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Author: Sam Robinson

OL Notes: Raiders, Giants, Brewer, Nijman

By | at August 14, 2024 10:36 am

The Raiders had been planning to have Thayer Munford replace Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle, but a hand injury early in camp created a competition. Third-round rookie DJ Glaze has earned more first-team reps upon Munford returning. While The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes Munford — a 2022 seventh-rounder who competed with Eluemunor for the RT job last summer and saw action at both tackle spots during the season — still has the edge, Glaze has created a position battle (subscription required). Glaze’s chances at earning this job may also have increased Tuesday, with Reed adding Munford sustained an injury to his other hand.

Elsewhere on the Raiders’ front, second-round rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson remains on the active/PUP list. The Oregon product has been out of Raiders practice since early in OTAs, with a concussion sidelining him. Considering the timeline here, it is concerning how long the rookie has been out. Antonio Pierce did say (via Reed) he expects Powers-Johnson and LT Kolton Miller to begin practicing next week, but the former’s chances of winning the LG job — which the Raiders appeared to have earmarked for the Day 2 draftee — have taken a hit. The team does have veteran options in Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat; the latter has been working at tackle while Miller has rehabbed.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks around the league.

0 comments Carolina Panthers Las Vegas Raiders Miami Dolphins New York Giants Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Browns DT Mike Hall Jr. Arrested

By | at August 13, 2024 12:40 pm

12:40pm: A follow-up report from Oyefusi provides further details on the incident. The police report alleges Hall engaged in a violent confrontation with his fiancée which included pointing a handgun at the woman’s head and saying, “I will f—ing end it all. I don’t care.”

Hall’s bond has been set at $10K. He has a court hearing scheduled for September 10, two days after Cleveland’s regular season opener. The Browns and the NFL will have a short period to issue any discipline before that time; the parties could, alternatively, allow Hall’s legal process to play out before making a final decision.

10:00am: The first draft pick the Browns made this year, Mike Hall Jr. has run into legal trouble early in his Cleveland tenure. The rookie defensive lineman was arrested Tuesday morning, according to ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi.

A domestic violence charge is likely. The Athletic’s Zac Jackson and Jason Lloyd reported earlier Tuesday that Hall was expected to be booked after a domestic dispute occurred Monday night. This incident is believed to have occurred in Avon, Ohio, a West Cleveland suburb.

Lacking a first-round pick for a third straight year (due to the Deshaun Watson trade), the Browns led off their draft by choosing Hall at No. 54. The Ohio State product has impressed during Browns training camp. This arrest certainly represents a key deterrent early in the early-round draftee’s career.

“We are aware of the incident involving Mike Hall Jr. last night,” a Browns statement read. “Mike and his representatives have been in touch with the appropriate authorities. We are in the process of gathering more information and will have no further comment at the time.”

Although the exact charge(s) are not known, Hall would be subject to a suspension — even if no conviction ends up coming to pass — under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. It should not be considered a lock Hall will be banned, as facts are not yet public, and no suspension is guaranteed to occur this season.

The Browns have big plans for the in-state product, who played at nearby Streetsboro High School. The team has Dalvin Tomlinson on a four-year, $57MM deal but has not seen him practice during training camp. Tomlinson is one of a few Cleveland starters on the active/PUP list. The Browns also re-signed Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst Jr., adding veteran D-lineman Quinton Jefferson to the mix as well. Through a long-term lens, however, Hall joins Tomlinson as centerpiece DTs in Jim Schwartz’s defense. The Browns will wait on more information coming out about their top 2024 prospect.

38 comments Cleveland Browns

Steelers Expected To Start Troy Fautanu At Right Tackle

By | at August 13, 2024 10:51 am

The Steelers have used back-to-back first-round picks on tackles, aiming at a long-term foundation. The team, however, is believed to have rated Troy Fautanu as a higher-end prospect compared to Broderick Jones. That assessment looks to have been reflected during training camp.

Fautanu is currently battling an MCL sprain, but he is expected back for the Steelers’ regular-season opener. When Fautanu returns, it appears he will do so as a starter. The No. 20 overall pick has already done enough to be considered the team’s first-string right tackle, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.

This quick anointment represents an important development for the Steelers, who moved on from multiyear RT Chukwuma Okorafor this offseason. The team had benched Okorafor to install Jones at RT midway through last season. Jones kicked over to left tackle this offseason but is back on the right side, per Dulac, while Fautanu is on the mend.

Although the Steelers are transitioning away from Dan Moore Jr. as a starter, Dulac adds the 2025 free agent-to-be will eventually compete for the LT job with Jones. The latter held that position for the past three years, but his inconsistent play helped lead to the Steelers prioritizing tackles over the past two drafts.

Moore held off Jones for the LT job last year, but Pro Football Focus graded him outside the top 60 among tackles. The advanced metrics site has never viewed the former fourth-round pick as a top-50 tackle, and Dulac indeed indicates Jones probably has the edge. Moore as a swingman would stand to hurt his 2025 FA market, but young tackles with extensive starting experience are not regularly available. The 49-game starter also would stand to be an important depth piece — assuming Jones and Fautanu are indeed Pittsburgh’s first-string tackles — this season.

Fautanu came into camp in a backup role, though it has not taken much time for the Steelers to decide the Washington product is ready. Fautanu did allow two sacks in his preseason debut, which the MCL injury shortened, but the team has evidently seen enough during practice to make this early call. Now, the Steelers will wait until the point it can place its preferred tackles back on the field together.

7 comments Pittsburgh Steelers

Dolphins To Release DT Teair Tart

By | at August 13, 2024 9:08 am

Zach Sieler‘s presence notwithstanding, the Dolphins will feature a new-look defensive line this season. Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis exited in free agency, opening two starting jobs. In a surprising early decision, the Dolphins moved on from a competitor for one of those posts.

Miami released veteran D-tackle Teair Tart on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The Dolphins are the second team to bail on Tart since December, when the Titans cut the former starter. Tart was one of many free agent D-line options Miami added this offseason, and after being waived in December, the now-vested veteran will head straight to free agency.

The Dolphins will eat $568K in dead money (due to guarantees) after this release. They had signed Tart to a one-year deal worth $1.75MM in early April.

The Titans placed a second-round RFA tender on Tart last year but bailed on the 36-game starter after 11 games last season. The Texans claimed the former fifth-round pick but used him as a backup in two late-season contests. Tart generated interest beyond Miami this offseason, and the 27-year-old run stuffer will need to find a new home. Though, his value has dipped since his 16-game run as the Titans’ nose tackle starter back in 2022.

Pro Football Focus graded Tart as a top-25 interior D-lineman in 2022; this came after he had started 10 games for a 2021 Titans team that claimed the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Operating as more of a run defender on a D-line with Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry, Tart still did well coming from a fifth-round draft slot. Despite playing in only 11 Titans games last season, he registered a career-high eight tackles for loss. It would stand to reason another team will give the Florida International alum another shot soon.

A recent report pointed to Tart competing with Benito Jones for Miami’s NT job. Tuesday morning’s news obviously strengthens Jones’ standing, and the Dolphins made several adds post-Wilkins this offseason. The team signed Calais Campbell this summer and added recent Broncos part-time starter Jonathan Harris. Former Cowboys third-round pick Neville Gallimore is on the roster, as is ex-Tart Titans teammate Da’Shawn Hand. As it stands now, Jones is positioned as a starter alongside Campbell and Sieler, in Anthony Weaver‘s defense.

5 comments Miami Dolphins Transactions

Commanders Sign WR Martavis Bryant, Waive K Ramiz Ahmed

By | at August 13, 2024 8:07 am

Add Martavis Bryant to the list of recent Cowboys following Dan Quinn to Washington. After a second meeting with the Commanders, the veteran wide receiver secured another comeback opportunity.

Bryant, who has not played a regular-season game since 2018, spent much of last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad. He joins Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler as players on the 2023 Cowboys who are now part of the Commanders’ 2024 roster. Of course, the March signees have locked-in paths to playing time. Bryant has merely scored another chance to compete.

To make room on their 90-man roster, the Commanders cut kicker Ramiz Ahmed. Entering camp as the team’s only kicker, Ahmed saw his status change when the team claimed Riley Patterson. Ahmed has kicked in one career game. He will lose a kicking competition to a much more experienced player.

Although Bryant caught on with the Cowboys during Quinn’s Dallas finale, the team never elevated him onto its active roster. This sent the former Steelers and Raiders pass catcher to another crossroads, as he is now 32. The NFL reinstated Bryant last year, after he had been suspended for substance abuse — during a 2011 CBA that brought stricter penalties on this front — back in 2018.

The Cowboys also cut Bryant in May, after having given him a reserve/futures contract to extend his redevelopment. But the 6-foot-4 weapon has continued to generate interest. As could be expected, Quinn said (via NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay) he was impressed with Bryant on Dallas’ P-squad last year.

Bryant’s initial NFL run included extended flashes, mostly in Pittsburgh, that still have league personnel intrigued. Suspended in 2015, 2016 and 2018, Bryant still totaled 17 touchdowns (all with the Steelers) during his interrupted early years. He produced two 600-plus-yard seasons, including a 765-yard 2015 showing opposite Antonio Brown that came in just 11 games. Bryant followed that up with an acrobatic TD in a Steelers wild-card win over the Bengals. Being unable to follow that up — thanks to a full-season ban in 2016 — came to define the Clemson alum’s career.

Bryant resurfaced in the XFL’s third effort in 2023. The Cowboys enjoyed good luck from spring-league imports recently, adding All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey and Pro Bowl return man KaVontae Turpin from the USFL. Quinn’s new team will try its luck with Bryant, who is certainly running short on time to make an NFL return. Beyond their Terry McLaurin–Jahan Dotson–Luke McCaffrey trio, the Commanders carry Jamison Crowder, fourth-year player Dyami Brown and the recently re-signed Byron Pringle.

The Commanders added Ahmed shortly after releasing Brandon McManus in June. The Jaguars’ decision to waive Patterson early in training camp led to him being claimed once again. Kicking in 39 games since 2021, the well-traveled specialist is now the only kicker on Washington’s 90-man roster.

6 comments Transactions Washington Commanders

Steelers’ Brandon Aiyuk Offer Short Of $30MM Per Year

By | at August 12, 2024 10:00 pm

After an eventful week, the 49ers‘ top outside receiver/rumor machine remains on the NFC champions’ roster. Brandon Aiyuk‘s hold-in continues, and connections to teams have slowed a bit.

Details on the Patriots and Browns’ offers have emerged, and SI.com’s Albert Breer now sheds some light on where the Steelers have gone for the fifth-year wideout. Pittsburgh has offered a deal around $28MM per year. Aiyuk was believed to be less than satisfied with Pittsburgh’s proposal, and San Francisco has also expressed hesitancy regarding a Steelers trade package.

An early report had the Patriots’ offer beyond $28.5MM, but a subsequent assessment of New England’s proposal placed it in the $32MM-AAV area. Aiyuk hesitancy about joining the Patriots is interesting, given the offer. It is also unclear what the Pats were proposing the 49ers in trades, though Breer notes the 49ers asked for Kendrick Bourne. That is rather interesting since Bourne began his career in San Francisco, though he is obviously not on Aiyuk’s level and is coming off an ACL tear.

The Browns are believed to have offered Amari Cooper, along with second- and fifth-round picks. One of last week’s many Aiyuk storylines indicated he nixed a deal to Cleveland. Still, this would be a fascinating swap, seeing as Cleveland traded for another 2020 first-round wideout (Jerry Jeudy) months ago and gave him an extension. Cooper remains on his Cowboys-constructed contract, albeit with some incentives for 2024, and would satisfy a 49ers desire to acquire immediate receiving help if they are to actually trade Aiyuk.

Letting Aiyuk’s camp speak with teams doubled as a 49ers fact-finding mission, and while the Steelers may still be in this, Breer predicts this saga ends with a San Francisco deal finally coming to fruition. As of midsummer, the 49ers were believed to be in the $26-$27MM-per-year range. The Steelers’ approximate $28MM-per-year proposal would place Aiyuk around the point Jaylen Waddle settled at this offseason. Aiyuk has long been tied to wanting an AAV around the $30MM Amon-Ra St. Brown number, but the lack of interest in New England also effectively confirms he wants to join a team with fewer questions on offense.

The Dolphins gave Waddle a $28.25MM-AAV accord complete with $76MM guaranteed. The Steelers have not been big on multiyear guarantees for non-quarterbacks (or T.J. Watt), with signing bonuses doing much of the post-Year 1 work in most of the old-school franchise’s contracts. It would not surprise if that component is producing Aiyuk’s hesitancy regarding a Steelers offer. Of course, the 49ers would need to sign off on a deal to move him. And the Steelers, barring a counterproductive George Pickens inclusion, do not have a receiver to send over.

As of late last week, the Steelers were content to let the chips fall. Breer adds they do not want to include a player in their offer. An increased offer does not sound likely, though nothing can be completely ruled out right now. Following a work week of trade talks, the 49ers ramped up their extension effort — after another meeting with the player.

Months into this process, we continue to wait. The 49ers completed extensions with George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa after training camp started. The sides now have more information as to what Aiyuk’s market is. That should provide a pathway to a deal or a trade — at long last.

67 comments New England Patriots Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers

Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars

By | at August 12, 2024 9:59 pm

Offseason optimism gave way to disappointment for the 2023 Jaguars, and coaching changes commenced. Though, the ’24 offseason turned into one centered on doubling down on the team’s core performers. Jacksonville set a franchise record with its Josh Hines-Allen extension and then broke it weeks later by re-upping Trevor Lawrence. Although the Jags may be at a crossroads, the payments they authorized point to a belief in the current direction.

After a late-season slide moved the Jags from first place in the AFC to 9-8 and watching the Texans now receive the offseason hype driven by a rookie-contract quarterback, Doug Pederson faces pressure in Year 3. While the former Super Bowl-winning HC elevated the team after the Urban Meyer disaster, he will need to restore the momentum the 2022 season’s second half brought.

Extensions and restructures:

The Jags have not won 10 games in a season since 2017. Prior to that, the last such instance came in 2007. As such, they have not assembled a core worthy of extensive extension rumors in a while. That changed this offseason, with a franchise tag coming out for Hines-Allen and Lawrence talks beginning in February. While the Jags did not discuss a Hines-Allen extension until he had played out his fifth-year option season, they followed the recent blueprint for first-round QBs and hammered out a deal with Lawrence before his fourth season. As a result, Lawrence joins Patrick Mahomes as the only NFLers signed into the 2030s.

Hines-Allen’s extension, agreed to in April, held the franchise record for a short time. Lawrence agreed to terms in June with a contract that looks less out of step following the subsequent Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa accords. Like the Packers and Dolphins, the Jaguars received no real discount and are betting Lawrence has more levels to unlock during his extension years.

The former No. 1 overall pick submitted inconsistency on his rookie contract, but flashes have emerged — most brightly during the 2022 stretch run that included a historic wild-card comeback win — to the point the Jags have more certainty in comparison to the Packers. But Lawrence must display notable growth if he is to live up to this record-tying contract.

The Jags matched Joe Burrow‘s $55MM AAV, though Lawrence’s deal checks in third among guarantees at signing ($142MM) and in total guarantees ($200MM). Love and Tagovailoa did not match the Jags QB here, but Jacksonville did better in terms of cost certainty by locking in its starter through 2030. Love and Tua, who were going into contract years, are signed through 2028. Lawrence followed Burrow and Justin Herbert as first-rounders with two years of control remaining to sign five-year extensions. This will allow the Jags a longer runway to defray their passer’s cap hits, making the deal more manageable and allowing for more action this offseason.

This is new territory for the franchise, which has seen a number of QB investments fail. Byron Leftwich never secured an extension, and Blaine Gabbert did not make it far into his rookie contract before being benched. Blake Bortles‘ exploits have been well chronicled here, and although the team authorized an $18MM-per-year deal shortly after the 2017 team’s journey to the AFC championship game, it bailed on the extension a year later to jump into an ill-advised Nick Foles free agency agreement. Lawrence arrived two years later and has yet to put it all together.

In terms of QBR, Lawrence has finished 28th, 17th and 17th from 2021-23. He memorably threw one touchdown pass from Halloween to New Year’s Day during a miserable 2021 rookie season, and the 2022 team started 3-7. The late-season surge that year generated 2023 hype, but Lawrence then sustained a litany of injuries — the last of those causing his first NFL absence — that impacted his play in a 14-interception season. While the Dolphins opted to wait until Tagovailoa’s fifth year for a larger sample size to form, the Jags moved full speed ahead with a pre-Year 4 re-up.

The Jags will bet on health and their new receiver investments boosting the fourth-year QB, whose contract contains three fully guaranteed years and most of the 2027 base salary guaranteed at signing. With Lawrence’s 2028 base salary and option bonus vesting one year early, the Jags are pot-committed for a lengthy period. This contract promises to make Lawrence at least the second-longest-tenured QB1 in team history. The franchise will eventually hope Lawrence surpasses Mark Brunell‘s nine-season tenure; this deal provides the runway.

Hines-Allen, who will separate himself from the Bills quarterback with an offseason name tweak, came through in a contract year with a franchise-record 17.5 sacks. This well-timed surge prompted a franchise tag and a commitment that makes the sixth-year edge rusher the second-highest-paid player at his position. Like Lawrence, the Jags have not seen Hines-Allen perform at a consistently high level; prior to 2023, he had not eclipsed 7.5 sacks in a season since his 2019 rookie year.

Resisting trade interest on the former top-10 pick prior to the 2022 deadline, the Pederson-Trent Baalke regime saw the Tom Coughlin-Dave Caldwell-era draftee spearhead the team’s pass rush last season. With Travon Walker not yet harnessing the skillset the Jags invested in atop the 2022 draft, Hines-Allen took over. He added 17 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season. The Jags based Hines-Allen’s extension on the terms the Giants authorized for trade pickup Brian Burns. Hines-Allen, 27, received $500K more guaranteed in total ($88MM) and $500K in additional guarantees at signing ($76.5MM).

It pays to deliver a breakthrough season at a premium position, and the Jags do have the advantage of Walker being tied to a rookie contract through 2025. Their ability to keep him at rookie terms through 2026 via the fifth-year option will be beneficial now that Hines-Allen is on a lucrative second contract.

Jacksonville was not through paying its cornerstone performers just yet. Despite the record-setting payouts to Hines-Allen and Lawrence, the team found the necessary space to pay its top cornerback. Campbell joined the Jags two rounds after Lawrence in 2021. While Meyer’s coaching stint was an unmitigated disaster, the team has made commitments to three of his draftees — counting Travis Etienne‘s fifth-year option. Campbell cashed in during an offseason in which the CB market settled a bit. No record-breaking deals occurred at the position, but Jacksonville’s top cover man followed Jaylon Johnson and L’Jarius Sneed in doing quite well in terms of contract structure.

Not extended after a franchise tag tag like the Bears and Titans corners, Campbell scored the seventh-highest CB contract ($19.13MM per year) to come in ahead of Johnson and Sneed. Campbell, 24, did receive slightly less guaranteed in total ($53.4MM) than the two tagged defenders, but he is in good position to earn every dollar. The team also agreed on a rolling guarantee structure with Campbell, who will see a 2026 option bonus become fully guaranteed in 2025 and more than half his 2027 base salary shift to a full guarantee by March 2026. This will provide security for the Georgia alum, who will see some new blood working alongside him this coming season.

Going into the final season of a three-year, $45MM deal, Oluokun took a pay cut — in terms of AAV — in exchange for security. The Jags gave the seventh-year tackling machine an additional $21.5MM fully guaranteed to drop his salary to $10MM per year. As the Jags cut three of the free agent defenders they signed under Baalke (Folorunso Fatukasi, Rayshawn Jenkins, Darious Williams), they prioritized the linebacker from the 2022 FA class.

Considering the production the 29-year-old defender has delivered (a staggering 549 tackles over the past three seasons), it was a bit odd he agreed to a reduction on his third contract. While the Jags had what turned out to be a momentous offseason on the contract front, they locked in the former Falcons starter at a favorable rate through 2027. This flew under the radar, and while the ILB market has taken a hit, the NFL’s 2021 and ’22 tackles leader passed on hitting free agency ahead of his age-30 season in 2025 to cash in with the Jags once again.

Free agency additions:

At wide receiver, this Jags offseason featured some moving parts. The team signed Davis when plans were in place to retain Calvin Ridley; the Davis deal also occurred with Zay Jones still on the roster. With both the 2023 regulars gone, the four-year Bills Stefon Diggs sidekick is now in place to try and expand the Jags’ long-range game. This had become a station-to-station offense, and the team’s free agency and draft efforts set out to adjust that.

Hyping up his own market, Davis (or a member of his camp) noted the former fourth-round pick paced the NFL in first-down rate, touchdown rate and average depth of target since 2020. Davis’ effort may have helped, as he secured a nice guarantee and AAV. The former fourth-round pick indeed excelled as a downfield option in Buffalo, though he undoubtedly benefited from defenses’ attention to Diggs and the talents of his quarterback. Josh Allen did find Davis consistently for scores, running that number to 27 in four seasons; that does not count the four-TD showing the 25-year-old weapon posted against the Chiefs in the 2021 divisional-round classic.

The Davis deal also emerged after the team showed interest in Mike Evans, but the career-long Buccaneer opted to stay in Tampa rather than test free agency. The player the Jags ended up with profiles as a boom-or-bust addition, but Davis should at least assist in spreading the field for underneath targets Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.

Not many players from Baalke’s 49ers teams remain in the NFL; Armstead, however, played a central role for a set of high-end San Francisco defenses during the ensuing Kyle Shanahan era. Offered a substantial pay cut by the 49ers, Armstead balked and found a healthy market. The Bills showed interest, and Texans HC DeMeco Ryans sought a reunion. Instead, Armstead opted to reunite with the GM who drafted him back in 2015.

Teaming with Nick Bosa to form perennially imposing 49ers defensive lines, Armstead started in two Super Bowls and four NFC championship games. He posted 10 sacks in 2019, DeForest Buckner‘s final San Francisco slate, and registered six in 2021. Over the past two seasons, however, injuries have hounded the stalwart D-lineman. Armstead is coming off offseason knee surgery, which still has him on the Jags’ active/PUP list. He hurt the same knee before the 2022 season, a campaign that featured eight missed games and a subsequent foot malady. Baalke’s big guarantee suggests a strong market formed, but the Jags winning these sweepstakes sets up a buyer-beware situation ahead of Armstead’s age-31 season.

Moving on from Williams and Jenkins, the Jags brought in replacements at midlevel prices. Although Darby debuted three years before Williams, he is a year younger (at 30). The CB’s health history adds to the uncertainty of this Baalke FA group.

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Rams Looking At Matthew Stafford As Year-To-Year Proposition

By | at August 12, 2024 9:57 pm

Much of this offseason’s Rams-Matthew Stafford negotiations appeared to stem from the quarterback wanting more security beyond 2024. The resolution brought a different result, calling the talented passer’s Los Angeles future into question.

The team moved $5MM from future years into 2024, benefiting the 16th-year veteran now rather than later. Although Stafford saw a $4MM 2025 roster bonus become part of his $40MM guarantee package on this revision, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Rams are still viewing this partnership through a year-to-year lens. The former Lions mainstay’s contract — a four-year, $160MM deal agreed to following Super Bowl LVI — still runs through 2026.

After a concerning 2022 packed with multiple injuries, Stafford rebounded to lift what had been viewed as a retooling Rams team back into the playoffs. The team returns Stafford’s receiving corps from last season, which is poised to include a healthy Cooper Kupp, and did not let its QB’s contract matter drag into training camp like a few other NFC situations. As of now, the Rams believe Stafford is still playing at a high level and want him back beyond 2024, Fowler adds. But injuries have become a regular issue for the cannon-armed QB, making retirement a subject that will be monitored from the team’s side.

Stafford, 36, has deflected retirement rumors in the past and has seen QBs play well into their late 30s and, in some cases, past 40. Sean McVay also said the Rams are content with Stafford as long as he wants to play. This might not be a matter the Rams need to worry about just yet. After all, ex-McVay staffers in Atlanta are preparing to coach a soon-to-be 36-year-old Kirk Cousins — who just received a $100MM practical guarantee — coming off Achilles surgery. But Stafford is obviously on the back nine of his career.

Only that $4MM roster bonus is guaranteed beyond 2024, but the Rams would face a $49.33MM dead money bill if Stafford retired after this season. His 2025 cap number is scheduled to be $49.67MM. That would set an NFL record, but we are close to seeing the bar move here. Deshaun Watson is on the cusp of playing on a $63.77MM cap number, while Dak Prescott — absent an extension — is at $55.13MM. Daniel Jones and Kyler Murray join Stafford in being set to play on $45MM-plus cap figures this season.

While Jared Goff has rebounded in Detroit, Stafford played the lead role in pushing Los Angeles’ 2021 effort to the mountaintop. He also received, believe it or not, his first original-ballot Pro Bowl invite last season, ranking sixth in QBR as well. The Rams should remain in good hands as long as their starter is healthy, though Fowler adds the Jimmy Garoppolo addition generated some attention — despite the former 49ers starter’s rough Raiders year — this offseason.

Taking over for Carson Wentz as the latest McVay QB2 reboot candidate, Garoppolo will have a chance to stabilize his career in L.A. Baker Mayfield‘s L.A. stint did not generate a strong free agent market, but it provided some momentum after a disastrous Panthers campaign. Garoppolo’s contract expires in March, though the 32-year-old passer becoming an immediate fit with McVay would naturally attract mutual interest in a reunion. This could depend on Stafford’s plans, as Garoppolo should still stand to have some options in 2025.

Eventually, the Rams will need a true heir apparent. For now, they are fine with Stafford. They spent big on guards (Kevin Dotson, Jonah Jackson) to help protect their centerpiece player. This situation will still be one to monitor, especially if another Stafford injury leads to Garoppolo playing time.

6 comments Los Angeles Rams

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/24

By | at August 12, 2024 8:07 pm

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/PUP: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, S Chase Williams
  • Released: RB John Kelly
  • Waived: DE Marcus Haynes
  • Waived/injured: CB Vincent Gray

Denver Broncos

  • Claimed (from Giants): DB Kaleb Hayes
  • Waived: ILB Alec Mock

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Anthony Hines, TE Neal Johnson
  • Waived: LB Jimmy Ciarlo, CB Myles Jones

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Claimed (from Ravens): OL Tykeem Doss
  • Waived/injured: DB Kalon Barnes

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hernia surgery forced Tampa to the Ravens’ active/PUP list, but the fourth-round pick is ready to return. Needing a double hernia operation after minicamp (per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec), Tampa is unlikely to be ready for practice until at least next week. By avoiding a move to the reserve/PUP list, Tampa is no longer at risk of missing Baltimore’s first four games.

A rookie UDFA, Murphy went down with an MCL injury, per NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. The Dolphins signed Brown, a four-year Giants special-teamer and backup presence, in April. While the Dolphins continue to deal with linebacker injuries, they did bring Jaelan Phillips off the PUP list today.

Fromm spent most of the past two seasons with the Commanders, but the team — as it transitions to a new regime — cut the former Georgia passer in May. He joins a Lions team that still rosters Nate Sudfeld along with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker.

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Haason Reddick Expected Jets To Revisit Extension Talks

By | at August 12, 2024 7:16 pm

Not quite approaching Brandon Aiyuk-level rumor volume this summer, the Haason Reddick-Jets impasse has nevertheless generated plenty of headlines. Today’s is the most significant, with the March trade acquisition asking to be dealt again.

Viewing trust as broken in this new relationship, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirms earlier reports the Jets offered Reddick a deal — one she classifies as “below market” — before acquiring him via trade. The Eagles had let the disgruntled edge rusher negotiate with teams before moving him. Despite Reddick turning down the offer, the Jets traded for him anyway; a tense misunderstanding has since commenced.

The Jets had expected Reddick to report for offseason work and training camp. Instead, he has not shown up since being dealt from Philly. The Jets have not negotiated with Reddick since making that initial offer, and Russini notes Reddick was under the impression the team would circle back to a new deal. Reddick has registered the fourth-most sacks during the 2020s (50.5) but is the NFL’s 19th-highest-paid edge rusher.

This remains a strange look for the Jets, who traded for another team’s problem in hopes he could be a centerpiece pass rusher in the team they did not view Bryce Huff. With the latter now on the Eagles, the Jets were/are prepared to give Reddick a regular role — as opposed to the pass-rushing specialist box Huff checked during a promising contract year. These plans are on hold, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo wonders indeed if this standoff could reach the regular season.

Already costing himself $1.8MM through holdouts, Reddick would be set to miss out on game checks worth just more than $838K if he extends the holdout into the regular season. Chris Jones was willing to miss out on more money per game last season, but he and the Chiefs — after a Week 1 home loss to the Lions featured the future Hall of Famer sitting in an Arrowhead Stadium suite — worked out an incentive package that brought him back in for Week 2. The Jets have been willing to discuss sweeteners for Reddick, but SNY’s Connor Hughes indicates they will not entertain any contract adjustment for a player who has not shown up. Thus, the latest chapter in this stalemate.

Upon being traded, Reddick made comments suggesting he was moving forward with the Jets. But nothing since has brought positive updates from this situation. The Jets are not preparing to accommodate Reddick’s trade request, but for now, they are set to be down Huff and the player obtained — for a conditional third-round pick — to replace him. Although the Jets have two recent first-round D-ends (Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald), their pass rush certainly would present more issues for opponents if Reddick and the team were on the same page.

It is interesting that in a do-or-die year for Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas that such a showdown developed, but here we are. Reddick, 29, has already earned more than $51MM in his career. He is tied to a three-year, $45MM Eagles-built contract — one he has outplayed. Less accomplished edge rushers like Josh Hines-Allen and ex-teammate Brian Burns signed contracts north of $28MM per year this offseason. Reddick has sought a deal in that range, but the Jets have not come close to that price point. They are willing to consider an extension in-season, Hughes adds, but the wheels are coming off before Reddick has played a down in New York.

The eighth-year sack artist appears willing to test the Jets’ resolve. The Jets have appeared ready to do the same. If Reddick does eventually join his new team, no new deal being part of that equation would set up a rather acrimonious partnership during the season.

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