TE combo will have a chance to bring home several more Lombardi Trophies before their time together is up.
Selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, Kelce began to make his mark in his sophomore campaign, recording 67 catches for 862 yards and five scores. He followed that up with a similarly productive 2015 season, which culminated in his first Pro Bowl appearance. KC rewarded him with a five-year, $46MM extension that today’s deal builds on, and that’s when Kelce really took off.
He has recorded four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, the first tight end to ever accomplish that feat, and he has earned two First Team All-Pro nods during that time. He and Mahomes have been nothing short of dominant, and with Kelce creating mismatches down the seams and over the middle, speed merchants like wide receiver Tyreek Hill have had even more room to run.
Though the Chiefs suffered a difficult loss in the AFC Championship Game following the 2018 season, they won it all last year, with Kelce catching 19 balls for 207 yards and four TDs in the team’s three-game postseason jaunt through the Super Bowl. If they go back-to-back in 2020, as many are predicting, Kelce will be a big reason why.
The Cincinnati product did not quite match Kittle’s $15MM AAV, but he is also four years older than Kittle, is not called upon to block as much, and has already earned a boatload of money in his playing career. At this point, he is just trying to add more to his Hall of Fame resume, and he is in a great spot to do just that.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that Kelce and the Chiefs were on the verge of a long-term accord (Twitter link).
Dak Prescott Expects To Remain With Cowboys Long-Term
After more than a year of rumors regarding an extension for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, the two sides were ultimately unable to come to terms prior to the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players. So Prescott will play out the 2020 season on the tag, and the rumor mill will start churning again in 2021.
However, both player and team have no doubt that Prescott will remain Dallas’ starting signal-caller for the foreseeable future. As Prescott said yesterday, he always dreamed of playing for the Cowboys and continues to expect that he will retire as a member of the team (video link via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “I believe something will get done,” he said (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News).
Likewise, team VP Stephen Jones said he is “more convinced than ever” that a long-term deal will come together (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News). Jones noted that the financial uncertainty created by the pandemic played a part in the failure to hammer out an extension, as did the length of the contract.
That last part is noteworthy. While we had heard for some time that the Cowboys were pushing for a five-year pact and Prescott was angling for a four-year term, a report surfaced immediately after the July 15 deadline suggesting that Prescott wanted to accept Dallas’ final offer, a five-year proposal featuring $110MM in guarantees and $70MM in cash flow over the first two seasons. But that report, from Jane Slater of NFL.com, was refuted by Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, who said the two sides were never closer to an agreement than they were in September 2019.
Assuming the Cowboys and Prescott do get a deal done next year, Dallas brass may regret not finalizing matters last September. A deal then would not have cost Dallas more than $35MM in terms of AAV — and possibly a little less — but Prescott’s projected franchise tag number in 2021 sits at ~$38MM, so that will likely be the starting point for negotiations next year. Plus, while Prescott cannot make a case to land a deal like the one Patrick Mahomes just got from the Chiefs — which seems like an outlier in terms of structure anyway — a Deshaun Watson re-up with the Texans could push Prescott’s asking price even higher.
And with the salary cap likely to decrease in 2021, the Cowboys may have some tough choices to make with respect to the rest of their roster in order to keep Prescott in the fold.
Bills, LT Dion Dawkins Agree To Extension
The Bills and left tackle Dion Dawkins have agreed to terms on a four-year, $60MM extension, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the pact includes $34MM in guaranteed money.
Dawkins was under club control through 2020, the last year of his rookie contract, and as Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes, the extension will be tacked onto the preexisting deal (Twitter link). So the 2017 second-rounder is now tethered to Buffalo through the 2024 season.
In a recent full-length piece, Buscaglia mentioned Dawkins as a potential franchise tag candidate next offseason, so the Bills will be happy to avoid the protracted negotiations and salary cap uncertainty that discussions with tagged players often engender. And while Dawkins has yet to make a Pro Bowl, he is already a solid starter with room to grow, so the $15MM AAV — which is presently the fifth-highest figure on the LT market — feels like a reasonable price.
The Temple product is often lauded for his athleticism, which makes him an especially valuable protector for QB Josh Allen, whose mobility is one of his defining characteristics. Dawkins graded out as a top-30 tackle in 2019 per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, which praised his pass-blocking ability but indicated that he has a little work to do with his run-blocking. On the other hand, his receiving skills are first-rate for a big man, as he has two receiving TDs to his credit.
Dawkins is a member of the first draft class for HC Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane, and he is the first player from that class to sign an extension. With his deal in the books, the club may start exploring new contracts for other 2021 free agents, like linebacker Matt Milano.
McDermott, of course, just signed an extension of his own yesterday, and Beane is in line for one soon. Those two have built a strong foundation in western New York, and Dawkins is a big part of it.
P.J. Hall To Sign With Texans
The Texans are signing defensive tackle P.J. Hall, per NFL insider Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Hall took a visit with Houston several days ago.
The 2018 second-round choice of the Raiders had an interesting odyssey on the league transaction wire earlier this month. Las Vegas was prepared to cut Hall, but then the Vikings swooped in with a trade offer, agreeing to send a conditional seventh-round choice to the Raiders in exchange for the Sam Houston State product. But Hall subsequently failed his physical with the Vikings, so he reverted to the Raiders, who promptly waived him.
Apparently, Houston has evaluated Hall and has given him a clean bill of health. The team lost D.J. Reader via free agency and replaced him with second-round rookie Ross Blacklock, so a little more DL depth can’t hurt, especially when it comes via a young player with a good draft pedigree like Hall.
Hall started in 12 of his 16 games last year, finishing out with 26 tackles and 1.5 sacks from the interior. He was pushed out of the Raiders’ starting lineup by the addition of Maliek Collins.
Latest On Seahawks’ Pass Rush
For months now, the Seahawks have been connected to two of the highest-profile edge defenders on this year’s free agent market, Jadeveon Clowney and Everson Griffen. They were reportedly in on the Griffen sweepstakes, but the longtime Vikings DE opted to sign with the Cowboys, so Seattle is still on the hunt for an experienced pass rusher.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team does have interest in Clay Matthews, who posted six sacks in the first five games of the 2019 season — his first and only year with the Rams — but who suffered a broken jaw in October that derailed his season. Matthews is not as productive as Clowney or Griffen at this stage of his career, but he could still be serviceable as a rotational piece.
However, Rapoport believes the club may circle back to Clowney. The first overall pick of the 2014 draft has had a frustrating offseason, as he did not get offers anywhere close to the $20MM AAV he was seeking, and perhaps his most aggressive suitor, the Browns, now appear to be out of the mix. Rapoport says Clowney has not closed the door on the Seahawks, and the last we heard, the Seahawks had not closed the door on him, so a reunion could still be in the cards.
That is especially true given that the team’s second-round pick, DE Darrell Taylor, is still on the team’s NFI list. Taylor played his final collegiate season at Tennessee with a stress fracture in his shin, and after the season was over, he underwent surgery to have a titanium rod inserted in his leg. His recovery is reportedly going well, but as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk writes, Taylor may be sidelined for another few weeks.
While the Seahawks did add Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa this offseason, bringing back Clowney makes a lot of sense. His first year in the Emerald City could have gone better, but his upside remains sky-high, and at this point, Seattle might be able to get him for something of a bargain.
49ers, TE George Kittle Agree To Extension
The 49ers and tight end George Kittle are in agreement on a five-year, $75MM extension, as Ian Rapoport and Michael Silver of NFL.com report (via Twitter). Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that $30MM is guaranteed at signing — including an $18MM signing bonus — and there are $40MM in total guarantees (Twitter link).
We had been hearing that this deal was expected to come together shortly, and that it would completely reset the tight end market. And it has done just that, as Kittle’s $15MM average annual value far outpaces the $10.5MM figure that Austin Hooper received just this year from the Browns. It also represents something of a halfway point between the former top of the TE market and the top of the WR market.
Still, given Kittle’s dominance as a receiver and blocker, there was plenty of speculation that his payday would come in a little higher. Indeed, some were projecting a six-year pact worth close to $100MM, but the 49ers managed to give out a historic contract while staying in their comfort zone. Kittle’s deal places him 12th among all pass catchers, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), though the guaranteed money is definitely a win for Kittle.
Since 2017, Kittle has recorded 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in his first three seasons. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl bid in 2019 and his first (but probably not only) First Team All-Pro selection. The advanced metrics love him just as much, as the Iowa product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated player at any position last year.
In short, the 26-year-old (27 in October) has established himself as one of the best offensive weapons in the game, and with WR1 Deebo Samuel expected to miss time with a foot injury, San Francisco may be leaning on Kittle even more heavily to start the 2020 season. The team may now turn its attention to other 2021 free agents like Kyle Juszczyk and Richard Sherman.
Cowboys Sign Everson Griffen
Not long after the NFL lifted its ban on free agent tryouts, the Cowboys landed one of the biggest names left on the market. As the NFL.com crew of Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Jane Slater were first to report (via Twitter), Dallas is signing longtime Vikings edge defender Everson Griffen.
It will be a one-year deal for Griffen worth up to $6MM. According to Kimberly A. Martin of ESPN.com (via Twitter), $3MM will come in the form of a base salary, and the remaining $3MM is comprised of roster bonuses. There are no performance-based incentives, but if Griffen suits up for all 16 games, he will pocket $6MM.
The Cowboys have loaded up on defensive firepower this offseason, adding Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Aldon Smith to the front seven. The team did see Robert Quinn defect to the Bears via free agency, but Griffen will replace Quinn for a fraction of the $70MM that the latter will receive over a five-year term with Chicago. Griffen makes an excellent bookend to fellow DE DeMarcus Lawrence, and his presence will allow Dallas to be less reliant on Smith — who hasn’t played since 2015 — and Randy Gregory, who is still seeking reinstatement. The Cowboys seem likely to remain in a 4-3 scheme, with Lawrence and Griffen sandwiching Poe and McCoy as part of a stout, veteran-laden front.
Though we heard back in March that the Cowboys were unlikely to sign Griffen, that was not long after free agency opened, and it could be that Griffen’s price has come down considerably since then. Indeed, Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Dallas has had Griffen on the radar most of the offseason, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com thinks the salary cap space created by Dallas’ COVID-19 opt-outs may have made the team more willing to pull the trigger (Twitter link).
Griffen, 32, boasts 74.5 sacks over his ten seasons with the Vikings, to go along with four Pro Bowl bids. He earned one of those Pro Bowl trips last season in an eight-sack campaign that proved he still has plenty left in the tank.
Minnesota did not do much to bolster its pass rush this offseason, and it was beginning to look like the team would ultimately reunite with Griffen, whose market was seemingly slow to develop. Indeed, Rapoport tweets that the Vikings and the Seahawks were vying for Griffen’s services, but both lost out to Dallas, whose interest had not been publicly reported at all.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune confirms that Minnesota was making a push to re-sign Griffen in recent days, with head coach Mike Zimmer spearheading the sales pitch (Twitter link). The Vikings hoped that Griffen’s familiarity with the only pro team he has ever known, as well as the fact that his permanent home is in Minnesota, would tip the scales in their favor. Though he doesn’t have exact numbers, Darren Wolfson of KSTP says (via Twitter) the Vikes made a competitive offer, but Griffen has elected to start the next chapter of his career in Jerry World.