Buccaneers Open To Antonio Brown?
In March, we heard that new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wants to reunite with Antonio Brown. Meanwhile, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said that a Brown signing is “not going to happen.” Here in June, the Bucs are starting to open up to the idea of adding AB, according to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (Twitter link via Barstool Sports’ Pat McAfee). 
[RELATED: Bucs’ Shaq Barrett Will Sign By July 15]
From a football perspective, it would be a huge win for the Buccaneers. With Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin at wide receiver, they’d be impossible to guard for opposing defenses.
“Yeah, it’s not going to happen,” Arians said earlier this year. “It’s just not going to happen. There’s no room and probably not enough money. But it’s just not going to happen. It’s not a fit here.”
When pressed on whether he’d consider Brown on a minimum salary deal, Arians again demurred.
“No. I just know him and it’s not a fit in our locker room.”
Brown’s status with the league office remains under review, so it’s not a given that he’ll be cleared to play in 2020. Beyond that, there’s the matter of Brown’s fit in the locker room, as Arians noted. Even before all of the ugly accusations and disturbing social media videos, Brown clashed with coaches and teammates in Pittsburgh and Oakland.
Brady, meanwhile, is likely rooting for a change of heart in the front office.
Patriots Were Cam Newton’s Only Offer
The Patriots represented Cam Newton‘s one and only contract offer, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Browns also showed recent interest, Schefter hears, but they did not put a deal on the table. 
[RELATED: Reactions To Cam Newton Signing With Patriots]
Several clubs were connected to Newton, but his free agency dragged on far longer than anyone expected. Now, we know why. Previously, we heard that the Chargers considered him, and Newton’s former head coach Ron Rivera at least thought about bringing him to the Redskins. Still, neither club presented a deal to Newton and his talks with the Browns “never really went anywhere,” per Schefter.
All along, Newton has been seeking an opportunity to start – ideally, with a contender. He found the perfect match in the Patriots, who were previously set to weigh the likes of Brian Hoyer and youngster Jarrett Stidham. With the Browns, Newton would have been entrenched as the QB2 behind Baker Mayfield, and that probably didn’t hold much appeal for him anyway.
With that lack of interest, the Patriots were able to land Newton for an absolute bargain. He can earn up to $7.5MM in 2020 through incentives, but his base salary is much, much lower.
Jaguars Sign DaVon Hamilton
The Jaguars have signed rookie DaVon Hamilton, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The third-round defensive tackle is the fourth Jags draft pick to put pen to paper, leaving them with eight deals to go. Per the terms of his slot at No. 73 overall, Hamilton is set to earn $4.82MM across four years.
Hamilton put himself on the NFL map with a strong finish at Ohio State. In 2019, he went from part-timer to first-stringer and registered 28 stops, including six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. At 320 pounds, he’s already got the pro build and he possesses uncommon speed for a player at his size. The Jaguars are excited to see what he can do in the long run but, for now, he projects to play behind Abry Jones and Taven Bryan.
Here’s the full rundown of the Jags’ class, via PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft tracker:
1-9: C.J. Henderson, CB (Florida)
1-20: K’Lavon Chaisson, DE (LSU)
2-42: Laviska Shenault, WR (Colorado)
3-73: Davon Hamilton, DT (Ohio State): Signed
4-116: Ben Bartch, OT (St. John’s (MN))
4-137: Josiah Scott, CB (Michigan State)
4-140: Shaquille Quarterman, ILB (Miami): Signed
5-157: Daniel Thomas, S (Auburn)
5-165: Collin Johnson, WR (Texas): Signed
6-189: Jake Luton, QB (Oregon State)
6-206: Tyler Davis, TE (Georgia Tech): Signed
7-223: Chris Claybrooks, CB (Memphis)
Bucs’ Shaquil Barrett Will Sign By July 15
Shaquil Barrett wants a long-term deal, but, if that doesn’t materialize, he won’t drag things out. The Buccaneers edge rusher says he’ll sign his one-year tender if the two sides can’t agree to an extension before the July 15th deadline. 
[RELATED: Bucs’ Barrett Talks Franchise Tag]
Last week, Barrett said he was about “50-50” on signing the one-year franchise tender and indicated that he would have an update on that front by Friday. Friday has come and gone, but Barrett now appears to be saying that he won’t hold out from the Bucs. Of course, signing the one-year tender today would not preclude the two sides from working out an extension before 7/15, so the delay is a bit of a head-scratcher given his comments. When asked about that, Barrett said the two sides are “still trying to work something out.”
That “something” could be a compromise on Barrett’s 2020 salary. It’s believed that Barrett was tagged as a linebacker, rather than a defensive end, so the one-year placeholder would pay him $15.8MM. Defensive ends, meanwhile, are marked at $17.8MM for the franchise tag this year. In the past, we’ve seen teams meet their edge rushers in the middle – a one-year, $16.8MM arrangement could be satisfactory for both sides if a longer deal doesn’t come together.
Last year, Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks and registered 37 quarterback hits in total. No matter what happens in the coming days, Barrett says he’ll be aiming for a repeat in Tampa Bay. He’ll “most definitely” stay put in 2020, so Bucs fans can rest easy on that front.
Jadeveon Clowney Eyeing Cowboys, Saints?
Jadeveon Clowney would be equally happy to join a contender on a one-year deal or a middling club on a multi-year deal, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears. Specifically, he’d like to land with one of two contenders – the Cowboys or the Saints. 
[RELATED: Clowney’s Best Multi-Year Offer Came From Browns]
It’s not clear whether the Saints or Cowboys have reciprocated that interest. The three-time Pro Bowler would represent a classic Jerry Jones splash, but they already have $20MM/year committed to DeMarcus Lawrence. The Saints are also short on cap space, and they don’t necessarily need Clowney. With Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Trey Hendrickson on the edge, there’s little reason for the Saints to shell out the kind of money that Clowney is seeking.
The Browns put a multi-year offer on the table for Clowney, one that is believed to be in the range of $12MM/year. The Browns are reportedly willing to move their offer up to somewhere around $15MM/year, but that’s still a step back from the ~$17MM Clowney was looking for in March. Reading between the lines, it sounds like a winning club could have Clowney on a one-year deal worth roughly $15MM, but that’s likely too rich for his two preferred teams.
Last year, Clowney registered just three sacks with the Seahawks. That was the lowest healthy-season total of his pro career.
This Date In Transactions History: Colts’ Andrew Luck Becomes NFL’s Highest-Paid Player
Four years ago today, the Colts made Andrew Luck the highest-paid player in NFL history. The deal was supposed to tie Luck to Indy through the 2021 season, but it didn’t pan out that way. 
[RELATED: Colts Sign Michael Pittman Jr.]
Luck agreed to a five-year extension worth $122MM, with $87MM in overall guarantees and $47MM fully guaranteed at signing. Without the deal, Luck would have been eligible for free agency following the ’16 season. From there, the Colts could have retained Luck for an additional two seasons via the franchise tag at estimated values of $25MM and $35MM, but it would have put them in a difficult position down the road. Instead, both sides used Luck’s expected franchise tags amounts as a framework for talks and hammered out a deal.
With the contract, Luck leapfrogged Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers in average annual value. The deal made sense, but it did not come without risk. Luck was coming off of an injury-riddled, seven-game season in which he completed just 55.3% of his passes and logged 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Luck’s shoulder was largely a non-issue in 2016 as he threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns with a career-high 63.5 completion percentage. After the season, he went under the knife to fix his shoulder, and that’s where things started to get messy. First, Luck was held out of training camp and 2017 preseason. Then, he was ruled out for week after week in the regular season. Finally, in November, the Colts were forced to place Luck on season-ending IR.
Luck had to claw his way back into things – when he was finally able to throw a regulation-sized football, it was a noteworthy event. In 2018, things seemed to be trending up. The former No. 1 overall pick led the Colts to a 9-1 record to close the season, allowing them to squeak into the playoffs. The Colts even downed the Texans in the first round, before falling to the Chiefs. With a seemingly healthy Luck and lots of young talent, the Colts were moving in the right direction.
Then, just before the start of the 2019 season, Luck shocked the world. At the age of 29, Luck retired from football, largely due to the mental grind of the sport. With that, Luck’s five-year extension turned into a two-year add-on. The Colts, meanwhile, turned to Jacoby Brissett as their new starter, with little time to get him comfortable in his new role.
The Colts did not seek repayment on the deal – they could have recovered $12.8MM of the $32MM signing bonus he was entitled to under his current contract, plus two $6MM roster bonuses, totaling ~$25MM.
Luck is done with football, but speculation about his potential return persists. Earlier this year, before the Colts landed Philip Rivers, GM Chris Ballard did his best to quell the talk:
“Andrew’s retired,” Ballard said. “Do I talk to Andrew? Yes, I do. Haven’t talked to him in a few weeks, I’m sure he’s been busy being a father. But Andrew’s retired, and I think we all need to accept that. That’s where he’s at. He’s retired.”
Reactions To Cam Newton Signing With Patriots
On Sunday, the Patriots found themselves a new quarterback. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is coming to town, and he came to the Patriots on what appears to be a bargain deal. Newton’s contract can pay up to $7.5MM, but the pact comes with a low base salary and little in the way of locked-in money.
Technically speaking, Newton is one of five quarterbacks on the Patriots’ roster. However, he’s got the most impressive resume by a longshot, and he figures to be a monumental upgrade over Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, if he’s healthy.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Patriots’ newest QB:
- Ultimately, Newton and the Patriots were the perfect match, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com writes. The Pats were left thread-bare at quarterback after Tom Brady‘s departure and they represented Newton’s best chance at starting right out of the gate for a contender. For the Pats, he says it’s a no-risk deal – in a worst-case scenario, Newton gets injured early on and takes snaps away from Stidham. On the flipside, there’s the dream scenario in which Newton gets back to his old form and sticks around – the Pats are projected to have $86MM+ in cap space next year, should they want to re-sign him. With all of that said, Barnwell wonders whether the Patriots timed the signing to take some of the bad PR out of their other Sunday news story.
- Speaking of the Patriots’ penalty, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes the hidden value in the Newton deal. If Newton plays well in 2020 and leaves as a free agent, the Patriots could gain a compensatory 2022 third-round pick to help offset the 2021 third-round pick that was stripped.
- Jets safety Jamal Adams is also pleased with the deal, even though he’s under contract with the Patriots’ rival. “I salute Coach Bill Belichick for that!,” Adams tweeted. “That’s real. Congratulations Cam!” Adams, of course, is looking to force a trade to one of his preferred teams.
- “I’m excited as I don’t know what right now!,” Newton wrote on Instagram.
Patriots To Sign Cam Newton
The Patriots have agreed to sign Cam Newton, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $7.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds. The base portion is believed to be much lower, however, and Newton likely didn’t receive much in the way of guarantees. 
[RELATED: Patriots Fined $1MM; Stripped Of Third-Round Pick By NFL]
Newton, 31, will join Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the Patriots’ depth chart. Naturally, he’ll be the odds-on favorite to come away with the starting job.
The Patriots checked in with Newton during the early stages of free agency, right around the time Tom Brady took off for Tampa Bay. However, at the time, Newton was seeking a deal that was more in line with his previous earnings. Thanks to injuries, the former MVP had to stay patient and slash his asking place before finding his home in New England.
The 2015 NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowler has struggled in recent years. Since 2016, he’s ranked 30th in Total QBR while spending large chunks of time on the sidelines. But he remains a high-end talent and a very intriguing addition to the Pats’ offense in the post-Brady era.
Newton was limited to only two games in 2019, but he did make 14 starts in 2018. In that year, he completed a career-best 67.9% of his throws for 3,395 yards, 24 TDs, and 13 picks. He also showed that he can still make plays with his feet – he tallied 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 carries. For his career, Newton has amassed a 68-55-1 record as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. That record includes a perfect 2-0 mark against his new team.
After replacing Newton with Teddy Bridgewater, the Panthers tried to trade their longtime star to the Bears and Chargers. Those deals did not come together – the Bears went on to trade for Nick Foles instead while the Chargers waited ’til April to tap Justin Herbert as their new QB addition. With no takers, the Panthers dropped Newton to save $19MM+ in cap room versus $2MM in dead money.
Now, Newton has a prime opportunity to show the world what he can do. Even after his 2018 shoulder relapse and last year’s Lisfranc surgery, Newton still believes that he can play at a high level. For what it’s worth, he’s now six months removed from his December foot surgery and he’ll more or less enter camp with fresh legs.
With Newton, plus a mix of familiar and new faces, the Patriots’ offense is starting to look pretty formidable. Newton will be working with Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead in the backfield while targeting a receiver group headlined by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. The biggest question mark, perhaps, remains at tight end, where they’ll be largely dependent on rookies Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi.
Patriots Stripped Of Third-Round Pick By NFL
The NFL has rendered its verdict on the Patriots’ filming of a Bengals-Browns game late last year. The results aren’t pretty for the Pats – they’ll be fined $1.1MM and stripped of a 2021 third-round pick, according to Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Furthermore, Pats TV crews will be barred from filming games during the upcoming season. 
[RELATED: Patriots To Sign Cam Newton]
The Pats’ crew set up shop in the press box and filmed the Bengals’ sideline during their Week 14 game. A Bengals staffer took notice, turned the camera on the Pats’ crew, and turned over an eight-minute tape to the league office.
The Patriots said they were filming an episode of their online series “Do Your Job” and simply gathering b-roll for the next episode. The Patriots also acknowledged that they should have done a better job advising the crew of league protocol and communicating with the Bengals beforehand. Still, teams are prohibited from shooting video of coaches on the sideline and the NFL took the Patriots’ “Spygate” history into consideration.
5 Key NFL Stories: 6/22/20 – 6/28/20
Been busy? Let’s get you caught up with a look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:
NFL Cancels Hall Of Fame Game: Last week, the NFL 86’d the annual start to the preseason. This year, the game between the Steelers and Cowboys was set to take place on August 6. Instead, the league is taking a more cautious approach. More changes could be on the way, including a delay to the scheduled start of training camp (currently July 28) and a shorter preseason schedule. 
AB Off Ravens’ Radar?: Even though Lamar Jackson and other Ravens stars have advocated for him, the Ravens have reportedly cooled on the idea of signing Antonio Brown. The Seahawks have also been connected to Brown, but, for now, the 32-year-old is still out of work and still in a gray area with the league office.
No Progress In Contract Talks Between Chiefs, Jones: The Chiefs have just over two weeks to hammer out an extension with Chris Jones, but there hasn’t been much momentum as of late. Jones, who is one of five franchise-tagged players yet to sign his franchise tender, has been vocal about his desire for a new deal.
Adam Gase A Factor In Adams’ Trade Request?: Jamal Adams isn’t just mad at the Jets’ front office. This week, it was reported that the Pro Bowl safety also has beef with head coach Adam Gase.Gase, meanwhile, says his relationship with Adams “has been good” since he arrived in New Jersey.
Latest On Kaepernick: Colin Kaepernick has drawn interest from NFL teams, but none of those clubs have reached out to him or his camp directly. Instead, those teams are looking to do their homework on the quarterback and gauge his interest in playing for them before potentially putting an offer on the table.