This Date In Transactions History: Lions Extend Theo Riddick
On this date in 2016, the Lions finalized a three-year, $12.75MM deal with running back Theo Riddick. At the time, the deal positioned Riddick as one of the higher-paid tailbacks in the NFL. Today, the deal serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change in football. 
[RELATED: Lions Sign Adrian Peterson]
Riddick, who had just turned 25, was coming off of a breakout year. He hauled in 80 passes – the most of any running back in 2015 – for 697 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions didn’t want to let the dual-threat RB get anywhere near free agency, so they locked him up through 2019. With Riddick and the speedy Ameer Abdullah in the fold, the Lions figured that they were well-set in the backfield.
Riddick kicked off his new deal with 728 all-purpose yards in ten games and set a new career-high with 3.9 yards per tote. And, naturally, he showed his soft hands with 53 grabs. Then, a wrist injury halted his season in November. Riddick returned in 2017, and stayed healthy, but the Lions’ ground game was lacking. In 2018, rookie Kerryon Johnson emerged as a total game-changer, and that changed the course of Riddick’s career. After Riddick logged just 40 carries, the Lions no longer felt that he was worth his contract. In July of 2019, they dropped the 27-year-old to save less than $4MM against the salary cap.
Today, Riddick finds himself on the fringe. After missing the Raiders’ final cut, he’s waiting for his next opportunity on Jon Gruden‘s practice squad.
Clay Matthews Turns Down Broncos Offer
The Broncos inquired on veteran edge rusher Clay Matthews after losing Von Miller to injury, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). According to a league source, the Broncos were informed that Matthews is “not going to play.” However, that’s not quite the case. Agent Ryan Williams says he was “unable to come to an agreement with Denver,” but his client “remains open to playing in the NFL in 2020, provided it’s the right opportunity for him and his family” (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
[RELATED: Return Possible For Broncos’ Von Miller?]
Matthews, 34, racked up eight sacks in 13 games (all starts) last year, despite missing some time with a broken jaw. In the interest of equal time, the sacks may not tell the whole story – Matthews had just eleven QB hits in 2019, similar to his 12 QB hits in 2018 with the Packers, when he finished out with just 3.5 sacks.
Regardless, Matthews would have been a strong last-minute pickup to bolster the Broncos’ edge rush. They’ll be without Miller for three months at minimum, or the entire season at maximum. They might also have to get by without former first-round pick Bradley Chubb for a bit as he works his way back from last year’s ACL tear.
Matthews has 91.5 career sacks, putting him at the doorstep of the century mark. If he returns and hits 100 sacks, he’d be the 35th player in league history to join the club.
Pay Raise For Eagles’ Jason Peters
Jason Peters got what he wanted. On Thursday, the Eagles agreed to revise the veteran’s deal to pay him up to $8MM with $4MM guaranteed, according to agent Vince Taylor (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 
[RELATED: Eagles Sign Josh McCown To Practice Squad]
The Eagles brought Peters back this summer to fill-in for injured guard Brandon Brooks. The lifelong tackle agreed to do so at a lesser rate – $3MM in base pay, plus $3M in incentives tied to playing time. The package included some easily achievable bonuses ($400K for 75% playing time), plus some trickier ones ($350K for 75% PT + Super Bowl victory; $1MM for 90% PT + First-Team All-Pro selection).
Then, the injury bug bit Andre Dillard. Peters asked for a pay bump to move back to his native position and the Eagles obliged. The extra expense is well worth it for the Birds. While the 38-year-old has lost a step, he still turned in a solid 2019 – Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s sixth-best tackle among 81 qualifiers in 2019. Considering the going rate for tackles – and the dearth of talent at this stage of the offseason – it was a no-brainer. Even if Peters maxes out his full incentives package, he’s still a tremendous bargain at ~$8MM for the year.
Jets Sign Alec Ogletree To Practice Squad
The Jets have signed former Giants linebacker Alec Ogletree to the practice squad, per a club announcement. He’ll be joined by wide receiver Jaleel Scott, a former fourth-round pick of the Ravens.
[RELATED: Le’Veon Bell Addresses Rumored Issues With Adam Gase]
The Giants dropped Ogletree in February to save roughly $8MM against the cap. Just a couple of years ago, GM Dave Gettleman acquired him and the remainder of his four-year, $42MM extension from the Rams. The traditional stats have portrayed Ogletree as a consistently productive player – he has several 100+ tackle seasons to his credit, plus 12 interceptions and four pick-sixes for his career. The advanced metrics haven’t lined up, however, and Ogletree didn’t produce for the G-Men. Instead, they shed his salary and replaced him with newcomer Blake Martinez.
Now with the other tenants of the Meadowlands, Ogletree will be at the ready as an emergency call-up. The Jets project to start the year with Neville Hewitt and Avery Williamson as their starting inside linebackers with support from Harvey Langi and Blake Cashman.
Vikings Place Danielle Hunter On IR
The Vikings have placed defensive end Danielle Hunter on injured reserve, per a club announcement. To take his place on the roster, they’ve promoted kicker Chase McLaughlin from the practice squad. 
Thanks to the league’s modified IR rules for 2020, Hunter will only be required to sit out for three weeks before returning. It’s not clear if he’ll be ready to go by mid-October, however. All we know for now is that he’ll be out for Sunday’s opener against the Packers, plus the next two games against the Colts and Titans.
Hunter has been limited and out of practice with a rumored neck injury since August 16th. Fortunately, new addition Yannick Ngakoue is there to help keep the pressure on. He’ll be paired with Ifeadi Odenigbo, who will fill-in as the other starting bookend in Hunter’s absence.
The Vikings have four more years of club-friendly control over Hunter, thanks to the five-year, $72MM deal extension he inked in 2018. Now entering his age-26 season, Hunter has 54.5 career sacks to his credit.
Cowboys Rework Zack Martin’s Deal
The Cowboys carved out additional cap space with some help from Zack Martin. Martin has agreed to push some dollars into future seasons, giving the Cowboys an extra $8MM to spend in 2020 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
[RELATED: Cowboys To Extend Randy Gregory]
Martin has spent his entire career with the Cowboys and has earned Pro Bowl nods in each one of his six seasons. Last year, he also notched a First-Team All-Pro selection, giving him four in total. He’s started in every game he’s played while only missing a pair of contests.
The Cowboys rewarded their star guard with a six-year, $84MM deal ($40MM guaranteed) in 2018 to make him the league’s highest-paid player at his position. Today, his $14MM average annual value slots him third, behind new leader Brandon Scherff ($15.03MM/year) and Brandon Brooks ($14.05MM).
Always a team player, Martin has made it possible for the Cowboys to make some upgrades this fall and/or take care of teammates. Now armed with upwards of $20MM in available dollars, the Cowboys may look to extend a few select players, as they recently did with edge rusher Randy Gregory.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad updates here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Michael Dogbe
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Deone Bucannon
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Jordan Devey, DE Chris Slayton
- Released: RB Antonio Williams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Keandre Jones, G Keaton Sutherland
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Greg Senat
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Elijah McGuire, T Eric Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Kerrith Whyte
- Released: WR Victor Bolden
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Robert Foster, LB De’Jon Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Jaryd Jones-Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Corey Levin
- Released: FB Paul Quessenberry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Marcus Willoughby
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush, WR John Ursua
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Cameron Batson, LB Malik Jefferson
Steelers’ Ryan Shazier Retires From NFL
On Wednesday, Ryan Shazier officially announced his retirement from football. This was the expected move after the Steelers placed the beloved linebacker on the reserve/retired list in March.
[RELATED: Steelers, Cam Heyward Agree To $71MM+ Extension]
Shazier was a Pro Bowl linebacker before a devastating spinal injury in 2017. Initially feared that he wouldn’t be able to walk again, Shazier battled his way back to being able to run and train, and has been an incredible source of inspiration along the way. The Ohio State product ultimately wasn’t able to return to the field, but he won’t be far from the game. The Steelers will continue to have Shazier involved as a mentor and likely as a full-fledged assistant, once the pandemic is in the past.
Shazier earned a Pro Bowl selection in his final NFL season, despite playing in only 12 games. Prior to that, he logged 55 tackles in each of the previous two seasons. Although he did not get to realize his full on-field potential, he’ll continue to serve as an inspiration for players and fans everywhere.
“When I was five years old, I made the greatest discovery of my life,” Shazier said (via Twitter). “I discovered the game that I love – the game of football. Ever since then, I’ve given my life to the game. I love everything about it…It made me money and gave me a life most people could only dream about. I’m here today to make sure the world knows how much I still love football, how grateful I am for everything football gave me. And I’m here to let the world know that today I am officially retiring from the game I love so much.”
Aqib Talib Retires From NFL
Longtime NFL cornerback Aqib Talib is calling it a career. Talib announced his retirement on his talk show, where he’ll be turning his full attention. 
“Aqib Talib is officially retired, and I’m bringing my talents to the booth,” Talib said (Twitter link). “Football gave me so much in life. Once that negative thought crossed my mind, I was like, my heart, my competitive edge … like, I ain’t really in it like that no more… I just wasn’t feeling it no more, honestly.”
Talib, 34, appeared in five games with the Rams last year before suffering a rib injury. Then, just before the October trade deadline, he was shipped to the Dolphins. The deal was effectively a salary dump for Denver – Talib never suited up in Miami, and the Dolphins got a fifth-round pick out of the swap.
Still, there were opportunities for the hard-nosed veteran. Talib claims the Patriots offered him a one-year deal worth up to $6MM to help cover tight ends in specific packages. Ultimately, Talib turned it down, because the fire wasn’t there.
Talib entered the league as a first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2008 and starred for them up until 2012, when he was shipped to the Patriots in a midseason trade. Talib captured his first Pro Bowl nod with the Pats in 2013 and later won a championship ring with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. He leaves the game with 462 career tackles, 125 pass breakups and 35 interceptions across 148 games.
Rams Sign Jalen Ramsey To Extension
The Rams have locked down their shutdown corner. On Wednesday, the Rams announced a brand new five-year deal for Jalen Ramsey. It’s a five-year add-on worth $105MM, making Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The pact, which averages out to $21MM per year, also comes with $71.2MM guaranteed at signing, another new record for the position. The deal comes after months of talks between the two sides, though recent word was that the talks were not moving in the right direction. Ultimately, the Rams were motivated to find middle ground, especially since they sent a wealth of draft capital to the Jaguars to acquire him.
The Rams shipped two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars for Ramsey last October. Between his three games with the Jaguars and nine games with the Rams, Ramsey recorded just 50 tackles and one interception. He didn’t play up to his usual standards in L.A., but the belief is that he’ll play up to his whopping new deal.
Ramsey’s contract vaults him ahead of Tre’Davious White, who grabbed the mantle of highest-paid corner just days ago with $17.5MM/year. He also passed Byron Jones on a rocket ship for the most guaranteed cash paid to a cornerback. Jones, who inked his own sizable deal with the Dolphins earlier this year, secured roughly $57MM in guarantees.
Ramsey told the club that he wouldn’t hold out in 2020 if he didn’t have a new deal in place, but there were no promised made regarding a potential franchise tag in 2021. Without that safety net in place, the Rams did not want to roll the dice.