Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke Does Not Expect To Remain On Roster
When the Falcons made the surprising decision to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, Taylor Heinicke’s hold on a roster spot suddenly became quite tenuous. Before the draft, Heinicke accepted a substantial pay cut to remain on the team as the presumptive backup to marquee free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins, though the Penix pick obviously altered expectations in a big way.
Penix worked with the third-team offense in minicamp, but the Falcons have always expected him to serve as the QB2 behind Cousins this year. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Penix has flashed in the early stages of training camp, and that the club plans to keep two signal-callers on the roster with a third on the taxi squad. As such, Heinicke believes his stay with his hometown team is unlikely to last much longer.
“Yeah, I kind of see the writing on the wall,” Heinicke said after last night’s open practice. “It’s nothing that I haven’t been through before. So, I accept my role in any case. My role, for me, and what I think is to help Kirk any way that I can. If he has any questions. Same thing with Mike. Sometimes the game is fast. Sometimes everything is fast for rookies.”
Heinicke has 29 regular season starts in his NFL career and has compiled a 13-15-1 record. That includes a 1-3 mark with the Falcons last season, when he was promoted to the starting job in the wake of Desmond Ridder’s struggles. He completed 54.4% of his passes for 890 yards and five touchdowns against four picks, which amounts to a subpar quarterback rating of 74.7.
Still, Heinicke is just one year removed from signing a two-year, $14MM contract, a notable deal that underscores his value to an NFL club. While he is obviously not a bonafide QB1, he can at least keep a team afloat for a few games should that team’s starter be forced to miss time.
Ledbetter says Cousins will not take part in any preseason games. He suggests that Penix, Heinicke, and UDFA rookie John Paddock could be utilized in the exhibition contests, but assuming all goes according to plan, Atlanta may ultimately seek to deal Heinicke.
Now that Heinicke’s base salary has been reduced to $1.21MM, the Falcons could theoretically find a taker for an experienced backup on an eminently reasonable contract. The team could also cut Heinicke, but given the minimal cap savings such a transaction would yield, Atlanta may be better served by keeping him on board as a veteran mentor for Penix.
Cowboys Release Gareon Conley; CB Plans To Retire
The Cowboys have released cornerback Gareon Conley, per a team announcement. The club just signed Conley in June in the hopes that the 2017 first-rounder — who last suited up for regular season action in 2019 — could make a comeback in Dallas, where he would be reunited with Paul Guenther (Guenther, currently a Cowboys assistant, was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2018-19, when Conley was a starter for the then-Oakland outfit).
Rather than continue his journey back to an NFL roster, Conley has decided to retire, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, Conley requested his release, and the Cowboys obliged.
Conley, now 29, played in just two games for the Raiders in his rookie season in 2017 due to injury, but he was elevated to the starting lineup the following season, the first year of Jon Gruden‘s second stint with the club. The Ohio State product played reasonably well in his first extensive professional action, earning an average 64.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and accumulating three interceptions — including one pick-six — among 15 passes defensed.
He remained a starter in 2019 and performed at a similar level, which was enough for the Texans to send a third-round choice to the Raiders at that year’s deadline to acquire Conley’s services. However, it was not enough for Houston to exercise his fifth-year option, which turned 2020 into a platform year. Unfortunately, instead of making his case for a lucrative second NFL contract, Conley never got into another meaningful game.
He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in the 2020 offseason, and though he was medically cleared to return to practice that August, he landed on IR before the season started. As it turned out, the ordinarily minor procedure led to unexpected complications, and Conley eventually required another surgery.
Conley filed a grievance against the Texans stemming from his medical issues, a matter that was recently settled for $100K. He officially exits the game after having played in just 31 contests (26 starts), though he did earn $10.5MM over the life of his rookie deal.
We at PFR wish Conley the best in retirement.
Eagles’ James Bradberry Suggested Move To Safety, Discusses Roster Status
Back in March, we learned that the Eagles were planning to retain cornerback James Bradberry, who is under club control through 2025. However, in light of Bradberry’s struggles in 2023, the additions of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the draft, and the reinstatement of Isaiah Rodgers from a gambling suspension, Bradberry’s place on the roster does not seem to be a sure thing.
Bradberry, who is entering his age-31 season, yielded a massive 114.3 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 100th-best corner out of 127 qualified players. It had been reported that Philadelphia was toying with the idea of moving the 2020 Pro Bowler to safety on a full-time basis, and we now know that the player himself suggested the change.
When speaking to reporters at training camp this week, Bradberry said, “of course, I didn’t have the best season. Going into my ninth year, I know they signed Isaiah Rodgers as well. Of course, he wasn’t able to participate at the time when I requested [the move to safety] but I knew eventually, he was probably going to end up being on the team. We had a lot of young guys at corner in the room anyways, feel like it was lighter at safety” (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
Bradberry approached DC Vic Fangio about the move to safety, and Fangio was receptive, although the celebrated defensive mind cautioned that the cornerback-to-safety transition is not necessarily as seamless as many believe. And while the Eagles do indeed have a number of young CBs on the roster, a starting safety job is not presently available, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship entrenched in the first-team roles.
As Zangaro observes, Bradberry has been taking reps as a second-team safety in camp. He has spoken with GM Howie Roseman, and though he would naturally prefer to start somewhere, he has not requested a trade.
“Nah, I was going to let Howie handle that,” Bradberry said. “We had a conversation and right now, I’m still on the team. And while I’m still on the team, I’m going to try to find my role. If they want to get rid of me, they’re going to get rid of me.”
He further acknowledged the uncertainty of his 2024 home by adding, “I’m on the team right now so I’m taking it day by day. In the NFL, you never know. I could be traded, I could not be traded. I’m preparing for anything.”
The Eagles may prefer to keep Bradberry to see if he can adapt to the safety position and perhaps make himself useful as a multipurpose defensive back in a Fangio defense that prizes versatility, especially since his trade value is likely quite low (and Bradberry was, after all, a Second Team All-Pro in 2022). If the Eagles were to find a trade partner, they would clear out a minimal $1.21MM in cap space.
DeAndre Hopkins Addresses Future With Titans
After the Cardinals released him in May 2023, five-time Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins remained unsigned for nearly two months. While he garnered plenty of interest, he later acknowledged that his market did not develop as expected in terms of the value of the offers he received, and he ultimately signed a two-year, $26MM contract with the Titans last July.
Prior to last year’s trade deadline, outside interest in Hopkins was reportedly limited, as he had struggled to make much of an impact in the Ryan Tannehill-piloted offense, and other clubs were reluctant to take on the balance of the receiver’s contract. When big-armed rookie Will Levis took over for Tannehill, Hopkins began to find his footing, and while he still slogged through some underwhelming games from a statistical standpoint, he ultimately finished his first Tennessee campaign with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven TDs. His 14.4 yards-per-reception rate was his highest mark since 2017, when he was a First Team All-Pro with the Texans.
It is reasonable to expect an improvement on that showing in 2024, as the Titans have made a concerted effort to support Levis and take pressure off of Hopkins. The club signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason, and while Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine remain on the roster (for now), they will not be relied on as heavily as they were in 2023 given the quality of the offseason additions. Those maneuvers, along with expected growth from Levis, could help Hopkins land another big-money deal in the near future, even though he turned 32 in June.
If he had his druthers, Hopkins would prefer that his next contract come from the Titans. During his media availability at training camp last week, Hopkins spoke about owner Amy Adams Strunk and the franchise as a while.
“I love Tennessee, and I love what Miss Amy is doing,” Hopkins said (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website). “I think this is the happiest I’ve been in any organization, so let that speak for itself. (I like) how Miss Amy runs things. It’s a great place to be. She is putting pieces together to try and win, and it’s exciting.”
It does not sound as if negotiations between player and team have taken place, though there have been some internal discussions among Tennessee decision-makers.
“He’s one of the guys that’s on our team, and we’ve talked about a number of guys on the team to have those conversations,” GM Ran Carthon said of Hopkins. “And so D Hop knows how we feel about him, and I think that’s a big thing, especially for a veteran at this stage of his career. I think the way he’s shown up here, the way he’s bought into a new staff, kind of shows how he feels about us and what we have going.”
Obviously, those comments do not make it sound as if a new deal is imminent, and Carthon may wait until the 2025 offseason to evaluate Hopkins’ future with the team. Still, it appears that the club has reciprocated, at least to some degree, Hopkins’ interest in extending the relationship.
Due to the void years present in Hopkins’ current contract, the Titans would be saddled with a roughly $6MM dead money charge if they do not re-sign him.
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce In No Hurry To Name QB1
Once the Raiders exited the 2024 draft without a new quarterback in tow, it became clear that 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell and free agent acquisition Gardner Minshew would compete for the starting job. Despite Minshew’s more extensive experience and the fact that he signed a notable contract with Las Vegas this offseason – two years, $25MM – head coach Antonio Pierce said back in March that the road to the QB1 post would go through O’Connell.
Following mandatory minicamps in June, O’Connell seemingly still had a slight edge over Minshew, with the understanding that training camp would serve as the definitive test. As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the competition between the two passers is real, and O’Connell continues to acquit himself nicely. Per Breer, the second-year pro carried himself like a starter throughout spring practices, played well, and won the trust of the club’s veteran core, including wideout Davante Adams (who appears to have had a say in the Raiders’ 2023 decision to bench veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of O’Connell).
That said, Pierce has walked back his March comments just a bit, noting that there is not yet a leader in the Minshew-O’Connell race and that he is not in a hurry to name a starter.
Pierce said he would make his decision, “when it’s right, when it’s obvious…[when] it’s a no-brainer. No need to rush it. But when it’s clear, when it’s evident, then you need to make that decision” (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez).
Obviously, those comments offer nothing by way of a timeframe, and it is fair to expect the competition to carry over into the preseason slate. In the meantime, Minshew and O’Connell will presumably continue splitting first-team reps.
O’Connell, who will turn 26 before the start of the 2024 campaign, struggled with turnovers early in his time at the helm in 2023 before settling down in that regard; over the course of his final six games, he posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Raiders relied on a ground-heavy attack during that time, but the Purdue alum offered enough to suggest he could develop into a starting-caliber option. Increasing his 202 passing yards per game average to an extent would be necessary to achieve that, of course.
The 28-year-old Minshew, by contrast, is more of a known commodity. The former Jaguar and Eagle joined the Colts last offseason to reunite with Shane Steichen, who served as Minshew’s offensive coordinator in Philadelphia over the 2021-22 seasons before accepting Indianapolis’ HC post in February 2023. That move proved to be an important one for player and team alike since Anthony Richardson spent much of his rookie campaign on the sidelines due to injury. Minshew logged 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,305 yards last season, nearly leading Indianapolis to a postseason berth and earning a Pro Bowl invite in the process.
In the poll of PFR readership that we published earlier this month, nearly two-thirds of the voters predicted that Minshew would win the starting gig.
Steelers GM Omar Khan On Trade For WR: “Nothing Ongoing Right Now”
While the Steelers have a talented young pass catcher at the top of their WR depth chart in the form of George Pickens, the team would surely like to add an established wideout to play opposite Pickens outside the numbers. Offseason acquisition Van Jefferson is presently the favorite to fill that role, though the fact that he was signed via the veteran salary benefit supports the notion that he was originally viewed as a depth piece (as our Sam Robinson wrote at the time of the signing).
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic said last month that it would demonstrate “a lack of awareness and urgency if [the Steelers] don’t add a legit No. 2 [wide receiver] before the season starts.” Since Kaboly penned that opinion, however, Pittsburgh has not made any additions to its cadre of receivers, and it does not sound as if a trade is in the offing.
Just a couple of days ago, GM Omar Khan said that there’s “nothing ongoing right now,” with respect to a wide receiver trade, as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor relays. The Steelers were reportedly interested in the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel this offseason, and with Samuel’s teammate Brandon Aiyuk having formally requested a trade and staging a hold-in, plenty of speculation has swirled around a potential Aiyuk fit in Pittsburgh as well (indeed, Aiyuk himself suggested that the Steelers are one of three teams he could envision himself playing for in 2024).
At this point in the calendar, a trade is the only sure way to land a legitimate starting talent at most positions. The free agent market for receivers is topped by Hunter Renfrow (who is more of a slot option) and Michael Thomas (who has not turned in a healthy, productive season since 2019). Obviously, a trade can come together at any time, so the fact that Khan is not in active discussions with other clubs right now does not mean that Pittsburgh will enter the season without a more intriguing option to line up across from Pickens.
Until that happens, Jefferson will continue trying to fend off the likes of Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller, and Marquez Callaway. Third-round rookie Roman Wilson and 2022 fourth-rounder Calvin Austin III are the top competitors for reps in the slot.
Community Tailgate: Where Will Ryan Tannehill Sign?
Ryan Tannehill is easily the most accomplished quarterback remaining on the free agent market, though only the Steelers have been connected to him in any meaningful way this offseason. After Pittsburgh added Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as part of their QB overhaul, the only other report concerning Tannehill was one indicating the Broncos were not interested in him. The 2019 Pro Bowler has not suggested he has any plans to retire, and as training camps open up around the league, it is worth taking a look at some of his likeliest landing spots.
Tannehill, who will turn 36 in less than a week, revived his career in Tennessee after injuries torpedoed the final three years of his Miami tenure. The Dolphins traded him to the Titans in March 2019, and he took over for a struggling Marcus Mariota in Week 6 of the 2019 campaign. From that point through the end of the 2022 season, Tannehill compiled a 30-13 regular season record and led Tennessee to three consecutive playoff berths.
Unfortunately, that is when injuries once again began to take their toll. Tannehill was limited to 12 games in 2022, and after suffering an ankle sprain in Week 6 of the 2023 season, he lost his starting job to Will Levis. With Tennessee now looking to give Levis a chance to prove he can be the team’s franchise passer, Tannehill is looking for a new employer.
In Tannehill’s case, everything old could be new again, as the Dolphins profile as a logical fit for their former first-round pick. While the ‘Fins obviously have Tua Tagovailoa entrenched as their QB1, the southpaw comes with his own share of health concerns, and his current backups are Mike White and Skylar Thompson, who have nine career regular season starts between them. Tannehill would give an otherwise talented roster a legitimate chance to win in the event Tagovailoa is forced to miss time with injury, and he would be a natural fit in Mike McDaniel’s offense. Plus, he would not need to carry the team on his back; he would merely need to competently deliver the ball to the club’s bevy of skill position talent.
Like the Dolphins, the Chargers might have a playoff-worthy roster with starting quarterback Justin Herbert under center, but all of that talent would be wasted if Herbert is lost for a significant period of time. With all due apologies to Easton Stick and Max Duggan, Tannehill would represent a clear and obvious upgrade to the Bolts’ quarterback room, and the team’s presumptive run-heavy approach under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman would mimic the Derrick Henry-centered attack that allowed Tannehill to thrive in Nashville.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, were in something of a rebuilding/retooling phase at this time last year, and they were content to have Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask go into training camp in a battle for starting QB duties. But now that Mayfield has reestablished himself as a viable QB1 and is coming off a divisional round playoff appearance, Tampa Bay is eyeing another postseason run. Although the Bucs have always spoken highly of Trask since they selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft, they may prefer a more experienced option in the event Mayfield should get hurt or should experience the type of regression that ultimately ended his Cleveland tenure.
The Rams, a surprise entrant in the 2023 playoff field who were narrowly defeated by the Lions in the wildcard round, did sign a veteran passer this offseason to serve as a backup to starter Matthew Stafford. Free agent acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo, however, has an extensive injury history and will miss the first two games of the 2024 season due to a PED suspension. Behind him on the depth chart is Stetson Bennett, a 2023 fourth-rounder who saw no action in his rookie season. While Garoppolo’s presence likely precludes a Tannehill signing for now, that could change if Garoppolo should struggle in camp or if he sustains another injury.
Again, Tannehill has not been formally connected to any of the above-named teams, so it is difficult to guess where he might land. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Dolphins To Host Emmanuel Ogbah
In the wake of Shaquil Barrett‘s surprising retirement announcement, the Dolphins could be reuniting with a familiar face. As the NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports, Miami will host free agent edge defender Emmanuel Ogbah tomorrow.
Ogbah, 30, was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2016 draft. He played in Cleveland for three seasons and was traded to the Chiefs during the 2019 offseason. After one injury-shortened year in KC, he signed a two-year, $15MM contract with the Dolphins in March 2020.
His first two years in South Beach were the best of his career, as the Nigerian defender tallied nine sacks and over 20 QB hits in each campaign and parlayed that success into a four-year, $65.4MM deal in March 2022. Unfortunately, a torn triceps sustained midway through the 2022 season altered Ogbah’s career trajectory, as he ultimately suited up for just nine games that year and played in just 25% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps last season.
The cap-strapped Miami outfit released Ogbah in February, and although he managed to record 5.5 sacks in his limited action in 2023, there were no reports of interest in him before today. Still, with Barrett no longer in the fold and with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb recovering from major injuries, the ‘Fins certainly need a veteran reinforcement or two, and Ogbah fits the bill.
There are a few other rotational types on the market, including players like Carl Lawson and Markus Golden. The Dolphins have the cap space to add some free agent talent, as they are expected to recover Barrett’s $5.5MM signing bonus and $6.8MM cap hit.
Chiefs Place Justin Reid On NFI List
The Chiefs have placed safety Justin Reid on the non-football injury list, per Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. Fortunately, the situation does not sound overly serious, as Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride notes that Reid is day-to-day with a quad injury.
Reid, a third-round pick of the Texans in 2018, played out his four-year rookie contract with Houston and signed a three-year, $31.5MM deal with the Chiefs in 2022. He has served as a full-time defensive starter since then, racking up 178 tackles and 14 pass deflections along the way while helping the team win consecutive Super Bowls.
Interestingly, a report from last month indicated that Kansas City plans on using him (rather than kicker Harrison Butker) on kickoffs. Thanks to the much-discussed rule changes concerning kickoffs, more returns are expected to take place in 2024, so adding a defender to the coverage team would provide an upgrade in terms of tackling compared to kickers. That is the thought process behind the projected move, and Reid is not entirely unfamilar with the kicking game; in Week 1 of the 2022 season, he handled kickoffs and two extra point attempts (converting one) in relief of an injured Butker.
Teams are generally hesitant to deploy an important offensive or defensive starter on special teams because they don’t want that player getting injured in the game’s third phase, though the Chiefs did add Jaden Hicks in the fourth round of this year’s draft as insurance for Reid. And despite Kansas City’s overall strong defensive showing in 2023, Reid himself regressed a bit, finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 79th-best safety out of 95 qualifiers thanks in large part to a poor 51.8 coverage grade.
Although the prognosis is a good one, any kind of absence could affect the Chiefs’ special teams plans, as Reid will likely need plenty of time to get acclimated to his new kickoff duties.
Packers’ Javon Bullard In “Pole Position” For Starting Safety Job
The Packers completely overhauled their safety depth chart this offseason, parting ways with the three safeties that started the most games for them in 2023 – Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens, and Rudy Ford – while giving Xavier McKinney the most lucrative contract of any safety on the free agent market (four years, $68MM). Green Bay also added Georgia product Javon Bullard in the second round of this year’s draft, and as Matt Schneidman of The Athletic writes, Bullard is in “pole position” to land a starting job alongside McKinney (subscription required).
This echoes a report from last month that suggested Bullard and fellow second-round rookie Edgerrin Cooper had performed well in spring practices and had put themselves firmly in the mix for first-team action. Cooper, the first middle linebacker taken in the 2023 draft, appears poised to start next to Quay Walker in the second level of the Packers’ defense.
The veteran safety market has started to move a bit in recent weeks, with the likes of John Johnson, Jamal Adams, and Eddie Jackson securing new deals. There are a number of notable names still available, Justin Simmons and Quandre Diggs among them (Ford also remains unsigned). It seems, however, that the Packers will evaluate their current crop of talent in training camp before making any outside additions.
Assuming no such additions are made, Bullard will have to fend off two other 2024 draftees: fourth-round choice Evan Williams and fifth-rounder Kitan Oladapo. Oladapo, who broke the big toe on his left foot at this year’s scouting combine, has been placed on the NFI list and has not taken part in any offseason workouts, so he will be starting from behind whenever he is medically cleared.
The team is also rostering Anthony Johnson Jr., a 2023 seventh-rounder. Johnson appeared in 12 games (four starts) in his rookie campaign, and he was on the field for over 300 defensive snaps. He did record an interception and three passes defensed, but he generally exhibited the growing pains expected of a Day 3 choice in his first NFL season, and Pro Football Focus considered him the fifth-worst safety in the league among 95 qualified players.
Bullard could also see action at nickel, thereby allowing DC Jeff Hafley the opportunity to mix and match his young crop of defensive backs. The group will be tasked with maintaining or improving upon the performance of their predecessors, as the Pack yielded the ninth-fewest passing yards per game in 2023.