Devonta Freeman, Agent Part Ways
Devonta Freeman is without a team and without an agent. Agent Kristin Campbell has informed the running back that she’s terminating their business relationship, according to NFL.com’s Michael Silver (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Devonta Freeman Won’t Consider Retirement]
Campbell’s decision comes in the midst of Freeman’s protracted free agency stint. Earlier this year, Freeman turned down a one-year, $3MM offer from the Seahawks. We can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that Campbell wanted Freeman to take that deal.
It’s not clear what the longtime Falcons star is looking for. The Seahawks would have presented Freeman an opportunity to reclaim his status as one of the league’s better backs while playing in a talent-laden offense. Freeman’s last deal was set to pay him about $8MM this year; there’s no chance that he’ll hit that number in base pay.
The Buccaneers and Eagles profile as logical landing spots for Freeman, but we haven’t heard much on either front lately. The Bucs are currently set to enter the year with Ronald Jones as their top back with a pair of rookies – Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais – as his primary backups. The Eagles have a young group led by Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, and a veteran like Freeman could help them round out the backfield.
There’s no way he’ll come close to that salary in base pay, but it stands to reason that he could find middle ground with the Bucs. The Bucs have upgraded much of their roster around Tom Brady, but RB remains a problem area. As of this writing, they’re set to roll out the promising yet inconsistent Ronald Jones as their top rusher with support from rookies.
Washington Redskins To Change Name
The Washington Redskins will no longer be the Redskins. On Monday morning, the team announced that they will be taking on a new nickname and a new logo.
“On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name. That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward.
Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the [current] name and logo upon completion of this review. Dan Snyder and Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise that inspires our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.”
The team has not set a timetable for the rebrand, so it’s not immediately clear whether there will be a new name in place for the start of the 2020 season. However, given the mounting pressure against the team – including pressure from FedEx, the team’s stadium sponsor – it seems likely that they will make the change between now and September.
Titans Unsure About Extensions For Jonnu Smith, Others
Historically, the Titans have a point to lock up key players before they can leave via free agency. Taylor Lewan and Kevin Byard both landed extensions well in advance, but the ongoing uncertainty may leave players like tight end Jonnu Smith in limbo, GM Jon Robinson says. 
“I’m a big analogy guy,” Robinson told Paul Kuharsky. “It’s no different than if I was if I was working for Pepsi or Coke, and I knew that we weren’t going to have as many sales. …You wouldn’t go out and buy a new house.
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like. It’s something that we will certainly talk about. You know, we’ve talked to the players and the reps. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now with everything, and I would say certainly with the salary cap too, because we’ve got to be mindful. What you don’t want to do is do something and then you’ve got to undo it or try to unpack it a year, two years from now, given the uncertainty of the salary cap.”
Smith isn’t the only notable player entering his walk year. Linebacker Jayon Brown and nose tackle DaQuan Jones also have one season to go on their respective deals, but they could be left to wait as the Titans try to get a grip on their future finances. The league is facing a potential $4 billion loss in revenue, which would shrink the cap by about 35%. The NFL has pitched the idea of putting a portion of player salaries into escrow to avoid a dramatic drop, but the union is pushing back.
Smith was mostly been as a blocker in his early years, but he flashed his hands last year. The 24-year-old (25 in August) caught 35 passes for 439 yards and three scores, giving the Titans a glimpse of what could come. The former third-round pick is slated to count for just $933K this year and he’s in line for a pay bump in 2021.
Chiefs To Re-Sign Matt Moore
Matt Moore has re-signed with the Chiefs, as Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Financial terms are not yet known, but the quarterback will return on a one-year deal to serve as Patrick Mahomes‘ backup.
[RELATED: Latest On Patrick Mahomes’ Record Extension]
It’s safe to assume that Moore’s deal will come at a fraction of Mahomes’ brand new ten-year extension that could come out to more than $500MM. That’s probably alright by Moore, who captured a Super Bowl ring last year as the Chiefs’ QB2.
Moore was called into action in October, when Mahomes suffered a knee injury against the Broncos. At the time, it seemed like Mahomes’ entire season was in jeopardy. Instead, Mahomes exceeded all expectations for his recovery, leaving Moore with just two starts. Moore came out of those games with a split win/loss record, beating the Vikings 26-23 in Week 9. In total, he suited up six times and completed 59 of 91 throws with four touchdowns against zero interceptions.
The Chiefs initially signed Moore to replace Chad Henne on the depth chart. Henne inked a new deal with KC earlier this year, but the return of Moore could force him out. Jordan Ta’amu and Shea Patterson are also on the offseason roster – ultimately, there will be room for no more than two passers behind Mahomes.
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Broncos’ Justin Simmons To Sign Tender
Broncos safety Justin Simmons has accepted his franchise tender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Simmons will make it all official this weekend, ensuring that he’ll be back in Denver this season.
Simmons previously indicated that he wouldn’t skip Broncos activities and he ultimately kept his word. There was some speculation that agent Todd France would talk him into playing hardball, but that never came to fruition. Now, Simmons is set to play out the season on a one-year, $12.7MM deal.
Bears standout Eddie Jackson stands as the league’s highest-paid safety at $14.6MM per year, and Simmons would like to top that figure. The belief is that Simmons wants a deal that pays him ~$14MM annually, but the Broncos already have his partner Kareem Jackson on a three-year, $33MM deal. There’s clear mutual interest in a longer arrangement, but it’s an expensive proposition.
Simmons, 27 in November, graded out as the 2nd best safety in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The traditional stats also positioned him as a stud – four interceptions, 15 passes defended, and 93 tackles, tied for the second-highest tally on the team.
With Simmons’ contract squared away, there are four stragglers left in the NFL. Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, Buccaneers edge rusher Shaquil Barrett, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue remain unsigned, and at least one of those players seems destined for a holdout (we’re looking at you, Yannick). Teams have until July 15th to hammer out long-term deals with each of those franchise-tagged players. If not, the two sides will have to wait until next year to resume talks.
Latest On NFL’s Plans
With 18 days to go before the projected start of camp, the NFL has made some headway on its plan of attack. Still, there’s much to be determined. The league has yet to finalize the number of exhibition games that will be played or iron out the details of its testing protocols, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the training camp schedule will hinge on the preseason schedule, so that is also up in the air.
The league has decided that fans will not be allowed to attend training camp practices, though teams will be permitted to have up to two fan events at their stadiums during the preseason if they are able to follow strict protocols. In states where fans are allowed to attend, face coverings will be mandatory, even if the local authorities aren’t making them a requirement.
The NFL believes that it has the authority to make most of these decisions unilaterally, but the union isn’t necessarily on board with that. Recently, NFLPA president J.C. Tretter outlined the union’s stance on a number of issues, including the elimination of the preseason. The NFL is pushing for two preseason games; Tretter wants zero. The league was reportedly dismayed by Tretter’s comments and there figures to be some tough negotiations in the coming days between the two sides.
Beyond the preseason/training camp guidelines, there are also some pretty serious money matters to discuss. The league wants to hold 35% of player salaries in escrow and the NFLPA is, predictably, not okay with that proposal.
Eagles Looking Into Cutting DeSean Jackson?
Yesterday, in response to DeSean Jackson‘s anti-Semitic social media post — for which Jackson subsequently apologized — the Eagles issued a statement that said the team “will take appropriate action.” It remains to be seen whether that action includes cutting ties with the veteran wideout, but that certainly seems to be in the cards.
The ESPN.com report we cited in yesterday’s story noted that Jackson had met with team owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman — both Jewish — and that while Lurie expressed deep disappointment in Jackson’s post, no suspension or termination had been discussed. Indeed, Jackson reportedly expressed to Lurie his desire to educate himself and work in the Jewish community.
However, NFL insider Adam Caplan says that team brass has met with Jackson and his agent several times, and that the situation is not going away (Twitter link). Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Philadelphia’s decision as to Jackson’s future with the team could hinge on whether his social media post constitutes a default of his contract. The Eagles have already paid a $2MM option bonus, and $4.8MM of Jackson’s 2020 salary is guaranteed. Schefter says the team could try to void that guarantee.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk obtained a copy of the contract, and he believes it would be difficult for the Eagles to get out of paying Jackson his guaranteed money. They could void the guarantee if Jackson were suspended by the league, but the league has made it clear that this matter will be handled by the team. And if Philadelphia tries to suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team, it would be facing an uphill battle since it did not suspend former receiver Riley Cooper when he was caught on camera using a racial slur in 2013. But Florio also believes a team source has told Schefter that, if the Eagles can release Jackson and absolve themselves of their $4.8MM obligation, they will.
As he awaits word of his fate and tries to repair his image, Jackson took to Twitter to post another apology.
Latest On Eagles’ DeSean Jackson
On Tuesday, DeSean Jackson issued an apology via Instagram for his recent social media post that featured a quote attributed to Adolf Hitler. As detailed by ESPN.com, Jackson has also drawn criticism in the past for sharing controversial material. 
Moments after Jackson’s apology, the Eagles released the following statement:
“We have spoken with DeSean Jackson about his social media posts. Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling. They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization. We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing, but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality, and respect.
We are continuing to evaluate the circumstances and will take appropriate action. We take these matters very seriously and are committed to continuing to have productive and meaningful conversations with DeSean, as well as all of our players and staff, in order to educate, learn and grow.”
The Eagles did not specify what sort of “action” they are considering. If the outcome impacts Jackson’s availability, the Eagles will be left with Alshon Jeffery and rookie Jalen Reagor as their top receivers.
Jackson spent his first six seasons with the Eagles before stops in Washington and Tampa Bay. Last year, the Eagles brought him back via trade and locked him up with a three-year, $27MM deal ($13MM guaranteed). During his first stint in Philly, Jackson made it to three Pro Bowls, including the 2013 season in which he scored nine touchdowns and a career-high 1,332 receiving yards.
So far, the homecoming has not gone according to plan. Jackson underwent core muscle surgery in November, ending his season after just three games. He finished with nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns on the year.
Patriots’ Rex Burkhead Takes Pay Cut
Patriots running back Rex Burkhead has agreed to a pay cut. Instead of $2.5MM in base pay for 2020, Burkhead is now slated for $1.05MM with a $550K signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Burkhead will also see his available roster bonuses dip from $500K to $400K. The move opens up $981K in cap space for the Pats and, ostensibly, solidifies Burkhead’s spot on the roster.
Burkhead joined the Pats on a one-year, $3.15MM free agent contract in 2017. In Year One, Burkhead racked up more than 500 all-purpose yards with eight touchdowns in just ten games. Then, the Pats re-upped him on a three-year deal. All in all, he’s averaged a solid 4.0 yards per carry in New England, though he’s played in just 31 games across three years.
The Patriots are hoping to see a healthy Burkhead in 2020, but they’re not necessarily banking on him either. With James White, Sony Michel, Damien Harris, and Brandon Bolden also on the RB depth chart, they’ll be well-protected.
Heading into Tuesday, the Patriots had less than $500K in available cap room. After tweaking Burkhead’s deal, they’re in slightly better shape.