Dolphins Interested In George Fant, Unlikely To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Austin Jackson, Noah Igbinoghene
Towards the end of February, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote that the Dolphins are unlikely to exercise the fifth-year option on right tackle Austin Jackson. In the ensuing weeks, there has been nothing to suggest that the ‘Fins are reconsidering that stance.
Indeed, as Barry Jackson tweeted on Friday, Miami has shown interest in free agent tackle George Fant, lending credence to previous reports that the club is expected to bring in competition for Austin Jackson. That also represents the first reported interest in Fant since free agency opened several days ago.
Austin Jackson, the No. 18 overall pick of the 2020 draft, has yet to live up to his first-round billing. Miami hoped that the USC product would become its long-term answer at left tackle, but in 13 games (12 starts) at the position in his rookie year, Jackson largely struggled. While he got some run at LT in his second professional season, most of his snaps came at left guard, with similarly mediocre results. He then opened the 2022 campaign as the Dolphins’ starting right tackle before suffering an ankle injury in Week 1 that essentially wiped out his season (he wound up playing in just two contests and 84 total snaps).
It comes as little surprise, then, that Miami would decline to exercise Jackson’s fifth-year option, which would lock in a fully-guaranteed $14.2MM salary for 2024. It is equally unsurprising that the team would seek to bring in competition for the RT job.
Fant, who is entering his age-31 season, signed a three-year contract with the Jets in 2020. He spent most of his first year in New York at right tackle, with generally uninspiring results. However, when he was moved to left tackle out of necessity in 2021, Fant blossomed, and his performance even led to extension talks with Gang Green last year. Unfortunately, he was limited to just eight games in 2022 due to knee trouble, and even when he was on the field, his work was not as strong as it was the season before.
The Dolphins used Greg Little and Brandon Shell as Jackson replacements last year, but both players are also out of contract. It seems Miami wants to see what else is out there, and Fant is someone who can at least provide depth at both tackle spots and who would stand a good chance of opening the season as the club’s starting right tackle.
In related news, it would be “unfathomable” if the Dolphins were to exercise cornerback Noah Igbinoghene‘s fifth-year option (worth $11.5MM) for 2024, per Barry Jackson. Igbinoghene, who was selected twelve picks after Austin Jackson in 2020, is clearly not well-regarded by head coach Mike McDaniel & Co., as he was a healthy scratch for eight games in 2022 even though the Dolphins were without their No. 2 and No. 3 corners (Byron Jones and Nik Needham).
Jones has been released and Needham re-signed over the last week, and the Dolphins of course made a big splash to acquire Jalen Ramsey from the Rams. As it stands, Ramsey and Xavien Howard will operate as Miami’s starting boundary corners, with Kader Kohou and Needham both above Igbinoghene on the depth chart.
Bills, LB Matt Milano Agree To Extension
The Bills have inked linebacker Matt Milano to a two-year extension that will keep Milano under club control through 2026, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The transaction will create $6MM of salary cap relief for cap-strapped Buffalo, with Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reporting that Milano is due to earn $14MM per year over the 2025-26 seasons (Twitter link).
Milano, whom the Bills signed to a four-year, $44MM contract in March 2021, has given the club a good return on its investment. He and Tremaine Edmunds have combined to form one of the league’s top ILB duos, with Milano racking up 86 tackles and three sacks in 2021 en route to a solid 70.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
The 2017 fifth-rounder hit another gear in 2022, notching 99 total tackles and three interceptions — including one pick-six — and earning First-Team All-Pro acclaim for his efforts. He bumped up his PFF grade to 73.2, thanks in large part to his improved work in pass coverage.
Edmunds, whom PFR recently ranked as the ninth-best free agent in this year’s class, is reportedly set to hit the open market despite some discussions about a new contract with the Bills. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears that, even in a crowded linebacker market, Edmunds could be in line for a $20MM/year contract, and he confirms that Edmunds is unlikely to remain in upstate New York even if he does not quite hit his asking price (subscription required).
Buffalo, which already restructured Milano’s contract last offseason for cap purposes, views the 28-year-old as a star at his position, and his presence is one reason why the club is comfortable with letting Edmunds walk. In addition to Edmunds, though, the Bills’ could lose another key member of its top-six defense in safety Jordan Poyer, who should find a robust market for his services.
Milano, at least, will be around for the foreseeable future as GM Brandon Beane tries to retool around him.
Bucs Expected To Pursue QB Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers are expected to pursue free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield when free agency opens this week, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Given its difficult salary cap situation, Tampa Bay is in need of an experienced starting QB option with a fairly low price tag, and Mayfield — whose market value is roughly $6.5MM per year on a two-year contract, per Spotrac — fits that bill.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick of the Browns in the 2018 draft, had an up-and-down tenure in Cleveland. After a promising rookie campaign and a sophomore slump, Mayfield appeared to breakout in 2020 in the offense installed by new head coach Kevin Stefanski. He led the club to an 11-5 record and a playoff victory, throwing for 26 TDs against just eight interceptions and posting a 95.9 quarterback rating. 
However, a regression in 2021 precipitated the Browns’ aggressive pursuit of Deshaun Watson last offseason, and Cleveland ultimately traded Mayfield to the Panthers in July. Though the Oklahoma product beat out Sam Darnold for Carolina’s QB1 post, his time in Charlotte was an unmitigated disaster, and he was waived in December.
Mayfield rebuilt his stock a bit with a decent five-game run with the Rams to close out the 2022 season, though it seems unlikely he will simply be handed a starting job somewhere. In Tampa, he would at least have a real chance to become a starter again, as he would be competing with Kyle Trask, a 2021 second-rounder who has thrown a grand total of nine passes in his pro career.
The Rams’ apparent rebuild has led some to wonder if veteran starter Matthew Stafford would be traded in a cost-cutting move, something which would open the door to Mayfield being able to carry on from where he left off in Los Angeles. GM Les Snead recently made it clear, however, that Stafford is one of a few core players who are likely to be retained over the coming years.
That leaves Mayfield as one of many signal-callers set to hit the open market, one which already features Carson Wentz and Marcus Mariota since they were released by the Commanders and Falcons, respectively. Mayfield joins that pair in terms of highly-drafted QBs who have fallen well short of expectations given their draft stock, but who could still provide some upside under the right circumstances. Other options remain on the table for the Buccaneers, however.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Bucs have interest in not only Mayfield, but Jacoby Brissett and Blaine Gabbert as well (Twitter link). The latter served as Tom Brady‘s backup over the course of their three seasons spent in Tampa, so he would of course be a familiar face if he were to be re-signed. The former had a stint as the Browns’ starter while Watson was suspended in 2022, and will be looking to parlay that into a deal allowing him to compete for playing time.
The Dolphins will not be suitors for Mayfield, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Miami will have Tua Tagovailoa on the books for at least the next two years, since they are picking up his fifth-year option. However, a veteran insurance policy is expected to be a high priority for the Dolphins; their search will lead them away from Mayfield, but he still figures to have suitors aiming to give him an opportunity to resurrect his career.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Vikings Considering Dalvin Cook Trade?
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently stopped short of guaranteeing that RB Dalvin Cook would be back with the team in 2023, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says multiple clubs believe Minnesota has entertained trade discussions on the four-time Pro Bowler (subscription required).
Cook, 27, is under club control through 2025 thanks to the five-year, $63MM extension he signed in September 2020. That accord makes him the fourth-highest-paid RB in the league in terms of AAV, but his production has justified the splurge on a generally devalued position. Over the past four seasons, which all culminated in Pro Bowl acclaim, the Florida State product has averaged 1,256 rushing yards per year while maintaining a YPC rate over 4.6. He has also added roughly 350 receiving yards per season, and he amassed 30 total touchdowns across the 2019-20 campaigns.
On the other hand, the Vikings are in a difficult salary cap situation despite the recent cuts of Cameron Dantzler, Adam Thielen, and Eric Kendricks, and trading Cook would result in a cap savings of nearly $8MM (though it would also come with a dead cap charge of over $6MM). Plus, Cook’s YPC dropped to 4.4 in 2022, which is a solid mark but which nonetheless represents the lowest single-season average of his career. He did suit up for all 18 of Minnesota’s games in 2022 — the first time he ever enjoyed perfect attendance — though he typically misses at least some time due to injury and could be sidelined for much, if not all, of the offseason program and training camp due to shoulder surgery.
Longtime Cook backup, Alexander Mattison, is eligible for free agency for the first time in his career. As Fowler notes, Mattison is in line for a role as a full-time starter somewhere, and that might just be in Minnesota. The 2019 third-rounder would doubtlessly be much less expensive than Cook, but he has shown promise as an understudy and is obviously already familiar with the team’s offense. Fowler reports that the Vikes are indeed attempting to re-sign Mattison.
Cook is the second high-profile, well-compensated back whose name has surfaced in recent trade rumors. Last week, we heard that the Titans were shopping Derrick Henry, though a subsequent report suggested otherwise.
C Ethan Pocic Likely To Return To Browns?
In 2022, the Browns planned to have Nick Harris operate as their starting center, and they added veteran Ethan Pocic on a modest one-year pact as Harris insurance. That turned out to be a savvy acquisition, as Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in August, and Pocic stepped in to start 13 games — he missed a few contests due to a knee ailment of his own — and solidify Cleveland’s O-line.
Pocic, 27, finished the season as the third-best pivot in the league, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That performance put him in line for a big payday when free agency opens this week, with Spotrac suggesting that he could land a four-year deal worth over $7MM per season.
Although Pocic indicated back in December that he would like to re-sign with the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says it recently seemed that the team was more likely to allow him to walk and turn the reins back over to Harris. However, with a number of other quality centers still on track to hit the open market or having been recently added to the market, Pocic could be more affordable than expected. Indeed, Cabot now reports that Pocic is a “good bet” to return to Cleveland.
The Browns ended the 2022 campaign in the middle of the pack in terms of total offense, a ranking they expect to improve with a full season of a less rusty Deshaun Watson under center. The club did boast the sixth-best rushing attack, and while the talents of top RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and the capable legs of quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Watson were doubtlessly the primary reason for that showing, Pocic’s efforts as a run-blocker were also a contributing factor.
Pocic, a 2017 second-round pick of the Seahawks, played most of his snaps at guard over his first few professional seasons, and he largely struggled there. He established himself as a credible starting center over the 2020-21 seasons in Seattle, though his improvement did not generate much of a market last March. Under the tutelage of renowned OL coach Bill Callahan in Cleveland, Pocic finally lived up to his draft status, and it appears the Browns will be able to bring him back and maintain some consistency in the middle of their line.
Bills, Bengals, Jets Interested In RB Jamaal Williams
Running back Jamaal Williams would like to return to the Lions, and the team would like to have him back. However, it appears that Detroit will have competition for Williams’ services.
Per Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com, the Bills, Bengals, and Jets are all interested in Williams, who will turn 28 in April and who is due to hit the free agent market on the heels of a 2022 campaign in which he led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns (Twitter link). His YPC rate of 4.1 was solid, if unspectacular, and he did not make much of an impact in the passing game (12 catches for 73 yards). Backfield mate D’Andre Swift is the more dynamic receiver, and the Lions utilized him accordingly.
Even if he is not an every-down player, Williams can be a quality addition to just about any rushing attack, particularly if he is deployed in conjunction with a shiftier, outside-the-tackles player. As Dunne observes (via Twitter), the Bills have invested a great deal of draft capital in the RB position in recent years, selecting Devin Singletary (third round, 2019), Zack Moss (third round, 2020), and James Cook (second round, 2022). Moss, though, was traded to the Colts in a deadline deal that brought fellow RB Nyheim Hines to Buffalo, and Singletary is, like Williams, days away from free agency.
After a promising rookie season, Cook could be poised to take on more of a workload in 2023, and the Bills should make more use of Hines, who saw just 66 offensive snaps in nine games with the club. Williams’ physical presence and abilities in short-yardage and goal-line situations would nicely complement the skillsets of Cook and Hines, but with limited cap space, Buffalo may not be able to afford a player like Williams that would represent more of a luxury than a need.
The Jets hope to have Breece Hall back at the top of their RB dept chart in 2023, and while Hall expects to be ready for Week 1 after his terrific debut campaign was cut short by an ACL tear, a proven performer like Williams would allow Gang Green to ease Hall back into action. New York does have 2022 UDFA Zonovan Knight and 2021 fourth-rounder Michael Carter under contract, though both players posted a disappointing 3.5 yards-per-carry average last season.
Meanwhile, the Bengals’ reported interest is notable in light of recent reports suggesting that Joe Mixon‘s days in Cincinnati could be numbered. Mixon has not been particularly impressive from a YPC standpoint since 2018, and the team could save over $7MM by releasing him. However, with the Bengals eyeing another deep postseason run in 2023, it is perhaps more likely that Williams would take over Samaje Perine‘s role as Mixon’s running mate should Cincinnati go that route.
Spotrac estimates that Williams can command a two-year contract worth a little over $4MM per year.
Ravens Strongly Considering Non-Exclusive Tag For QB Lamar Jackson
Last month, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that there is a very real possibility that the Ravens use the non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson. Today, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that Baltimore has strongly considered that option, and several rival executives believe it makes the most sense for the club (subscription required).
The benefits of the non-exclusive tag are obvious. There is, of course, the considerable difference in price between the non-exclusive tag ($32.4MM) and exclusive tag ($45MM). Plus, player and team have been negotiating for a long time, and it is unclear whether any real progress has been made. By utilizing the non-exclusive tag, the Ravens would effectively be allowing other teams to do their negotiating for them, and they may feel confident that no other club is willing to give Jackson the fully-guaranteed contract he has been seeking. If they are correct in that regard, then they would be able to simply match an offer sheet and keep the 2019 MVP in the fold.
By the same token, allowing Jackson to speak with other clubs allows Baltimore to maintain neutrality should the two sides part ways, as Fowler posits. And, in the event that the Ravens choose not to match an offer sheet, they would obtain two first-round picks and would clear up a great deal of salary cap space to use on a different passer.
On the other hand, Baltimore may be able to fetch more than two first-round picks if it were to seek a Jackson trade, and using the lower tag may create additional tension at a time when the relationship between the parties may already be strained. One way or another, GM Eric DeCosta has a career-defining decision to make, and he must make it no later than March 7, the deadline to utilize a tag.
It seems unlikely that a long-term extension will be reached by that deadline, though the Ravens are still trying. Just yesterday, we learned that the club remains optimistic about the chances of such a deal coming to fruition, with one rumor indicating that Baltimore is willing to pay Jackson up to $50MM per year while guaranteeing 80% of the contract. Jackson’s teammate, veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell, also indicated that Jackson wants to remain in Baltimore.
Packers Rumors: Rodgers, Love, Lazard
We are now 10 days away from the start of the 2023 league year, and there is still no clarity on the Aaron Rodgers situation. In February, a report surfaced indicating that the Packers’ entire power structure is “done with Rodgers” and ready to turn the QB reins over to Jordan Love, while a subsequent report suggested that Green Bay would be amenable to a Rodgers return if the 10-time Pro Bowler is “fully bought in.”
Rodgers’ “darkness retreat,” in which he spent a few days in isolation to consider his future, concluded sometime in the middle of February, but at the end of the month, GM Brian Gutekunst said that he had not yet spoken with Rodgers aside from a few text messages (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). And, as Demovsky noted, Gutekunst was noncommittal when asked who his 2023 QB1 will be, which is notable in light of his unequivocally stating in December that he wanted Rodgers back and then deferring to Rodgers’ four MVP honors when asked in January which of his top two passers gives the club the best chance to win.
As of now, the beginning of free agency on March 15 remains the soft deadline for Rodgers to make a decision as to whether he wants to retire, return to the Packers, or be traded, though Gutekunst is still not pushing the franchise icon to clarify his intentions.
Now for more from Titletown:
- In the same piece linked above, Gutekunst is quoted as saying that he has not had any specific trade talks concerning Rodgers. We did hear last month that the Jets had “inquired” on Rodgers’ availability, though technically speaking, such an inquiry may not qualify as “trade talks” if actual compensation was not discussed.
- Also in Demovsky’s piece, Gutekunst reiterated his belief that Love is ready to be a starting quarterback, and as Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com (subscription required) writes, many current Packers players believe the same, just as the team knew Rodgers was ready to take up the mantle from Brett Favre in 2008. All of the Rodgers-related reports that have surfaced in 2023 lend credence to the notion that, while Green Bay may be open to one more year with Rodgers at the helm, it may actually prefer to trade him and begin life with Love.
- Moving away from the Packers’ quarterbacks room, free agent-to-be WR Allen Lazard told SiriusXM NFL Radio last month that his agent has had some discussions with team brass about a new contract, but at this point, it sounds as if Lazard will have a chance to test his luck on the open market (audio link). With Davante Adams no longer in the picture, Lazard became more of a focal point of the Green Bay offense in 2022, setting career bests in targets (100), receptions (60), and yards (788). His 60% reception rate was a career low, though Rodgers has said, if he returns to the Packers in 2023, he would want the team to re-sign Lazard.
- Another of Rodgers’ favorite targets, WR Randall Cobb, recently underwent ankle surgery, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cobb, 32, is out of contract, though if he chooses to play in 2023, he will be able to do so without pain.
- The Packers recently restructured the contracts of a few high-profile players for salary cap purposes. Per Rapoport, cornerback Jaire Alexander and edge defender Preston Smith both agreed to reworked deals that will open up a little more than $16MM of cap space (Twitter link). Demovsky passes along some details (Twitter links), pointing out that the team added a void year (2027) to the back end of both contracts.
- Likewise, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Packers converted roughly $13.8MM of DT Kenny Clark‘s 2023 pay into a signing bonus, thereby opening up a little over $11MM in cap room. Demovsky again offers a complete breakdown of the restructure (via Twitter).
D’Onta Foreman Would Be “Hot Commodity” In Free Agency
Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman is expected to be a “hot commodity” should he hit free agency later this month, as Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports. Foreman recently indicated that he wants to return to Carolina, and Wilson says the team will attempt to retain the Texas product.
After the Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey in October, Foreman became the club’s feature back, and he ended the 2022 season with 203 carries for 914 yards (4.5 YPC) and five touchdowns. That represented a continuation of the solid work he displayed with the Titans in 2021, when he carried the ball 133 times for 566 yards (4.3 YPC) as an injury replacement for Derrick Henry.
So it stands to reason that Foreman would generate interest in free agency, and we heard in December that outside clubs were monitoring his status. Obviously, having a number of teams involved will help Foreman’s cause, but there are also several factors that will limit his earning power. For one, running back is no longer considered a premium position, and Foreman is not an elite talent who will be paid like his Pro Bowl-caliber colleagues. Second, even though players like Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard will likely be kept off the market via the franchise tag, talents like Miles Sanders, David Montgomery, Kareem Hunt, and Devin Singletary could be available, and even Saquon Barkley could be there for the taking.
Plus, Foreman is a between-the-tackles runner who does not offer much in the passing game. In light of all of those considerations, Spotrac estimates that the soon-to-be 27-year-old merits a one-year contract worth $3.4MM. That would be a nice raise from the $2MM salary he earned in 2022, but it would not be a budget-busting sum that the Panthers would be unable to afford (particularly as the team’s other RBs, Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear, are on eminently affordable rookie deals).
In related news, new Carolina head coach Frank Reich has said that the team is prioritizing a new contract for center Bradley Bozeman, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. We heard in January that Bozeman is interested in remaining with the Panthers, so there is a good chance that the parties will strike an accord in short order.
Brandon Graham Generating Interest
Defensive end Brandon Graham will soon be a free agent, and though he will turn 35 next month, a number of teams are interested in his services, as Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Graham, who has been a member of the Eagles since he was drafted by the club in the first round of the 2010 draft, would prefer to finish his career in Philadelphia but is willing to move on if he can land a larger contract elsewhere.
An Achilles tear limited Graham to just two games in 2021, which made his 2022 performance particularly remarkable. In his age-34 season, the Michigan product tallied a career-high 11 sacks as a key part of the Eagles’ league-best pass rush, and Pro Football Focus also assigned him a solid 69.7 overall grade for his efforts against the run. In all, PFF considered him the fifth-best edge defender among players with enough snaps to qualify.
Snap count, however, could be a factor in Graham’s negotiations with interested clubs. His performance in 2022 was doubtlessly aided by the fact that the Eagles could keep him fresh, having deployed him in only 43% of their defensive plays (as opposed to snap rates between 69% and 76% in each of his prior six healthy campaigns). It stands to reason that, at this stage of his career, Graham would be utilized as more of a rotational player, which is perhaps why Spotrac projects him to land a one-year deal worth a fairly modest $5.7MM.
Still, there is plenty of need for rotational defenders with the ability to get after opposing quarterbacks, and just about every team could use such a player if the price is right. Per McManus, the Browns are among the clubs with interest in Graham, which makes sense given the recent tension between Cleveland and Jadeveon Clowney, who is also set to hit the open market. The Browns may also be an attractive landing spot for Graham, who would have the opportunity to line up opposite two-time First Team All-Pro Myles Garrett.
Philadelphia came up just short in its quest for a second Lombardi Trophy, and the team has plenty of high-profile contributors eligible for free agency, including Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Miles Sanders. GM Howie Roseman, who will also be navigating extension talks with QB Jalen Hurts, has acknowledged that he will simply be unable to retain all of his pending FAs (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Athletic). One wonders if Roseman will prioritize another contract for an aging, albeit productive, player like Graham.