Zachary Links | Pro Football Rumors

Malcolm Jenkins Retires From NFL

March 30th, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

Malcolm Jenkins is calling it a career. In an interview with The Pivot podcast (Twitter link), the longtime NFL safety announced his retirement from football.

Jenkins, a 13-year veteran, entered the league as a first-round pick of the Saints back in 2009. Now, at the age of 34, Jenkins is moving on to a new chapter.

“I recall when we first drafted Malcolm in 2009, he made contributions to a Super Bowl Championship team in multiple positions in the secondary and then pretty quickly developed into an outstanding safety,” said Saints head coach Dennis Allen in a team press release. “The combination of skill, awareness and intelligence allowed Malcolm to be in position to make plays all over the field. To put up the numbers he did for as long as he did speaks both to his talent and his commitment to his craft. He was also a great leader in the locker room and important contributor to the community. I’m proud to say that I had the opportunity to coach Malcolm and congratulate him on an excellent career.”

The Ohio State product began his career in New Orleans and became a full-time starter in his second season. After five years with the Saints, he moved on to the Eagles, where he enjoyed a successful six year run and three Pro Bowl nods (2015, 2017, and 2018). If Saints head coach Sean Payton could have done it differently, he never would have let Jenkins get to Philly.

“Probably one of the bigger mistakes that we’ve made, and you have to ask yourself how did that happen? Letting him out of the building certainly wasn’t a smart decision,” Payton said in 2020.

The Saints signed Jenkins that year, enabling him to finish his career where it all started. Jenkins exits the field with 1,044 career tackles, 21 interceptions, eleven fumble recoveries, seven defensive touchdowns, and 199 games played. He’s also got quite the jewelry collection, having won two Super Bowl rings for the 2009 and 2017 seasons.

We here at PFR wish Jenkins the best in retirement.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/22

March 23rd, 2022 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Detroit Lions

Released from NFI list: TE Jordan Thomas

Houston Texans

Waived: LB Josh Watson

New York Jets

Re-Signed: FB Nick Bawden

Tennessee Titans

Signed: LB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, LB Dylan Cole

Washington Commanders

Re-signed: CB Danny Johnson

Chiefs Trade Tyreek Hill To Dolphins

March 23rd, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Zachary Links

6:54pm: Like Adams’ Raiders contract, Hill’s deal being backloaded inflated the AAV. A nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary in 2026 bumped this contract over $30MM per year, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Hill’s Miami extension is closer to a three-year deal worth $75MM. The Dolphins are giving Hill $52.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, and another $19.7MM — his 2024 base salary — will be guaranteed in March 2023. Like his lofty 2026 salary, Hill’s 2025 base ($21.8MM) is nonguaranteed. Even at $25MM per year, Hill’s contract compares favorably to Adams and Hopkins’ pacts for short-term value.

11:37am: It’s happening. On Wednesday, the Chiefs agreed to trade Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal will send a first-round pick and more to Kansas City, bringing one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers to Miami.

The Dolphins will send a 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, and a 2023 sixth-round pick to Kansas City in the deal (Twitter link via PFT). It’s a haul that’s somewhat similar to the trade that moved Davante Adams to the Raiders.

Hill will also ink a contract extension that will position him as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, ahead of Adams, as agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Once finalized, it’ll be a four-year, $120MM megadeal with $72.2MM guaranteed (Twitter link). SI’s Albert Breer adds (on Twitter) that extension talks between Hill and the Chiefs broke down because he wanted to top Adams’ deal, something that Kansas City “balked at”.

The ink has barely dried on Adams’ contract, a five-year, $140MM whopper that gave him $28MM/year, $22.75MM guaranteed at signing, and $42.9MM in effective guarantees. DeAndre Hopkins previously held the mantle at $27MM/year, Adams topped Hopkins at $28MM, and Hill is now the king of the mountain with $30MM per annum.

The Dolphins are now armed with Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson, Devante Parker, and Trent Sherfield at wide receiver, giving them one of the most talented WR units in the NFL. That should be plenty to keep defenses honest against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and open up more running opportunities for Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Myles Gaskin.

The Jets were also in talks to acquire Hill this week, and they were willing to give up the No. 10 overall pick in a package for him (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). The Jets were also willing to give Hill a top-level extension, but, ultimately, the Dolphins had the winning bid. Schefter adds that New York made an offer of picks 35, 38 and 69 in exchange for Hill and No. 103 (Twitter link). He also states that the Chiefs were willing to accept it, had New York been Hill’s preferred destinaiton.

Kansas City, meanwhile, now has a massive hole to fill in their offense. Without the speed of Hill to serve as a compliment to Travis Kelce, their wide receiver room is in need of an addition. To that end, they already signed JuJu Smith-Schuster earlier in free agency, but his skillset is much different than Hill’s. Expected to target a wideout in this April’s draft as early as the first round (where the Chiefs now hold the 29th and 30th overall selections) before this trade, Kansas City now faces even more pressure to do so if they are to maintain their highly-productive passing game.

Colin Kaepernick Drawing Interest From NFL Teams?

March 23rd, 2022 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Colin Kaepernick is reportedly catching the eye of NFL teams. As reported by TMZ, a recent workout he had with renowned trainer David Robinson has generated interest the quarterback returning to the league.

Robinson says that “multiple NFL teams have contacted him” regarding Kaepernick. More specifically, he adds that “at least” five different clubs have been in communication with him following a recent training session the two participated in at the beginning of March.

“A few teams have reached out to me and asked how his arm looked,” said Robinson, who has worked with a number of high-profile players in the NFL. “He definitely has the ability to play on somebody’s roster… He looked real good“.

The 34-year-old last played in 2016 with the 49ers, who drafted him in 2011. He started 58 of 69 games with the team, winning the NFC championship in 2012. Now six years removed from playing, however, many have doubted he would land a deal with an NFL team, despite reports indicating otherwise in past years. Kaepernick has been “traveling all over the country this month,” as the report says, though, demonstrating his willingness to re-enter the league.

Pete Carroll mentioned recently he spoke with Kaepernick, but no team has been seriously connected to the polarizing passer since the Seahawks nixed a visit with him in 2018. Kaepernick also met with the Seahawks in 2017. Kaepernick sent Carroll workout videos recently, though the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta notes the 13th-year Seahawks HC was noncommittal when asked about a potential meeting with the former 49ers QB.

“Still hopeful. There’s been a lot of conversation around it. Again, we’ve had conversations with Pete and John [Schneider] previously,” Kaepernick said, via Condotta. “As Pete mentioned, we have spoken recently and still hoping that door is open and get a chance to walk through it.”

On that point, Robinson has optimism a return could happen. “I definitely think that this go-around, he may get a shot,” he said — something which could further add to a QB market which has already seen sizable movement take place this offseason.

Chiefs To Trade Tyreek Hill?

March 23rd, 2022 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have given Tyreek Hill permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). Already, the Jets and Dolphins are engaged in “serious talks” to acquire the star wide receiver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).

Hill, who turned 28 this week, was previously in extension talks with the Chiefs. As of this writing, he still has one more year to go on his three-year, $54MM deal. His next contract could very well come from another team. Multiple clubs have chatted with the Chiefs, Schefter hears (Twitter link), but the Dolphins and Jets currently stand as the frontrunners.

Clearly, the two sides had a bridge to gap in extension talks, but few expected Hill to be on the block. It’s yet another stunner in what has been a chaotic offseason. We’re hardly past the midway point in March, but Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Amari Cooper, and Yannick Ngakoue have all been traded. Depending on how things shake out, Hill could be the next superstar on the move.

The speedy wideout has teamed with Travis Kelce to form a top-end receiving duo for Patrick Mahomes. Teams limited Hill on deep routes this past year, dropping his yards-per-catch figure to 11.2, but he still managed career-high 111 receptions with 1,239 yards.

Beyond those two, the Chiefs haven’t gotten tremendous production out of their other targets. They’ve taken some steps to revamp their unit, including the recent additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Coleman. Still, if you subtract Hill from the group, the Chiefs’ WR depth chart consists of Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Dieter Gehrig, and Corey Coleman. If the Chiefs trade Hill, they’ll likely aim for a difference maker in the draft.

Despite his off-the-field controversies, Hill has been absolutely outstanding over the course of his career. Over the last six seasons, Hill has 479 catches, 6,630 receiving yards, and 56 touchdowns to his credit.

Ravens Meeting With Arden Key

March 23rd, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Arden Key tour continues. On Wednesday, the free agent defensive end will meet with the Ravens (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).

Key, a 2018 third-round pick of the Raiders, spent three seasons with his original team, starting in ten of his 37 games. He fell out of favor over time, however, and wound up getting released last year Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson made their way to Las Vegas.

Key stayed local, moving on to the 49ers on a one-year deal. The change of scenery served him well as he recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks, plus 22 stops, five tackles for loss, and one pass defensed while playing in all 17 games.

The Niners used Key as a supporting piece, but other teams may consider giving him a chance at the starting lineup, depending on how the rest of the offseason goes. In addition to the Ravens, the Jaguars and Lions have also checked in with Key — they likely see him as a supplement to their incoming rookie class, which will likely feature some big-name DEs.

The Ravens are also meeting with Rasheem Green today, a Seahawks free agent who is also coming off of a strong platform year.

Ravens To Meet With Rasheem Green

March 23rd, 2022 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are set to meet with Rasheem Green (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). We haven’t heard much about Green in recent weeks, but the former Seahawks defensive lineman could be on the verge of finding a new home.

Green enjoyed a career year in 2021 with 6.5 sacks, nearly doubling his previous career total. He also added to his highlight reel by turning a blocked XP into a two-point conversion against Washington. No longer a seat warmer, Green started in 16 of his 17 games and showed himself to be one of the most impactful defenders in Seattle.

That’s the kind of production the Seahawks were hoping for when he fell to them in the third round of the 2018 draft. In his last year on campus, the USC product was deployed mostly as a defensive tackle, but he still managed ten sacks for the Trojans.

After losing much of his 2020 to injury, Green put it all together last year as he notched 34 quarterback pressures. He also proved his versatility, moving from defensive end to defensive tackle to outside linebacker whenever needed. Green won’t turn 25 until May, so teams like the Ravens believe that he has plenty of room to grow.

Chiefs To Sign Deon Bush

March 23rd, 2022 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to sign safety Deon Bush, according to agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Financial terms are not yet known, but it’ll be a one-year deal for the former Bear.

[RELATED: Chiefs To Sign Coleman]

Bush, 29 in August, came into the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bears in 2016. Up until now, he spent all six years of his career in Chicago, serving mostly as a special teams specialist. Last year, however, Bush saw more defensive action, suiting up for 14 games (four starts) while notching two interceptions and five passes defensed. The Chiefs may use Bush for occasional support at free safety or slot coverage, but he’s likely to see more time on special teams.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Chiefs have retooled their wide receiver group by signing one-time Steelers standout JuJu Smith-Schuster as well as former first-round pick Corey Coleman.

Patriots Expected To Re-Sign Ja’Whaun Bentley

March 18th, 2022 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Ja’Whaun Bentley is back in New England. The linebacker is on the verge of a brand new deal to remain with the Patriots (Twitter link via Field Yates and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).

Bentley recorded 108 tackles last year to lead all Patriots defenders. There was little doubt that the Pats wanted him to return for 2022, but there was also concern that he had played his way out of town.

The 25-year-old had clearly outperformed his rookie deal, a paltry four-year, $2.8MM contract for his fifth-round slot. Meanwhile, the Patriots have cut Kyle Van Noy and they could potentially lose Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins to free agency.

Bentley will be joined by new faces in the LB group, including the recently acquired Mack Wilson. There should be plenty more moves on the way, too, regardless of how things shake out with the Pats’ veteran free agents.

Bills To Release Star Lotulelei

March 18th, 2022 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are cutting Star Lotulelei (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The two sides were discussing a revamped contract that would have enabled him to return, but all parties agreed that a fresh start would be best.

Lotulelei, 33 in December, was in the midst of the five-year, $50MM deal he signed in 2018. He exercised his right to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, which tolled his contract and would have had him under Buffalo’s control through 2023.

The eight-year veteran had three sacks in 2021, bringing his career total to 16.5. He’s been a quality disruptor in the past, particularly with the Panthers, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus haven’t been high on his work in quite some time. This past year, Lotulelei graded as Bills’ lowest performing run defender on the D-Line.

Lotulelei was slated to carry a $9.2MM cap charge this year. Instead, the Bills will save at least $1.5MM against the cap by cutting him. They could also choose to save $4.1MM this year if they use the post-June 1 designation.

All in all, Lotulelei leaves Buffalo after 43 appearances (40 starts) with five sacks, one interception, and 53 tackles.