NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle
If you haven’t been tracking Jaylen Waddle for the last three years, you could be forgiven. Early on in his career, Waddle was largely overshadowed by the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III – two eventual first-round picks. After they left Tuscaloosa, Waddle was primed to assert himself as Bama’s top wide receiver in 2020. 
[RELATED: A Closer Look At LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase]
In his first six games, Waddle went off for 28 catches and 591 yards — good for 21.2 yards per catch on average — plus four touchdowns. He also kept up his strong work in the return game, giving evaluators even more opportunities to gawk at his speed on film. Unfortunately, his final return of the regular season came against Tennessee, couching his season up until the National Championship game against Ohio State.
Despite the ill-timed injury, Waddle remains one of this year’s most highly-coveted prospects. His injured ankle even kept him from running the 40-yard-dash for scouts this year — that hasn’t slowed him down either. Waddle was clocked at 4.37 seconds before he even stepped foot on campus. And, depending on who you ask, he could even be a shade faster than Ruggs on the field. Ruggs, for reference, clocked a 4.27-second 40-time last year.
With explosiveness and sustained speed down the field, it would almost be too easy to compare Waddle to Chiefs star Tyreek Hill. Almost. Both players have the ability to wreck one-on-one coverage with their speed and, like Hill, Waddle can accelerate, stop on a dime, and throttle his way past the coverage. Former teammate Najee Harris – viewed by many as the best running back in the 2021 class — also sees the similarities.
“He’s small but he’s dynamic. He’s explosive. Really really explosive,” Harris told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “The closest thing to Tyreek Hill. You gotta see him in person. How he plays how he gets in and out of cuts. How he stops and goes 60 [mph] right away.”
The knocks on Waddle are few and far in-between. Many of them were out of his control. Waddle never put together a full season like LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase did in 2019 (1,780 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns, both SEC records), but he was buried behind an All-Star cast in 2018 and 2019. Then, 2020’s ankle injury effectively ended his year. His hands aren’t quite as reliable as Chase’s either. Still, Waddle has already crossed a lot of the “cons” off of his list – concerned chatter about his catching ability and upper body strength have turned into mere whispers. Blessed with serious wheels, route running, and tons of tools to make opponents miss, Waddle has cemented himself as this year’s WR2 or WR3, depending on how you rate him vs. ‘Bama teammate DeVonta Smith.
Chase ran away with the WR1 crown at his pro day when he posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, a number that even surprised the LSU star (“I was going for a low 4.4,” Chase said.) If Chase’s absolute ceiling is No. 4 overall after three QBs come off the board, then Waddle’s should top out at the Bengals’ No. 5 pick. After that, it’s the Dolphins at No. 6 and the Lions at No. 7, two clubs that want/need a game-changing WR like Waddle. Even with lots of variables in play, it’s hard to imagine Waddle waiting past the top ten.
PFR’s NFL Glossary: Offset Language
Ever since the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, rookie contracts have been fairly regimented. Now, negotiations between teams and draft picks go pretty smoothly, with few – if any – unsigned rookies by the time training camp starts. 
These days, if there is haggling, it’s usually due to offset language. Offset language relates to what happens to a player’s salary if he’s cut during the first four years of his career, while he’s still playing on his rookie deal. For the top 15 to 20 picks in the draft, those four-year salaries are fully guaranteed, even if a player is waived at some point during those four seasons. For example, if a player has $4MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is cut, he’ll still be owed that $4MM.
However, if a team has written offset language into the contract, that club can save some money if and when the player signs with a new team. For example, if that player who had $4MM in guaranteed money left on his contract signs with a new club on a $1MM deal, his old team would only be on the hook for $3MM, with the new team making up the difference. If there’s no offset language on that first deal, the old team would continue to be on the hook for the full $4MM, and the player would simply earn an additional $1MM from his new club.
In 2015, Marcus Mariota‘s camp went back-and-forth with the Titans until the two sides finally agreed to partial offset language in late July. In 2016, Joey Bosa’s holdout dominated headlines until the linebacker inked his deal on August 29th. In most cases, a lack of offsets for a player simply depends on which team drafted him — clubs like the Rams and Jaguars traditionally haven’t pushed to include offsets in contracts for their top picks, even in an era where most other teams around the league do.
Last year, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown were the first Round 1 picks to sign and they agreed to offset language. It’s impossible to gauge how this year’s top stars will approach those talks, but offsets rarely come into play for elite prospects – few top picks flame out badly enough to get cut inside of four years. And even in those rare instances, if a player has performed poorly enough to be cut in his first few years, he likely won’t land a big-money deal elsewhere, so offset language wouldn’t help his old club recover more than the league minimum.
Broncos Re-Sign Nate Hairston
It’s officially official. The Broncos have re-signed defensive back Nate Hairston, according to the league’s transactions wire. 
Hairston, 26, was released by the Broncos on Thursday, but he wasn’t gone for long. The Broncos released him only as a procedural move — likely in order rework his contract.
Hairston, a 2017 fifth-round pick out of Temple, appeared in 27 games with the Colts through his first two seasons in the NFL, compiling 65 tackles, two sacks, and an interception. He was traded to the Jets for a conditional sixth-rounder in 2019 He wound up starting six of his eleven appearances for Gang Green that season.
The 26-year-old saw two games with the Jets last year before being dropped in October. He went to spend time with the Ravens’ practice squad before coming to Denver towards the end of the season. Hairston suited up for the Broncos’ final three games, primarily on special teams. Now, he’ll battle for his spot in camp behind newcomers Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller. Of course, the cornerback group could also get more crowded between now and the fall — especially if the Broncos tap Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Caleb Farley with the No. 9 overall pick.
NFL Distributes Performance-Based Payouts
Since 2002, the NFL’s performance-based pay system has rewarded low-salary players who exceed their expected playing time. This year, due to the pandemic, the league and the players’ union negotiated a gradual payout schedule, one that will meter out the money between now and 2024.
All in all, the league divested $8.5MM per club. This year’s top earner is Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa, a 2018 third-round pick who played every single snap for the eventual champs. Cappa will now receive an extra $622K on top of his $750K base salary for 2021. Per the union’s records, 25 other players also topped $500K, including Cardinals tackle Kelvin Beachum ($604K), Bills cornerback Taron Johnson ($579K), Rams guard Austin Corbett ($573K), Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye ($572K), Bears tackle Germain Ifedi ($571K), Steelers offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor ($568K), Vikings offensive lineman Dakota Dozier ($561K), Ravens safety DeShon Elliott ($557K) and Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead ($555K).
The full list, going team-by-team, can be found here, courtesy of the NFLPA.
49ers To Re-Sign Ronald Blair
The 49ers are set to re-sign defensive lineman Ronald Blair, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. The deal – pending the outcome of his physical — will give Blair a chance to return after botched ACL surgery. 
Blair ruptured his ACL midway through the 2019 season, which should have given him enough time to return for 2020. Unfortunately, something went wrong while Blair was on the operating table, leaving him sidelined for the entire year.
Before all of that, the former 2016 fifth-round pick enjoyed a spot in the Niners’ defensive rotation, compiling 13.5 sacks across four seasons. This year, he could be in line for an even larger role, depending on how newcomer Samson Ebukam is used. The Niners deployed Ebukam as an outside linebacker, but could see more time up front in 2021.
Trey Lance Set For Second Pro Day
Trey Lance’s second pro day has been officially scheduled. The North Dakota State product will show his stuff on April 19th, as ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen tweets. 
[RELATED: Fields Set For Pro Day No. 2]
Lance will re-take the field ten days before the draft and five days after Ohio State’s Justin Fields holds his second session on Wednesday, April 14. 49ers GM John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan did not attend Lance’s first session, so the hope is that they’ll show up for pro day part two. The Niners haven’t necessarily ruled out Lance. That showcase came before SF traded for the No. 3 overall pick, so Lynch and Shanahan kept their distance in order to keep their plans under wraps.
Depending on who you ask, Lance may be trailing Alabama’s Mac Jones in the bid to be drafted third overall. Still, Lance offers tons of potential, as demonstrated in his 2019 season. That year, Lance went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.
Bears Re-Sign CB Michael Joseph
The Bears have re-signed defensive back Michael Joseph to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Joseph went undrafted in 2018 out of Division III Dubuque but found a home with the Bears. After spending most of his early career on the practice squad, he was promoted to the 53-man roster towards the end of 2019. Last year, things were put on pause — Joseph was placed on IR in late August, then parked on the reserve/COVID-19 list in October.
It’s been an unusual journey for Joseph, who has been under the radar since his high school days. In fact, he didn’t even start for his high school football team.
“Junior year, I didn’t play at all and senior year, if the team was up big I’d get in, but the last seven games I don’t think I played,” said Joseph, who was 5’2″ as a frosh (via the Chicago Tribune). “It was definitely frustrating. I kept it to myself, but football was my No. 1 thing. I wanted to play big-time football.”
This year, he’ll fight for a steady role in the CB group — one that will likely see the arrival of an early-draft talent.
Seahawks Re-Sign Damarious Randall
Damarious Randall is staying put. Meanwhile, he’ll also be changing positions. On Friday, the Seahawks announced that they have re-signed the veteran for the 2021 season. They also disclosed that he’ll be utilized as a cornerback, rather than safety. 
[RELATED: Richard Sherman Open To Seahawks Return]
Randall has moved around the secondary throughout his career. A safety at Arizona State, the Packers played Randall at cornerback. Then, after three years, he was traded to the Browns, where he was moved over to safety. That’s where the Seahawks kept him last year — Randall saw time in ten games off the bench last year. He was mostly used on special teams but, when he was on D, he was deployed as a free safety.
Randall, a 2015 first-round pick started 30 of his 39 games for the Packers. All in all, he notched ten interceptions, 32 passes defensed, and 144 tackles for his original club. Then, he started 26 games across two years for the Browns. Those combined Cleveland years saw four interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 15 passes defensed, and 146 tackles.
It’s a logical move by the Seahawks, who have lost Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar to free agency. Now, Randall will be penciled in as a CB along with D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, and one-time rival Ahkello Witherspoon. The Seahawks could still shop for corners in the draft and free agency, but Randall’s shift may rule out a reunion with old pal Richard Sherman.
Falcons HC, GM Aligned On No. 4 Pick?
It’s no longer a house divided. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith are now “aligned” on what to do with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 
Earlier this week, we heard that Fontenot was pushing for a quarterback. Meanwhile, Smith wanted to stay the course with Matt Ryan. Ryan is on the verge of his 36th birthday, but he’s been durable and fairly steady.
Of course, we don’t know where the Falcons ultimately landed, and we probably won’t know for sure until the draft kicks off on April 29th in Cleveland. The Falcons are in an enviable position — the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers are all expected to tap quarterbacks with the first three picks, which would allow them to take the best non-quarterback in this year’s class. They could also trade down and parlay that pick into a wealth of ammo for 2022 and beyond.
If they resist the urge to take a QB, the Falcons could select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Or, if they stand pat to grab Matt Ryan’s successor, they could come away with Trey Lance — the North Dakota State product who could have more upside than Zach Wilson and Mac Jones (basically, a higher ceiling than any passer not named Trevor Lawrence).
Latest On Texans’ Deshaun Watson
This week, Deshaun Watson‘s lawyer requested that one of his anonymous plaintiffs be identified. On Friday, the attorney representing Watson’s accusers said that nine of his 12 clients are willing to put their names on their lawsuits (Twitter link via Aaron Reiss of The Athletic). 
To date, only two women has been willing to go public with her identity. Now, the majority of Tony Buzbee’s clients are willing to go on the record. That could prove to be a huge barrier for the quarterback’s defense.
In total, 22 women have accused the Texans quarterback of sexual assault or misconduct. Ashley Solis — the first woman to publicly identify herself — recently spoke with Houston police, potentially taking Watson from civil suits to criminal charges. Solis says Watson touched her with his genitals during a massage session — other accusers have made similar claims in recent weeks.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, says Solis sought a $100K settlement before she filed suit. Hardin also disclosed emails discussing the settlement, though such pre-litigation communications are fairly standard in civil matters.
Meanwhile, the Texans are closely monitoring the situation, along with the league office.
In a letter to season-ticket holders Monday, the Texans addressed the Watson developments.
“We want to assure you that we take these allegations very seriously,” the McNair family said in a statement. “While we await the conclusion of these investigations, we express our strong stance against any form of sexual assault. Our family and the entire Houston Texans organization are deeply troubled by any form of abuse and we condemn this type of behavior.”