Bears Place Zach Miller On PUP List
The Bears have placed tight end Zach Miller on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, according to a team announcement. This was the expected course of action given the gruesome leg injury he suffered in 2017. 
This week, the Bears re-signed Miller to a one-year deal in order to give him additional financial security. Miller was out of contract and did not qualify for injury pay, but the new deal will pay him $458K even though he cannot play.
In the long run, Miller has said that he would like to return to football. However, doctors raised the possibility of an amputation just last year, so Miller knows that may not be possible. The good news is that Miller’s leg is safe after nine surgeries to correct the knee dislocation.
“[If it doesn’t happen], then that’s just the way it goes and we’ve got to move on and do something else,” Miller said back in February. “Physically I’ve been through a number of surgeries or whatever it may be. I can recover from that. But the mental aspect is something you’ve got to learn how to work it, how to block out some stuff and really just stay positive, which I’ve done a pretty good job doing.”
This Date In Transactions History: Joe Staley
On this date in 2009, the 49ers signed Joe Staley to a sizable extension, despite the fact that he was only two seasons into his NFL career. The six-year, $42MM attachment raised some eyebrows around the league, but then-GM Scot McCloughan had no doubt that it would benefit the team. 
“Joe Staley is the type of player we want to continue to add to this football team,” McCloughan said. “He’s a tough, versatile, no-nonsense type of guy who wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win football games. Joe is a consummate team player and has been completely unselfish in the way he has approached his role on this team. We know what he means to the success of the 49ers and getting this extension done puts us in a very nice position for the future.”
In the first two years of his career, Staley carried cap numbers of $1.02MM and $1.22MM. Staley’s new deal tacked on an extra six seasons at an average annual value of $7MM per year, giving the 49ers a total of nine years of club control after the time of signing.
The deal was a huge gamble at the time, but McCloughan saw tremendous potential in the former first-round pick and also anticipated some serious advancement in the left tackle market. He was right on both fronts. Before long, Staley’s contract went from bloated to bargain. Today, 18 left tackles – more than half of the league’s starters at the position – make more than $7MM per season.
Nine years ago, not every GM in the league would have bet big on Staley after he allowed 16.5 tackles over his first two seasons. But, with talent and determination, Staley persisted and blossomed into one of the league’s best left tackles. In a 2010 game against the Rams, Staley played through a broken left fibula as he did not want to let his teammates down.
“The X-rays were negative, so I went back out there,” Staley said afterwards. “Then I got kicked again, and I knew it was broken, but I stayed in for a couple plays.”
Staley’s six-year, $42MM deal turned into an below-market deal rather quickly. In 2014, the Niners gave Staley another early extension to reward him and keep him in the fold through 2019. Then, this past April, the Niners gave him another pay bump, giving him $17.5MM over the next two seasons.
Still, Staley’s pay does not quite match his performance. For reference, Giants left tackle Nate Solder is the kingpin at left tackle with an average of $15.5MM per year. Even with the raise, Staley will average roughly half of that over the next two seasons. Last year, Pro Football Focus had Staley ranked as the second-best tackle in the NFL in 2017 while Solder placed at No. 32.
Ravens Sign Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson is officially in the flock. On Tuesday, the Ravens announced that Jackson has signed his rookie contract. 
Heading into the draft, no one was quite sure where the quarterback would land. Some projected that he would wind up as a first round selection while others said he could slide all the way to the third round. With the final pick in the draft, the Ravens made Jackson a first rounder by trading their 52nd and 125th picks and a 2019 second-round selection to the Eagles for the No. 32 and No. 132 selections.
In Baltimore, the athletic QB will back up Joe Flacco. In time, the Ravens hope that he can blossom into their next starting signal caller. Already, the Louisville product has impressed teammates in practice.
“He’s been great. Obviously you know why we took him,” safety Eric Weddle told NFL Network recently. “He’s as talented of a player that I’ve seen coming into my 12th year. He’s got a live arm, he can sling it. Obviously, his ability to run and shake guys — you see it in team drills where things break down, he gets out on the perimeter and guys aren’t even close to him.”
Per the terms of his draft slot, Jackson will earn $9.471MM over the course of his four-year deal. And, because he was a first-round choice, the Ravens can control him through 2022 via the fifth-year option.
Jets To Sign DL Chris Jones
The Jets have signed former Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room, fellow defensive lineman Claude Pelon was waived. 
Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, has bounced around the NFL since entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013. His most notable action came from 2013-14, when he started 22 total games for the Patriots, and in 2016, when he appeared in 13 games for the Dolphins and 49ers.
Jones, 28 in July, has been productive before, as he managed nine sacks from New England’s interior from 2013-14. But injuries have held him back in recent years: a torn calf muscle forced Jones to miss the entire 2015 campaign, while an undisclosed ailment led to Jones spending the 2017 season on injured reserve.
The Jets project to start Leonard Williams and Henry Anderson at defensive end with David Bass and third-round pick Nathan Shepherd among those in reserve, so Pelon was facing long odds of making the cut there. Meanwhile, the Jets are looking for a third nose tackle behind Steve McLendon and Mike Pennel, so Jones should have a reasonable shot at making the roster.
49ers, J.J. Wilcox In Talks
[UPDATE: Wilcox backed out of his deal with the 49ers in order to sign with the Jets.]
Safety J.J. Wilcox is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Wilcox, 27, was initially set to spend the 2017 season with the Buccaneers, but they shipped him to the Steelers after signing T.J. Ward in September. He played in 12 games with Pittsburgh, but he ultimately was unable to carve out a role in the secondary or on special teams. By the end of the year, he wound up as a healthy scratch due to his tendency to commit penalties while on special teams. All in all, he finished out with 12 tackles in 12 games.
With the Niners, he’ll try to clean up his special teams play and push to make the team as a backup to Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. One backup safety spot is already locked up by third-round pick Tarvarius Moore, but the competition is fairly open after that.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Taj Williams
- Waived: TE Jake Roh
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Norman Price
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton
- Waived: DB Raysean Pringle
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Garrett Dickerson
- Waived: CB Mike Jones, DB Jeremiah McKinnon, WR Keeon Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Ryan Malleck, OL Bryce Harris
- Placed on IR: OT Jerald Hawkins, TE Jake McGee
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DB Trovon Reed
Patriots Notes: Marsh, Hightower, Brady
Recent comments by former Patriots defensive end Cassius Marsh are an indicator of today’s way of thinking amongst NFL players, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. Marsh slammed coach Bill Belichick for taking the fun out of football in his continued quest for more championships. It seems that the “Patriot Way” is passé and not in alignment with the goals of those on the field.
One NFL agent with 20+ years of experience told Volin that about “15% to 25%” of players truly care about winning a Super Bowl. Those at the top of the pay scale, like Tom Brady and Matt Ryan, play solely to win. The rest, however, are looking to secure their own paydays.
“1. Money. 2. Money. 3. Money. 4. Money. 5. Money,” the agent said when asked to rank the top priorities of most NFL players. “Most players don’t like win-at-all-cost, my-way-or-the-highway places. I’ve had multiple guys turn down the Patriots.”
Here’s more from New England:
- The Patriots didn’t select a linebacker until the fifth round of the NFL draft, but the return of Dont’a Hightower could prove to be the team’s biggest “addition” this offseason, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Hightower missed the second half of the 2017 season with a torn pectoral muscle and still isn’t a full-go in practice, but he is with the team during OTAs helping the other players in his unit. The Pats also opted against signing a veteran linebacker this offseason, so Hightower’s recovery will be key to the team’s success on defense this year. Thanks to the four-year, $33.5MM contract Hightower signed with the Patriots in March of 2017, he’s under club control through 2020.
- There has been much discussion about Brady’s absence from OTAs, but his teammates do not seem fazed by it, as Volin writes. “I think he knows what to do,” quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “I don’t think we’re worried about distractions here. I think everybody here knows how to handle himself and worry about what we got to do individually, and then collectively as a team. So I don’t think so.” On Monday, Brady was spotted at the Patriots’ fantasy camp for fans, a good indicator that he’ll be on hand for practice on Tuesday.
Browns Sign RB Nick Chubb
The Browns have signed rookie Nick Chubb, according to a tweet from the running back’s agency. As dictated by his slot, Chubb will receive a four-year deal worth about $7.4MM with a $3.45MM signing bonus. He’ll carry a modest cap number of $1.342MM in 2018 with modest increases between now and 2021. 
Chubb became the second of the Browns’ second-round picks this year when he was selected at No. 35 overall. After running for 1,345 yards in his final year at Georgia, Chubb holds promise as a solid all-round back at the pro level.
Many evaluators feel that Chubb is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. That’s not necessarily a major dig on Chubb, given that many running back prospects have struggled with ball security and other basics in the NFL. However, he doesn’t profile as the fastest back in the league and his lack of usage on passing downs in college leaves some mystery about his ball-catching and blocking abilities.
Fortunately for the Browns, they already have a dynamic pass-catching back in Duke Johnson and an established runner in Carlos Hyde. Chubb won’t be tasked with a large workload right off of the bat, which should allow him room to progress at a reasonable pace.
As shown on PFR’s draft pick signing tracker, the Browns have just two picks left to go in No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield and No. 4 overall choice Denzel Ward.
OBJ No-Shows Giants OTAs
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. no-showed the Giants’ practices on Monday, as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com writes. That’s potentially a bad sign for the team as the club’s mandatory three-day minicamp kicks off next week. 
[RELATED: Pat Shurmur Giving Eli Apple Clean Slate]
While OTAs are voluntary, abstaining from mandatory minicamp would mean that OBJ would be on the hook for significant fines. A $70K fine should be enough to motivate Beckham to show, but that’s also relative chump change when considering the type of contract he’s trying to elicit from the Giants.
Beckham, who is slated to make $8.45MM this season, is pushing for a multi-year contract that would likely reset the market for wide receivers. It’s safe to say that deal would be worth roughly $90MM and there has been talk of a mega deal that could approach $100MM. Earlier this year, Bucs standout Mike Evans inked a $82.5MM deal ($38.3MM in full guarantees) with the Bucs, which sets a very favorable comp for OBJ.
Beckham has been working out in the Los Angeles area this offseason, but he’s scheduled to return to New Jersey on June 16 and 17 for a youth football camp. The Giants’ mandatory camp will take place from June 12-14.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, DRC, Jets
With some serious questions at the No. 2 cornerback position, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald wonders if the Dolphins could use some of their newfound cap space to sign a veteran late in the offseason. He mentions the names of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jeremy Lane, though Lane’s status is up in the air after he pled guilty to reckless driving on what was initially a DUI arrest.
In theory, the Dolphins have Cordrea Tankersley and Tony Lippett to duke it out for the job, but Tankersley struggled as a rookie and Lippett is still recovering from Achilles surgery. They could also move Bobby McCain – who just signed a four-year, $27MM extension – to the outside, but he made a name for himself covering slot receivers. Instead of shuffling McCain or first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick to different places, the Dolphins may instead prefer to dip into the free agent market.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Jets upgraded at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive line, inside linebacker, and cornerback, Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. However, in his estimation, they downgraded at tight end and defensive line while roughly staying at the same level at outside linebacker, safety, and special teams. He figures that the loss of Muhammad Wilkerson will hurt them in particular, even though he had to go. Wilkerson was chronically late and a headache for Jets coaches, but when he was on the field, he prevented opposing teams from doubling up on Leonard Williams. The Jets are hoping that Henry Anderson, rookie Nathan Shepherd, and Xavier Cooper can accomplish the same thing, but it’s a lot to ask from that group.
- The Dolphins expect to use new wide receiver Albert Wilson in a number of roles, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “When we looked at Albert on film, we were intrigued, obviously with the speed,” receivers coach Ben Johnson said. “We were intrigued with the run-after-catch ability. I think all of that has been there. It’s been impressive to me to see him come in, pick up this system and learn these fundamentals that he wasn’t really doing the same thing in Kansas City. He’s really done a nice job the past two weeks. It’s really triggered us to say he’s not limited in the slot, he’s not limited outside. He can line up in the backfield. He can do so many different things for us. His versatility is really, really showing up.”
- The Patriots’ next round of offseason activities get underway on Tuesday and tight end Rob Gronkowski will be participating. Tom Brady has yet to confirm his participation, but he was on hand for the Pats’ fantasy camp for fans on Monday, which is an encouraging sign.
- Late last week, quarterback Tyrod Taylor discussed the trade that sent him from the Bills to the Browns.