Raiders Not Looking To Trade Josh Jacobs; Dolphins Inquired On RB’s Availability
AUGUST 24: The Dolphins briefly inquired on Jacobs’ availability, as first reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but those talks went nowhere with the Raiders confident he will play in Vegas in 2023. Subsequent reports have confirmed the Dolphins’ passing interest in Jacobs, including NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. The latter notes that Miami is interested in a high-profile RB trade, “but only up to a certain price” (Twitter link). Talks between the Colts and Dolphins regarding Taylor are ongoing.
AUGUST 23: As the Colts have followed the Chargers’ lead in letting a standout running back find a trade partner, the Raiders continue to wait on their All-Pro back’s return. They are taking a different approach compared to the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor path.
The Raiders are not looking at tag-and-trade scenarios involving Josh Jacobs, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Then again, moving Jacobs’ $10.1MM tag salary would not be an easy task for the Raiders. With less mileage on his odometer, the 2021 rushing champion is also a more appealing trade target than last year’s leader. But it remains to be seen if a team will make an offer for Taylor that will prompt Indianapolis to consider a move. The Colts’ ask is high.
Beginning training camp in late July, the Raiders have been without Jacobs for nearly a month. Jacobs is not obligated to attend camp, having not signed his franchise tender. The team can add sweeteners to entice Jacobs to return on time, as the Giants did — via a high-seven-figure incentive package, albeit featuring escalators classified as not likely to be earned — to bring Saquon Barkley back into the fold. Earlier this month, however, a report suggested the Raiders had not held talks with Jacobs about elevating his 2023 compensation.
Yannick Ngakoue agreed to reduce his tag salary — from $17.8MM to $13MM — to facilitate a trade from Jacksonville to Minnesota in 2020, but envisioning Jacobs making such a concession to leave Las Vegas is highly unlikely. (The Raiders would also need to be motivated to move him, which it appears they are not.) Even as Jacobs’ $10.1MM salary makes him less valuable in a trade, Ngakoue could count on future contracts to balance out the trim he accepted. The developments at running back this year offer Jacobs no such assurances beyond 2023.
Jacobs, 25, totaled an NFL-high 2,053 scrimmage yards last season. The 2019 first-rounder also led the NFL with 393 touches, providing a potential cause for concern regarding his 2023 form. This adds to the reasons why Jacobs skipping regular-season games (and $561K game checks) is considered unlikely. The Alabama alum does not figure to have many more chances at a notable payday, making this $10.1MM salary rather important.
Jacobs reporting just before Week 1 would follow Le’Veon Bell‘s 2017 path. Preserving his body for a free agency push — the nuclear option Bell executed upon being tagged again in 2018 — is extraordinarily unlikely due to the financial sacrifice and the state of the RB market. While Bell had the Jets waiting to pay him in 2019, it cannot be assumed such a payment — on what looks like a crowded 2024 market — would await Jacobs. The Raiders can also merely re-tag their RB1 for barely $12MM in 2024.
With Jacobs not showing up for camp, the Raiders signed Damien Williams. But do not roster anyone particularly close to Jacobs’ level, with 2022 fourth-rounder Zamir White slotted as Vegas’ top backup. The team could rescind Jacobs’ tag, sending him to free agency. But McDaniels may see his seat warm up this season. Having Jacobs at Jimmy Garoppolo‘s disposal would help the second-year Raiders HC’s cause. But the team continues to wait.
Six Teams In Mix For Jonathan Taylor; Colts Turned Down RB’s Extension Request
The Dolphins are not the only Jonathan Taylor suitor. Six teams are believed to have shown interest in Taylor, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder reports.
Two of those clubs are believed to have extended offers to the Colts. It is not known if the Dolphins are one of the clubs to make an offer, but given their reported interest from the start of this accelerating derby, they would be a good guess here. But Miami, which has engaged in ongoing discussions with Indianapolis, is not alone in this pursuit.
More than three weeks after Taylor’s trade request became public, the Colts gave him permission to find a deal. The AFC South team wants a first-round pick — a price no team has paid for a running back since the Colts gave up one for Trent Richardson in September 2013 — or a picks package on the Christian McCaffrey level. The 49ers gave up second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-rounders for CMC last year.
The Colts are giving Taylor until August 29 to find a trade partner, Holder adds. The Colts must decide by 3pm CT on August 29 whether to keep Taylor on the PUP list or move him back to their active roster. Taylor remaining on the PUP past roster-cutdown day would mean a four-game absence to start the season. The team looks to have established a deadline. It remains to be seen if that is a point of no return on a Taylor trade.
Part of Taylor’s frustration with the team goes back to May, with Holder noting the Colts refused the running back’s extension request. Taylor, 24, became extension-eligible in January, but he is coming off an injury-plagued season. Taylor’s first notable NFL injury — an ankle malady that may or may not still be causing him trouble — led to him missing six games. GM Chris Ballard cited this and the team’s poor 2022 performance as a reason no extension was on tap.
Between May and training camp, a number of sobering developments transpired for running backs. It is unsurprising to see the Colts press pause here, but Taylor — who hired a new agent in late May — has changed his tone with the team. Indicating as recently as this year he still wanted to retire a Colt, the 2021 rushing champion switched gears. His agent has gone back and forth with Jim Irsay on social media, with the outspoken owner’s comments on the RB meetings not going over well with his own RB1. Irsay’s one-on-one meeting with Taylor did nothing to end this impasse, with Holder adding the Wisconsin alum remains set on being traded out of Indianapolis.
One year remains on Taylor’s rookie contract. The former second-rounder’s hope for an extension has complicated a trade, with teams leery of sending over notable draft compensation and authorizing a near-top-market extension. It is not known what price Taylor is seeking, but none of the rumors involving the franchise-tagged trio (Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs) reached the McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara levels. No back has even secured a $10MM-per-year deal since the Browns paid Nick Chubb (three years, $36.6MM) in July 2021.
The Colts would have the option of tagging Taylor in 2024. In theory, a team that acquires Taylor via trade would as well. Though, it would be odd if a team traded for Taylor without the intention of extending him. Despite some of the recent RB extensions working out for teams, the market iced over this offseason. Taylor’s standoff with the Colts may represent the final chapter in perhaps the worst year for the position in its history.
49ers To Name Sam Darnold Backup QB; Team Exploring Trey Lance Options
Sam Darnold has beaten out Trey Lance for the 49ers’ backup quarterback job, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (on Twitter). As a result, the former San Francisco starter’s status going into his third season is uncertain.
Playing ahead of Lance in the 49ers’ second preseason game, Darnold had been expected to begin the season as Brock Purdy‘s backup. Wednesday’s announcement, however, brings clarity on one end and adds doubt on another. After going into last season as the 49ers’ unquestioned starter, Lance has seen his stock crater. Lance is not at 49ers practice Wednesday, the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman tweets.
Rumblings about a Lance trade emerged before the draft, though the 49ers denied they were shopping him. Lynch spoke to Lance about the rumors, and the athletic passer indicated he was not seeking a trade. That all may change now. The Vikings were on the radar for Lance before the draft, and Rapoport suggested this as a landing spot for the Marshall, Minn., native. But the Vikes, who roster ex-49er Nick Mullens behind Kirk Cousins, drafted Jaren Hall in Round 5.
The 49ers have continued to shop Lance for much of the offseason, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets, noting no significant offer has come the team’s way. In April, however, Russini notes the Vikings and 49ers were pretty far down the road on a trade (Twitter link). Considering the lack of evidence regarding Lance’s NFL capabilities, it is difficult to foresee the 49ers receiving an especially worthwhile proposal. That will put the organization to a decision with 2021 third’s overall choice.
Prior to free agency’s outset, John Lynch spoke of the 49ers adding another QB due to Lance coming off two ankle surgeries and Purdy rehabbing a torn UCL. Rather than that quarterback becoming a third-string option that drifted off the radar once Purdy returned, the 49ers signed Darnold. Kyle Shanahan has spoken highly of the 2018 third overall pick, who signed a one-year deal worth $4.5MM early in free agency. And the 49ers will go into the season with the recent Panthers starter as Purdy’s top reserve.
The appeal of playing in a 49ers offense housing three All-Pro skill-position talents (George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey) helped bring Darnold back to California. The USC alum is still just 26, and while he has been given considerable run as a starter (55 games), the 49ers represent a better situation compared to the Jets and Panthers offenses he piloted. Shanahan has made it clear Purdy is the starter, and he debuted for the team against the Broncos on Saturday. It is certainly interesting that Darnold — the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 — will back up last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, but even if Purdy’s leash should be lengthy, the 49ers have more stability at QB2 in the sixth-year veteran.
For Lance, this marks another setback in a career full of them. Shanahan had thrown cold water on Lance’s prospects in the spring. Rather than this being a three-way competition for the starter gig, the 49ers did not give Lance much of a shot to regain his job as Purdy rehabbed. The North Dakota State alum quarterbacked much of the second half Saturday, and although he fared decently (12-for-18, 173 yards), it is possible that becomes audition tape for another team now.
Lance’s past three-plus years have doubled as one of the strangest career arcs for any top prospect in NFL history. After Lance dominated as a dual-threat talent for a Division I-FCS dynasty in 2019, as a redshirt freshman, the COVID-19 pandemic nixed FCS football in 2020. Lance was limited to one game as a sophomore, and he declared for the draft. That monster 2019 showing still made him a top prospect, like fellow ex-Bison Carson Wentz was five years prior, but Lance went to a 49ers team that may not have been all in on him. Rumors swirled about Shanahan preferring Mac Jones.
Lance, 23, has not come close to justifying the 49ers’ nine-spot trade-up, which cost them two first-round picks. He has attempted 102 passes as a pro, starting only four games and finishing just three. The Week 2 start against the Seahawks last season, leading to Lance’s ankle fracture, may be his last cameo as a 49er. After years of injury issues at QB, the 49ers are in better shape now. Purdy is no longer under any restrictions, and Darnold is healthy. That said, Darnold has missed games due to injury in each of his five seasons. This included a high ankle sprain last year, though he has certainly been healthier than Jimmy Garoppolo as a pro.
It should be expected the 49ers will attempt to move their third-stringer; May pickup Brandon Allen remains on San Francisco’s roster as well. Considering what the 49ers gave up to acquire Lance, moving him will cement a major draft blunder for an otherwise successful operation.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons
Winners of seven games in four of the past five seasons, the Falcons have both overachieved talent-wise — during the Arthur Smith years, at least — while largely hovering off the radar. After two clear transition years that brought substantial dead money into the equation, the Falcons’ Smith-Terry Fontenot operation has moved to a point where playoff contention — in what looks like the worst division in the weaker of the two conferences — should be expected.
While the Falcons’ quarterback plan overshadows the rest of their 2023 blueprint, Smith’s seat is not as hot as Ron Rivera‘s in Washington. The Commanders’ QB approach most closely matches the Falcons’, but the NFC South presents a better opportunity to try a mid-round signal-caller. And Desmond Ridder is set to enjoy a flashy array of weapons. In addition to the team avoiding a push for a better option under center while upgrading around the incumbent, its moves to improve its defensive situation defined the offseason.
Extensions and restructures:
- Signed G Chris Lindstrom to five-year, $102.5MM extension ($48.2MM guaranteed)
- Created $4.2MM in cap space by restructuring LT Jake Matthews‘ contract
Day 1 of the legal tampering period shaped the Falcons’ offseason. The team reached a few agreements with defensive starters and began its busy day by acquiring Jonnu Smith via trade. But the most expensive transaction transpired minutes later. Four years after going in the first round, Lindstrom secured a guard-record contract.
When the Colts gave Quenton Nelson his $20MM-per-year windfall, that AAV checked in $3.5MM north of any other guard’s. Given Nelson’s accomplishments, it was a bit surprising to see his salary surpassed six months after that Indianapolis contract was finalized. But in a league in which Patrick Mahomes has slipped to the bottom half of the top 10 in QB money, Lindstrom, 26, passing Nelson so soon should not be shocking. While Nelson has three first-team All-Pro nods to Lindstrom’s none, the latter did rate as Pro Football Focus’ top 2022 guard — by a wide margin — to help the Falcons become a top-three rushing team. The salary cap is back on the rise, and Lindstrom also secured $7.2MM more in guarantees at signing compared to Nelson.
This marked a big day for the Boston College alum, who joins Matthews and Kaleb McGary as eight-figure-per-year O-linemen on Atlanta’s roster. With the Falcons planning to build around Ridder’s rookie contract, this monster Lindstrom re-up makes sense. Extending Lindstrom on this level and finding room for the number of defensive additions this offseason brought would probably have been unrealistic had the Browns not lured away Deshaun Watson at the 11th hour last March.
Free agency additions:
- Jessie Bates, S: Four years, $64MM ($36MM guaranteed)
- David Onyemata, DT: Three years, $35MM ($24.5MM guaranteed)
- Kaden Elliss, LB: Three years, $21.5MM ($10.16MM guaranteed)
- Calais Campbell, DL: One year, $7MM ($7MM guaranteed)
- Taylor Heinicke, QB: One year, $7MM ($6.32MM guaranteed)
- Mike Hughes, CB: Two years, $7MM ($3.24MM guaranteed)
- Bud Dupree, OLB: One year, $3MM ($2.49MM guaranteed)
- Mack Hollins, WR: One year, $2.5MM ($910K guaranteed)
- Tre Flowers, CB: One year, $1.23MM ($500K guaranteed)
- Scotty Miller, WR: One year, $1.23MM ($153K guaranteed)
- Tae Davis, LB: One year, $1.23MM ($102K guaranteed)
- Justin Ellis, DT: One year, $1.17MM
- Joe Gaziano, LB: One year, $1.1MM
- Andre Smith, LB: One year, $1.1MM
- Albert Huggins, DL: One year, $940K
After two less eventful offseasons on the acquisition front, Fontenot spent to fill big needs. Safety represented the Falcons’ top upgrade area. Since its Keanu Neal–Ricardo Allen safety tandem split, Atlanta had seemed to be treading water at this position. While Richie Grant remains in position as a starter, the Falcons paid up to acquire an upgrade at the other post. This year’s safety market featured two clear tiers: Bates, then everyone else. Bates, 26, required an AAV that more than doubled every other free agent safety. The Falcons, who came into the tampering period behind only the Bears in cap space, splurged for the five-year Bengals starter.
Juan Thornhill, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jordan Poyer, Donovan Wilson, Marcus Epps and ex-Bates teammate Vonn Bell all signed deals worth in the $6MM-$8MM range per annum. After playing on the franchise tag, Bates blew away his peers, following Tremaine Edmunds in commanding an action-packed market at a lower-tier position. Bates has missed three career games and arrived in Atlanta after a 14-interception Cincinnati tenure. He added two picks during the 2021 postseason, which also included a tipped pass that set up a Bell INT and led to a field goal that sent the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI.
The Bengals had hoped to re-sign Bell but had long viewed Bates as out of their price range, as their low-guarantee offer revealed before the July 2022 tag deadline. Now, Bates — PFF’s No. 1 overall safety in 2020 — is tied to the fourth-highest safety AAV and the position’s second-highest guarantee.
Beyond Bates, the Falcons’ decision to hire longtime Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen — an ex-Fontenot New Orleans coworker — as their defensive coordinator shaped their defensive payments. Nielsen brought Onyemata, Ellis and Huggins with him from New Orleans. Prior to the Vikings winning out, the Falcons also attempted to reunite Nielsen with defensive end Marcus Davenport. While Davenport defecting to Atlanta as well would have ratcheted up this underrated rivalry, Onyemata and Elliss making Louisiana-to-Georgia treks bring two talents immensely familiar with Nielsen.
Among active players, only Cameron Jordan had spent more time on the Saints’ defense than Onyemata, who was with the team from 2016-22. Onyemata’s arrival predated Nielsen’s in New Orleans, but the new Falcons DC coached the veteran defensive tackle for most of his Saints run. Working as a full-time Saints starter from 2019-22, Onyemata scored a bigger contract at 30 than he did at 27. Playing out a three-year, $26MM deal, the University of Manitoba alum fared well as an inside rusher alongside Jordan. Onyemata notched two five-plus-sack seasons over the past three years and has totaled 48 QB hits over the past four. He will team with Grady Jarrett, who has not enjoyed much in the way of complementary support since Fontenot and Smith arrived.
This Elliss contract could bring nice value for the Falcons, one of the many teams who preferred a midlevel linebacker contract rather than going after Edmunds this offseason. While Trey Hendrickson turned a contract-year surge into a run as one of the game’s best pass rushers, Elliss’ Saints run featured even fewer contributions ahead of his platform year. New Orleans had used Elliss as a starter exactly once before last season. In 2022, however, the former seventh-round pick came out of nowhere to tally seven sacks, 78 tackles and two forced fumbles. PFF ranked Elliss seventh among off-ball linebackers last year.
Nielsen’s familiarity with the walk-year wonder should put him in a better positions to sustain that form, though some risk comes with this agreement. But that is mitigated by the modest sum the Falcons authorized. After having the Deion Jones extension on their books for three-plus years, the Falcons have Elliss’ $7.2MM-per-year deal as their top ILB contract. By trading Jones last season, however, the Falcons are still on the hook for $12.1MM in 2023 dead money.
Two well-known cap casualties followed the ex-Saints to Atlanta. The Falcons are spending $10MM combined on Campbell and Dupree, who profile as stopgaps. Campbell is certainly a more proven player; Dupree plays a position from which the Falcons need more production. Only the Bears finished below the Falcons in sacks last season. Atlanta totaled just 21, with only Jarrett (six) surpassing four.
Dupree, 30, did not live up to the five-year, $82.5MM contract he signed with the Titans in 2021. As the Titans struggled to fill their OLB post opposite Harold Landry, Dupree became since-fired GM Jon Robinson‘s most expensive mistake there. The former first-rounder tallied just seven sacks in two Titans slates, missing 12 games in that span. Nearly three years removed from an ACL tear, Dupree may have one more shot to show he is a starter-caliber rusher. But the ninth-year veteran is a Georgia native who totaled 19.5 sacks during his final two Steelers seasons.
Like Jordan in New Orleans, Campbell has used his 30s to make a decent Hall of Fame case. Making vital contributions in Arizona, Jacksonville and Baltimore, Campbell turned down an opportunity to join a Jets team loading up with vets around Aaron Rodgers. Citing off-field opportunities and a connection with the staff in Atlanta, the 6-foot-8 D-lineman/kick-blocking phenom will accompany Onyemata in taking heat off Jarrett. It will be interesting to see how the Falcons deploy Campbell, who has been expected to play more as a defensive end despite a 300-pound frame. Any edge help the soon-to-be 37-year-old can provide would benefit a Falcons steam still featuring questions here, but Campbell has also made steady impacts as an interior D-line presence.
Although Ridder did not need to win a camp battle like Sam Howell did in Washington, the Falcons still spent high-end backup money on Heinicke. Like the Marcus Mariota contract, this deal gives Atlanta an out after Year 1. But Heinicke, 30, represents insurance against Ridder sputtering. Coming off the street to rejoin Rivera at a time of great need in Washington, Heinicke went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady in a stunningly effective wild-card performance. Over the next two seasons, Heinicke went 12-11-1 as a starter. The Commanders needed him as a full-timer after Ryan Fitzpatrick failed to make it out of the first half in Week 1 of the 2021 season, and after Carson Wentz‘s hand injury, the former UDFA helped the 2022 team rebound from a 1-4 start.
Heinicke brings obvious limitations, but the 6-1 passer’s starter experience provides a safety net should Ridder — an oft-questioned figure this offseason — burn the Falcons for placing so much faith in him. Only two backup QBs topped Heinicke’s $7MM salary last season.
Ahead of his age-30 season, Hollins comes to Atlanta after a surprisingly productive Las Vegas year. With Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller battling injuries and inconsistency, Hollins became the de facto No. 2 target in Josh McDaniels‘ 2022 offense. The Raiders paid up to upgrade this spot, giving Jakobi Meyers $11MM per year to reunite with his former Patriots OC, but Hollins totaled 690 receiving yards and four touchdowns during his Vegas one-off.
The Falcons will take a flier to see if that is an outlier for a player without another 250-yard season on his resume. The seventh-year veteran is in position to start alongside Drake London. In terms of cap allocations, only the Packers have spent less on their receiving corps that the Falcons, who have $15.3MM devoted to this position on their 2023 payroll.
Re-signings:
- Kaleb McGary, T: Three years, $34.5MM ($15MM guaranteed)
- Lorenzo Carter, OLB: Two years, $9MM ($5.25MM guaranteed)
- Bradley Pinion, P: Three years, $8.65MM ($4.33MM guaranteed)
- Keith Smith, FB: One year, $2.35MM ($625K guaranteed)
- Cornell Armstrong, CB: One year, $1.23MM ($153K guaranteed)
- MyCole Pruitt, TE: One year, $1.22MM
- KhaDarel Hodge, WR: One year, $1.2MM
- Parker Hesse, TE: One year, $940K
With Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard franchise-tagged, right tackle stood as this free agency class’ top position. Each of the three anchors agreed to deals on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. While Jawaan Taylor and Mike McGlinchey fetched big-ticket agreements with the Chiefs and Broncos, respectively, McGary’s market did not soar to the same level. During their busy first day on the market, the Falcons found room to retain McGary on a mid-tier accord.
McGary’s $11.5MM AAV is tied for 10th among right tackles — well south of the $20MM and $17.5MM averages Taylor and McGlinchey scored — and his guarantee-at-signing figure sits outside the top 15. This can be traced to McGary’s smaller sample size as a promising blocker. But rather than a “prove it” deal, the Falcons now have McGary signed to a manageable contract through his age-30 season. It perhaps would have made more sense for McGary to accept a “prove it” pact in order to return to free agency after another strong season, but even with Matthews signed for $18.5MM per year, plans to build around Ridder’s rookie deal made this tackle setup palatable for the Falcons.
McGary allowed a whopping 13 sacks as a rookie, and the Falcons declined his fifth-year option in 2022. But the 2019 first-rounder responded with a big contract year, grading as PFF’s No. 4 overall tackle on the strength of an elite run-blocking campaign to this free agency perch. The Falcons may have locked down an ascending talent on the cheap, and if McGary cannot sustain his 2022 form, the $15MM guarantee will not become especially punitive. With high-profile rookie contracts at quarterback and each of its skill positions, the Falcons have smartly invested big dollars in their O-line.
Patriots Activate G Michael Onwenu From Active/PUP List
With less than a week to go until teams must make determinations about players on their respective PUP lists, the Patriots received good news on one of their starting offensive linemen.
Michael Onwenu returned to practice Wednesday, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes (on Twitter), ending a lengthy hiatus. The fourth-year guard has been out of the mix since suffering an ankle injury near the end of the Patriots’ Week 18 game in Buffalo.
Coming off the PUP list gives Onwenu a decent shot to be ready for Week 1. The Patriots have used the former sixth-round pick as a regular starter for the past two seasons. Onwenu returning will round out the solid interior of New England’s offensive line. Tackle issues have arisen this offseason, but the Pats’ Onwenu-David Andrews–Cole Strange trio is locked in.
Onwenu, 25, started all 17 Patriots games last season. Pro Football Focus rated the Michigan alum as one of the NFL’s best O-linemen, slotting him fourth among guards. A recovery from ankle surgery, however, did not go smoothly. Onwenu was already battling an ankle issue, but after Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones fell on the back of the Pats blocker’s legs, it forced a slightly early end to his season. Although the surgery took place before the Pats’ offseason program began, Onwenu was down for nearly all of training camp.
This season, a contract year, will be pivotal for Onwenu. Showing full recovery from the ankle surgery will put him on track to command a lucrative second contract. The Patriots do not have a single eight-figure AAV tied to an offensive player beyond 2023, and only Hunter Henry qualifies as such this year. While that could open the door for Onwenu staying in Foxborough — as Shaq Mason did on a second contract — the team’s current right guard could be tough to keep. As of now, Onwenu joins Robert Hunt, Cesar Ruiz, Jonah Jackson, Damien Lewis and Jon Runyan Jr. as guards set to play out their rookie deals in 2023.
Jets’ Corey Davis To Step Away From Football
Finishing his third training camp as a Jet, Corey Davis is not planning to go into another regular season with the team. The former top-five pick informed the Jets he plans to leave the game. Davis announced his intentions via Instagram. The Jets have since placed Davis on the reserve/retired list.
Davis, 28, had resided as a potential cut candidate for months. A summer report indicated a potential pay cut was coming. After it looked like the Jets would instead carry his $11.17MM salary on their roster, a more surprising conclusion will transpire for the veteran wide receiver.
“For some time now I’ve been contemplating stepping away from the sport of football,” Davis said. “This decision has not been easy. Although I am a deep person, I am a man of few words. I’ve been searching my heart for what to do and I feel that stepping away from the game is the best path for me at this time. I have more blessings than I could have ever imagined — I have an amazing family, a beautiful wife and two healthy children that I look forward to spending more time with.
“I am truly grateful for all the opportunities I have had and will continue to have on my journey. Thank you to my family and friends and the Jets organization for supporting me through this process.”
This decision may not necessarily be a retirement, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating Davis will not be with the Jets to begin the season. But the Western Michigan alum’s statement does not point to a near-future return. Robert Saleh said the door is open for Davis to rejoin the Jets, and SNY’s Connor Hughes notes the receiver informed teammates of his decision Tuesday (Twitter links). The Jets’ website is calling this a retirement. Davis had informed certain teammates he was considering retirement before camp, ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweets.
After four seasons with the Titans, Davis joined the Jets on a three-year, $37.5MM deal in 2021. While he totaled 1,028 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a Jet, injuries have impacted the 6-foot-3 wideout’s New York stay. Davis missed 12 games during his first two Jets campaigns, and the team made several updates to its receiver room this offseason. As they zeroed in on Aaron Rodgers, the Jets signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. After completing the trade, the Jets added Randall Cobb.
These moves — and the team’s Odell Beckham Jr. pursuit — invited speculation on Davis’ status, with the team being able to save $10.5MM in cap space by cutting him. But both Saleh and Joe Douglas praised Davis and insisted he remained in the team’s plans. The prospect of a pay cut never led to one — at least, it hadn’t yet — and Davis was set to play a backup role on this year’s Rodgers-led squad. After two seasons on Zach Wilson-centered Jet teams, Davis is out of the picture now.
The first wideout chosen in 2017, Davis enjoyed an inconsistent Titans tenure. But he did make key contributions for two playoff-bound Tennessee teams to close out his rookie contract. Davis’ 984 receiving yards helped the 2020 Titans win the AFC South. This showing came two years after Davis totaled 891 yards for Mike Vrabel‘s first Tennessee team. The Titans let Davis and A.J. Brown go in consecutive offseasons, trading the latter last year.
Lazard and Hardman are expected to start alongside 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson for Rodgers’ first Jets team. Cobb operating as a WR4 would make sense, but given the Jets’ aggressiveness at the skill positions this offseason, it would not surprise to see them pursue an upgrade — potentially via trade — in light of the Davis news.
Jets Activate T Duane Brown From Active/PUP List
Less than a week before the Jets must finalize their 53-man roster, their expected left tackle is ready to go. Robert Saleh said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) Duane Brown is off the active/PUP list and on track to practice Wednesday.
Brown, 37, has been out while rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. The 15-year veteran played through a torn rotator cuff last season, returning from an IR stay to start his Jets tenure. The former Pro Bowler did not play up to his usual standards, but the injury certainly impacted his performance. Saleh showed faith in Brown this offseason, and despite Mekhi Becton‘s re-emergence, the veteran remains the likely Week 1 left tackle starter.
The Jets’ tackle situation has been under a microscope for months. The team’s effort to draft Broderick Jones did not pan out, with the Steelers jumping in front of them. Becton has worked as a second-string left tackle during training camp, though the slimmed-down blocker is now moving toward being the Week 1 right tackle starter. Neither Billy Turner nor Max Mitchell have seized the right-side gig, opening the door for Becton, who has not played a regular-season game since September 2021.
Brown’s form following several months of rehab will obviously be worth watching, given the brighter spotlight on the Jets this year. As the team prepares to begin its run with Aaron Rodgers, the issues at tackle that have cropped up during practice have become a regular talking point. Brown could be in position to put a stop to that, though he is the league’s oldest active tackle. The former Texans and Seahawks stalwart will turn 38 in October.
Tied to a two-year, $20MM contract that came to pass due to Becton’s second major knee injury — in August 2022 — Brown started 12 games for the Jets last season. Pro Football Focus slotted the five-time Pro Bowler 69th at the position, marking the worst placement of his career. But both Mitchell and Turner — PFF’s 70th- and 71st-ranked tackles in 2022 — are also coming off seasons in which health issues limited them. Turner battled knee trouble in Denver, missing ninegames, while a blood clot issue ended Mitchell’s rookie year early. The Jets also played without George Fant for most of last season. Fant is now with the Texans, while Brown is due to count $11.28MM against the Jets’ cap.
While Becton could conceivably be a left tackle option as well — a reality he aggressively pushed for this offseason — the Jets’ best bet is likely Brown returning to form and Becton staying healthy while manning the RT post. This has the potential to be an unstable situation, though Brown’s comeback obviously represents a positive development ahead of Rodgers’ debut.
Dolphins, Colts Discussing Jonathan Taylor Deal
A report Tuesday indicated multiple teams had contacted the Colts on Jonathan Taylor, as the team gave the 2021 rushing champion permission to seek a trade. Unsurprisingly, the Dolphins are believed to be one of them.
After the Dolphins were mentioned as an interested party, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports they have indeed discussed Taylor with the Colts. Talks are ongoing between the AFC teams. This is far from the first running back the Dolphins have been connected to via trade this year, but the Colts have a lofty asking price in mind. They want a first-round pick or a picks package equivalent to that value.
Dalvin Cook, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley surfaced as Dolphins trade targets during the offseason, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Miami came close to acquiring Cook from Minnesota in March. Those talks, however, did not produce a deal. The Dolphins had their chances to add Cook, a Miami native, during his lengthy (and highly public) free agency tour. But the team let the Jets land the seventh-year veteran on a one-year, $7MM deal. In the wake of that signing, would the Dolphins be willing to both part with high trade compensation and give Taylor a lucrative extension?
Despite Jim Irsay‘s early insistence the Colts would not deal Taylor, Jackson adds the team would like to make a move — provided its asking price is met — before setting its 53-man roster. The Colts must decide on Taylor landing on the active roster or remaining on the active/PUP list — which would sideline him for at least four games — by 3pm CT August 29. Teams have been monitoring this saga since the trade request emerged in late July.
The Dolphins’ frequent connections to high-profile backs aside, they have kept costs low at the position ahead of Mike McDaniel‘s second season. Miami re-signed Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson and Myles Gaskin in March. None of these contracts even reached $3MM per year, and Gaskin’s deal contains no guaranteed money. The Dolphins then drafted Devon Achane in Round 3, but the former Texas A&M speedster is currently sidelined because of a shoulder injury sustained in the team’s second preseason game.
The difference between Cook and Taylor would seemingly come down to prime years remaining. Cook is going into his age-28 season; Taylor is 24. Cook has totaled 1,503 career touches; Taylor is heading into Year 4 at 860. The Colts have put Taylor’s rookie contract to good use, deploying him as their starter since Marlon Mack‘s Achilles tear in Week 1 of the 2020 season. But the former second-round pick stands to have a few prime years remaining.
Aside from Tyreek Hill‘s receiver-record contract ($30MM per year, with a high 2026 AAV producing that number), the Dolphins do not have an eight-figure AAV in their skill-position group. The team did pick up Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option and is already projected to be $32MM over the 2024 cap.
In what could be the most well-rounded AFC East race since perhaps the 1990s, the Dolphins are at least considering making a splash addition. Though, Jackson adds a handful of other teams have reached out as well. It will be interesting to see which other teams have contacted the Colts on Taylor, who is going into a contract year. It will also be worth monitoring if the Wisconsin alum stands down on a pursuit of an extension this year in order to leave Indianapolis.
That said, the prospect of the Colts franchise-tagging Taylor in 2024 has undoubtedly affected his standing with the organization. While Taylor obviously does not have a no-trade clause, would another team be willing to make a deal for a player on a PUP list without having an extension in place?
Multiple Teams Inquire On Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
Advancing this saga to another stage, the Colts have allowed Jonathan Taylor‘s camp to look for a trade partner. This comes weeks after Jim Irsay said the former rushing champion would not be traded.
Teams are looking into this situation. Multiple clubs have inquired about Taylor, Stephen Holder and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report. Real interest has emerged, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated (video link). The Colts want a first-round pick or a picks package that meets that value, though the team is seeking a slightly better haul than the one the Panthers received for Christian McCaffrey.
Carolina fetched 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks, along with a 2024 fifth, from the 49ers for the dual-threat dynamo. Early indications around the league do not point to the Colts doing that well, were they to trade Taylor. Of the AFC and NFC execs polled by SI.com’s Albert Breer, none said Taylor will bring back more than a single Day 2 pick. Some believe a second-rounder is possible; others lowered expectations to a third-rounder as the deal’s centerpiece. Fowler noted another exec suggested a Day 2 pick would be in play. No RB has fetched a first-round pick since the Colts acquired Trent Richardson from the Browns in 2013; McCaffrey is the only back to land a second-rounder in that span.
If the Colts’ early stance is to be believed, they would likely hold onto their fourth-year back if these were the best offers to emerge. McCaffrey (four 600-plus-yard receiving seasons, with two years north of 800 yards) is a more versatile back than Taylor, though the latter is three years younger — at 24 — and has a less notable injury history. Last year’s ankle trouble marked Taylor’s first known injury as a pro or during his Wisconsin tenure. But the problem is either still lingering or Taylor is using this as leverage to avoid returning to practice amid this standoff.
The prospect of another team giving Taylor a big-ticket extension has slowed interest. No team has authorized even a $10MM-per-year RB deal since the Browns extended Nick Chubb (three years, $36.6MM) in July 2021. And this year has obviously brought a difficult series of events for the position, with Taylor voicing his frustration about the offseason developments. Upon returning to the Colts’ facility as a non-camp participant, Taylor’s attitude has changed. He has also twice left the facility — once due to his ankle injury and later due to a personal matter — since the team placed him on the active/PUP list.
The Colts have until August 29, when 53-man rosters must be set, to make a call on Taylor’s status. If Indianapolis leaves Taylor on the PUP list, he transfers to the reserve/PUP and must miss the season’s first four games. The Colts can move Taylor to their 53-man unit, going week to week with their disgruntled back. That would require the team to give Taylor an injury designation each week in practice. From a player’s perspective, Jalen Ramsey provided a blueprint for this route in 2019. Seeking a trade, the Jaguars cornerback did not practice fully due to myriad reasons, two of them being back issues and the birth of his daughter. Upon being traded to the Rams, the All-Pro cornerback returned to the field.
After Irsay criticized running backs for holding Zoom meetings about their situation, he met one-on-one with Taylor and made other comments that did not help this situation. When asked about Taylor on Monday night, the longtime Colts owner said GM Chris Ballard will “work hard to calm the waters.”
The Dolphins, who have inquired about multiple backs via trade this year, are believed to be interested. Even after cutting Ezekiel Elliott and not replacing him, the Cowboys are not. Jerry Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telgram’s Clarence Hill) he is “very comfortable” with Dallas’ Tony Pollard backups.
Browns Restructure Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio, David Njoku Contracts
AUGUST 22: The Browns aren’t done carving out cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Browns have restructured the contract of tight end David Njoku. The move opens up more than $2.7MM in cap space, bringing the organization close to $37MM in cap room.
AUGUST 21: The Browns have created more than $20MM in cap space in recent days, using two of their best players’ contracts to get there. Cleveland restructured Myles Garrett and Joel Bitonio‘s contracts, per cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot and ESPN.com’s Field Yates.
Cleveland’s Bitonio move created $7.9MM in cap space; the Garrett restructure opened up $12.9MM. These moves return the Browns to the top spot in NFL cap space, a place they resided throughout the 2022 season. Cleveland used cap carryover and a Deshaun Watson restructure to reach this point as well.
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Garrett signed a then-record-setting $25MM-per-year extension during the 2020 offseason. Doing so tied the former No. 1 overall pick to the Browns through the 2026 season. Given Garrett’s performance level, it would not surprise to see the parties huddle up about another extension. For now, however, Garrett is attached to a deal that has been passed over by two edge rushers (T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa) and is about to be eclipsed by the 49ers’ forthcoming Nick Bosa extension.
Bitonio is on his third Browns contract, having agreed to a three-year, $48MM extension during the 2021 season. The Browns locked down both their starting guards — Bitonio and Wyatt Teller — in the same week two years ago. Bitonio, 31, is signed through the 2024 season. He has been the Browns’ longest-tenured player for a bit now. The Browns used void years to slash Bitonio’s 2023 cap hit from $14.6MM to $6.7MM, with four such years now present in the contract. It would not surprise if Garrett’s deal, which presently includes no void years, will soon have those present as well.
The Browns now have more than $35MM in cap space; no other team holds more than $23MM. It will be interesting to monitor how the team goes about its late-summer plans now that it added more than $20MM in cap room. Cleveland’s most notable adjustment came in March, when a restructure dropped Watson’s would-be record-setting figure ($54.9MM) to $19.1MM. While only one void year is present in the quarterback’s landmark deal, the contract’s 2024-26 cap hits each ballooned to $63.9MM.