Jaguars Cut Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow‘s time with the Jaguars has come to an end. On Tuesday morning, the Jaguars released the former UF superstar as they work their way down to an 85-man roster.
“Thankful for the highs and even the lows, the opportunities, and the setbacks,” said Tebow on Twitter. “I’ve never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I’m grateful for the chance to have pursued a dream. Thank you to the Jaguars organization and everyone who has supported me in this journey.”
Head coach Urban Meyer previously said that Tebow did a “decent job” in practice . Over the summer, 46% of PFR readers said Tebow would make Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, while another 25% said the ex-Broncos QB1 and Mets farmhand would land on the practice squad. The practice squad remains a possibility, but Tebow won’t be on the Jaguars’ varsity squad to start the year.
Tebow bulked up to 255 pounds — up ~20 from his quarterback days — to move to TE. Washington tight end Logan Thomas proved that the transition could be done, but it took him several years to find his footing. Of course, the ex-Virginia Tech quarterback made the move in his mid-20s; Tebow was trying it at the age of 33.
Due to his NFL service time, Tebow will be a full-fledged free agent by the end of the business day. However, it’s not clear if Tebow will receive — or pursue — an opportunity elsewhere.
In addition to Tebow, the Jaguars have also made the following moves to reach the 85-man max:
- CB D.J. Daniel (waived)
- WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (waived/injured)
- WR Tim Jones (waived/injured)
- DT Daniel Ross (IR)
Seahawks’ Jamal Adams To Seek LB Designation?
The Seahawks can franchise tag Jamal Adams next year for an estimated $13-14MM. At least, that’s the case if Adams is considered a safety. If there’s no deal in place between now and next spring, Adams will argue that he should be classified as a linebacker (via PFT). 
There is precedent for this sort of thing — multiple linebackers have managed to get classified as defensive ends, adding millions to their franchise tag salaries. Adams’ odds will largely hinge on how the Seahawks use him in 2021. If he sees more snaps at safety than linebacker, then he’ll be fighting an uphill battle. But, if it’s the other way around, Adams could see a tag worth nearly $18MM in 2022, perhaps $4MM more than the safety tag.
Beyond that, Adams would increase his leverage significantly. A 20% bump in 2023 ~would put him at about $21.5MM, giving him $10MM more in total between ’22 and ’23. That’d be a much stronger starting point for negotiations for Adams’ camp.
At last check, the Seahawks offered Adams a four-year, $70MM deal with $38MM guaranteed. That’d keep Bobby Wagner as Seattle’s highest-paid defender while making Adams the NFL’s highest-paid safety by a healthy margin — about $2MM/year over Justin Simmons. Adams’ camp, meanwhile, wants $40MM guaranteed with all of the bonus money paid out in the first three years, rather than across all four.
Seahawks Won’t Negotiate With Jamal Adams
The Seahawks are “truly done” negotiating with Jamal Adams, according to a league source who spoke with PFT. After their latest offer, the Seahawks are fully prepared to let Adams play out his option year. 
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After that, the Seahawks can franchise tag him twice to keep him under club control through 2023. (Technically, they could franchise tag him three times, but the rate for the 2024 season would be a cap killer.) As it stands, Adams is slated to make $9.86MM in 2021 — an absolute steal for a safety of his caliber. We won’t know the 2022 franchise tag numbers until next spring, but it’d likely cost the Seahawks under $14MM to cuff Adams for next year. Beyond that, they’d be looking at a 20% increase — somewhere in the $16MM neighborhood — for 2023. Those figures would be costly, but still favorable for the Seahawks.
The Seahawks have reportedly offered Adams a four-year, $70MM deal with $38MM guaranteed. That’d keep Bobby Wagner as Seattle’s highest-paid defender while making Adams the NFL’s highest-paid safety by a healthy margin — about $2MM/year over Landon Collins. Adams’ camp countered with $40MM guaranteed and bonus money to be paid out in the deal’s first three years, rather than across all four.
The gap between the two sides is slimmer than its ever been, but the Seahawks say they won’t budge any furhter.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Bryson Young
- Cut: LB Reggie Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Bryce Hargrove, LB George Obinna
- Reverted to IR: WR J’Mon Moore
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: QB Kenji Bahar
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, CB Iman Marshall
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Gage Cervenka, DB Dionte Ruffin, WR Jester Weah
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: WR Reece Horn, WR Riley Lees
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Carlson, WR Ryan Switzer
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Jon Dietzen, P Ryan Winslow
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived/injured: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LS Matt Overton
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Austin MacGinnis, LB Derrick Moncrief, T Ryan Pope, OLB Max Roberts, DL George Silvanic
- Released from IR: DB Dayan Lake
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Khalil McClain
- Waived: TE Carson Meier
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived/injured: K Riley Patterson, WR Blake Proehl
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Brian Lewerke
- Waived/injured: QB Clayton Thorson
- Placed on IR: LB TJ Brunson, OL Kyle Murphy, S Joshua Kalu
New York Jets
- Waived: K Chris Naggar
- Activated off PUP list: DL Quinnen Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LB Donald Payne, DL Eddie Vanderdoes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: LB Nate Evans, OT Lukayus McNeil, CB Jordan Miller, DT Walter Palmore, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, RB Cameron Scarlett
Saints Cut Prince Amukamara
The Saints have released cornerback Prince Amukamara, as ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett tweets. The cornerback joins defensive end Noah Spence and a handful of other ex-Saints in free agency. 
Amukamara was the No. 19 overall pick in 2011 but he’s been inconsistent throughout his career. He was originally drafted by the Giants and won Super Bowl XLVI with the team as a rookie. After five up-and-down years, he moved on to the Jaguars and the Bears. He spent three years as a full-time starter in Chicago and earned a $27MM extension along the way, but didn’t make it to the end of the deal.
The corner spent 2020 with the Cardinals’ practice squad last year but didn’t appear in a game. The Saints gave him a shot a few weeks ago, but he didn’t quite impress on the practice field. Now, the Saints will continue to look for cornerback help with a possible suspension looming for star Marshon Lattimore.
The Saints may pursue Jaguars cornerback C.J. Henderson in the coming days. But, for now, they’re banking on third-round corner Paulson Adebo, slot corner Brian Poole, and Lattimore’s continued availability.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR Thomas Ives
Green Bay Packers
- Reverted to IR: LB Randy Ramsey
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Tytus Howard, OT Roderick Johnson, OT Laremy Tunsil
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from active/PUP list: CB Isaiah Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Lawrence Woods
- Waived: LB Quentin Poling
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Keith Washington
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Meadors
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Davin Bellamy
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DE Sam Renner
Broncos’ Mike Boone To Miss Time
Broncos running back Mike Boone will miss 4-6 weeks with a quad injury, as Mike Klis of 9 News tweets. It’s not ideal, but perhaps better than expected news after Boone was carted off the practice field this week.
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Broncos GM George Paton brought the former Viking to Denver this year on a two-year contract worth up to $4.5MM. Formerly a special-teamer/third-stringer behind Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, Boone is now vying for time behind Melvin Gordon and second-round pick Javonte Williams. Phillip Lindsay is no longer in the picture, so Royce Freeman could pick up Boone’s work for however long he’s out.
While Boone has mostly played special teams as a pro, fantasy GMs remember his 2019 fondly. Serving as the Vikings’ top back down the home stretch, he finished the year with 273 rushing yards on a 5.6 YPC average. He didn’t see as many totes last year, however, registering eleven carries for 59 yards.
Latest On Seahawks, Duane Brown
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says he wants to get Duane Brown‘s contract situation settled. However, it doesn’t sound like the front office is in any rush. The Seahawks told Brown that they want to keep him beyond 2021, but they want to discuss his next contract after the season (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
That probably won’t sit well with Brown, who is weeks away from his 36th birthday and entering the final year of his deal. He’s set to make $10MM this season – an extremely team-friendly rate given his production. Even when factoring in the past dollars on his deal, Brown’s $11.5MM-per-year average puts him just 16th among left tackles.
Pro Football Focus positioned Brown as the league’s No. 5 tackle last season. At the same time, he’s older than Nos. 1-4. The Seahawks are understandably skittish about committing top-of-the-market money to Brown as he inches towards 40, but they can ill afford a holdout. While they’ve added Gabe Jackson, Brown stands as the team’s most accomplished blocker by a mile.
“[Brown] looks like he’s 28-30 out there,” quarterback Russell Wilson said recently. “He’s really exceptional. So smart and physical, understands the game, and I think people fear him, to be honest with you, when they’re rushing him and playing against him. So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown.”
Dion Lewis Retires From NFL
That’s a wrap. Longtime running back Dion Lewis has retired after ten seasons in the NFL (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
Lewis had interest from teams as recently as last week, Schefter hears. But, for one reason or another, the veteran has decided against playing in his age-31 season.
A 2011 Eagles fifth-round pick, Lewis was a late-blooming talent. He made his name with the Patriots in the mid-2010s, a run that saw him lead the team in rushing in 2017. The Titans then signed the diminutive back to a four-year, $20MM deal. Lewis only part of that contract, however — the Titans dropped him in 2020 to clear the way for Derrick Henry‘s return. Lewis posted 4.8 yards per carry in the Patriots’ varied backfield, but averaged 3.5 yards per tote for the Titans.
Lewis bounced back somewhat with the Giants last year, averaging a decent 4.0 yards per carry in a small sample. However, Lewis had little left to prove — he leaves the game with eight-figure earnings and a Super Bowl ring. We here at PFR wish Lewis the best in retirement.
49ers Place Tony Jefferson On IR
Tony Jefferson‘s season is over. On Thursday, the 49ers placed the veteran safety on injured reserve due to groin and hamstring issues. 
Jefferson hasn’t played since 2019, when he tore his ACL. Then, the pandemic slowed his rehab, keeping him off the field throughout 2020. Under normal circumstances, Jefferson would have been mostly healed by April.
“I was really getting into a groove with my workouts and my rehab,” Jefferson said in April. “Now, I’m waiting two or three weeks just to get a medicine ball.”
After spending the early part of his career with the Cardinals, Jefferson inked a four-year, $34MM contract with the Ravens in 2017. He started in all 35 of his games for Baltimore from 2017-2019, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus weren’t fond of his five-game 2019 season. The Ravens released Jefferson in February of 2020, but he wasn’t healthy enough to land a deal until this summer when the Niners added him on a one-year pact.
Jefferson was gearing up to support free safety Jimmie Ward and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. Instead, he’ll have to rest, recover, and maybe even consider life beyond football. His snaps will be absorbed by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who agreed to terms on Wednesday.
To take his place on the roster, the 49ers have signed defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes. The 26-year-old (27 in October) is hoping to see his first live action since 2019, when he appeared in three games for the Texans.