Rams Bring Back RB Sony Michel
After a season with the Chargers, Sony Michel will have another chance with Los Angeles’ NFC team. The former first-round pick reached an agreement to rejoin the Rams on Tuesday, according to the team. It is a one-year deal, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds.
Michel spent the 2021 season with the Rams, leading the eventual Super Bowl LVI-winning team in rushing. Brought in via trade following Cam Akers‘ summer Achilles tear, Michel provided a signification contribution to that championship squad. He will now aim to help out a team that has a different outlook. Veteran additions have been scarce for a regrouping Rams team this offseason. Michel follows wideout Demarcus Robinson as recent signings, however.
The Rams are coming off a down year on just about every front, with their run game struggling for most of last season. An Akers-Sean McVay disagreement led to trade talks, but the team held onto the former second-round pick. Now nearly two years removed from his Achilles setback, Akers is expected to remain a key part of Los Angeles’ rushing attack. But the Rams cut Darrell Henderson midway through last year. Michel, 28, will bring a veteran presence to a backfield full of rookie-contract cogs.
Michel’s 845 rushing yards in 2021 represent the top single-season mark of the Rams’ post-Todd Gurley stretch. Michel worked as a Henderson backup for much of that season, but after the ex-third-rounder sustained an injury that November, the trade acquisition stepped in and seized the job. While injury-prone in New England, Michel played all 21 Rams games during their most recent Super Bowl year. Michel topped 90 rushing yards in three of his six starts, including two 100-yard efforts in December 2021, but gave way to a rehabbed Akers by the time L.A.’s playoff effort began.
Last year, Michel initially joined the Dolphins as a free agent. While Miami guaranteed the Georgia alum $850K on a $1.75MM deal, Mike McDaniel‘s team did not carry him through to its 53-man roster. The Chargers picked up Michel and used him as one of Austin Ekeler‘s backups. Michel did not fare particularly well with the Bolts, totaling 106 rushing yards on 36 carries. Michel only played 10 Chargers games, and the team waived him on New Year’s Eve.
Michel played a central role in the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl charge, which ended with a 13-3 win over the Rams. Although the top pick ran into knee trouble in 2019 and 2020, he exceeded 900 rushing yards in ’18 and ’19 and compiled six postseason rushing TDs as a rookie. That total is tied for second in a single postseason, trailing only Terrell Davis‘ eight from 1997.
That accomplishment and a productive 2021 aside, Michel is unlikely to be a Rams roster lock. Akers returns for his contract year, and the team used a fifth-round pick on Kyren Williams last year. Ole Miss running back Zach Evans joined the Rams as a sixth-rounder in April. Ex-UDFA Ronnie Rivers is the other back on L.A.’s roster. Michel does provide some insurance, and it is not difficult to see the five-year vet sticking around as an Akers backup this season.
Giants’ Saquon Barkley A Threat To Skip Training Camp
The Giants now have less than a month to hammer out an extension with Saquon Barkley. With the Giants having pulled their offer and Barkley having expressed frustration at the leaks coming from the team’s side, this process has traversed a rocky path for a while.
Barkley remains hopeful for a long-term deal, noting the time still remaining between now and this year’s deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions (July 17), but word out of Giants headquarters is they would be content letting their two-time Pro Bowl back play this season on the $10.9MM tag. While it will be interesting to see which side blinks, Barkley looks to be making preparations in the event no deal comes together.
Franchise-tagged players are not subject to fines for missing training camp, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during a recent SportsCenter appearance (h/t Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari) Barkley is “a real threat” to skip camp. This tactic would be both aimed at avoiding the extra work come July and August, while penalizing the Giants — via services withheld — for not completing a deal by the deadline.
When the Steelers tagged Le’Veon Bell the first time (2017), he skipped training camp and reported September 1. Bell did start the season slowly, by his standards at the time, but finished with his second first-team All-Pro honor. No backs received the tag from 2019-22, leaving Barkley and Josh Jacobs as the only candidates to skip camp free of penalty since Bell. (Tony Pollard signed his Cowboys tender in March.)
What Bell did the following year generated far more attention. Barkley has referenced skipping the season, as Bell did in 2018 in protest of being tagged a second time, as a viable option. Bell has since expressed regret for doing this. Although Bell prevented a major injury affecting his 2019 market (when he scored $27MM fully guaranteed from the Jets), he missed out on $14.5MM by not signing his franchise tender. Bell is the only player to skip a season on the tag since the 1990s, when defensive linemen Sean Gilbert (1997) and Dan Williams (1998) did so. The salaries they passed on paled in comparison Bell’s, and the ex-Steeler great remains the poster boy for this rare course of action.
Barkley should not be considered likely to take this route, though he is in a better financial position than Bell was in 2018 or his 2023 tagged RB peers are. Barkley being chosen second overall locked in $31.2MM. The Giants exercised his fifth-year option ($7.2MM), putting the former Offensive Rookie of the Year near $40MM in career earnings. If a back were to try the Bell move, Barkley is positioned as well as anyone has been since the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie contracts. Taking this route would mean punting on $10.9MM and skipping an age-26 season. Seeing as Barkley’s prime is unlikely to last too much longer, this will be a valuable year.
The Giants are not introducing a new offense, with OC/play-caller Mike Kafka not being hired in this year’s cycle. The prospect of missing their starting back during camp and the preseason would not be especially damaging, with the looming threat of missed game checks hanging over Barkley in the event he tries to extend his absence into the regular season. That said, Barkley remains New York’s top skill-position player and occupies that role for a team without a top-flight quarterback. The Giants are thin behind Barkley, rostering Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and fifth-round rookie Eric Gray. They could also bring in a veteran insurance option. A number of accomplished backs remain unsigned, but signing a starter-caliber veteran after failing to come to terms with Barkley by July 17 also runs the risk of Joe Schoen and Co. alienating the locker room.
Guarantees remain a key issue in this Giants-Barkley standoff, and while deadlines spur action, the low tag price and this year’s running back market not taking off did not do anything to convince the team to put its $13MM-AAV offer back on the table. This keeps Barkley in a tough spot at a pivotal career point. These negotiations continue to represent a prime storyline during an offseason in which the running back position has absorbed some significant blows.
AFC West Notes: Jackson, Jones, Broncos
J.C. Jackson suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during an Oct. 23 Chargers-Seahawks matchup. While this injury is among the toughest to surmount for an NFLer, the high-priced Bolts cornerback expects to be ready for training camp. Jackson has an appointment with the surgeon who performed his surgery, Dr. Neal El Attrache, this week, ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry notes. The sixth-year cornerback did not participate in the Chargers’ minicamp practices and will be a candidate to begin camp on the team’s active/PUP list. The Chargers could remove him from that list once he is cleared to practice. Only a placement on the reserve/PUP list once 53-man rosters are set would delay Jackson’s 2023 debut.
The Chargers, who gave Jackson a five-year deal worth $82.5MM in 2022, did not draft a cornerback or sign a notable free agent. The team has not re-signed veteran slot defender Bryce Callahan, though Asante Samuel Jr. has experience playing both inside and outside. A Callahan return would provide some insurance for the Bolts, but the 31-year-old cover man remains a free agent. Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- In talks with the Chiefs about a third contract, Chris Jones skipped minicamp and is lobbying to become the NFL’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Aaron Donald. While these negotiations might bring complications — due to Donald’s AAV being $8.2MM north of the current second-highest-paid DT (Jeffery Simmons) — SI.com’s Albert Breer expects it to be finalized before training camp. It does not sound like these are particularly acrimonious negotiations. It will be interesting to see if Jones makes an aggressive push to approach a Donald-level salary, since the Chiefs would be unlikely to franchise-tag him in 2024 because of the 120% rule. The team tagged Jones in 2020, making his 2024 tag price 120% of his 2023 pay. That would give Jones a $33MM-plus cap figure if re-tagged, providing the All-Pro with leverage ahead of his latest platform year.
- Shifting back to the secondaries in this division, the Broncos did brought back one of their veteran DBs midway through the offseason. Kareem Jackson re-signed for a fifth year in Denver. But the 14th-year pro only secured $153K guaranteed. That opens the door for the Broncos to move on, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes Caden Sterns is making his strongest effort yet to unseat Jackson for the safety gig alongside Justin Simmons. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Sterns has worked as Denver’s top backup safety for two seasons. A season-ending hip injury halted that run last year, and while Sterns entered the offseason as no lock to be ready for training camp, he made it back during Denver’s OTA sessions and participated in minicamp. Simmons and Jackson, 35, have been Denver’s safety starters since 2019.
- The Chargers also added to their staff recently. They hired Noah Evangelides as a football research analyst, Neil Stratton of Insidetheleague.com tweets. Evangelides most recently served as a Northwestern graduate assistant.
Latest On DeAndre Hopkins’ Free Agency
Following their free agency visit, the Patriots were making a push to sign DeAndre Hopkins. The former All-Pro wideout is believed to be intrigued by the idea of joining the Pats, but he remains unsigned.
Visits with both the Patriots and Titans are believed to have gone well, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, and veteran NFL reporter Mike Giardi offers that each team told the high-profile UFA he still offers “elite” capabilities (Twitter link). Like Dalvin Cook, however, Hopkins is taking his time surveying the market. Waiting on a potential injury or a team suddenly growing concerned about its receiving corps — scenarios that could come to pass during training camp — is also factoring into Hopkins’ decision-making, Giardi adds.
Hopkins and Bill Belichick spent time in one-on-one meetings during the Pats summit, per Breer, who adds the 10-year veteran remains close with Titans HC Mike Vrabel. That said, it looks like Hopkins is holding out hope teams with better Super Bowl LVIII odds will re-enter the equation. Absent big money, Hopkins is aiming to join a contender, Breer added during an NBC Sports Boston appearance (video link).
The Ravens’ Odell Beckham Jr. contract blew up Cardinals-Chiefs negotiations for Hopkins, who would have been bound for Kansas City on an adjusted deal. With Beckham securing $15MM fully guaranteed despite missing all of last season and having suffered two ACL tears since October 2020, Hopkins balked at taking a pay cut. Cardinals talks with the Chiefs and Bills ceased, and both Buffalo and Kansas City have drifted a bit compared to their spots on the Hopkins radar when Arizona first released him. But neither Tennessee nor New England appears to have blown Hopkins away with an offer, per Breer, potentially reopening the door for the Chiefs or Bills.
The Bills created some 2023 cap space by extending Ed Oliver but used that savings to add Leonard Floyd. They hold $5.5MM in space. The Chiefs are at just $651K, carrying the league’s lowest figure exiting minicamp. But Kansas City remains at work on a Chris Jones extension. While Jones is likely asking for a contract closer to Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM per year than Jeffery Simmons‘ No. 2 defensive tackle deal ($23.5MM AAV), the Chiefs extending their All-Pro lineman would drop his cap number from its present $28.3MM place. That would create cap room for Kansas City to potentially re-enter the fray, and Hopkins — who has spoken highly of teaming with Patrick Mahomes on multiple occasions this offseason — can afford to be patient.
Regarding the New England fit, Hopkins and Bill O’Brien look to be back on favorable terms despite the 2020 Houston separation. And Belichick likely addressed potential concerns about Hopkins’ recent history of not practicing fully, famed ex-Patriots O-line coach Dante Scarnecchia said (via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian). In-season practice schedules certainly do not present the grind they once did, with the CBA capping the number of padded workouts to 13 over the course of the regular season. But Hopkins has battled multiple injuries since his most recent Pro Bowl season (2020) and has missed nine games for health reasons over the past two years.
Although Hopkins did not begin his visit itinerary looking to take much of a discount from the $19.4MM salary he was due to make with the Cardinals, the first two meetings not producing take-notice money adds intrigue to this situation. The Bills and Chiefs could be back in the mix soon, but for now, the Titans and Pats are still interested.
Bengals Still Eyeing Joe Mixon Pay Cut
Shortly after the draft, fifth-year Bengals HC Zac Taylor indicated Joe Mixon‘s future is “here with the team.” The Bengals have employed Mixon as their starting back since his 2017 rookie season, and Samaje Perine declined their offer before signing with the Broncos.
But the prospect of a Mixon pay cut surfaced before Taylor’s comments. Despite the coach’s endorsement, the team is still planning on a Mixon pay reduction, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
[RELATED: Mixon Facing Misdemeanor Charge]
Although Mixon and Dalvin Cook were each part of a deep 2017 running back class, the former is a year younger. Mixon will turn 27 in July. But the Bengals are following the Vikings and Packers leads in aiming to adjust their seventh-year starter’s extension. Mixon and Cook signed their respective re-ups just before the 2020 season, with the Packers matching the Bengals’ Mixon AAV for Aaron Jones ($12MM). Cook’s is no longer an active contract, while Jones accepted a trim in exchange for more 2023 guarantees. Mixon’s deal calls for a $9.4MM 2023 base salary and a $12.8MM cap hit.
The Bengals remain ready to give Mixon, whose $12MM-per-year deal runs through 2024, a late-offseason ultimatum. Mixon refusing the reduction will likely lead to a release and the team searching for outside help, Dehner adds.
While this is certainly not an optimal time for Mixon to be forced into a salary trim, his 2023 status has been a talking point since the Combine. The Bengals, however, have the most significant contract in franchise history to hammer out before clarity emerges. Joe Burrow and the team have been in talks on what will almost certainly be a record-setting extension since late March. Burrow’s re-up will change Cincinnati’s blueprint, and it may well affect how the team navigates its receiver situation. And Mixon’s future will be impacted by Burrow’s deal.
But the Bengals went through their offseason program with Mixon looking again like a central figure in their offense, per Dehner. The former second-round pick has started 71 games and ripped off three 1,000-yard seasons. Last year was not one of them, with Mixon totaling just 814 rushing yards and missing three games. Mixon’s rushing yards-per-game number dropped from 75.3 in 2021 to 58.1 last season. That said, the Oklahoma alum did add a career-best 441 receiving yards. Mixon has logged 1,545 career touches. Since 2017, only Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara have topped that. His age aside, Mixon is on the downside of his career.
Mixon may reluctantly agree to the Bengals’ terms, seeing as this marks the best opportunity to remain a full-time back — especially with Perine out of the mix. While he could also hold the line and see if a Bengals team aiming to dethrone the Chiefs is keen on losing a proven upper-echelon back, the Bengals would have free agency options as well. Four-year Browns back Kareem Hunt still available. Cook also is taking his time, waiting for a competitive offer on a contending team. Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson are also available. As for in-house options, the Bengals drafted Illinois’ Chase Brown in the fifth round. He joins fifth-year back Trayveon Williams and 2021 sixth-rounder Chris Evans on Cincy’s depth chart.
The batch of accomplished backs on the market also will probably factor into the Bengals’ Mixon price point. So will the 2023 developments at the position. No back secured more than $6.5MM per year this offseason; the Cowboys and Vikings moved on from their pricey starters; Austin Ekeler was forced to accept a low-level Chargers incentive package after requesting a trade; the Giants have pulled Saquon Barkley offers off the table. While it will be interesting to see how this Mixon saga ends, it seems a near certainty his contract will be adjusted before Week 1.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LS Rex Sunahara
This marks a return to Pittsburgh for Sunahara, whose most recent playing experience came for the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year. The Steelers brought in Sunahara late during the 2021 season, adding the specialist to their practice squad. Pittsburgh gave the West Virginia alum a reserve/futures contract in January 2022 but waived him the following May. Despite working out ex-Ravens tight end/long snapper hopeful Nick Boyle this offseason, the Steelers look like they will hold a Sunahara-Christian Kuntz snapper competition.
Chris Jones Seeking To Become Second-Highest-Paid DT, In Talks With Chiefs
While the extensions for Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence would seem to give Quinnen Williams a clear road map toward a Jets extension, Chris Jones‘ Chiefs talks look more complex.
Jones mounted a threat to be labeled the NFL’s best defensive tackle last season. Given his 2022 performance, value to the Chiefs and Aaron Donald missing a chunk of his age-31 season due to injury, this can at least be debated for the first time in ages. Set to turn 29 in July, Jones is three years younger than the Rams’ all-time great. If nothing else, Jones has a clear claim to being the league’s best non-Donald inside pass rusher and has held that spot for a bit now. At $20MM per year, Jones is currently the NFL’s eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle.
Although Jones sailed to first-team All-Pro acclaim for the first time by matching his career high with 15.5 sacks during a season in which Donald missed five games, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher notes the dominant Chiefs D-tackle may not be looking to move past the 10th-year Ram’s $31.7MM-per-year number. That figure remains the league’s most lucrative for a defender — by a wide margin. Jones is, however, aiming to top every other D-tackle deal. The notable question here: by how much?
Even after the above-referenced three young DTs’ extensions, Donald’s outlier contract — a straight raise the Rams authorized after a retirement threat — leads the pack by more than $8MM per year. Simmons did secure more fully guaranteed money than Donald, though he did so on a contract that ties him to the Titans for four additional years. Donald did not add any years to his contract but still received $46.5MM guaranteed at signing. Considering Jones’ importance to the Chiefs’ defense, he should be in line to push for a deal far north of Simmons’ $23.5MM-per-year pact.
Kansas City has made some payroll adjustments since extending Patrick Mahomes. The team did not offer Tyrann Mathieu an extension, letting his $14MM-per-year deal expire, and passed on making Tyreek Hill the league’s highest-paid wide receiver. It would seem Jones remains a priority, however. A second extension has been on the radar for months. Andy Reid confirmed (via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons) at minicamp — one Jones did not attend, incurring a minor fine — Chiefs GM Brett Veach has been in discussions with Jones’ camp.
In 2020, the Chiefs locked down Mahomes and Travis Kelce on team-friendly extensions but paid top-market money for Jones, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $80MM deal. The sides finalized that contract just before the 2020 franchise tag deadline. Simmons, Payne, Lawrence, Leonard Williams and Javon Hargrave have since topped it. The Chiefs would have the option of franchise-tagging Jones for a second time, but that number would check in higher than the standard 2024 DT figure due to the 120% rule.
Since that 2020 agreement, Jones has ripped off three more Pro Bowl seasons and further established himself as the Chiefs’ most indispensable defender. He sacked Joe Burrow twice in the AFC championship game, helping the Chiefs hold off the Bengals despite Mahomes playing on a gimpy ankle. With Nick Bosa a candidate to top Donald’s AAV, it will be interesting to see if Jones waits on the 49ers finalizing that long-rumored agreement or sees if Williams can move the non-Donald D-tackle bar higher soon.
The Chiefs expect Jones at training camp, but a hold-in effort would not surprise. A resolution on this matter should be expected before Week 1, but this represents one of the league’s top 2023 contractual dominoes.
Commanders’ Montez Sweat Extension Plans On Hold
Both Montez Sweat and Chase Young are going into contract years, thanks to Washington declining the latter’s fifth-year option. While the the Commanders’ defensive line commitments might dictate an either/or situation regarding an extension, they might not need to see more from Sweat before beginning extension talks.
The team would like to extend Sweat, John Keim of ESPN.com notes, but the ownership situation is pausing the talks. We heard of the ownership-driven halt of big-picture decisions earlier this month, and while Ron Rivera said speaking to Dan Snyder remains an option, the fourth-year Washington HC now indicates the Commanders’ football ops heads will need to clear a move like this with new ownership expected to come in.
Josh Harris has agreed to purchase the Commanders for a record-setting $6.05 billion, but with the 76ers and Devils owner’s debt and number of minority partners in his ownership group has led to a longer vetting process from the NFL. That said, this is moving toward a ratification — either in July or August. By that point, it looks to be Harris needing to offer input on the Sweat front.
“We can’t go on until we get a chance to explain to them exactly what our thoughts and ideas are and whether they agree or disagree,” Rivera said, via Keim.
Drafted in the 2019 first round to play alongside Ryan Kerrigan, Sweat arrived in Washington based more on positional need. The 2020 No. 2 overall pick, Young was a value-based choice after a woeful 2019 season. While Young earned Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim, he has not matched that level of play since. The ACL and patellar tendon tears Young suffered in November 2021 played the lead role in the Commanders passing on his fifth-year option. During this period, Sweat served as the team’s top edge rusher. A year before declining Young’s fifth-year option, the team picked up Sweat’s $11.6MM Year 5 guarantee.
Never a Pro Bowler, Sweat has still racked up 29 sacks and eight forced fumbles during his four-year career. Perhaps not soaring toward a top-market extension, Sweat is in the front office’s plans — despite having been a Bruce Allen-era draft choice. Sweat compiled a career-high 28 quarterback hits last season, though Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen have respectively led the team in sacks over the past two years. Each defensive tackle is also signed to a big-ticket extension, with Payne signing a $22.5MM-per-year deal shortly after being franchise-tagged. Jonathan Allen’s $18MM-AAV pact remains in the top 10 among D-tackles.
Washington, however, is hoping to build around Sam Howell‘s rookie contract. It cannot be assumed the 2022 fifth-round pick will be the answer, but the team does not currently have a franchise-QB salary on its books. That opens the door for more payments elsewhere, and the Commanders are projected — nine months out, at least — to carry more than $83MM in 2024 cap space. That could be used for a Sweat extension and potential Young franchise tag, depending on how the ex-Ohio State phenom looks this season.
Rivera and Co. opting for a Sweat extension over Young would be interesting, since Allen, Payne and Sweat were each draft picks by the previous regime. But the current Commanders regime is prepared to discuss terms with Sweat’s camp. It just looks like Harris will eventually need to greenlight those discussions.
Latest On Cowboys’ CB Situation
The Cowboys finished last season without two veteran cornerbacks, losing Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown to major injuries. Brown’s contract expired, and the seven-year vet is a free agent. Lewis remains on the team but is not a lock to be ready for the season.
Lewis was told he suffered a severe Lisfranc fracture, per the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, and he acknowledged the battle will be avoiding the reserve/PUP list. That designation would sideline him for four games to start the season. But Lewis is a near-certainty to begin training camp on the shelf. With Lewis ticketed for the active/PUP list next month, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) a cornerback addition will probably be considered.
Jones noted that such a move might be for depth purposes, and the Cowboys already made their splashy corner addition in March. They sent a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Colts for Stephon Gilmore. The former Defensive Player of the Year will join Trevon Diggs as Dallas’ outside cornerbacks. Lewis may become a factor in the slot again, but for the time being, the former third-round pick is not in the picture.
Lewis’ primary replacement following his October injury, DaRon Bland, worked in the slot at minicamp. After beginning last season as a backup and special-teamer, Bland started eight games and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 48 overall corner. Bland intercepted four passes in the Cowboys’ final six games and played every defensive snap for the team in the playoffs. That grade aside, the 6-foot-2 corner still allowed five touchdown passes as the closest defender in coverage.
The Cowboys are not planning to reduce Bland’s role, with Machota noting he is expected to be a top-three corner alongside Diggs and Gilmore to start his sophomore NFL slate (subscription required). This plan extending into the regular season stands to complicate matters for Lewis and Kelvin Joseph. The team tried the former second-rounder in the slot during its offseason program. Despite Joseph’s draft pedigree, he has not carved out much of a role in Dallas. He has played 330 defensive snaps in 26 career games. Bland looks to be firmly ahead of the former No. 44 overall pick exiting minicamp.
Lewis, who will turn 28 later this summer, is entering the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal. The 43-game starter is due a $4.5MM base salary and counts $5.9MM against the Cowboys’ cap. The Cowboys drafted a corner — Eric Scott Jr. — in the sixth round and still have 2021 third-rounder Nahshon Wright on the roster. Lewis, who was on crutches during part of the spring, has been running since May, per Moore. In order to position himself for a notable third contract, the Michigan product will need to show he has recovered from this injury this season.
NFC South Notes: White, Falcons, Saints
Weeks after making a trade request, Devin White showed for Buccaneers minicamp this week. This was the expected outcome, but the talented linebacker did not participate. Still, Todd Bowles did not refer to this as a hold-in measure. The second-year Tampa Bay HC said (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine) the team wanted to gauge White’s readiness, though it is unclear if the former top-five pick is dealing with a specific injury. Bowles said he expects White to be ready to go for training camp. Though, that could be when a hold-in effort takes place in earnest. White, who avoided nearly $100K in fines by reporting to minicamp, is tied to an $11.7MM fifth-year option salary. Although White wants top-five ILB money and has not yet seen the Bucs show interest in signing off on such an extension, team brass said multiple times this offseason no trade desire exists on the organization’s part.
Here is the latest from the NFC South:
- It appears the Falcons‘ big-ticket Jessie Bates acquisition will displace Jaylinn Hawkins. After the former fourth-round pick started 16 games last season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes it will likely be Bates teaming with Richie Grant — a 17-game starter in 2022 — this year. Pro Football Focus’ No. 66 safety last season, Hawkins may factor in when the team uses three-safety looks. But a contract-year demotion looks set to commence.
- Falcons defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham missed last season’s final seven games due a full MCL tear, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. After not participating in OTAs, the third-year defender was back on the field at minicamp. Like Hawkins, Graham might see the Falcons’ free agency moves affect his role. The team signed David Onyemata and Calais Campbell, and Eddie Goldman is attempting to return after a 2022 retirement call. Goldman, however, did not work with the team during minicamp.
- Trevor Penning already underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury sustained in Week 18. While the Saints tackle is expected to be ready for training camp, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan notes he is undergoing a second procedure Friday to remove hardware from the repaired foot. Penning started just one game as a rookie, seeing another injury — a torn foot ligament — delay his NFL debut by nearly three months. But the 2022 first-round pick is on track to be New Orleans’ Week 1 left tackle starter this year. James Hurst, the team’s primary blind-sider last season, shared first-team duties with third-year blocker Landon Young at minicamp.
- After spending the past two seasons as a Saints staffer, Sterling Moore will not be with the team going forward. The Saints dismissed the former cornerback from their staff, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Moore worked as New Orleans’ assistant DBs coach last season. Moore, 33, started 12 games for the Saints in 2016 and played two seasons with the team. The Saints hired a new defensive coordinator this offseason — Joe Woods — but it is unclear if that move will directly lead to Moore’s summer exit.
- The Saints made an addition to their scouting department recently, with InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton relaying (via Twitter) the team hired former Louisiana Tech staffer Ziad Qubti as their college scouting coordinator. This will be Qubti’s first NFL gig.