Chargers Sign Round 2 WR Ladd McConkey, Wrap Draft Class
Make that nine unsigned draft picks as of June 17. A year after 14 second-rounders entered July unsigned, the 2024 draft class has now seen every Round 2 choice agree to terms by mid-June.
The Chargers are the last team to cross the finish line here, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets they now have second-round wide receiver Ladd McConkey signed to his four-year rookie deal. As the No. 34 overall pick, McConkey will see most of his rookie contract guaranteed.
A near-$1MM gap between the Year 4 salary guarantees for the Nos. 33 and 35 overall picks (Bills WR Keon Coleman, Falcons DL Ruke Orhorhoro) undoubtedly created a natural drag in Chargers-McConkey talks. But the Georgia alum is locked in and landed more guarantees than Will Levis did after he became the second choice in last year’s second round. The Titans guaranteed Levis $8.7MM of Levis’ $9.5MM rookie deal; Rapoport adds McConkey will better that.
Even factoring in the QB premium Levis received, this year’s batch of second-rounders making notable guarantee strides pointed to McConkey bettering Levis’ contract. The salary cap’s $30.6MM jump is raising all boats, though second-rounders have continued to make progress here. In addition to three guaranteed years, Coleman’s Bills contract includes $1.74MM of his $2.1MM 2027 base salary. Coleman’s guarantee percentage betters that of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, whom the Buccaneers chose to close out the 2021 first round. McConkey probably will not be far behind here.
While McConkey’s contract will provide him key security and help the players chosen near the top of the 2025 second round, he steps in at an interesting point on the Chargers’ timeline. The team’s Jim Harbaugh hire preceded a Mike Williams release and a Keenan Allen trade to the Bears. McConkey will join Josh Palmer, DJ Chark and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston as the top Justin Herbert targets — in what is expected to be a run-heavier offense compared to recent years.
The Chargers traded up (via the Patriots) for McConkey, moving up three spots for the national championship-winning WR. A shifty slot player, McConkey showed notable improvement from 2021 to ’22. In the latter campaign, he posted 762 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 receptions. Back and ankle injuries limited McConkey in 2023 — a season that also saw Georgia lose Brock Bowers for a stretch — but he still averaged a career-best 15.9 yards per catch. Checking in at 6-foot, 186 pounds at the Combine, McConkey improved his draft stock by blazing to a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
Allen’s crafty route running aided Herbert’s quick NFL ascent, with Williams providing contributions — particularly in 2021 — as a downfield option. The Bolts, who now employ run-oriented OC Greg Roman, now have McConkey signed through 2027. After Johnston struggled as a rookie, the team will hope McConkey can make a quicker assimilation to help Herbert in Harbaugh’s first season back in the pros.
Finishing off this year’s second-round signings, the Chargers have completed their draft class deals. Here is how Harbaugh’s first Los Angeles class looks:
- Round 1, No. 5: Joe Alt (T, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 34 (via Patriots): Ladd McConkey (WR, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 69: Junior Colson (LB, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 105: Justin Eboigbe (DL, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 137 (from Chargers): Tarheeb Still (CB, Maryland) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 140: Cam Hart (CB, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 181: Kimani Vidal (RB, Troy) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 225: Brenden Rice (WR, USC) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 253: Cornelius Johnson (WR, Michigan) (signed)
Isaiah Rodgers In Mix To Start For Eagles; Team Considering James Bradberry Move To Safety
The Eagles decided to let both their Super Bowl LVII safety starters walk in free agency last year. That decision created issues for a defense that cratered down the stretch. A year later, Philadelphia’s secondary appears much deeper.
Part of the reason the Eagles can feel more comfortable about their DB contingent comes from a roster-stash move they made last summer. As teams were considering which players they would cut as the deadline to move down to 53 loomed in late August, the Eagles quietly added Isaiah Rodgers, a young kick returner who worked as a Colts CB starter in 2022. Of course, Rodgers was sidelined throughout last season due to a gambling ban that stemmed from extensive violations of the NFL’s policy. A year later, Rodgers may come out in better position.
Although the former sixth-round pick missed his age-25 season, he has a clear path to a rebound window ahead of what may well be a more notable free agency stay in 2025. Rodgers has been “a revelation” this offseason, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, and The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena notes the Eagles gave the three-year Colt a significant number of first-team reps during minicamp (subscription required). Despite the Eagles still rostering Darius Slay and James Bradberry and the team having re-signed Avonte Maddox not long after making him a cap casualty, it has bolstered its CB group with a host of younger talents.
Rodgers started nine games with the Colts in 2022, playing opposite Stephon Gilmore, and made an impression in part-time duty. Pro Football Focus ranked Rodgers as the NFL’s fifth-best cornerback that year. This assessment came on just 283 defensive snaps, but the 170-pound defender recovered four fumbles that year and also intercepted three passes in 2021. Training camp figures to be pivotal for Rodgers, who saw the Eagles devote the most important part of their draft to the cornerback position.
Philly drafted Quinyon Mitchell in Round 1 and Cooper DeJean in Round 2. DeJean is viewed as a corner/safety hybrid at this juncture, Breer adds, but Mitchell certainly will be treated as a hopeful long-term starter at corner. The Eagles also gave plenty of first-team reps to 2023 fourth-round pick Kelee Ringo during minicamp, Kubena adds. Ringo logged 199 defensive snaps last season, which still featured the Slay-Bradberry tandem as the CB group’s leaders.
Slay is going into his age-33 season, and his three-year, $39MM deal does not feature any 2025 guarantees. Bradberry re-signed on a three-year, $38MM pact in 2023 but could not follow up his strong ’22 campaign with impressive work last season. PFF rated Bradberry 100th at the position in 2023. The Eagles have made an effort to begin cross-training Bradberry at safety, and Breer adds the team is toying with moving the ninth-year vet to a back-line spot on a full-time basis. No guarantees remain on Bradberry’s deal post-2024.
As a few Hall of Famers have shown, corner-to-safety moves are not too uncommon. This one would come ahead of Bradberry’s age-31 season. The Eagles brought back C.J. Gardner-Johnson after his year in Detroit and still roster 2023 starter Reed Blankenship. Sydney Brown, a 2023 third-rounder, is rehabbing an ACL tear sustained in Week 18. He is a candidate to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list.
Even with Brown potentially out of the mix to start the season, the Eagles’ secondary should have more options compared to 2023. Rodgers and/or Ringo entering Week 1 as viable starter candidates would likely prompt the Eagles to strongly consider Bradberry at safety, depending on how the career-long boundary corner looks in training camp, with DeJean an interesting wild card here. A depth-based trade could conceivably come into play as well.
The Eagles submitted one of the more notable collapses in recent NFL history last season, with the defense playing the lead role in the unraveling. This figures to be an interesting season for three-time reigning playoff qualifiers, as the Slay-Bradberry-Maddox-CJGJ group intersects with a host of younger options that will be expected to take over down the line.
It is not certain if Rodgers will be part of that long-term collection, as he will be a free agent next year. But the UMass alum has a path to re-emerging after seeing the gambling scandal quickly overshadow his rookie-contract Colts contributions.
Ten Unsigned 2024 Draft Picks Remain
The NFL collectively is ahead of where it was last year with regards to draft signings. Teams have navigated the guarantee issue second-round contracts presented in recent years. Unlike 2023, when 30 players were unsigned in late June and nearly half the second round was without contracts entering July, we are down to 10 unsigned rookies from the 2024 class. Here is the lot still without NFL contracts:
Round 1:
- No. 1 (Bears): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
- No. 8 (Falcons): Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
- No. 9 (Bears): Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
- No 10 (Vikings): J.J. McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
- No. 17 (Vikings): Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
- No. 18 (Bengals): Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
- No. 31 (49ers): Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
Round 2:
- No. 34 (Chargers): Ladd McConkey (WR, Georgia)
Round 3:
- No. 65 (Jets): Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
- No. 66 (Cardinals): Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
The clearest difference between this year and last comes from the second round. On June 17, 2023, half the second-rounders were unsigned. The 2011 CBA introducing the slot system has removed most of the drama from rookie-deal negotiations, but second-rounders continue to make guarantee gains. This contractual component has complicated matters for teams in the past, but that has not been the case — for the most part — this year.
A number of 2021 second-round picks remain attached to their rookie deals. Those terms illustrate the improvements Round 2 draftees have made on that front since. The Jaguars did guarantee 2021 No. 33 pick Tyson Campbell‘s first three seasons; his fourth brought $50K guaranteed. This year, the Bills needed to guarantee nearly Keon Coleman‘s entire rookie contract. Coleman has three years locked in and $1.74MM of his $2.1MM 2027 base salary is guaranteed at signing. This year’s No. 59 overall pick (Texans tackle Blake Fisher) secured more in Year 4 guarantees than Campbell’s deal contains.
A sizable gap does exist between Coleman’s final-year guarantees and those of Falcons DT Ruke Orhorhoro (No. 35 overall). The Clemson product has $966K of his $2.1MM 2024 base guaranteed. This gulf has likely caused the holdup for the Chargers and McConkey, a player who — after the exits of longtime starters Keenan Allen and Mike Williams — stands to be a central figure in the Bolts’ first Jim Harbaugh-era offense. With the top players in Round 2 on the cusp of seeing fully guaranteed deals, McConkey can set another notable precedent while gaining some additional security for himself.
First-round contracts have only been fully guaranteed en masse since 2022, when Vikings safety Lewis Cine — chosen 32nd overall — secured those terms. Though, matters like offset language still have been known to slow negotiations. Extended holdouts into training camp no longer occur among rookies, with players risking the loss of an accrued season toward free agency — a product of the 2020 CBA — by doing so. Corley and Benson were this year’s top third-round picks. The 49ers gave No. 64 overall pick Renardo Green two fully guaranteed years. That has likely caused a holdup for the Jets and Cardinals, considering the progress made via contracts agreed to by earlier draftees.
Steelers Will Not Extend G James Daniels In 2024
As Cameron Heyward extension uncertainty looms, it does not appear the Steelers have ruled out a fourth contract with their stalwart defensive lineman. It does, however, look like they are passing on another agreement with one of their interior O-line starters — for 2024, at least.
The topic of a James Daniels extension surfaced earlier this offseason, but the two-year Pittsburgh starter effectively shut this issue down by confirming (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly) the team does not plan to extend him before the season. Considering the Steelers do not do in-season extensions, Daniels is set to play out his contract year.
Daniels should have an opportunity to cash in once again as a free agent in 2025; despite this being the former Bears second-rounder’s seventh NFL season, he will only be 27 by the time the market opens next year. The Steelers confirming they want to have him play out the three-year, $26.5MM deal to which he is attached raises the stakes for the Iowa product.
The Steelers moved on from the two other veteran O-linemen they signed in 2022 by cutting both Chukwuma Okorafor and Mason Cole in February. Those moves came months after the team traded Kevin Dotson to the Rams. Dotson has since fetched a three-year, $48MM deal to stay in Los Angeles. This bodes well for Daniels, whose 2025 departure could leave the Steelers vulnerable at guard.
Pittsburgh, which went 27 years between first-round tackle investments before drafting Broderick Jones in 2023, has used Round 1 choices on tackles in back-to-back years. The team is set at those spots, and second-rounder Zach Frazier will be viewed as likely to take over at center. The team signed Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2023. The former Eagles blocker is going into his age-31 season. With Daniels four years younger, he profiles as a pricier option on his third contract.
Pro Football Focus rated the Iowa alum 33rd among guards last season and 24th in his Steelers debut. ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted Daniels ninth among guards in 2022. The six-year NFL starter has missed just two games as a Steeler. Given the number of eight-figure-per-year guard paydays that came to pass in March, Daniels has a big opportunity ahead. Counting Landon Dickerson‘s extension, six guards — Dickerson, Dotson, Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson, Damien Lewis, Jon Runyan Jr. — all signed deals at or north of $10MM per year this offseason. The salary cap will rise once again next year.
The Steelers used a fourth-round pick on Mason McCormick this year. Although the team found a gem in Dotson out of Round 4 back in 2020, it would be interesting if it was already earmarking a spot for McCormick in 2025. The Steelers hold exclusive negotiating rights with Daniels until March 2025, and while the Rams did use those well by coming to terms with Dotson before free agency started, Daniels playing out his contract year would put him in a position to raise his value and hit free agency.
As it stands, the Steelers appear prepared to let that happen. While the team has a low-cost quarterback situation for 2024, it has been tied to interest in extensions for Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields. One of the QBs almost definitely will not be back, but the Steelers may need to factor in a bigger quarterback contract to its calculous next year. With several big-ticket deals on the books for defenders, that complicates matters for players like Daniels.
Latest On Jets, QB Aaron Rodgers
JUNE 17: Rodgers and the Jets were in agreement with the decision to classify his minicamp absence as unexcused, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. New York elected not to move the date of minicamp up one week, he adds, given the effects such a decision would have had on several other players. After a brief spell with Taylor guiding the first-team offense, Rodgers will be back in place for training camp.
JUNE 12: Haason Reddick‘s pursuit of a new contract qualifies as the top issue coming out of the Jets’ minicamp, but the team conspicuously does not have its future Hall of Fame quarterback on-hand for its mandatory June workouts.
Aaron Rodgers did not show for Tuesday’s minicamp opener, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes the second-year Jets QB will not take part in any of the team’s workouts this week. While Tyrod Taylor seeing more reps with his new team stands to be important given how last season went for the Jets, Rodgers making a point to urge the Jets to avoid distractions and then ending his offseason this way has naturally generated questions.
[RELATED: Jets Not Closing Door On Haason Reddick Extension]
It is not known where Rodgers is this week. The 20th-year passer reported for the Jets’ media day Monday and took a mandatory physical, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, before leaving town. Rodgers had planned this trip during his rehab work, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, who adds the Jets are not concerned about their QB’s absence.
Rodgers, 40, participated in the Jets’ voluntary workouts this offseason. He has also been in the team’s Nathaniel Hackett-guided offense for two years now. Rodgers also has a recent history of not showing for his team’s minicamp.
Most recently, he did so in 2021 during a months-long standoff with the Packers themed around a trade request. The parties agreed to a truce of sorts ahead of training camp. The 18-year Packer, however, did not show for his former team’s voluntary workouts in 2022. This became an issue for Green Bay, which was breaking in a few rookie wide receivers that offseason. Though, Rodgers reported for Green Bay’s mandatory minicamp that year. He was at Jets minicamp in 2023. It should be noted Rodgers won his fourth MVP award after the 2021 standoff, though his performance dipped — as the Packers moved on from Davante Adams — in 2022.
Coming off an Achilles tear sustained four plays into last season, Rodgers has acknowledged the pressure the Jets face this year. Ownership signed off on mulligans for Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, but it is widely believed the HC-GM combo is on the hot seat. The QB’s whereabouts should become known at some point, and while the Jets are downplaying the matter, this certainly represents an unusual ending to an offseason program. Rodgers has been full-go during the team’s offseason program and will continue building toward a full-fledged comeback when training camp begins.
Patriots, Rhamondre Stevenson Progressing On Extension
The Bill Belichick-run Patriots operation did not place considerable value on the running back position. A few New England regulars received their paydays elsewhere during the legendary coach/GM’s stay. As the team transitions to an Eliot Wolf-led front office, it appears they are at least giving strong consideration to extending their starting RB.
Rhamondre Stevenson confirmed this by indicating he viewed an extension as close, and while the deal is not done, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes the sides are making progress (subscription required). Although an extension could be on the horizon, the 2021 fourth-round pick remains in a contract year.
New England did prioritize the pass-catching RB position during Tom Brady‘s tenure, forging long-running partnerships with Kevin Faulk and James White. Though, the team did not retain Danny Woodhead or Shane Vereen in between. Stevan Ridley also left New England after his rookie contract. Ditto BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Damien Harris, though Stevenson had effectively usurped the latter by the time his rookie deal expired. LeGarrette Blount left for Pittsburgh but returned on a low-cost deal. Corey Dillon provided an exception, being extended (five years, $17.5MM) early in Belichick’s tenure.
The NFL’s RB landscape has changed considerably since that Dillon deal (2005). Christian McCaffrey‘s recent extension (two years, $38MM) topped his own position-record number, which had stood since April 2020. Most of the teams who rostered a high-priced RB as of 2023 have moved on from that player or agreed to a pay cut. The past several months have provided some hope for impact backs, with the likes of Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley scoring more than $26MM guaranteed in total. Stevenson, however, has not shown himself to be on that tier. That will make extension numbers — should they indeed emerge — interesting to view.
Excluding All-Pro-level backs and the host of veterans who signed one-year deals this offseason, the contracts given to D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard may prove relevant to the Patriots-Stevenson negotiations. The Bears gave Swift a three-year, $24MM deal that includes $14MM guaranteed in full. The Titans’ Pollard deal is less player-friendly, covering three years and $21.75MM and guaranteeing the five-year Cowboy $10.49MM at signing.
Despite coming into the NFL a year later, Stevenson (26) is a year older than Swift. He showed considerable promise in a poor Patriots offense in 2022 by totaling 1,461 scrimmage yards. He ranked ninth in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric that season. Being asked to play alongside Ezekiel Elliott last year, Stevenson took a step back (857 scrimmage yards) and missed the final five games of the season with a high ankle sprain. Considering Stevenson’s resume, David Montgomery–Miles Sanders territory (in the $6MM AAV range) may apply as the Patriots consider a second-contract compromise.
“You know, we’ll see,” Jerod Mayo said of an extension, via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. “I will say this about Rhamondre: I think he’s one of the better backs in the league, no doubt about it. I think over the last few years, it’s been kind of tough on him, as far as getting started. So, I’m excited to see what he does this season. And look, he’s earned everything that he gets. He is our starting running back, and hopefully, we do get something done.”
The Pats added pass-catching back Antonio Gibson on a three-year, $11.25MM deal that includes $5.3MM guaranteed up front. Stevenson’s second contract will come in above that place, but it is worth wondering how much higher this new Pats regime will go for the fourth-year back. Wolf has made a point to reward in-house players this offseason, re-signing the likes of Michael Onwenu, Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche and Kendrick Bourne. It looks like Stevenson will have the chance to stay in Foxborough beyond 2024, though some work remains.
Rams Contacted Jets, Vikings About Round 1 Trade-Up
Known for trading first-round picks for veteran talent since returning to Los Angeles, the Rams finally used their allotted selection on a college performer this year by drafting Florida State’s Jared Verse at No. 19. But this came after reports of the team trying to climb into the top 10.
A pre-draft report indicated the Rams were interested in moving into the top 10, and Georgia’s Brock Bowers was believed to be the team’s target. The Rams have Tyler Higbee coming off a late-season ACL tear, with Hunter Long having undergone MCL surgery shortly before that. The team signed Colby Parkinson in free agency, but Bowers certainly would have represented a splashier piece in Sean McVay‘s offense.
The Rams targeted the Jets with a trade-up effort. Not seeking one of the quarterbacks still on the board, the Jets eventually used their position to squeeze an extra fourth-round pick from the QB-needy Vikings. That J.J. McCarthy-centered transaction came after GM Joe Douglas took a call from Rams counterpart Les Snead. A recent look into the Rams’ draft process (h/t The33rdTeam.com’s Ari Meirov) points to Snead offering Nos. 19 and 52 to the Jets for No. 10.
Snead revealed Douglas was not interested in moving down from 10 to 19. That drop likely would have taken the Jets out of the running for the player they eventually grabbed at 11 — Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. Following the Jets-Vikings trade, the Rams came back with an offer that included Nos. 19, 52 and third- and sixth-round picks for No. 11, Meirov adds. While would have brought an interesting haul for the Jets, the team’s decision to pass shows its level of interest in Fashanu, who became this year’s third tackle chosen.
The Rams’ call was also interesting due to the pre-draft Jets-Bowers connections that developed. The Jets hosted the Georgia tight end on a “30” visit following his clearance from ankle surgery, and pre-draft reports suggested Gang Green stood as the floor for the three-year SEC standout. The Jets also were believed to be interested in adding another wide receiver to the mix, but after the Bears took Washington’s Rome Odunze at No. 9, the team — which had also been linked to trading down — made a deal with the Vikings and still landed Fashanu at 11.
Fashanu joins March pickups Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses in a Jets tackle group that promises to be deeper than last season’s contingent, while Verse will join ex-Seminoles teammate Braden Fiske — whom the Rams acquired after completing a second-round trade-up effort (via the Panthers) — in a group effort to replace the retired Aaron Donald.
McVay also called ex-assistant Kevin O’Connell about a move to No. 11, but the eighth-year Los Angeles HC was fairly sure the Vikings — after a run of QB work and extensive rumors leading up to the draft — would stay and pick McCarthy were he still on the board at 11.
It certainly would have been interesting to see the Rams equip Matthew Stafford with a dynamic tight end. The Rams have obviously enjoyed sustained success under McVay, but they have not employed a Pro Bowl tight end during the Super Bowl-winning HC’s tenure. Though, Higbee has put together multiple productive seasons. Going down in the Rams’ wild-card loss, Higbee will not be ready for training camp. It would not surprise to see the ninth-year veteran land on the reserve/PUP list to start the season.
The Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. pick at No. 8 halted any Broncos trade-down interest as well. Sean Payton‘s interest in adding Bo Nix effectively cut off the Rams’ options re: Bowers. The Raiders will attempt to make good use out of a Bowers-Michael Mayer tandem, having made a best-player-available choice — after six QBs went off the board before their No. 13 overall slot — to bring in this draft’s top TE.
Commanders Sign First-Round QB Jayden Daniels
The Commanders and their top draft choice have crossed off the rookie-deal step in this partnership. No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels agreed to terms on his four-year intro NFL pact, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Daniels will be tied to a fully guaranteed $37.75MM deal, one that will come with a fifth-year option for the 2028 season. This marks the third first-round slot deal for a QB for Washington, which drafted Robert Griffin III second overall in 2012 and Dwayne Haskins 15th overall in 2019.
Although some Drake Maye rumors emerged with this draft slot during the run-up to this year’s selection event, Daniels became the widely expected choice. The Commanders rebuffed Raiders interest in the pick. Only one offer is believed to have come in for the selection. Given Antonio Pierce‘s interest in reuniting with the former Arizona State recruit, it was viewed as likely Las Vegas submitted that proposal for No. 2 overall. The Commanders put that issue to rest by drafting the LSU-developed Heisman winner, and the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn regime will build around the dual-threat quarterback.
Washington did not need to give up any assets for Daniels, separating this selection from the 2012 RG3 process, as last year’s eight-game losing streak to close the season secured the No. 2 draft slot behind Chicago. Not many rumors about the Bears’ preference emerged during the pre-draft period, as Caleb Williams was the runaway favorite to begin this draft. As weeks passed, Commanders rumors slowed. Despite Maye being viewed for months as the 1-B in this class, Daniels’ dominant 2023 season allowed him to leapfrog the two-year North Carolina starter.
Transferring from Arizona State in 2022, Daniels — like multiple other QBs in this year’s first round — shined after relocating. While Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix became first-round picks after moving to the Pac-12, Daniels trekked east to raise his stock. Daniels posted an eye-popping stat line in his final season with the Tigers, throwing 40 touchdown passes (compared to four interceptions) and rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 more TDs. Altogether, Daniels accounted for 4,946 yards in 12 games.
After entering his final college season far from a lock to go in the first round, the slender QB will attempt to give Washington its first dependable QB answer since Kirk Cousins. The team traded Sam Howell to the Seahawks and added former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota in free agency. While Mariota showed in Atlanta he remains capable as a starter, it would surprise if Daniels was not on the field in Week 1.
Daniels’ frame has generated some concerns, with various sources noting the QB weighed in the 180s and 190s during his college seasons. He checked in at 210 pounds this offseason. Bryce Young‘s rookie-year struggles, after ballooning to 204 pounds for his Combine weigh-in, showed the risks an undersized QB can bring. The Panthers, of course, are not giving up on the 2023 top pick just yet; Daniels also offers a much higher upside as a runner by comparison. The five-year college QB’s ability to protect himself this season will be paramount, however.
Griffin’s inability to stay healthy preceded a quick decline after a dazzling rookie season, and Washington could not re-sign Cousins after a lengthy franchise tag saga. Alex Smith did come back from his gruesome leg injury, but he retired soon after that surprising re-emergence. The team’s Carson Wentz effort failed, and it passed on a big-ticket pursuit — centering its offseason around Howell — last year. Following years of half-measure efforts to staff this job, Washington hired a new regime that will bet on Daniels.
Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence Finalize Extension
JUNE 14: Further details on the Lawrence accord have emerged. To no surprise, the pact contains a no-trade clause, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The cash flow through the first new year consists of $82.66MM, which falls short of the Burrow pact.
Still, Lawrence has secured a long-term Jags commitment with this pact. PFT’s Mike Florio details that the first three years consist of fully guaranteed base salaries along with $35MM option bonuses locked in at signing. Of the $41MM he is due in 2027, $29MM is already guaranteed. Another $12MM will shift from an injury to a full guarantee in 2026. Likewise, his 2028 option bonus ($35MM) and salary ($11MM) will vest one year early. $6MM in incentives as well as non-guaranteed 2029 and ’30 salaries round out the monster investment.
JUNE 13: Another domino in the quarterback market will fall in Jacksonville. Weeks ahead of training camp, Trevor Lawrence‘s extension is done. It will match Joe Burrow‘s NFL contract record.
The former No. 1 overall pick agreed to a five-year, $275MM extension Thursday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The deal will include $200MM guaranteed in total and $142MM guaranteed at signing. Part of the guarantee will come from a $37.5MM signing bonus, Rapoport adds, spreading out the quarterback’s cap hits.
The latter two marks are not NFL standards, but at $55MM per year, Lawrence has checked in alongside the player chosen first overall a year before him. Since the Jaguars picked up Lawrence’s fifth-year option, his extension will run through the 2030 season. Lawrence joins Patrick Mahomes as the only players signed into the 2030s.
This certainly marks a pivotal offseason for the Jaguars, who reached a lucrative extension with Josh Allen not long after franchise-tagging their top pass rusher. New deals for Lawrence and Allen will change the equation for the Jags, who could not do too much to capitalize on their quarterback’s rookie contract. Though, the Jags had sunk low before landing Lawrence and did not begin a legitimate recovery effort until the QB’s second season, as the Urban Meyer year kept the franchise in the NFL’s basement.
Lawrence, however, has shown promise under Doug Pederson. The Clemson product best displayed his talents during the second half of the 2022 season, which brought a Jags surge to the AFC South title and a 27-point comeback over the Chargers in the wild-card round. The team did not build on this last season, collapsing down the stretch — as Lawrence battled multiple injuries — and missing the playoffs. Pederson and Trent Baalke will now be tasked with forming a winning team around a $55MM-per-year quarterback contract.
In terms of guarantees, Lawrence’s marks check in third in both categories. No one has come close to approaching the $230MM fully guaranteed Deshaun Watson commanded from the Browns; Burrow came closest, at $146.5MM. Lawrence’s full guarantee checks in between Burrow and Lamar Jackson ($135MM). His total guarantee comes in between Burrow’s ($219MM) and Justin Herbert‘s ($193.7MM). Lawrence has not reached the heights of any QB in this salary range, counting Watson’s Texans success, so this deal represents good news for the likes of Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love. It also will help Dak Prescott gain more leverage in his latest talks with the Cowboys.
The salary cap’s record rise to $255.4MM — a $30MM-plus increase — placed this QB contingent as clear candidates to join the $50MM-AAV club, which formed last year when Jackson, Herbert, Burrow and Jalen Hurts each signed extensions. Jared Goff signed an extension that made him second only to Burrow in the league; the Lions QB drops to third after this Lawrence agreement.
Lawrence joined Burrow, Herbert and a host of other first-round QBs in the rookie-scale era to sign an extension before his fourth season. This both locks the Jaguars centerpiece into a veteran salary (as opposed to a $1.1MM number he was previously due in 2024) during his first offseason of extension eligibility, but it stands to help the team through a long-term lens. It gives Jacksonville seven years of control on its quarterback.
Mahomes’ outlier contract, in place since 2020, runs through 2031. QBs have steered clear of any extension of that length. But the Burrow, Herbert and Lawrence accords tie the QBs to their teams for seven years. Lawrence’s contract going through 2030 gives the Jags some cost certainty for the foreseeable future. As the cap keeps climbing, that will help the team’s cause — even if it will mean a tougher go through a roster-building standpoint in the short term.
Lawrence’s poor rookie-year showing under Meyer and injury-plagued 2023 did not give the Jags an extensive sample of success, making this megadeal stand out from some of the other monster pacts awarded to QBs in the recent past. They could have conceivably, as the Dolphins did with Tagovailoa, made Lawrence go through a “prove it” Year 4 season. But they will act early, having begun extension talks in February. Baalke confirmed ownership and Pederson were involved in the talks, and the parties crossed the finish line during minicamp week.
Lawrence, 24, came into the NFL with a flashy prospect profile; he played out his final season at Clemson as the clear-cut favorite to be chosen first overall in 2021. After the Jets started 0-13 in 2020, it looked like the Dabo Swinney charge would be Big Apple-bound. But two late-season wins from Gang Green gave the Jaguars, who finished 1-15, the right to pick first the following April. While Meyer was calling the shots at that point, Baalke was starting his GM tenure.
That 2021 draft, which came amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured memorable whiffs in the first round. The other four teams that chose first-round QBs that year — the Jets (Zach Wilson), 49ers (Trey Lance), Bears (Justin Fields) and Patriots (Mac Jones) — traded away those passers. Lawrence has not been a top-tier QB by any means, but he has managed to stick in Jacksonville and show enough to earn this contract. The Jags are certainly betting his best seasons are ahead.
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 Jags season, and the 2022 team started 3-7. But Lawrence guided the Jags to comeback wins over the Cowboys and Ravens down the stretch, pairing well with a veteran receiving corps. He fired TD passes to all four of his top targets in the comeback win over the Bolts and put a scare into the No. 1-seeded Chiefs in a narrow divisional-round loss.
Last season brought a step back, as Pederson gave play-calling duties to OC Press Taylor. Lawrence finished with 21 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions — after assembling a 25-8 ratio in 2022 — and was present for a collapse in which the Jags sank from 8-3 to 9-8. While Lawrence has displayed plus durability as a pro, he missed his first game last season. Lawrence sustained knee and ankle sprains, playing through both, before suffering an AC joint injury and a concussion late in the season. His injuries undoubtedly affected the Jags, though the team gutted its defensive staff as a result of the downturn.
This offseason, the Jags also revamped Lawrence’s pass-catching corps. They signed Bills deep threat Gabe Davis and attempted to keep Calvin Ridley. It would have been more difficult for the Jags to re-sign Ridley, given where his market went, and then pay Lawrence. The team still carries Christian Kirk‘s $18MM-per-year deal. Ridley joined the Titans on a four-year, $92MM pact, and the Jags opted for more help in the draft by using their first-round pick on LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. — last season’s Division I-FBS receiving TDs leader (17). Thomas’ rookie contract will pair well with Lawrence’s extension, as the Jags also have Evan Engram signed to a top-10 tight end contract.
The Jags will face some pressure to make this contract pay off. While Lawrence has been by far the best QB from the 2021 class, he has not submitted a top-shelf season like the rest of the members in the NFL’s $50MM-AAV club. Pederson, Taylor and Co. will need to see that he does to make this contract worthwhile.
Contract Issue Prompts Alvin Kamara To Leave Saints Minicamp
The NFL’s restructure kingpins, the Saints have not touched Alvin Kamara‘s contract this offseason. Although the team has used the deal for cap savings in the past, the structure of the Pro Bowl running back’s deal points to 2024 serving as his de facto contract year.
Kamara’s five-year, $75MM extension runs through 2025, but the ’25 season features a nonguaranteed $22.4MM base salary that almost definitely will not be paid out. This situation brought a notable development Thursday. Kamara left the Saints’ facility before the team’s minicamp practice, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the exit came about because of a contract issue.
The sides have engaged in discussions about the deal this offseason, according to Underhill, but they have not made progress toward a solution. The eighth-year back is indeed seeking an extension, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan adds. Kamara, who will turn 29 next month, is attached to a $10.2MM base salary for the 2024 season.
During a rather bleak period for running back value, Kamara became one of the winners. The versatile back locked down a $15MM-per-year deal — albeit with a dummy final year in place to inflate the AAV — just before the 2020 season. In terms of per-year value, that contract matched Ezekiel Elliott‘s for second — behind Christian McCaffrey‘s Panthers-constructed extension — among running backs. Kamara has done well to remain on the pact, but he is now the only NFL RB still attached to a deal he signed in 2020.
The NFL’s eight-figure-per-year RB club sustained hits in recent years. Before bringing back Elliott this offseason, the Cowboys jettisoned his six-year, $90MM deal. The Vikings moved Dalvin Cook‘s five-year, $63MM contract off the books in May 2023. These cuts came during an offseason in which the Packers and Bengals, respectively, gave Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon pay cuts. Following a major knee injury, Nick Chubb accepted a Browns pay cut. Jones, Mixon and Derrick Henry relocated this year and are tied to lower-level deals; though, Mixon still secured eight figures guaranteed on his multiyear Texans pact.
The RB landscape has changed during Kamara’s contract, but unlike the wide receiver market, no value spike has taken place. Kamara’s AAV still sits second — behind McCaffrey’s new two-year, $38MM 49ers extension — though Jonathan Taylor has since signed a three-year, $42MM deal that does not feature a phony final-season number. Only five RBs are now tied to eight-figure AAVs, with one of those deals — Josh Jacobs‘ — containing only $12.5MM guaranteed at signing. Kamara has done well on this contract, though it is not difficult to envision the Saints shedding it from their payroll in 2025.
Kamara, who served a three-game suspension in connection with an assault incident, finished with a career-low 1,160 scrimmage yards last season. Kamara’s minus-99 rushing yards over expected represented the fourth-worst number, per Next Gen Stats, last season. Kamara also ranked in the bottom 10 in RYOE in 2022, when he scored just four touchdowns and fumbled four times. While Kamara served as a central part of the Saints’ success over Drew Brees‘ final four seasons, he has not stood out in the two years since Sean Payton‘s departure.
The Saints can create $25MM in cap savings next year by designating Kamara as a post-June 1 cut, with Duncan adding there is “no way” the Saints keep Kamara on this contract beyond 2024. Going into this season with a Saints-high $18.6MM cap number, Kamara is tied to $29.1MM figure in 2025. The five-time Pro Bowler faces a $17K fine for skipping today’s workout. The focus will now turn toward training camp, as Kamara would face $50K fines for each day missed.