Von Miller: Domestic Violence Allegation ‘100% False’
Speaking with media for the first time since he was arrested on a domestic violence charge, Von Miller called the allegations against him “100% false.” The Bills pass rusher said the incident was overblown.
Miller, 34, turned himself into police and was charged with a third-degree felony on Nov. 30. After Miller was charged with assaulting a pregnant person, the NFL did not place the Bills pass rusher on the commissioner’s exempt list. He has remained active since the incident involving his girlfriend.
“Obviously there are things that I can’t talk about, but everything that was out is completely wrong and blown out of proportion on me and my girlfriend,” Miller said, via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. “We have problems just like any other couple does, but it’s never been any of the things that was alleged against me. So hopefully over time, you know, all of this stuff will get cleared up. … The people who know me and the people who’ve been around me know my character. They know who I am.”
A police report indicates Miller and his girlfriend engaged in an argument last month. The dispute escalated to the point Miller is alleged to have told his girlfriend to leave their apartment and, as the woman attempted to, broke her laptop before shoving her. He is later alleged to have put his hands on her neck, applying pressure but not restricting the woman’s ability to breathe, and pulled out a chunk of her hair. Miller’s girlfriend told police she is six weeks pregnant. Treated at the scene for minor abrasions on her left hand and bruising on her neck, the woman was not hospitalized.
Miller’s girlfriend said shortly after the veteran defender’s arrest that she was not assaulted, indicating the incident was “blown way out of context.” The woman, who is the mother of Miller’s two children, called the developments surrounding the couple “outrageous,” but the 13th-year veteran still faces the charge. When asked what about the charge was wrong, Miller said (via Buscaglia) “all of it is incorrect.”
“It is 100% false,” Miller said of the assault allegation. “It’s overblown. You know, I’ve got the right people on the job and you just you just keep pushing. I know who I am. I know my character. I know the type of person that I am. I know me and my my girlfriend’s relationship. So you just got to keep pushing, man. Life just lifes. You got to smile and have fun through it all. Especially when, you know, all the stuff is untrue.”
Even if the charge is dropped, Miller could still face an NFL suspension. A ban could affect his future with the Bills. A suspension under the personal conduct policy would remove Miller’s $10.7MM in 2024 guarantees from the equation. Around $22MM in prorated bonus money — on the six-year, $120MM deal the ex-Broncos and Rams superstar signed in 2022 — would move onto the Bills’ 2024 cap sheet if they cut Miller next year following a suspension. A post-June 1 designation would spread that total over two years. If Miller is not suspended, the Bills would face a $32MM dead-money charge if they released him in 2024.
Since coming back from the second ACL tear of his career, Miller has struggled. He does not have a sack in 11 games, working as a backup, and has made just three tackles this season. That represents a steep decline from his 2022 form; Miller notched eight sacks before going down with the knee injury on Thanksgiving Day last year.
Broncos To Bench Russell Wilson
With a Week 16 loss to the Patriots effectively closing the door on the Broncos’ playoff hopes, the Russell Wilson watch has begun in Denver. As Sean Payton was not with the team when it acquired the longtime Seahawks star last year, the 2024 offseason has been viewed as a key point on the Broncos’ timeline.
It could also soon be a key chapter in NFL transaction history. Sitting at 7-8, the Broncos will bench Wilson. Payton informed the team Jarrett Stidham will start in Week 17, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. After the Broncos followed up a five-game win streak with a 1-3 stretch, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported the team was considering this move — one aimed at ensuring Wilson stays healthy before a pivotal offseason physical.
While Wilson has played much better this season, he has not justified the Broncos’ trade cost. The team sent an eight-asset package to Seattle, which included two first-round picks and two second-rounders. That decision came just after Aaron Rodgers — a multiyear Broncos target — agreed to a Packers extension. More importantly, the extension the Broncos gave Wilson just before last season creates a complex situation for the improved team.
The Broncos signed Wilson to a five-year, $245MM extension last summer; that deal came with $124MM fully guaranteed. The team had Wilson on a Seahawks-constructed contract ($35MM per year) through 2024, but it wanted to beat this year’s extension surge, leading to the $49MM-AAV re-up. Wilson waiving his no-trade clause for Denver always pointed to a new deal in 2022, but that turned out to be the wrong play. Even considering this year’s improvement, Wilson has not moved the needle for a Broncos team that has not found an upper-crust replacement for Peyton Manning since his 2016 retirement. Stidham will be the Broncos’ 14th starting QB post-Manning.
The Broncos can protect themselves against a $37MM guarantee (Wilson’s 2025 base salary) vesting in 2024, but the team cutting Wilson would create a staggering dead-money total. Even if the Broncos release Wilson with a post-June 1 designation — which would assuredly be the move if they are indeed cutting the cord — they would take on $35MM in dead money next year, according to OverTheCap. That would approach a record in itself, but this move would also bring a $49.6MM dead-money blow for 2025. Considering Matt Ryan‘s $40.5MM dead-money total from 2022 remains the single-player record, the Broncos would be sailing into uncharted waters — a two-offseason dead-cap total of $84.6MM associated with Wilson’s contract — if they cut their top quarterback next year.
On Day 5 of the 2024 league year, that $37MM guarantee vests if Wilson remains on the Broncos’ roster. That number is guaranteed for injury only until that March date, when it shifts to a full guarantee. But $68MM in bonus prorations from 2024-28 are also part of this equation, which stands to lead to the dead-money bloodbath.
Wilson’s contract containing a year-out guarantee, which is common among today’s high-profile deals, will force the Broncos’ hand early. If Wilson’s 2025 base salary locks in come March, the Broncos would still be tagged with $86.6MM in dead money (the $37MM base plus the $49.6MM in prorated bonuses from 2025-28) if they cut the decorated QB in 2025 rather than 2024. If Payton has deemed this a substandard fit, it behooves the Broncos to absorb this unprecedented financial blow early. Offset language does exist in Wilson’s deal, which would provide some relief once the 12th-year veteran lands elsewhere, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald adds.
This scenario is eerily similar to the one the Raiders encountered with Derek Carr. Once again, Stidham is the player who would move into the starting lineup in the event of a protection-based benching. Deciding early to bail on the Carr extension that included a February 2023 guarantee vesting date, the Raiders parked Carr on the bench — though, he left the team to avoid becoming a distraction — ahead of Week 17 last season.
Stidham started the Raiders’ final two games last season, creating a QB2 market. The Broncos gave the ex-Patriots draftee a two-year, $10MM deal to back up Wilson, beating out a Raiders offer. Unlike Carr, Wilson will not leave his team. He will dress as Denver’s QB2 against the Chargers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Wilson ranks seventh in passer rating, throwing 26 touchdown passes — after he tossed just 16 last season — compared to just eight interceptions. But the Broncos have not exactly deployed an explosive offense. It ranks 16th in points scored, though that is up from 32nd last year, and 16th in DVOA. Wilson’s relative bounce-back effort notwithstanding, the team remains limited through the air. Payton has restrained Wilson to a degree, and the Broncos have largely relied on short passes or deep shots to Courtland Sutton during their rebound from a 1-5 start. The 35-year-old passer ranks 21st in QBR, and new regimes are more willing to take on dead money associated with players brought in under previous staffs.
Technically, this is not a new regime. GM George Paton remains, but it is widely assumed Payton is calling the shots in Denver. Paton, who was in place for the Wilson extension and Nathaniel Hackett‘s one-and-done, has been linked to being on thin ice. A move to bench Wilson to protect against an injury affecting his contract status may well precede Paton exiting in 2024. The coach Paton traded for this offseason has not meshed especially well with Wilson, whose skillset differs from Drew Brees‘.
For Wilson, this obviously represents new territory. Although the two-time Super Bowl starter submitted a shockingly mediocre season under Hackett, the Broncos did not bench him last season. The nine-time Pro Bowler moving closer to his Seahawks form under Payton may keep the Hall of Fame in play — though, this Denver tenure does inject an interesting chapter — but this benching points to him being available in 2024. Considering this is not a tradeable contract, Wilson is moving toward becoming a free agent for the first time.
This imminent separation will put the Broncos in the market for a new quarterback soon. The team’s recovery from its 1-5 start will make that more difficult, as its draft slot has dropped to 14th. Should the Broncos follow through on their now-expected Wilson release in 2024, it will be interesting to see if a team would be willing to provide another starting opportunity for the ex-Seattle iron man. Wilson is the only player in NFL history with over 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards. After being hesitant to run much under Hackett, Wilson has regularly helped the 2023 Broncos by scrambling (341 rushing yards).
While it is clear Wilson is past his prime, he has played a key role in the Broncos’ surprising playoff push — one that Stidham now controls. ESPN’s FPI gives the Broncos just a 5.6% chance to qualify. Against those long odds, the team will soon began a look toward the future.
Patriots Claim CB Marco Wilson
DECEMBER 27: Wilson did not manage to pass through waivers unclaimed, something which would have set him up for free agency. The Patriots have claimed him, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. As a result, Wilson will finish off the season in New England, a team which has endured plenty of turnover at the CB spot this season. The 24-year-old could see immediate playing time as he looks to earn a roster spot for the 2024 campaign. Schefter’s colleague Field Yates tweets the Broncos and Titans (who sit lower in the priority) also put in claims.
DECEMBER 26: Following Patrick Peterson‘s defection to the Vikings, Marco Wilson became an immediate Cardinals starter. He remained a first-stringer entering this season, and the Cardinals were counting on him after the Vikes also lured Byron Murphy from the desert in March. In a new scheme, Wilson’s stock dropped.
Wilson has not played a defensive snap since Week 11, with the Cards relegating the third-year cornerback to special teams duty. They officially moved on from the former fourth-round pick Tuesday, sending him to waivers. Barely $110K remains on Wilson’s 2023 salary; while his rookie contract runs through 2024, no guaranteed money remains on the deal.
Vance Joseph immediately installed the Florida alum as a starter in 2021, pairing him with Murphy as Arizona’s top corners over the previous two seasons. Wilson started in Week 1 of his rookie year and has made 37 starts over the course of his career. That run came to a halt last month. Wilson has allowed 702 yards in coverage this season, per ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss; that is 300-plus more than any other Cardinal corner has ceded this year. Despite Wilson not playing defense since Week 11, that yardage number still ranks fourth in the NFL.
Wilson’s quick ascent under Joseph notwithstanding, he has rated outside Pro Football Focus’ top 100 at corner in each of his three seasons. The advanced metrics site slots the 6-foot cover man as the third-worst CB regular this year. Wilson logged 83% and 85% snap rates for the Cardinals in 2021 and ’22, respectively, working as a starter in the team’s wild-card loss to the Rams as a rookie. Wilson still leads Cardinals corners in defensive snaps (694). That total tops Antonio Hamilton‘s snap figure by more than 200. The Cardinals have also used Starling Thomas V as a starter in recent weeks, with third-round rookie Garrett Williams manning the slot.
Hamilton was with the team last season, but the Jonathan Gannon–Monti Ossenfort regime has mostly turned the page from the Joseph-era corners. Arizona, which is finishing up a rebuilding year, has not allocated much in the way of resources to corner in recent years. Peterson started for 10 seasons in the desert, crafting a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, while Murphy was in place for four. The Cards will enter the 2024 offseason with many needs; cornerback remains one of them.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Browning, Steelers
In between the Browns going public with Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury and the team signing Joe Flacco, GM Andrew Berry gave his top two front office lieutenants an assignment. Berry asked assistant GMs Glenn Cook and Catherine Raiche to independently rank the veteran QB options, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, while doing the same himself. Although this process produced different second- and third-place finishers, Flacco ranked first across the board. Kevin Stefanski reaching out to ex-Vikings coworker Gary Kubiak on Flacco also helped the veteran’s cause, Breer adds. Flacco’s OC with the Ravens in 2014, Kubiak spoke highly of the former Super Bowl MVP. One of Flacco’s best seasons came under Kubiak in 2014, helping the latter become the Broncos’ HC.
After years as a backup, Flacco has taken the reins in Cleveland and has the team on the cusp of its second playoff berth over the past 20 years. Out of football until November, Flacco is now interested in playing next season. The Browns are interested in Flacco staying in Cleveland to do so.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- Jake Browning took a step back in a Bengals Week 16 loss, but coming into that Steelers matchup, Joe Burrow‘s backup had been highly effective. The fifth-year veteran, who had never taken a regular-season snap until this year, still carries a 72% completion rate and an 8.5-yard average per attempt. Browning, 27, moved up from third-stringer to backup this year, with the Bengals letting Brandon Allen walk in free agency, and Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes he is interested in seeing what is out there for him in free agency. A 2024 free agent, Browning would at least generate appeal as an intriguing QB2. Teams have been burned by signing backups to be starters in recent years — as the additions of Brock Osweiler (Texans) and Nick Foles (Jaguars) have most famously shown — but this is a rather valuable position. Browning finishing the season strong will only up his price for 2024.
- Patrick Peterson made his first start at safety in Week 16, intercepting Browning. Replacing Minkah Fitzpatrick in a depleted Steelers secondary, Peterson views the move as something that could extend his career. Aiming to play through at least the 2025 season (which would be his 15th year), the All-Decade cornerback said the move could be a prelude for his future. “I feel like this is a great move for me at this stage of my career,” Peterson said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Joe Rutter. “We have good corners who can be a cornerstone for this team. This could be my second career.” The Steelers had some safety work in mind when they signed Peterson to a two-year, $14MM deal. It will be interesting to see how Peterson, 33, is used moving forward. Steelers have Keanu Neal on IR and Damontae Kazee suspended for the regular season’s remainder.
- Browns linebacker Anthony Walker underwent arthroscopic knee surgery recently, per ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter. The veteran defender missed Week 16 and is week-to-week. Walker suffered a torn quad tendon last year, ending his season after three games, but re-signed with the Browns and has started 12 games this season. Pro Football Focus ranks the ex-Colts draftee 32nd among off-ball ‘backers this season. Walker is not on IR, but he joins a growing number of unavailable Browns defenders. Ogbo Okoronkwo, Grant Delpit and Rodney McLeod are out of the mix as well. Delpit is on IR but could return in the playoffs, while Okoronkwo remains on the active roster despite a torn pec.
Packers Suspend CB Jaire Alexander
Jaire Alexander has missed an extended stretch for the Packers this season, but the sixth-year cornerback is now healthy. He will not be available for Green Bay’s Week 17 game, however, due to a team-imposed suspension.
The Packers suspended Alexander for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, GM Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday. This is believed to be for Alexander’s strange coin-toss moment in Carolina, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Not a captain, Alexander crashed the Packers’ coin toss and forgot to use the word “defer.” Had the referee not assisted the Packers, they could have been forced to kick off in both halves against the Panthers.
Week 16 marked Alexander’s first game back from a shoulder injury. The highly paid cornerback had not played since Week 8. While Alexander obviously resides as an important piece for the Packers — on a defense that has struggled under third-year DC Joe Barry — the team will attempt to set an example with this one-game ban.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” Gutekunst said. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together.”
A Charlotte native, Alexander called the toss despite not being designated to be part of that process with the captains. This strange sequence came in a game the Packers barely won against a two-win opponent. Alexander, 26, has missed nine games this season. While it is not quite the lost year his 2021 became due to injury, it is pretty close. The Packers have Alexander on a four-year, $84MM extension that runs through 2026. That $21MM AAV remains the most among corners.
Giants To Turn Back To Tyrod Taylor As Starting QB
After making a Christmas Day relief effort, Tyrod Taylor will return to action for the Giants. Brian Daboll confirmed the team will move Tommy DeVito back to the bench and go with Taylor against the Rams in Week 17.
The Giants had wanted to look at DeVito for a possible backup role down the line, and the team gave the popular rookie six starts. It took Taylor breaking four ribs to move DeVito into the lineup, though. Daniel Jones‘ top backup going into the past two seasons, Taylor lost his job to a rookie for a fourth time in six years. But the free agent-to-be will have a chance to continue his audition Sunday.
Numerous starters going down due to injury this season could make this an important audition for Taylor, should the NFL’s QB2 market balloon come 2024. Taylor joins a number of veteran backups headed for free agency. With the Giants not expected to re-sign the 13th-year veteran, he is set to continue submitting tape for other teams to evaluate.
Taylor, 34, expressed disappointment when the Giants activated him from IR and kept DeVito in place as their starter. A three-year Bills starter, Taylor has certainly grown accustomed to teams making similar choices. Baker Mayfield replaced him early in the 2018 season, and a pregame injection mishap led to Justin Herbert‘s rise in Los Angeles two years later. Davis Mills usurped Taylor with the Texans in 2021. DeVito represented the most unlikely candidate to jump Taylor on a depth chart, being a UDFA who had petitioned the NCAA for an extra year in college. That being denied led the ex-Illinois and Syracuse starter to the Big Apple.
Daboll initially did not let DeVito throw much once he replaced an injured Taylor against the Jets, but the second-year Giants HC soon loosened the reins. En route to a popularity surge, DeVito has quarterbacked the Giants to three wins. But he struggled in losses to the Saints and Eagles, taking sacks at a high rate as the Giants fell behind by multiple scores in each contest.
The Commanders’ decision to bench Sam Howell stands to be more important for the team’s post-2023 future. This DeVito benching likely does not affect a potential future starter. Jones has been expected to return as Big Blue’s starter for 2024, and the fifth-year veteran is aiming to recover from this ACL tear by training camp. That is not a lock, and GM Joe Schoen mentioned a QB addition as being necessary due to Jones’ injury.
It will be interesting to see how closely the Giants are linked to QB prospects in the draft, as Jones’ contract effectively ensures he will be a Giant in 2024. (The team currently sits fifth on the 2024 draft board.) DeVito can be kept through 2026, via ERFA and RFA tenders, but this benching makes it a bit early to project that far ahead regarding the local product.
Bills Activate CB Kaiir Elam From IR
The Bills let Kaiir Elam‘s 21-day activation window reach the deadline, but they still have the former first-round pick in their plans for this season. Elam will come off IR on Wednesday, according to the team.
Designated for return on Dec. 6, Elam spent the past three weeks ramping up during practice. Had the Bills not activated the young cornerback today, he would have reverted to season-ending IR. The team is in good shape regarding injury activations, however, still holding five after this transaction.
DaQuan Jones and wide receiver Justin Shorter have also returned to practice, likely representing two more of the team’s IR-return moves. The team also has Matt Milano on IR, but Sean McDermott said earlier this month the All-Pro linebacker is unlikely to return this season. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips landed on IR last week. While the veteran could factor into the team’s postseason plans — should this late-season rally produce a playoff berth — he cannot return to practice until the week of the divisional round. Roster math could have conceivably played a role in the Bills’ Elam decision, but the team being in relatively good shape in terms of activations will allow for the corner to attempt a bounce-back effort as this season winds down.
Through 1 1/2 seasons, Elam has not justified the Bills’ first-round investment. The Florida product has been unable to carve out a consistent role, representing a disappointing development for a team that had hoped he would become a long-term fixture opposite Tre’Davious White. The Bills have needed Elam more this season, with White suffering an Achilles tear. Prior to Elam landing on IR due to an ankle injury, he had only been active in three games.
Elam could not become a regular starter last season, even with White not debuting until Thanksgiving, but his ankle injury has hindered his 2023 effort from the start. Elam tore a ligament in his ankle prior to the start of the regular season. After attempting to play through the injury, the second-year defender was shut down for an extended stretch. Elam appears ready, having logged three full practices last week. The Bills will hope a healthier version of last year’s No. 23 overall pick will help their defense down the stretch.
This will be Buffalo’s first opportunity to use Elam alongside Rasul Douglas, whom the team acquired to stem the tide following White’s injury. Douglas and Christian Benford have lined up alongside veteran slot player Taron Johnson as Buffalo’s cornerback regulars. Elam was unable to beat out Benford, a 2022 sixth-round pick, last season. It should be expected Elam comes back as a depth piece. For a Bills team that has run into numerous defensive injuries, that could be valuable despite the young cover man’s early-career struggles.
49ers To Sign DT Sebastian Joseph-Day
Sebastian Joseph-Day cleared waivers on Christmas Day, closing the book on the $8MM-per-year Chargers contract he signed in 2022. But the veteran interior defensive lineman will not be out of work for long. He is set to head north.
The 49ers agreed to terms with Joseph-Day on Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Jason McCourty. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicates Joseph-Day is finalizing a one-year deal with the NFC West champions. Joseph-Day will follow Chase Young and Randy Gregory as high-profile 49ers D-line additions this season. To clear a roster spot, the 49ers are waiving wide receiver Willie Snead, who has bounced on and off the team’s practice squad for two years now.
San Francisco has been without longtime starter Arik Armstead for the past three games. Armstead is not on IR, but he is dealing with foot and knee issues after missing much of last season. Javon Hargrave returned to action against the Ravens but missed Week 16 due to injury. Joseph-Day, who started in his final three seasons with the Rams before trekking across town to sign with the Bolts last year, will add some important depth for the 49ers.
Not long after firing Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers moved on from Joseph-Day and D-line coach Jay Rodgers. Staley had made a push for a defensive overhaul last year. That led to Joseph-Day and J.C. Jackson joining the team as free agents and Khalil Mack arriving via trade. As the 2023 season winds down, only Mack remains among those pickups. The Chargers traded Jackson back to the Patriots, as that fit proved poor. Joseph-Day, however, started 30 games for the team over the past two years.
Before signing with the Chargers, Joseph-Day generated free agency interest on the heels of his Rams run. A chest injury sidelined Joseph-Day for much of the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 season, though he did play a few snaps in Super Bowl LVI. But the former sixth-round pick started throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons alongside Aaron Donald. Pro Football Focus graded Joseph-Day as a top-20 defender in 2020, as the Rams returned to the playoffs and upset the Seahawks in the wild-card round.
This season, the advanced metrics site slotted Joseph-Day 67th overall among interior D-linemen. In Staley’s scheme, Joseph-Day had performed fairly well pressuring QBs. The 28-year-old defender matched his career high with three sacks, and the 11 QB hits accumulated are nearly double his season-best total. Joseph-Day looks set to become a rotational cog in San Francisco, with Armstead’s injury potentially determining how big a role the newcomer will receive. Javon Kinlaw and Kevin Givens round out San Francisco’s interior D-line group.
While a starter for the Rams, Joseph-Day did not eclipse a 43% snap rate in 2019 or 2020. His usage climbed before the 2021 injury, however, and the Chargers used their free agency addition on 71% of their defensive snaps last season. Joseph-Day’s work rate dropped to 58% in L.A. this year.
This will be Joseph-Day’s first time in a 4-3 defense, though the lines between the two primary NFL base fronts have blurred over the past several years. The 49ers have an expensive D-line in place, having extended Nick Bosa after signing Hargrave to a $21MM-per-year deal in March. Armstead remains on the big-ticket extension he signed in 2020. Joseph-Day figures to slot in alongside Gregory as a low-cost veteran; the Broncos are paying the bulk of Gregory’s base salary.
Browns Attempted To Acquire Calvin Ridley In 2022
It took some moving parts for Amari Cooper to end up in Cleveland. In addition to the Cowboys determining his contract would no longer fit on their payroll, Cooper’s Browns arrival also looks to have been contingent on trade talks with the Falcons falling through.
Before the Browns turned their attention to Cooper in March 2022, they were one of the teams in on Calvin Ridley, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. A Ridley-Eagles “what if?” also represents one of the wide receiver dominoes from a significant offseason in the position’s history; the Browns now loom here as well.
The Eagles nearly acquired Ridley before his suspension surfaced, but the Browns engaged with the Falcons on a deal as well. The team expected Chris Godwin and Mike Williams to be franchise-tagged, Breer adds. Only Godwin was, but Williams re-signed with the Chargers on a deal that matched Cooper’s 2020 terms (three years, $60MM) just before the 2022 free agency period. This took pieces off the table for the Browns, who were moving into position to trade for Deshaun Watson.
With Ridley off the board due to the suspension, the Browns landed Cooper at a much lower cost compared to what it took the Cowboys to pry him from the Raiders in 2018. The Cowboys, who sent the Raiders a first-round pick for Cooper in 2018, traded him to the Browns for a fifth-rounder and a swap of sixths. Other teams waited to see if the Cowboys would cut Cooper, per Breer, but his contract no longer looks particularly onerous. Jerry Jones said last year Cooper became unrealistic to retain, and the Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb on their extension radar. But the Browns have reaped considerable benefits from what amount to a flier on Cooper last year.
Upon breaking Josh Gordon‘s Browns single-game receiving record (with 265 yards), Cooper soared past his single-season career high Sunday. The ninth-year veteran is now at 1,250, which tops his previous career best of 1,160 — set with the 2022 Browns. Cooper, 29, now has seven 1,000-yard seasons in his career. For a team that has started four quarterbacks, the former top-five pick has been vital to it staying afloat in the playoff race.
The Browns did well to acquire Cooper before the receiver market exploded last year. His five-year, $100MM contract runs through 2024, and it began to look better after the run of receiver extensions that shaped the ’22 offseason. Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill raised the market’s ceiling, which still sits at $30MM per year, and the Eagles started the run on extensions for the 2019 class by giving A.J. Brown $25MM per year and a position-record $56.5MM fully guaranteed. After the likes of Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf signed, Cooper’s $20MM AAV dropped into a tie for 11th at the position. Cleveland has Cooper on a $23.8MM cap number in 2024. An extension, which would drop that figure, is likely on the AFC North team’s radar.
While the Browns and Eagles made their receiver moves during Ridley’s suspension, more clubs entered the Ridley mix before last year’s trade deadline. A few offers came the Falcons’ way, but after the team worked with the suspended wideout, he made his way to the Jaguars in a two-pick trade in which the compensation is not yet final.
The Jags sent a 2023 fifth-rounder and a conditional 2024 pick to the Falcons. That pick has already become a fourth, by virtue of Ridley making Jacksonville’s 53-man roster this year; it would rise to a second if the contract-year pass catcher signs an extension with the Jags. Ridley, 29, has produced an up-and-down season for the Jags, accumulating 871 yards. With Christian Kirk signed through 2025, it will be interesting to see if Jacksonville will be willing to part with a second-round pick by extending Ridley.
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.
In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.
The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.
It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.
Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
- Washington Commanders: 4-11
- New England Patriots: 4-11
- New York Giants: 5-10
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
- Tennessee Titans: 5-10
- Chicago Bears: 6-9
- New York Jets: 6-9
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
- New Orleans Saints: 7-8
- Green Bay Packers: 7-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
- Denver Broncos: 7-8
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
- Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
- Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
- Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
- Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
- Buffalo Bills: 9-6
- Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Detroit Lions: 11-4
- Miami Dolphins: 11-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
- San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
- Baltimore Ravens: 12-3