Colts Sign WR Amari Rodgers
Two teams have cut Amari Rodgers in the past year. A third will give the former third-round pick a chance. Rodgers reached an agreement to join the Colts on Wednesday, the team announced. The team waived wideout Johnny King to clear a roster spot.
The Texans waived Rodgers last week, joining the Packers in doing so. The former Clemson wide receiver is no longer attached to his rookie deal, with no one claiming it after the Texans cut. Houston had claimed Rodgers midway through last season, using the No. 1 waiver priority to do so. Rodgers is believed to have requested the Texans waive him.
Rodgers has been unable to impress as a pro, working mostly as a return specialist. The Texans did give the ex-Trevor Lawrence college target some receiver run after claiming him last year. Rodgers caught 12 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown during six games with Houston. That reception count topped his 26-game total as a Packer; Rodgers caught just eight passes with Green Bay.
Catching the Packers’ attention as a slot option, Rodgers broke through for the ACC power as a senior in 2020. The 5-foot-9 pass catcher totaled 77 receptions for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns during Lawrence’s finale. Rodgers surpassed 400 receiving yards during Lawrence’s two underclassman seasons but has not been able to turn that college production into a pro role of note.
Letting the injury-prone Parris Campbell walk in free agency, the Colts used a third-round pick on North Carolina slot option Josh Downs. They also signed veteran inside option Isaiah McKenzie. These two look to have Indianapolis’ slot responsibilities locked down, but a practice squad opportunity could also benefit Rodgers. Though, he will try to make Indy’s active roster before taxi squads enter the equation at month’s end.
Seahawks Likely To Pursue D-Line Help
The Seahawks have made offseason defensive line changeovers a regular occurrence during the 2020s, but they went through their best effort this year. Up front in Seattle’s 3-4 defense, three free agents may well be called upon to start — on a defense that features 2022 signee (and 2023 extension recipient) Uchenna Nwosu as its edge-rushing anchor.
Seattle made Dre’Mont Jones the centerpiece of its free agency plan, giving the ex-Denver starter a three-year, $51MM deal. Jones is naturally taking up residence with the first-stringers. Two lower-cost additions join him tup front at this point in camp. The returning Jarran Reed and Mario Edwards are in place as Seattle’s other starters during camp work, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes.
Despite Reed and the Seahawks completing an unexpected divorce in 2021, the sides remained on relatively good terms. After seasons with the Chiefs and Packers, Reed agreed to return on a two-year, $9MM deal. Edwards, who spent last season with the Titans, signed for just above the veteran minimum (one year, $1.32MM) shortly after the draft. Nevertheless, the former Raiders second-rounder has opened as a defensive end opposite Jones in DC Clint Hurtt‘s 3-4 scheme.
The Seahawks sought Edwards for his run defense, and Condotta adds the team has been intrigued by the ninth-year vet’s ability against ground attacks. The Seahawks ranked 30th against the run last season. Pro Football Focus has not viewed Edwards, 29, as the steadiest run defender in recent years. But the advanced metrics site placed him among the top 25 edge players against the run in 2022. Edwards has seen extensive time on the interior as well over the course of his career.
Reed, 30, operated more as inside pass rusher during his first go-round with the Seahawks, a period that saw the former second-round pick parlay a 10.5-sack 2018 season — in the team’s 4-3 alignment of the era — into a two-year, $23MM deal. The Seahawks, however, are stationing Reed at nose tackle, per Condotta. This would mark a considerable shift from the imposing Al Woods manning the post. But Reed and Jones are in line to be the team’s two D-tackles when the Seahawks shift into sub-packages. As the sub-base ratios keep skewing toward the former, Reed may not end up spending too much time as a true nose tackle.
The Seahawks do not have much experience behind their top three, however, with Bryan Mone on the team’s active/PUP list. Mone suffered an ACL tear in December and is a candidate to start the season on the reserve/PUP list, which requires at least a four-game absence. The Seahawks should be expected to look for more veteran help on their D-line before the season starts, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds. Condotta views a search for outside help as likely as well.
Notable D-linemen on the market include Ndamukong Suh, Akiem Hicks, Michael Brockers and Matt Ioannidis. The Seahawks did use fourth- and fifth-round picks on D-linemen (Cameron Young and Mike Morris), but after a surprising playoff berth last season, the team can further fortify its front with one of these vets or via a younger, lower-profile addition.
Raiders Work Out LB Jaylon Smith
The Raiders have gone through some turnover at linebacker over the past two offseasons. Most recently, two-year starter Denzel Perryman relocated — to Houston — despite Las Vegas being interested in another deal.
Jayon Brown also played out his one-year contract last season, leaving Divine Deablo as the team’s lone returning second-level regular. The team did sign Robert Spillane in March and use a sixth-round pick on Amari Burney. But the prospect of another veteran addition has been on the Las Vegas radar for a bit now.
The team is looking into that prospect Wednesday, with The Score’s Jordan Schultz noting Jaylon Smith is in Vegas today for a workout (Twitter link). The former Cowboys starter spent last season with the Giants, starting 11 games to run his career start count to 69. Smith made 88 tackles and recovered a fumble last season, which was an unstable year for the Giants at linebacker. Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the No. 60 overall off-ball ‘backer in 2022.
Smith lost his starting spot in Dallas early during the 2021 season and ended up being released. His profile has taken a hit over the past two years, coming after the Cowboys gave the Notre Dame alum a big-ticket extension in 2019. Dallas signed Smith to a six-year, $68.4MM re-up during the ’19 offseason. Fond of long-running contracts, the Cowboys cut bait two seasons into that deal. Smith finished the 2020 season with a career-high 154 tackles, completing his second straight season with 140-plus stops.
Raiders DC Patrick Graham coached Smith, 28, briefly during his Giants tenure. The Giants took a flier on the former second-round pick during the 2021 season, after both the Cowboys and Packers cut him. Smith ended up re-signing with the Giants in September 2022, rising from the practice squad into a starting role. The Giants had cut Blake Martinez, who soon signed with the Raiders before retiring in-season (to go full throttle with an evidently lucrative side hustle), and seen Darrian Beavers suffer an ACL tear in the preseason. Beavers is now healthy, and the Giants have Bobby Okereke anchoring their ILB corps.
Lions DE Romeo Okwara Addresses Pay Cut, Slow Recovery From Achilles Tear
As the Lions’ new regime settled in during the 2021 offseason, it gave Romeo Okwara a three-year, $37MM contract. This marked a massive raise for the former UDFA, who had played out a two-year, $6.8MM Detroit deal.
The eighth-year veteran ran into complications early in the life of that contract. Okwara suffered an Achilles tear in Week 4 of the 2021 season, and it took him until Week 14 of the 2022 campaign to come back. In between those games, the Lions had drafted Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal and added James Houston as a promising UDFA. Romeo’s younger brother, Julian Okwara, remains on the roster as well. As does former first-rounder Charles Harris, who also took a pay cut to stay this offseason.
This offseason, the elder Okwara agreed to a $9MM pay cut that reduced his 2023 base salary to $2MM. The 28-year-old pass rusher will count just $5.6MM on Detroit’s cap sheet. Because a 2024 void year exists on this contract, it would cost the Lions $5.5MM in dead money to release Okwara this year. Having missed 25 games over the past two seasons, Okwara certainly would not have been likely to do well in free agency had he refused the pay cut.
“Obviously, a massive pay cut,” Okwara said, via MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke. “But it’s one of those things, like, part of the business, part of the game. But at the same time, I try to look at those things as separate from my experience of helping this team get to the Super Bowl, and see through what I want to accomplish here, all those things.
“Unfortunately, I feel like the business side gets in the way. At the end of the day, I try to see it as something bigger than myself, and not make it about myself, even though I’m the one taking the pay cut.”
Okwara’s injury occurred nearly 11 months before the start of the 2022 season, representing plenty of time for him to recover from surgery. But Okwara’s surgery did not repair the damage, per Meinke, who adds the Notre Dame alum needed a second procedure five months after the first. This caused the delay in Okwara’s recovery timetable, and it limited him upon returning for the season’s final five games. A regular starter before the Achilles tear, Okwara worked as a reserve upon coming back. He only exceeded the 40-snap threshold in one of those games. The eighth-year vet has been working as a reserve during camp as well, per Meinke.
Hutchinson and Houston finished first and second in sacks among rookies last year, with 9.5 and eight, respectively. Houston got there despite not debuting until Thanksgiving. Romeo Okwara led the Lions in sacks in two seasons — in 2018 (with 7.5) and 2020 (10) — but has essentially lost two seasons. The Lions have him looming as an intriguing wild card during training camp this year, and the 32-game starter will attempt to carve out a role alongside the team’s host of rookie-contract D-ends.
Joe Tippmann Not In Mix For Jets’ C Job?
The Jets did not make Connor McGovern a high priority this offseason, waiting until just before the draft to re-sign him. A three-year Jets center starter, McGovern signed a one-year deal worth $1.92MM.
Although McGovern may eventually be asked to step aside for second-round pick Joe Tippmann, that point might not come in Week 1. McGovern and veteran Wes Schweitzer are the top two players battling for the job, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter).
Pegged as a player set to make a push to start going into camp, Tippmann is running third in this competition. Robert Saleh said the team would like to have a winner here after its second preseason game. Seeing as the winner in this competition will be the center on the highest-profile Jets team in over a decade, this matchup takes on a bit more importance. The Jets have big question marks at both tackle spots, and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is coming back after a triceps tear ended his second season. The team’s first-string center will obviously play a critical role on the team’s first Aaron Rodgers-piloted offense.
The Jets chose Tippmann 43rd overall. That draft status suggests the Wisconsin product will be asked to start, but the AFC East may feature two O-lines with Connor McGoverns in first-string roles (the Bills signed the former Cowboys guard in March). This would, of course, not be new territory for the elder of the NFL’s blocking McGoverns; the Jets have used the former Broncos draftee as their starting center throughout the 2020s.
McGovern, 30, missed just two games over the course of the three-year, $27MM deal the Jets authorized in 2020. This year’s center market featured several free agents re-signing for lower-end money. Ethan Pocic (Browns), Jake Brendel (49ers), Garrett Bradbury (Vikings) and Bradley Bozeman (Panthers) returned to their respective teams. While this quartet all received between $4MM and $6MM per year to re-sign, it left McGovern with fewer opportunities. The Jets guaranteed the veteran starter just $1.25MM.
Pro Football Focus graded the Mizzou alum as a top-10 center in each of the past two seasons, but despite GM Joe Douglas being in power when the Jets initially signed McGovern, the team made it a priority to select Tippmann early. They also gave Schweitzer a bigger contract, signing the ex-Atlanta and Washington interior O-lineman to a one-year, $5MM deal in March. That pact came with $3.17MM guaranteed. That contract suggests an even matchup with McGovern, despite the latter’s experience in New York.
Schweitzer, who will turn 30 next month, has made 60 career starts. Twenty-four of those came in Washington. PFF rated Schweitzer 27th among centers last season, though he only played in seven games due to a lengthy concussion-induced absence. The advanced metrics site rated Schweitzer as a top-10 guard in 2021, however. The loser of the competition could represent interior O-line depth alongside Tippmann’s heir apparent role, but New York’s tackle situation complicates that from a numbers perspective.
Raiders To Re-Sign TE Jacob Hollister
Shortly after releasing O.J. Howard, the Raiders are reuniting with Jacob Hollister. The six-year veteran tight end is back with the team Wednesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic tweets.
Hollister, 29, spent the 2022 offseason in Las Vegas, but the Raiders placed him on IR and then released him from the injured list via a September settlement. Hollister, however, made his way back to the team in November and played in three games as a Raider during a busy travel year.
The Seahawks and Vikings also employed Hollister in 2022. Minnesota added him weeks after the Vegas injury settlement, using the former UDFA in three games before seeing the Raiders pluck him off their practice squad. After the Raiders reunion, Hollister made another return trip. The Seahawks, who acquired Hollister via trade from the Patriots during the 2019 season, brought the Wyoming alum back via a practice squad deal late in the season. Hollister did not see any game action during his second Seattle stint.
Las Vegas has been busy at tight end this offseason. The Darren Waller trade preceded a second-round move at the position, with Notre Dame prospect Michael Mayer representing the team’s new cornerstone tight end. The Raiders also signed veteran Austin Hooper. A backup last season, Jesper Horsted re-signed with the team in March.
Hollister has a history with Josh McDaniels, having been a Patriots post-draft signee back in 2017. Considering the makeup of the Raiders’ roster, ex-Patriot status is certainly not irrelevant. Only the Seahawks have used Hollister as a receiving regular. The former Will Dissly fill-in caught 558 yards and six touchdowns between the 2019 and ’20 seasons. Hollister totaled eight receptions in two Patriots seasons, both of which featuring Rob Gronkowski atop the depth chart, and did not catch a pass last year.
DB Rumors: Elam, Panthers, Bolts, Bucs
The Bills have hoped to plug Kaiir Elam into their starting lineup opposite Tre’Davious White, but the 2022 first-rounder remains in a position battle. Elam is battling 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford and veteran Dane Jackson for the boundary job opposite White, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Elam played 477 defensive snaps as a rookie, but even as White did not debut until Thanksgiving, the younger Buffalo Round 1 corner only started six games. Benford started five of the nine he played, while Jackson led Bills corners with 14 first-string appearances in 2022. The Bills would clearly prefer Elam seize the role, but for now, the Washington product has not distinguished himself as a surefire starter.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:
- Asante Samuel Jr. resides in a similar boat, needing to fend off a lower-profile challenger. Thus far, it appears Samuel has fallen behind Ja’Sir Taylor for the Chargers‘ slot cornerback role. As it appeared in June, Taylor looks to be the favorite to open the season as the Bolts’ slot player, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Samuel’s shaky run defense has concerned the Bolts, per Popper, with Taylor — a 2022 sixth-round pick — seeing time ahead of the second-generation pro as an outside corner last year due to tackling ability. With primary 2022 slot defender Bryce Callahan unsigned, Taylor and Samuel are battling for the position. Despite Samuel’s experience (27 starts) and draft pedigree (Round 2), he may well open the season as the top backup behind a Taylor-J.C. Jackson–Michael Davis trio. Having Samuel as a depth piece would certainly benefit the Chargers, with Jackson attempting to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
- The Panthers have played without first-round pick Jaycee Horn for extended stretches, and the 2021 top-10 pick spent time rehabbing another injury this offseason. Horn did not say how he injured his foot this spring, but he is 100% early in Panthers camp. Ditto Donte Jackson, who missed eight games last season due to an Achilles tear. Both starting corners have received full clearance, GM Scott Fitterer said recently.
- Although the Buccaneers have re-signed Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean in free agency over the past two years, they let Sean Murphy-Bunting leave in March. Murphy-Bunting, who had spent time in the slot in Tampa Bay, left for Tennessee. The Bucs are holding an expansive slot competition in training camp. Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes, Christian Izien and Anthony Chesley are all vying for the gig, Todd Bowles said (via Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix and Scott Smith). Delaney and Chesley have both bounced around the league, while Hayes and Izien are rookies. Some of these players will not end up on the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but it is interesting to see a five-man competition for this role. A 2022 fifth-round pick who played 277 defensive snaps last year, McCollum may have the lead here. Bowles expects the second-year cover man to play a big role in the nickel spot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
Broncos DL Eyioma Uwazurike Subject Of Criminal Gambling Investigation
Second-year Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike received a full-season suspension for betting on NFL games, joining a handful of players during what has been an active stretch for the NFL and gambling trouble. The former fourth-round pick’s rookie season is now believed to have included bets on Broncos games.
Uwazurike bet on at least five Broncos games, two in which he played, according to the Des Moines Register’s Travis Hines and Randy Peterson. These were among the approximately 801 wagers a FanDuel account controlled by Uwazurike made. These bets totaled just more than $21K and are the subject of a criminal gambling investigation in Iowa, per Hines and Peterson, who add Uwazurike also bet on Cyclones games he played in during the 2021 season.
In total, Uwazurike made 32 bets on Broncos games or Broncos players. It is not yet known if any of these bets were on the Broncos to lose or unders involving Denver players. Prosecutors have accused Uwazurike of tampering with records and disguising his identity to make these bets, according to the complaint, by using another person, Rachel Louise Francis, to make the wagers for him. The Broncos have cooperated with this investigation, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
Uwazurike, 25, is far from the first player to be hit with a gambling ban in recent months. A handful of players, including Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, were found to have bet on NFL games and are thus under indefinite suspension. Rodgers was found to have bet on Colts games. Uwazurike’s involvement in a criminal gambling matter is a different story, and his role as a rotational D-lineman in Denver clouds his NFL future in light of this probe. Three years remain on Uwazurike’s rookie contract, which will toll to 2024 — provided he is still with the team by that point.
The Colts waived Rodgers, while the Lions cut the four non-Jameson Williams popped with gambling suspensions. Defensive end Shaka Toney remains with the Commanders. The NFL went years without a gambling policy violator, but a 2018 Supreme Court decision that expanded betting to numerous states beyond Nevada and New Jersey has both affected the NFL through partnerships and with players running afoul of the betting policy. Teams have attempted to better educate players on the gambling policy, but Uwazurike trudged into hot water earlier by allegedly making bets as a college athlete.
The Broncos used Uwazurike as a backup D-lineman in eight games last season; he played 165 defensive snaps. Along with fellow second-year player Matt Henningsen, Uwazurike had a chance to play a bigger role this season. He is due in court August 16.
Teams Showing Interest In Jonathan Taylor
The escalating drama between the Colts and Jonathan Taylor certainly qualifies as one of the defining storylines during an important year for the running back position. Taylor remains out of Colts practice and has requested a trade.
As of Tuesday, the Colts are against trading the former rushing champion. A recent report also indicated a robust market should not be expected to form, as several backs — including some who have also expressed frustration about their present situations — are on track to hit free agency in 2024. Taylor is as well, though the franchise tag is a play the Colts can make. Would another team force the Colts’ hand early?
Interest is, however, expected to exist for Taylor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Adding on that point, Rapoport indicates multiple teams are expected to call the Colts to see how resolute they are in not trading the 2021 All-Pro. No resolution between Taylor and the Colts appears close.
The former second-round pick is going into a contract year and doing so at a bad time for the running back market. But Taylor is only going into his age-24 season. Prime years should remain for the Wisconsin alum, who finished second in the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year voting. Although a team that trades for Taylor would have the option of franchise-tagging him in 2024, Rapoport adds multiple clubs are believed to be open to giving him a real contract. That would presumably mean a deal north of $12MM per year, though it is not known how high prospective suitors would be willing to go.
No team has authorized a running back deal beyond the $13MM-AAV point since the Saints reupped Alvin Kamara in August 2020. The Vikings cut bait on their $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook deal this offseason, while the Bengals and Packers trimmed their $12MM-per-year backs’ pay for 2023. The salary cap has risen by nearly $30MM since the Kamara and Christian McCaffrey deals, however, and will make another climb in 2024.
Taylor voiced frustration about the market after Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard were not paid, and his issues with the Colts have escalated since. That said, ESPN’s Stephen Holder adds that the contract-year back has been at odds with the organization for a while (Twitter link). The Colts have not made an offer, with Jim Irsay — whose previous comments about the RB position added more fuel to this fire — publicly indicating as such.
Since the Taylor drama became known, the Colts have lost Zack Moss to a broken arm. They traded Nyheim Hines last season. Fifth-round rookie Evan Hull and veteran Deon Jackson reside as the top available options currently, though a few notable free agents — Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, Kareem Hunt — remain beyond Cook. The ex-Viking’s connections remain to the AFC East at this point.
Aaron Rodgers Addresses Pay-Cut Decision, Jets Future
Aaron Rodgers has gone from being “90% retired” to regularly talking about playing multiple seasons with the Jets. The Packers and Jets briefly discussed a trade term of a 2025 Green Bay pick going to New York in the event Rodgers retired after the 2023 season, but no traction emerged in that direction. As of now, at least, it does not sound like that will end up being relevant.
The 19th-year quarterback said he is expecting this to be a “few-years partnership,” via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. The future Hall of Famer’s thinking has moved considerably from a retirement lean before the winter darkness retreat. After keeping the Packers in suspense about his plans in recent offseasons, Rodgers is hoping to extend his career into at least 2024.
In his first press conference with the Jets, Rodgers stopped short of saying he would play beyond this season. Now, he is back to a place where he would like to play well into his 40s. Rodgers, 39, had previously said this was a goal. But during his final few years with the Packers, that talk fizzled. In September 2022, Rodgers made a point of saying he will not follow Tom Brady‘s lead by playing until age 45. But that still leaves some wiggle room for the four-time MVP.
“I want play a few more years and it’ll be five after that,” Rodgers said, alluding to the Hall of Fame’s waiting period. “Who knows what’s going to happen in eight or nine years? That’s a long way off.” Rodgers also said, “I’m taking it one year at a time. Yeah, I’d love to play as long as I can, as long as it’s fun, as long as my body feels good, as long as they want me.”
The long-QB-starved Jets sent the Packers a 2023 second-round pick and swapped first-rounders this year. If Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ snaps this season, the Packers will receive Gang Green’s 2024 first. Previously citing the assets the Jets gave up in his reasoning for now eyeing multiple seasons in New York, Rodgers has since agreed to trim roughly $35MM in guarantees on the contract he agreed to in 2022.
Coming after Quinnen Williams‘ extension freed up cap space for the Jets, Rodgers’ surprising decision leaves the team with $15.9MM — 11th as of August 1. Rodgers’ pay cut has helped the Jets stay in the lead for Dalvin Cook, who visited the team Sunday.
“I thought it was important they knew how committed I was. And in my conversations with Joe [Douglas], he has made it very clear the vision for the football team,” Rodgers said, via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You probably agree with this. This year, compared to like 2005, the amount of transactions that happen now with guys getting cut and the amount of trades — way more than before. Big names move at the trade deadline now. I wanted to make sure that if somebody valuable came available that we’d be able to get him. I’m very happy with the contract. I feel great about it.”
Rodgers’ April Packers restructure left a whopping and untenable $107MM cap hit on the Jets’ 2024 payroll. That number is now down to $17.16MM; Rodgers counts for just $8.89MM on New York’s 2023 cap sheet. The Jets used the increasingly popular void-years tactic in this restructure. Four void years are in the contract, with those coming after a $35MM roster bonus due in 2025. The guarantees cover Rodgers through 2024. A $63MM dead-money penalty sits on the Jets’ payroll in 2026; that number is $28MM north of the dead-cap hit the Buccaneers are currently navigating after Brady’s retirement.
While this might not be the final Jets-Rodgers transaction, the high-profile trade acquisition is squared away for now. The two-year, $75MM arrangement came about quickly, via ESPN’s Dianna Russini, though it remains interesting Rodgers was willing to move down to a $37.5MM-per-year number so soon after becoming the first NFLer to clear the $50MM-AAV bar. Rodgers has already earned more than $305MM as a pro.
“I feel great about what I’m making,” he said, via Cimini. “It wasn’t really a negotiation, like back and forth, me starting at 50 and them starting at 20 and meeting somewhere. It was an easy conversation, much of it between me and Joe, just talking about the state of the team and the opportunities that could be out there — that are out there now, that could be out there.”