Lions Exercise Frank Ragnow’s Fifth-Year Option
The Lions have triggered Frank Ragnow‘s fifth-year option for 2022 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Now, the interior lineman is set to collect $12.657MM in 2022.
[RELATED: 2022 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Ragnow has been first-string for the Lions ever since he was taken with the No. 20 overall pick in 2018. At first, the Lions used the Arkansas product at left guard. In 2019, they shifted him to the middle. He’s started in every game since, save for three missed contests due to injury.
So far, ten players from the 2018 draft class have had their options exercised. In years past, fifth-year option decisions were fairly easy for teams — the additional year was always fairly low risk, because it was only guaranteed in the event of an injury. Now, those extra seasons are fully guaranteed and a little pricier, thanks to performance escalators.
Keeping Ragnow for an extra year, however, was still an easy call for the Lions. Quality young lineman are hard to come by and the Lions want to keep their starting center for the long haul.
Broncos Restructure Teddy Bridgewater’s Deal
In order to facilitate his trade to the Broncos, Teddy Bridgewater agreed to restructure his contract (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News). Now, Bridgewater has just one year remaining on his deal, rather than two.
By truncating the three-year, $63MM deal he signed last year, Bridgewater has given the Broncos extra flexibility beyond 2021. Meanwhile, the Broncos also got the Panthers to pick up $7MM of his $10MM guarantee. Between the remaining $3MM and Bridgewater’s forthcoming $1.5MM salary, they’ll be paying him just $4.5MM — a reasonable price for a backup quarterback who may wind up supplanting Drew Lock as the starter. As Klis notes, it’s a fraction of what Andy Dalton got ($10.5MM) from the Bears earlier this year.
Bridgewater struggled in his first year with the Panthers, but he was one of the league’s hottest free agents just ~14 months ago. In 2019, Bridgewater went 5-0 as the Saints’ starter, filling in for Brees while he was sidelined. And, of course, he was one of the NFL’s brightest young stars before his devastating injury in Minnesota.
The Louisville alum started 28 games for the Vikings from 2014-15, averaging 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and ten interceptions per season. Among the 30 QBs who attempted at least 500 passes in those two seasons, Bridgewater ranked 22nd in passer rating, 25th in adjusted net yards per attempt, and 29th in touchdown percentage.
Panthers Trade Teddy Bridgewater To Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater is going to the Broncos. The Panthers have agreed to send the quarterback to Denver in exchange for a sixth-round pick, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. 
As a part of the deal, the Panthers will pay out $7MM of Bridgewater’s salary for the coming year. The Broncos will only take on a fraction of his pay, at $3MM. With the Panthers eating the lion’s share of what’s owed to Bridgewater, the Broncos remain open to quarterbacks in the first-round of Thursday’s draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears.
Bridgwater represents new competition for Drew Lock, who was already facing the possibility of competing with rookie QB selected with the No. 9 pick. Last year, Lock’s QBR put him near the bottom of the league. In turn, the Broncos tried to swing a deal for Matthew Stafford, but the Rams beat him to the punch. The Broncos didn’t see Carson Wentz or Sam Darnold as worthwhile upgrades, but Lock’s seat has stayed hot throughout the offseason.
Broncos GM George Paton had an up close look at Bridgewater during his salad days with the Vikings. Paton was with the team when they selected the Louisville product in the first round of the 2014 draft. That familiarity likely put Bridgewater ahead of Gardner Minshew, Jimmy Garoppolo, and other available passers on their wish list.
Bridgewater has two seasons left on the three-year, $63MM deal he inked with Carolina. The 28-year-old (29 in November) completed 69% of his passes in 2020 with just 15 touchdown throws. While the Panthers chose Darnold’s upside over another year with the veteran, he still profiles as a solid alternative to Lock.
The Panthers now own the No. 191 overall pick, but the real upside comes in the form of financial relief. Now, GM Scott Fitterer has a few more dollars to work with, plus a substantially lighter cap for 2022. Meanwhile, Darnold may have a little more confidence moving forward as he looks to reboot his career in the NFC South.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/21
Today’s minor moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: OT Elijah Nkansah, P Austin Rehkow, OT Casey Tucker
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-Signed: OL Tom Compton
Buccaneers Rework Cameron Brate’s Contract
The Buccaneers have Antonio Brown back in the fold, thanks to a little bit of help from Cameron Brate. On Wednesday, the tight end agreed to revise his existing contract with a portion of his salary being converted to a signing bonus (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). 
[RELATED: Buccaneers Re-Sign Antonio Brown]
The Buccaneers wiped $4.69MM from the books by converting $2.425MM of Brate’s pay to a bonus. Meanwhile, his listed salary has been reduced down to a modest $1.075MM. The remainder of Brate’s contract remains untouched — he still has base salaries of $6.8MM and $7.5MM for 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, those seasons are completely non-guaranteed, so the Buccaneers can release him with zero dead money left over.
Brate, an eighth-year pro, inked a six-year, $41MM deal with the Bucs in March 2018. At the time, he was hot off of two solid seasons with an average of 52 catches for 625 yards and seven touchdowns. Unfortunately, the 2018-19 campaigns were not as kind to him — his average dipped to 33/300/5 in those two years as he struggled through a hip injury.
Now, Brate finds himself playing second fiddle to Rob Gronkowski. In 2020, he put up some of the lowest numbers of his career — 28 receptions for 282 yards and two TDs. However, the 29-year-old (30 in July) saw a more significant role in the playoffs, culminating in Brate’s first ever ring.
Steelers Eyeing Zaven Collins, Najee Harris?
The Steelers are keeping their fingers crossed for linebacker Zaven Collins and running back Najee Harris, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. However, according to many prognosticators, both players are likely to be off the board by the time the Steelers make their pick at No. 24 overall.
[RELATED: “Doubtful” Steelers Will Trade Up From No. 24]
Earlier this week, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert threw cold water on the notion that the Steelers will trade up from their original first-round choice. Of course, things can always change, especially if the Steelers are truly locked in on Harris and Collins.
Harris is widely regarded as the best running back in this year’s draft. Initially buried on the depth chart, the Alabama product emerged as a junior with an average of 5.9 yards per tote. Then, he passed on the draft to turn in an even more impressive 2020 season. Harris helped the Tide capture yet another National Championship while racking up 1,466 yards on the ground with similar efficiency (5.8 ypc). Those totals, coupled with 43 grabs for 425 yards and 30 total touchdowns, positioned Harris as one of the strongest prospects in the ’21 class.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, both Harris and Collins have caught the attention of the Cardinals at No. 16. Collins, a Tulsa product, has been lauded for his versatility. In just eight games last year, Collins managed four sacks, 54 total stops, and 7.5 tackles for loss. With the ability to play as a pass rusher or pure linebacker, he’s been quietly moving up boards in recent weeks. On Thursday, we’ll find out if he’s out of the Steelers’ reach.
Bengals Decline Billy Price’s Option
The Bengals will not exercise Billy Price‘s fifth-year option (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). With that, the 2018 first-round draft pick is now on track to reach free agency after the 2021 season. 
[RELATED: 2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Price, the No. 21 overall pick in the ’18 draft, struggled as a rookie. The Ohio State product played in just ten games due to a lower leg injury and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-worst full-time center. When he healed up in 2019, he lost his spot to veteran Trey Hopkins, a one-time UDFA.
This past season, Price was healthy and able to dress for all 16 games, but he started just once. The Bengals’ decision was no surprise — keeping Price for 2022 would have cost the Bengals $10.41MM. And, thanks to the latest collective bargaining agreement, that sum would have been fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only.
NFL teams have until May 3 to pick up their options on 2018 first-rounders. In addition to full guarantees, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a new formula which accounts for the player’s position, initial draft placement, accolades, and playing time.
Buccaneers Re-Sign Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown is back with the Bucs. On Wednesday morning, the wide receiver agreed to a brand new one-year deal worth up to $6.25MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo). 
The deal includes $3.1MM fully guaranteed with $2MM coming in the form of a signing bonus. The remaining half of the $6.25MM can be achieved through incentives, though it’s not clear what those benchmarks are or how achievable they will be. Regardless, it’s a solid outcome for Brown, who had no known suitors outside of the incumbent Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers signed Brown in late October, though they had to wait until Week 9 for his suspension to end. That original deal paid just $1MM in base salary and bonuses, with the potential to reach as much as $2.5MM. But, because the Bucs won the Super Bowl, AB earned an additional $750K bonus, plus more for his catch total.
In eight games, Brown recorded 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. Extrapolated for a full 16-game season, he would have been on pace for 90 catches, 966 yards, and eight touchdowns. It’s worth noting that 20 of his 45 catches came in the final three weeks of the regular season, a sign that there could be many more highlights in store for AB and TB.
The Buccaneers managed to keep most of the band together after the Super Bowl, but Brown was a conspicuous straggler. Now, he’s back in the fold to join Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski for a repeat run.
Packers GM: Aaron Rodgers Is “Our Guy”
Aaron Rodgers‘ immediate future is not in jeopardy, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Despite the lingering contract talks and all the speculation, Gutekunst insists that everything will work out between the quarterback and the front office. 
“Aaron’s our guy; he’s going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future,” Gutekunst said. “We’re excited about the kind of the things we’re going to try to accomplish here over the next couple years. So we certainly think with the contract that you’re kind of talking about is something we’ll work through. We’re going to have to do probably a few things with different contracts as we head toward the season and then through the season to make sure that our salary cap situation, not only this year, but in 2022 is square. So we’re not done yet. We’ve done a lot to get here. We’ve kind of been doing things as we go and we will continue to do that as we go.”
The two sides are still “working through” Rodgers’ contract, which has no remaining guarantees. As it stands, the Packers could part ways with Rodgers next year and save ~$25 million against the 2022 cap. That doesn’t sit well with Rodgers, who knows that the Packers project to be top-heavy beyond 2021.
Rodgers, 37, captured his third MVP trophy last year while rookie Jordan Love watched from the sidelines. Thanks to Rodgers and his NFL-leading 48 touchdown passes, the Packers reached the NFC championship game and fell just short of beating the Buccaneers.
Jerry Jones: Cowboys Won’t Trade Up For Kyle Pitts
It’s been said that Jerry Jones can’t take his eyes off of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Although he may be high on the exceptional athlete, the Cowboys owner says that he’s not about to pay a king’s ransom for him.
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Sean Lee Retires From NFL]
“We’re not going to spend inordinate value [to trade up for Pitts,]” Jones said (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News).
This is consistent with what we’ve been hearing in recent days — the Cowboys love Pitts’ blend of size, speed, and agility, but they aren’t about to mortgage the rest of their draft ammo for him. Moving up from No. 10 would be mighty costly, especially after the 49ers gave up a 2022 third-rounder and two future first rounders to go from No. 12 to No. 3.
Other teams could be tempted to move up for Pitts, who tallied 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games last year — good for an average of 17.9 yards per catch. But, any team that wants to guarantee Pitts’ availability would have to pry the No. 4 pick away from the Falcons.