No NFL Vote Imminent On Josh Harris’ Commanders Purchase
The prospect of next week’s owners meetings being the venue for a ratification vote on Josh Harris‘ Commanders purchase looked like a long-shot proposition. The NFL has since confirmed no vote will take place at the May 22-23 set of spring meetings in Minneapolis, according to the Associated Press.
Harris’ $6.05 billion exclusive sale agreement with Dan Snyder remains under standard review, and the deal’s complications will almost definitely drag this process out well into the summer. While Harris (and an expansive number of investors) are prepared to put up a record-shattering price for the Commanders, speedbumps have emerged.
Last year’s Broncos sale — a sweepstakes that featured Harris’ group finishing second — brought a two-month gap between Rob Walton‘s then-record-setting bid ($4.65 billion) to his August 9 ratification. As expected, the Walmart heir’s group encountered no turbulence. The league vetted Harris — who owns the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Premier League club Crystal Palace — during the run-up to Walton’s Broncos acquisition, but issues with the structure of his Commanders bid have caused concern among other owners, ESPN.com’s John Keim adds.
The sale must go through the NFL finance committee and then receive 24 votes from the other owners to be ratified. The number of partners in Harris’ group (north of 12) will lengthen the vetting timetable, especially with some of the investors based outside the country. Magic Johnson, billionaire Mitchell Rales and David Blitzer, who is part of Harris’ Devils and 76ers ownership groups, are among the investors.
Matters pertaining to the NFL’s debt limit, with league rules stipulating buyers of teams being able to borrow up to $1.1 billion secured against the franchise, also serve as barriers en route to Harris’ purchase. The finance committee considers the Harris deal well above the debt limit, per Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. No red tape regarding financial construction would have likely emerged had Amazon founder Jeff Bezos submitted a bid, but the longtime Snyder nemesis did not do so. Bezos bowing out immediately preceded Harris moving into pole position.
These hurdles have led to rumors that this Harris bid would not be approved were it not for owners’ desire to see Snyder’s scandal-ridden ownership tenure end. That said, Harris’ group contends, per Keim, the NFL has not voiced concerns about the sale agreement to this point. That chapter may be in store, but for now, the league continues its examination stage regarding Snyder’s exit.
Steelers To Extend QB Mitch Trubisky
MAY 19: Trubisky’s new deal will guarantee him $8MM this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. From 2023-25, Pittsburgh’s backup quarterback will be tied to a $19.4MM base package, Rapoport notes (via Twitter). More incentives are present in this deal, with Rapoport adding Trubisky can earn up to $33MM on it. The Steelers have since confirmed the through-2025 extension.
MAY 18: The Steelers are arranging the seats in their quarterback room this week. Shortly after agreeing to terms on a third Mason Rudolph contract, the team is moving toward a Mitch Trubisky extension.
Second-year GM Omar Khan said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show the team is working on an extension with its backup quarterback (video link). Indicating the deal will be done shortly, Khan is prepared to continue the Steelers’ relationship with a quarterback initially signed during Kevin Colbert‘s final months as GM.
The deal is done, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The move will push Trubisky’s contract beyond 2023 and reduce the quarterback’s cap number from its present $10.6MM place. It is a two-year extension, which will keep Trubisky tied to the Steelers through 2025.
Trubisky initially agreed to a two-year, $14.3MM deal with incentives that could take it beyond that point. But Kenny Pickett replaced Trubisky as the team’s starter early last season, removing the incentives from the equation. But the former No. 2 overall pick has hovered on the extension radar for a bit. Despite being yanked as the Steelers’ starter, Trubisky is set to remain Pickett’s backup beyond this season.
Multiple teams pursued Trubisky last year, which came after he spent a season as Josh Allen‘s backup in Buffalo. Trubisky is obviously best known for his tenure in Chicago and likely will be unable to change that for the foreseeable future. The Bears traded up to draft the one-year North Carolina starter in 2017, and that move is now remembered for the team passing on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky fell far short of expectations in the Windy City, and the Bears passed on his fifth-year option — even as that decision did not include a full guarantee at that point — and let him walk in free agency in 2021.
The Steelers’ first Trubisky agreement came a few weeks before the Pickett draft investment, reminding of the Bears’ 2017 plan. Chicago had signed Mike Glennon to a multiyear deal before drafting Trubisky. The ex-Tar Heel replaced Glennon as Chicago’s starter in Week 5 of the 2017 season; Pickett made his first Steelers start in Week 5 of last season.
Trubisky, 28, became needed at points after being supplanted. Pickett sustained two concussions during his rookie season, bringing Trubisky back for a Week 6 relief effort — a win over the Buccaneers — and two December appearances. Trubisky also helped the Steelers to a win over the Panthers, as the team rallied from 2-6 to keep Mike Tomlin‘s .500-or-better streak intact. As a regular starter, Trubisky did not do much to hold off Pickett. But the Steelers clearly value the veteran as their top reserve.
Once Pickett stepped in last October, Pittsburgh’s QB outlook appeared foggy behind its starter. Rudolph played out his second contract and Trubisky could have pursued another free agency route in an attempt to at least earn another crack as a bridge QB. Not unlike Charlie Batch‘s conversion from Lions starter to Steelers backup once upon a time, Trubisky will opt to stick around in Pittsburgh rather than pursuing a quick path that would allow for a starter competition elsewhere.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Brian Cobbs
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OL Jaylon Thomas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: OLB Brock Martin
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Justus Tavai
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T Dylan Cook
Thomas earned starts at all five positions along SMU’s offensive line. As is the norm with the current class of UDFAs entering the league, Thomas used the extra year of eligibility — granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic — and played five seasons for the Mustangs, making starts in each.
The Buccaneers waived Cook earlier this week, doing so after giving him a reserve/futures contract in January. The Raiders are dropping Martin not long after making him part of their 10-man UDFA contingent. A transfer from Maryland, Cobbs caught 76 passes for 923 yards and five touchdowns during his year at Utah State.
Panthers Cut Jacob Eason, Preston Williams
As the Panthers prepare to begin their Bryce Young era, they have Andy Dalton in place as the No. 1 overall pick’s mentor. With Dalton under contract as a possible bridge option, the team will trim one of its holdovers from the roster.
The Panthers waived Jacob Eason on Thursday, moving their quarterback room down to three. Matt Corral, whom the then-Matt Rhule-led team traded up for during the 2022 third round, remains under contract. Corral missed all of his rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury.
In addition to Eason, Carolina cut wide receiver Preston Williams. Since showing promise as a rookie UDFA with the Dolphins in 2019, Williams has been unable to return to that production level. Although the Dolphins used the 6-foot-5 pass catcher regularly when he was healthy in 2020, injuries ended up defining his time in Miami. An ACL tear and a foot injury limited Williams to 16 games (14 starts) from 2019-20.
Williams, 26, barely played in 2021 and wound up in trade rumors during training camp last year. The Dolphins wound up cutting him, leading to a Panthers flier. A former Laviska Shenault teammate at Colorado State, Williams saw far less playing time for the 2022 Panthers. He suited up for one game last season.
That matches Eason’s output. The former Georgia and Washington starter attempted five passes during another season of Panthers quarterback instability. Eason, 25, has now been cut from two Frank Reich-led teams.
The Colts drafted Eason in the 2020 fourth round but waived him a year later, with 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger becoming the primary backup to Carson Wentz and then Matt Ryan. Eason spent 2022 with three teams. After the Seahawks cut him, the Panthers added him to their practice squad. Carolina released Eason from its P-squad, leading to time with the 49ers, but circled back to him via a reserve/futures deal in January.
While Corral landed in trade rumors earlier this year, he remains Carolina’s third-string quarterback heading into OTAs. With Young and Dalton around now, however, the Ole Miss product’s Charlotte future is foggy.
Patriots Waive OL Yodny Cajuste
After a busy draft along their offensive line, the Patriots parted ways with Yodny Cajuste. They waived the fourth-year O-lineman on Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The team tendered Cajuste — a 2019 third-round pick — as an RFA earlier this offseason, keeping him on the low-end number ($2.74MM). But Cajuste will hit the waiver wire. This move will clear the entire $2.74MM from the Pats’ cap sheet.
Despite being chosen in the 2019 draft, Cajuste did not see any playing time until the 2021 season. He entered the RFA tender equation due to spending all of 2019 on the non-football injury list. While Cajuste started five games between the 2021 and ’22 campaigns, the young tackle likely saw his status in the organization change after the draft and in free agency. New England chose three O-linemen from Rounds 4-5, doing so after having signed tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson.
The Pats used one of their eight injury activations on Cajuste last year, and he replaced Isaiah Wynn at right tackle upon being activated. Cajuste started three straight games following his return from injury but saw his playing time reduced soon after. Midseason add Conor McDermott saw more playing time down the stretch, starting in each of the Patriots’ final six games. Pro Football Focus graded Cajuste as a middle-of-the-pack tackle in a 197-snap season. Only six of those snaps came after his run of starts ceased.
While Trent Brown remains in place at tackle for New England, the team has now separated from Cajuste and Wynn. Reiff received $4.15MM fully guaranteed, while Anderson signed a two-year, $7MM deal that includes $4MM locked in. The Pats still roster McDermott as well. Any team that claims Cajuste would be responsible for the RFA tender amount, making it a bit more likely he lands in free agency.
Giants Nearly Used Second-Round Pick On WR Jalin Hyatt
A popular team for pre-draft wide receiver visits, the Giants discussed potential deals that would have moved them into wideout range in this year’s first round. Instead opting to stand down, Big Blue saw four receivers go off the board just before their first-round pick.
Although the Giants did not end up with Zay Flowers or Jordan Addison — pre-draft visitors the team eyed on Day 1 — they added Tennessee prospect Jalin Hyatt to their receiving corps. The Giants took Hyatt in Round 3, but they were prepared to select him a round earlier.
When the Jaguars went on the clock for their No. 56 pick, the Giants had Hyatt and center John Michael Schmitz as their targets. Jacksonville traded the pick to Chicago, and with Giants brass concerned the NFC North team eyed one of its preferred players, Brian Daboll said Hyatt was likely going to be the pick at No. 57. With the Bears opting for cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, the Giants proceeded with Schmitz, a Minnesota product Daboll said (video link) “could start at center.”
That will likely be the expectation for Schmitz, but the Giants managed to land Hyatt 16 picks later. It took a trade-up with the Rams — one that cost the Giants Nos. 89 and 128 — but the Giants moved into position for Hyatt at No. 73. During the gap between the Schmitz and Hyatt picks, two other receivers — Marvin Mims and Nathaniel Dell — went off the board (to the Broncos and Texans, respectively). The reigning Biletnikoff winner remained available and is now in New York.
The Giants carried a top four of Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay and 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson at receiver entering last season. Those plans quickly changed. Season-ending injuries removed Shepard and Robinson from the equation, and Toney’s unreliability led the Giants to trade him to the Chiefs. (The Giants used the third-rounder obtained in that deal to trade for Darren Waller in March.) Darius Slayton became a key performer by default, with the since-released Golladay quickly benched. The Giants re-signed Slayton and Shepard and are set to have Robinson back in the mix. The holdovers, a contingent that includes midseason waiver claim Isaiah Hodgins, join Hyatt, Jamison Crowder and Parris Campbell.
The Giants again considered an Odell Beckham Jr. reunion; the Ravens’ $15MM guaranteed won out. Had Beckham signed, the Giants’ receiver draft plan may have differed. But Hyatt, who rode a five-touchdown performance against Alabama to the Biletnikoff award, will soon be a key part of Daboll’s plan. The 6-foot pass catcher is coming off a 1,267-yard, 15-touchdown season. Joining a suddenly crowded receiver room, it will be interesting to see how the speedster factors in to start his rookie year.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Steelers, Ossai
Lamar Jackson‘s foray as his own agent involved years of proposals and counterproposals, and while the former MVP received criticism for playing out his rookie contract, the Ravens rewarded their centerpiece player with a record-setting deal. That $52MM-per-year contract includes $135MM fully guaranteed. While that is not in the Deshaun Watson stratosphere — a range Jackson sought to enter — it places the sixth-year veteran second for full guarantees. One of Jackson’s proposals along the way included a three-year, $156MM fully guaranteed deal, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The Ravens did not relent on term length, but Jackson’s proposal probably factored into the final result. By March 2024, Jackson will see his guarantee total balloon to $156MM.
The Ravens made a seismic bet Jackson (11 missed games since 2021) will stay healthy, as this contract locks them in through 2025 at least. Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- While the Steelers drafted Joey Porter Jr. 32nd overall, he was in consideration for their first-round selection. Had the Steelers not traded up to draft tackle Broderick Jones at No. 14, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes they likely would have chosen Porter at 17 (subscription required). Teams often paint rosy pictures of their draft plans in the aftermath, but Porter — who visited the Steelers’ facility, a place he is quite familiar with due to his father’s history with the team — was viewed as a first-round talent who slipped a bit. The Steelers did make it known the 32nd pick was available, and as Will Levis also fell out of Round 1, they received multiple offers. But they now have Jones and Porter in the fold.
- Joseph Ossai‘s final-seconds hit on Patrick Mahomes may well have denied the Bengals a second straight Super Bowl berth, giving the Chiefs a better chance of avoiding overtime. Following Harrison Butker‘s game-winning field goal, Ossai headed toward a rehab-filled offseason. The edge rusher suffered a torn left shoulder labrum during a December game against the Browns and played hurt the rest of the way. Ossai, who had rebounded from a full-season rookie absence (due to a meniscus injury) to play 19 games last season, is expected to be ready for training camp, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.
- When the Steelers brought Bud Dupree in for a visit, they wanted to re-sign their former first-round pick back to a two-year deal, Kaboly adds. A previous report indicated the Steelers did not discuss terms with Dupree, but it does appear the club had a preferred contract range — one that would have helped keep the edge rusher’s 2023 cap number low. Dupree signed a one-year, $3MM Falcons deal that could spike to $5MM.
- On the subject of contracts that did come to pass, Rock Ya-Sin‘s one-year Ravens deal will be worth $4MM. That amount is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. This will give the former Colts and Raiders cornerback a chance to re-establish his value for a possible 2024 free agency bid.
- Shifting back to Pittsburgh, the Steelers will see some front office turnover. Mark Gorscak, who has been with the team for 28 years, will retire from his scouting post this offseason, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes. Also known for his role as the Combine’s 40-yard dash starter, Gorscak follows another Steelers staffer in place since the 1990s — assistant coach John Mitchell — as mainstays departing the team this offseason.
- The Steelers are hiring former Raiders southeast area scout Zack Crockett to work in the same capacity, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Crockett, who enjoyed a 13-year career (mostly with the Raiders) as a fullback, spent the past 14 years as a Raiders scout. Las Vegas’ Dave Ziegler– and Josh McDaniels-led regime parted ways with Crockett, 50, earlier this offseason.
Latest On Packers’ Offensive Line
Elgton Jenkins passed on testing free agency to sign a lucrative Packers extension, a deal that ties the Pro Bowler to Green Bay through the 2026 season and one that looks to solidify the team’s left guard spot for the foreseeable future.
The Packers entered last season with plans of moving Jenkins to right tackle — opposite a recovered David Bakhtiari, whom Jenkins had previously replaced on the left side — before shifting their younger Pro Bowl blocker back to guard. The left side of Green Bay’s offensive line — when Bakhtiari suits up, that is — is not in question. Competition will take place at other spots along the Packers’ O-line.
Although the Packers took Josh Myers in the 2021 second round and have used him as a starter in all 23 games he has played — including 17 last season — he will be challenged this year. Second-year blocker Zach Tom poses as the top challenger for both the center and right tackle spots, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
Chosen in the fourth round out of Wake Forest, Tom started at both center and left tackle for the Demon Deacons. Bakhtiari’s issues staying on the field last season moved Tom into Green Bay’s lineup in his stead, and while a role as a super sub of sorts could end up being where Tom ends up this year, Matt LaFleur said earlier this offseason center might be the young lineman’s best spot. Pro Football Focus graded Myers as the league’s 26th-best center last season. While Myers shook off the health issues that plagued him as a rookie, the Ohio State alum will no longer be handed a gig in Green Bay.
Packers OC Adam Stenavich said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky) Tom will also compete at right guard, though Schneidman adds Jon Runyan Jr.‘s spot is probably safer than either Myers or right tackle Yosh Nijman‘s. PFF slotted Runyan 37th among guards last season. The second-generation pro is going into a contract year. Nijman played 555 right tackle snaps for the Pack last season; Tom played 84. Nijman being tendered at the second-round level ($4.3MM) as an RFA does illustrate Packer confidence, however. Royce Newman, who has started 22 games since his 2021 rookie year, remains on the roster as well. Newman showed rocky form last season but offers versatility in having played 100-plus snaps at guard and tackle in 2022.
PFF ranked the Packers’ O-line third in the league last season, putting the team on solid footing going into 2023. Last year featured both Bakhtiari and Jenkins rehabbing major knee injuries. Both returned in 2022. At $17MM per year, Jenkins is now the NFL’s third-highest-paid guard (behind Chris Lindstrom and Quenton Nelson). Bakhtiari remains the league’s third-highest-paid tackle, at $23MM per year. While Bakhtiari’s game count this year — after he missed 22 contests from 2021-22 — will play a significant role in his post-2023 Packers future, the franchise will begin its Jordan Love era with a quality foundation up front.
Texans To Sign DT Byron Cowart
Byron Cowart will join a second team this offseason. The former Patriots starter caught on with the Chiefs in March, but the defending champions quickly cut him. The Texans will take a flier.
Houston is signing Cowart, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Best known for being a full-time starter with New England in 2020, Cowart has not started a game since. He spent last season with the Colts. Texans GM Nick Caserio was with the Patriots when they drafted Cowart in the 2019 fifth round.
Cowart saw an injury derail his 2021 season. The Patriots stashed the 300-pound defender on their reserve/PUP list to start the season but later allowed his return-to-practice period to expire. That ended his season, and the Pats moved on just before training camp began last year. The Colts picked up Cowart and used him as a backup in 17 games. He made 12 tackles (two for loss) during a season in which he played 227 defensive snaps.
Pro Football Focus did not rank Cowart highly last year, slotting him outside the top 100 among interior D-linemen. He will aim to bounce back with a rebuilding team. The Colts claimed Cowart’s rookie deal last summer, but after the Chiefs bailed on a veteran agreement, the former Maryland and Auburn D-lineman will attempt to stick on a veteran contract in Houston.
The Texans have added some D-tackle help this offseason, signing Sheldon Rankins and ex-DeMeco Ryans 49ers charge Hassan Ridgeway. The team also returns Maliek Collins, who signed during Caserio’s first offseason. The Texans, however, did not draft an interior D-lineman.
Giants Sign Round 1 CB Deonte Banks
The highest Giants cornerback pick in seven years, Deonte Banks is now under contract. The No. 24 overall pick agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.
Banks’ contract — worth $13.58MM due to his draft slot — will be fully guaranteed. The deal contains a fifth-year option, which the Giants will need to decide on by May 2026. For the foreseeable future, however, the Maryland product will be attached to this deal.
Although the Giants put in considerable work on this year’s lot of first-round-caliber wide receivers, they saw all four chosen from Nos. 20-23. GM Joe Schoen made an attempt to trade up into receiver territory, with Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison believed to be on the team’s radar. Once those pass catchers ended up going off the board — to the Ravens and Vikings at Nos. 22 and 23, respectively — the Giants decided to trade up one spot (via the Jaguars) to take Banks.
Just as he later did with the Bills during their trade talks, Jaguars GM Trent Baalke made Schoen confirm the Giants’ trade-up move was not for an offensive lineman. (The Jags eyed Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison, whom they eventually took after both trade-down moves.) The Giants also expressed concern the Ravens would take Banks (video link). Baltimore represented one of Banks’ many pre-draft visits.
One of the teams to bring in Banks for a pre-draft visit, the Giants will make him the centerpiece of their cornerback plan. The team released James Bradberry shortly after the 2022 draft and has current No. 1 corner Adoree’ Jackson going into a contract year. As of now, no extension plans are in the works re: Jackson, who is set to play out his three-year contract this season. With Banks possibly signed through 2027, he will be expected to commandeer a starting job this year.
Banks bounced back from a shoulder injury that ended his 2021 season after two games, but the 6-foot cover man emerged as a Terrapins starter as a true freshman in 2019. Banks held up against potential 2024 top-five pick Marvin Harrison Jr. last season, helping limit the Ohio State superstar to five receptions for 68 yards and no touchdowns. Banks broke up two passes in that game and blocked an extra point. For the season, Banks totaled eight pass breakups and an interception.
The Giants used a first-round pick on eventual bust Deandre Baker in 2019 but last chose a corner higher than Banks seven years ago (Eli Apple, at No. 10 overall). The team will need Banks to perform better than each to justify this investment. The team played without both its boundary corners — Jackson and Aaron Robinson — for much of last season. Robinson was lost for the year due to an early-season knee injury. Banks will be expected to surpass the former third-round pick on the Giants’ depth chart this season.