No Extension In Sight For Cowboys, Dak Prescott
5:54pm: The Cowboys are not closing the door on a Prescott extension, per Nick Harris of the team’s website. The team would not shut down talks during the season, though it remains to be seen if Prescott would do so. Nothing is on the team’s immediate radar, and past negotiations have produced deadline failures (2020) and successes (2021). This will obviously be a central storyline in the offseason months to come.
12:47pm: The last time the Cowboys and Dak Prescott engaged in extension talks, the process covered nearly two full offseasons and dragged into mid-March of a third. Long expected to take place this year, Prescott’s second round of negotiations are not yet off the ground.
Dallas restructured its ninth-year quarterback’s contract recently, dropping his cap number from $59MM to $55.5MM. The new number would still smash an NFL record, as no player has gone into a season with a cap number higher than $45MM. An extension would be the easiest way for the Cowboys to reduce that figure now, but no deal is imminent.
The sides have reached an understanding regarding this situation, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who notes the Cowboys have not made an offer. Although extension talks began recently, the team does not appear the team is planning to submit one anytime soon.
Prescott’s contract expires after the 2024 season, and with the Cowboys not being able to use the franchise tag on their QB in 2025, free agency (and a big dead money bill) would stand to enter this equation if the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is unsigned. As of now, that prospect seems closer to reality than it once did.
The 30-year-old QB is no stranger to playing on expiring contracts. He played out his rookie deal in 2019 and played the 2020 season on the franchise tag. Despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury that year, the standout passer scored player-friendly terms from a Cowboys team that prefers longer-running extensions. Prescott signed a four-year, $160MM deal just before the Cowboys would have had to tag him a second time to prevent a 2021 free agency exit.
That deal wrapped a lengthy saga, which had begun when the QB became extension-eligible in 2019, but set the stage for another battle. As part of that 2021 extension, the Cowboys procedurally tagged Prescott; this took a 2025 tag off the table.
Jerry Jones would prefer his QB accept a team-friendlier contract this time around. This topic came up during Dallas’ previous Prescott talks, but the team eventually caved to its signal-caller’s demands. Prescott’s price steadily climbed before reaching that $40MM-AAV point. With the market now well beyond $50MM per year, Prescott has the leverage to command a deal in that neighborhood — perhaps a record-setting accord.
“As you address a player like Dak, you take away from his supporting cast,” Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill. “That’s not a sales job. Everybody realizes, if you get the bucks, someone else who can help you win doesn’t. That’s factual.”
Painting Prescott to be on the greedy side certainly could be a negotiating tactic on Jones’ part, as Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year extension has benefited the Chiefs. But other QBs have not followed Mahomes’ lead. And the Cowboys will be battling uphill if they push this process toward the season. The Browns have not yet restructured Deshaun Watson‘s deal a second time; his fully guaranteed contract has the team set to carry a record-shattering $63.9MM cap number otherwise. If the deal is restructured, Prescott’s cap number would top the league. But the AFC North team did restructure its QB’s deal last year. Watson is also signed through 2026. Like Kirk Cousins, tagged twice in Washington, Prescott would have a clear path to free agency if no extension came about.
The Vikings are eating $28.5MM in dead cap this year; because of the recent restructure, the Cowboys would take on $40.5MM in dead money if they cannot extend Prescott before the 2025 league year. Due to his age and accomplishments, Prescott would stand to far outdo Cousins on the open market. The prospect of finding a suitable replacement also a rather notable part of this equation.
The Cowboys acquired Trey Lance via trade last year, but the ex-49ers No. 3 overall pick’s contract expires after this coming season. Again armed with a quality roster, Prescott will — barring injury — likely have Dallas in playoff contention, which would not give the team favorable draft real estate in 2025. While it would be easier to extend CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons with Prescott out of the picture, his 2025 dead money would make it more difficult to carry a top-market Lamb contract and a Parsons fifth-year option on the books next year.
While it would certainly be noteworthy if the Cowboys were serious about letting Prescott play out his contract, the leverage being skewed toward the QB make it premature to indicate Dallas is done negotiating.
49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Discussing Extension; No Trade On Horizon
The 2022 offseason brought a sea change for wide receiver salaries. During the months when the market transformed, the 49ers needed to navigate complex Deebo Samuel negotiations. Those ending with a three-year deal bring more complications two years later, with Brandon Aiyuk now atop the team’s extension queue.
Like Samuel and Nick Bosa, the subject of an Aiyuk extension has been a talking point for a while. But the 49ers do already have Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey signed to top-market deals at their respective positions. This has led to Aiyuk trade rumblings, but GM John Lynch did his best to shoot those down. The eighth-year 49ers front office boss also confirmed the team has begun Aiyuk extension talks.
[RELATED: Brandon Aiyuk Expects To Remain With 49ers]
“We’re trying to talk about some parameters of things,” Lynch said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required). “We’re having discussions. That’s a good thing. There’s no doubt that because we’ve been aggressive so much, there’s some realities that we are going to be faced with moving forward. You just can’t have everybody. But Brandon is somebody that we’d love to keep around.”
If the 49ers are set on giving Samuel a third contract, as his current deal expires following the 2025 season, it would stand to complicate matters for Aiyuk. Brock Purdy has certainly put himself on the extension radar, which will change the 49ers’ roster blueprint. Although Purdy cannot be extended until 2025, contracts for he and Aiyuk — along with a potential third Samuel deal — would line up. Suddenly, this could morph into a Bengals-like situation. Cincinnati followed up its Joe Burrow record-setting re-up with a Tee Higgins franchise tag, as Ja’Marr Chase will be ticketed for a likely record-breaking deal of his own.
Aiyuk just put together a better season than any his 2020 draft classmate has compiled, totaling 1,342 yards and seven touchdown receptions, but he may find himself in the Higgins role. Aiyuk, 26, has not followed the Samuel or Higgins path by requesting a trade, but he is in limbo as of now. Lynch said (via NBC Sports’ Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco) the 49ers have not engaged in trade discussions. However, Aiyuk does not appear to be too pleased by his current standing with the organization (Instagram link).
The 49ers picked up Aiyuk’s fifth-year option, which separates this from the Higgins situation due to the latter being an ex-second-rounder, and Lynch said the team is comfortable with Aiyuk playing on his $14.1MM fifth-year option. The 49ers have made preemptive strikes in the past, with our Adam La Rose reminding of the team’s 2020 DeForest Buckner trade (which came just before the Arik Armstead extension). They also let Mike McGlinchey walk as a free agent, with Trent Williams signed long term.
Unlike McGlinchey, the 49ers would probably roll out a franchise tag for Aiyuk if they are unable to extend him before the March 2025 tag deadline. The team listened to offers for Samuel in April 2022 but circled back to the All-Pro via a three-year, $71.55MM extension that summer. While that complicates the team’s Aiyuk path, McCaffrey’s running back-record deal may not be in the equation by the time the 49ers could have Samuel and Aiyuk attached to high cap numbers.
A trade will be something to monitor, as the Buckner proceedings remind, but the 49ers are currently aiming to extend their 2023 leading receiver. With the Chargers disbanding their Keenan Allen–Mike Williams duo, only the Buccaneers employ two $20MM-per-year receivers.
“We’re going to strive to make that happen,” Lynch said of an Aiyuk extension, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. “Will it be difficult? I’m sure it will be. But we’ve done a good job of that. Are there some trials in those [negotiations]? Sometimes there are. But ultimately that’s all forgotten when you get something done. And I hope that’s the case here.“
NFL Approves Cal McNair As Texans’ Principal Owner
A key figure with the Texans over the past several years, Cal McNair will transition from CEO to an official ownership title. The NFL approved McNair as the team’s principal owner Tuesday.
Cal’s mother, Janice McNair, had been in place as principal owner since her husband Bob McNair’s 2018 death. Janice is now 87. Bob McNair founded the expansion franchise, which debuted in 2002. Cal McNair, 62, has been in place as the team’s top decision-maker since his father’s death, being the team’s representative at owners meetings. But he will have an official ownership title moving forward.
“It’s an exciting time to be a Houston Texan and I’m honored to lead this franchise,” Cal McNair said. “This move ensures the long-term stability of our franchise and we will continue to operate the way we have been over the last couple years, pursuing a championship for the city of Houston while doing great things in the community and for our fans.”
The period since Bob McNair’s death has been an eventful one for the NFL’s newest franchise. The Texans are 31-51-1 since Bob McNair’s passing. After a power struggle led to Bill O’Brien eventually moving into a head coach/GM dual role in 2019 — with Brian Gaine fired barely a year after landing the job — the Texans made a host of interesting moves. The events coming out of the O’Brien period have been the most impactful, however.
Deshaun Watson requested a trade months after being given an extension, citing issues with Cal McNair’s hiring of Nick Caserio as GM. This soon became a subplot, as it came to light the Pro Bowl quarterback had been accused of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault by dozens of massage therapists. Thirty women sued the Texans as well. The Texans had given Watson a Houstonian hotel and spa membership and helped arrange nondisclosure agreements for its then-quarterback; the lawsuit accused the team of enabling him. The team settled the suits, which emerged months after the Watson trade brought back three first-round picks from the Browns.
That Caserio-overseen process helped lead to the C.J. Stroud selection, which has revitalized the Texans after they had fired HCs (O’Brien, David Culley, Lovie Smith) in three straight years. The Texans will go into 2024 with significantly higher expectations compared to previous years, and while this has not been an especially stable period for the organization, its Caserio-Stroud-DeMeco Ryans foundation does appear pointed in the right direction.
Commanders GM: Team Not Interested In Trading DT Jonathan Allen
Jonathan Allen has expressed hesitancy about being part of another Washington rebuild. The standout defensive tackle may not have a choice.
Although the Commanders have a new head coach and football ops boss in place, the Dan Quinn–Adam Peters regime appears prepared to go into the season with Allen in place at his defensive tackle post. Peters said this week (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the team is not interested in a trade. Only Tress Way has been with the franchise longer than Allen, who is going into his eighth season.
The Commanders have Allen on what has become a team-friendly deal. Since Allen agreed to his four-year, $72MM extension in 2021, the D-tackle market has seen multiple waves adjust its contract hierarchy. Although no one approached Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year deal while he was still active, Daron Payne‘s $22.5MM-per-year contract started the formation of a second tier on that market. The subsequent deals for Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons and Quinnen Williams preceded this year’s monster contracts handed to Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins and Justin Madubuike.
The activity on this market over the past three offseasons has dropped Allen to 12th at the position in terms of AAV. With the 2017 first-round pick signed through 2025, it can be expected he will be asked to play another season on this deal — if, in fact, he remains a Commander going into the season.
Teams asked about Allen before last year’s deadline, but Ron Rivera and Co. did not move either of their D-tackle pieces; they instead traded both their defensive ends. Rivera and other staffers did not want to give up Montez Sweat, but ownership is widely believed to have played a role in the team moving on from both its top DEs last fall.
It would be interesting to see if Josh Harris would step in on the Allen front, but considering he just hired Peters to run football ops, another such intervention would surprise. Allen is coming off a 5.5-sack season, though he totaled more QB hits (19) compared to his 7.5-sack 2022. Allen, 29, has registered 22 sacks over the past three seasons, helping a D-line compensate for Chase Young‘s injury trouble.
Washington would seem to still have an opening opposite ex-Quinn Dallas disciple Dorance Armstrong at defensive end, though fellow ex-Quinn Cowboys charge Dante Fowler and Clelin Ferrell could conceivably compete for the other starting job. But Allen staying keeps D-tackle as a team strength. Former second-round pick Phidarian Mathis joins Allen and Payne inside. A big offer could change the Commanders’ mind here, as this regime is inheriting the Rivera-era extension, and Allen could be a name to watch at the deadline come November. For now, however, the oldest of the team’s three ex-Alabama DTs is staying put.
Stephon Gilmore Back On Panthers’ Radar
Even as the Panthers attempt to pick up the pieces after a 2-15 season, soon-to-be 31-year-old pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney remains on their radar. Another prominent NFL 30-something does as well.
Stephon Gilmore, who went to the same South Carolina high school as Clowney, is back in play for the Panthers. Carolina’s new regime reached out to Gilmore about a potential return, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets.
Matt Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer authorized a 2021 trade that brought Gilmore to the Panthers for a 2023 sixth-round pick. Gilmore, however, ended up playing only a half-season with Carolina. The Panthers did not re-sign the Rock Hill, S.C., native in 2022; the former Defensive Player of the Year instead signed with the Colts. Indianapolis traded Gilmore to Dallas last year, and while the 33-year-old corner expressed interest in staying with the Cowboys, he remains unsigned.
Dallas brought back Jourdan Lewis, who will be in line to patrol the slot alongside DaRon Bland and the recovering Trevon Diggs. This might not leave a spot for Gilmore, who appears to have at least one other option. While cornerbacks ahead of their age-34 seasons do not typically generate extensive interest, Gilmore has been one of the NFL’s best boundary corners over the past several years.
Gilmore played a lead role in helping the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl title, intercepting a pass against the Rams in a defensively powered championship performance. Gilmore won his DPOY honor the following year and made another Pro Bowl in 2020. He added a Pro Bowl alternate nod with the Panthers, though he only played in eight games that season due to a quad injury and a contract impasse with the Patriots. Last season, Gilmore intercepted two passes and allowed a 55.8% completion rate as the closest defender — his best showing since the dominant 2019 campaign.
The Panthers traded one of their CB starters, Donte Jackson, to the Steelers in an exchange that brought Diontae Johnson to Charlotte. Jaycee Horn has also dealt with injury problems; Gilmore initially joined the Panthers while Horn was rehabbing a broken foot. The team bringing Gilmore back would create a reality in which the Panthers roster two 33-year-old corners; the recently re-signed Troy Hill will turn 33 just before the season. This would be an interesting route to take for a rebuilding team, but another starter-level corner will likely be needed ahead of Ejiro Evero‘s second season running Carolina’s defense.
NFL Tweaks IR-Return Format For Playoffs
The past four years have brought major changes for the NFL’s injured reserve system. On a day that will bring more memorable changes to how the NFL operates, another adjustment is coming on this front as well.
The league adopted a Lions proposal that will allow teams unlimited IR-return moves once the playoffs begin. Teams are permitted eight IR-return designations each season, but rather than that count covering the regular season and playoffs, clubs will have more flexibility regarding how many players they can activate from IR in 2024.
[RELATED: NFL Pushes Trade Deadline Back One Week]
Although the 2010s brought increased flexibility here, the decade still ended with teams significantly limited regarding who they could bring off IR during a season. Going into the ’10s, an IR designation still meant the player was out for the season. By 2019, teams were up to three IR-return transactions in each season. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the NFL operated in many ways, but while the reserve/COVID-19 list was scrapped after the 2021 season, the pandemic-era practice squad update remains. And the league’s injured reserve system offers a half-measure between the 2010s and the COVID-marred period.
From 2020-21, teams could designate an unlimited number of players to return from IR. The NFL introduced the eight-activation limit in 2022. That number still created some issues for a few teams. The 49ers and Rams were high on IR-return moves in 2022, with San Francisco leaving Jimmy Garoppolo on its active roster due to having used its eighth IR activation on Elijah Mitchell going into the playoffs. Last year, the Texans entered the playoffs without any IR activations remaining.
In 2024, teams will be set to have eight IR transactions at their disposal during the regular season and then no such limitations during the playoffs. The postseason flexibility would allow injury-plagued contending teams to designate more players for return during the stretch run without the fear of being left without any additional moves for the playoffs. As this change will potentially allow more starter-level players to return in-season, the Super Bowl LXIX change could be impacted to a degree by the Tuesday vote.
Latest On Commanders’ QB Plans; J.J. McCarthy In Play At No. 2 Overall?
Dan Quinn effectively confirmed the long-held expectation the Commanders will be likely to draft a quarterback this year. While the new Washington HC did not indicate that move would necessarily come at No. 2 overall, that should be expected.
Which passer the NFC East team will take may be this year’s most intriguing first-round development. With the Bears almost definitely set to draft Caleb Williams first overall, a Jayden Daniels-or-Drake Maye question persists for the Commanders. But the J.J. McCarthy rise may have reached the point where Washington’s No. 2 draft slot pertains to the recent national championship-winning passer.
A number of executives at this week’s league meetings view McCarthy as the most likely Commanders choice at No. 2, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero offers (video link). This would certainly be a considerable jump from where McCarthy was viewed as Michigan’s unbeaten season wound down, but the 21-year-old prospect has continued to climb during the pre-draft process.
McCarthy impressed at his pro day, with Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline noting the number of NFL execs topped the scout count at the Ann Arbor event. The Chargers trading out of No. 5 to a team aiming to leapfrog the Giants for McCarthy should be considered in play, per Pauline. The Commanders making this sort of move would obviously make this scenario moot, though it would be a different move compared to how the 49ers played it when Adam Peters last offered input into a quarterback decision near the top of the draft.
The 2021 draft featured Trevor Lawrence locked in at No. 1 for months in advance, and the Jets’ Zach Wilson intentions became clear weeks ahead of the event. The 49ers, who had traded two future first-rounders to move up to No. 3, went with Trey Lance. This came after reports linked Mac Jones to San Francisco. Viewed as a lower-ceiling prospect compared to Lance at the time, Jones did not profile as a player worthy of the No. 3 pick. This is believed to have impacted the 49ers’ thinking, as Kyle Shanahan may or may not have been overruled regarding Jones at 3.
Neither of those passers panned out with his original team, but the 49ers giving up on Lance after two years (four starts) proved eye-opening. The miss did not deter the Commanders from naming Peters their president of football ops, however, and he faces a similar decision in his first draft running Washington’s front office.
McCarthy has already met with the Giants and Broncos, but those teams would not have a route toward outflanking the Commanders for the fast-rising ex-Wolverine. Jim Harbaugh did not ask his final Michigan QB to do too much, and he totaled just 2,991 passing yards in 15 games last season. But the 6-foot-2 passer showed accuracy improvement from the 2022 season, vaulting to a 72.3% completion rate; his TD-INT ratios in two starter seasons: 22-5, 22-4.
Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent NFL.com mock draft has Maye going to Washington at No. 2 (with the Vikings coming up to No. 4 for McCarthy), while Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board sends Daniels to the nation’s capital. We are still weeks away from the draft, with prospect visit season beginning.
On that note, SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates Daniels is believed to hold pole position for the Commanders, citing the fit with OC Kliff Kingsbury as part of the reason behind this placement. The 2023 Heisman winner joined McCarthy in upping his draft stock considerably in his final college season, dominating in his second year at LSU. The Raiders have been the team most closely connected to Daniels, due to Antonio Pierce‘s past with the QB when the two were at Arizona State. Las Vegas sitting at No. 13 obviously presents a steep trade path to Daniels.
But the Commanders would have first dibs on Daniels, Maye or McCarthy; as of now, FanDuel odds give Daniels a slight edge on Maye. McCarthy’s rise should certainly be monitored, however, and it has become clear a team eyeing the Michigan-developed passer will probably need to move into or near the top five to draft him.
Browns Nearing Extensions With Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry
Notorious for making GM and HC changes during their time as Browns owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam are close to finalizing agreements to keep their current decision-makers in place.
Rumors surfaced about about extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski in February; the Haslams said Monday (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the deals are close to being completed. This would be a rare development for a Browns franchise that has not seen many coaches or GMs worthy of extensions since rebooting in 1999.
Since Jimmy Haslam acquired the Browns in October 2012, he has employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Before the Stefanski-Berry tandem, none of the Haslam-era HCs or GMs made it through a third season. Extensions were not exactly on the radar, but the Stefanski-Berry partnership has bucked the trend.
The Browns are 2-for-4 in playoff berths since hiring Berry and Stefanski in 2020; they were previously 1-for-21 since the NFL gave Cleveland an expansion franchise in 1999. While the Browns have not seen their Deshaun Watson move pay off yet, ownership still appears comfortable with handing out its extensions for a head coach or general manager.
Coming in as yet another HC-GM pairing (Dorsey-Kitchens) did not pan out, Berry and Stefanski saw their first offseason precede the Browns’ first playoff berth since 2002. Stefanski earned Coach of the Year honors that year and has since collected a second such honor, doing so as the Browns lost Watson, Nick Chubb and both starting tackles yet advanced to the postseason anyway. Stefanski coaxing stunning play from Joe Flacco, who lingered in free agency until November, secured the ex-Vikings OC the second award. It looks like the latter offering, which came three years after Stefanski helped Baker Mayfield rebound from a woeful 2019 season, will lead to a second Cleveland contract.
Berry’s extension case is a bit more complicated. He has been the GM in place for the team’s recent upswing, having helped build up a high-end offensive line. Berry was in place for the Jack Conklin signing and hammered out the extensions for Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio. Berry also extended Dorsey draftees Chubb and Denzel Ward. Of course, the Watson move has been Berry’s defining act as GM. Jimmy Haslam also placed the idea on fully guaranteeing Watson’s $230MM contract at Berry’s feet.
Berry is one of the NFL’s youngest GMs, at 36. He also was in place as a Brown lieutenant as the team attempted one of the more radical rebuilds in NFL history. Berry was with the Browns during their infamous 1-31 stretch from 2016-17, holding the VP of player personnel title during that period. He left to join the Eagles, returning in 2020 to become a GM at just 33. While his second Cleveland run has brought QB hiccups, the Browns assembled a quality roster — one DC Jim Schwartz helped maximize last season — as they have attempted to fix the signal-caller concerns.
Given the early returns on that controversial trade, hatching the idea of fully guaranteeing Watson’s deal could shift to blame soon. But the Browns retooled their coaching staff to better accommodate Watson this offseason; the Berry-Stefanski pairing will have a chance to continue this path beyond their initial Browns deals. Despite struggles in 2021 and ’22 due largely to Mayfield’s shoulder injury and then Watson’s 11-game suspension, the Browns are moving forward with contracts that will presumably run into the late 2020s.
Panthers Still Pursuing Jadeveon Clowney
The Panthers have made multiple additions at outside linebacker, but given what the team lost, more help will be needed ahead of Week 1. One such pursuit is ongoing, despite some notable interest from another team.
Carolina is still in on the Jadeveon Clowney market, with GM Dan Morgan indicating Monday (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) the team is staying in touch with the former No. 1 overall pick’s camp. The Panthers hosted Clowney on a visit early in free agency, but as of late, the Jets have been the team most closely connected to the veteran edge rusher.
A recent report indicated the Jets are “highly motivated” to land Clowney, with the sides being in constant contact since a recent meeting took place. The Panthers met with the South Carolina native first, doing so on the same day they hosted Chase Young and D.J. Wonnum. Young signed with the Saints, with a neck issue affecting his market; no team cleared Young on a physical this offseason. Wonnum did commit to Carolina, which also took a flier on former Jacksonville first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson. But these two would not form a starter-caliber edge duo, keeping the Panthers in the market for an upgrade.
The Panthers, of course, traded Brian Burns to the Giants for a 2024 second-round pick, a 2024 fifth-rounder and a swap of 2025 fifths. This brought an underwhelming conclusion — from the Panthers’ end, at least — to a saga that famously included a Rams offer of two first-rounders and a third back in 2022. Former starter Yetur Gross-Matos, who could not quite justify the Panthers’ second-round investment, also signed a two-year, $18MM deal with the 49ers.
Clowney, 31, has a history of taking his time in free agency. A lucrative extension or free agency agreement never materialized for the one-time mega-prospect; instead, he has made quite a bit of money hopping around the league on one-year deals. If Clowney lands another one-year pact, it would be his fifth. He also played the 2019 season — with the Seahawks — on the franchise tag. Clowney waited until September 2020 to join the Titans while agreeing to his two Browns contracts in April 2021 and May 2022. He did not join the Ravens last year until August, forming a duo of late-summer OLB acquisitions with Kyle Van Noy.
Both Clowney and Van Noy were productive in Baltimore, which will likely lead to a better 2024 deal compared to his 2023 payment ($2.5MM). Clowney matched his career high with 9.5 sacks. Carolina totaled just 27 as a team; Burns was responsible for eight of those. The Panthers will likely look to the draft as well here, though they do not have a first-round pick, but Clowney would represent a nice stopgap solution for Ejiro Evero this season.
Rams Planning To Have QB Stetson Bennett At Offseason Workouts
Stetson Bennett disappeared from the Rams’ depth chart in September, going from a player who had a path to becoming Matthew Stafford‘s backup to one out of the mix entirely. Last year’s stay on the Rams’ reserve/NFI list further delayed the NFL career of a player who spent six years in college.
It is not clear what led Bennett off the Rams’ roster in September, but in January, Sean McVay stopped short of guaranteeing the two-time national championship-winning quarterback would be with the team in 2024. GM Les Snead provided an update on Bennett from the league meetings today, indicating (via the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein) the Rams expect the reserve QB to be with them for offseason workouts. Bennett has been preparing for Rams workouts in Dallas.
The Rams targeted Bennett as a potential long-term Stafford backup last year, drafting him in the fifth round. The team had done extensive scouting on a player that, despite his status as a multiyear Georgia starter during the most dominant stretch in that program’s history, was not on early-round draft radars. Bennett, who began his time at Georgia as a walk-on before spending time at a junior college, will also turn 27 later this year. That obviously would put him on track to begin his career later than most QBs in NFL history, but the prospect of Bennett being ready to resume his career is certainly encouraging for the Rams.
A route to Bennett being the Rams’ QB2 does not appear to exist right now. The team gave Jimmy Garoppolo a one-year, $4.5MM deal to replace Carson Wentz as Stafford’s backup. (The team also retained reserve Dresser Winn via a futures contract.) Stafford’s injury history made the acquisition of a veteran backup rather important, and Bennett’s NFI placement last year qualifies him an unreliable option. But the Rams hope to see more of the former SEC standout soon.
Elsewhere on the Rams’ roster, the previously mentioned Ernest Jones extension talks do not appear to have brought progress. Snead said the team is not planning to extend the contract-year linebacker in 2024. “We prioritized spending our resources on additions rather than re-signing from within,” Snead said, via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop.
GM-speak generally preaches the inverse of this strategy, making it interesting Snead would indicate months in advance the Rams were not planning to extend Jones. The former third-round pick has shown improvement, putting together his best season in 2023. But the Rams have a history — during the McVay years, at least — of letting linebackers and safeties fetch their second contracts elsewhere. Among linebackers, Cory Littleton‘s 2020 free agency exit best represents this strategy.
The team’s previous blueprint featured a host of stars coming in, and their contracts made hitting on Day 2 and Day 3 rookies paramount. Jones has become one of those hits, but as of now, he will be looking to audition for other teams — though, the Rams still retain exclusive negotiating rights until March 2025 — rather than being the focus of 2024 extension talks.