Raiders Sign Derek Carr To Extension
The Raiders and Derek Carr have finalized a new five-year deal that is believed to be worth about $25MM per year, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Carr confirmed the deal on Twitter on Thursday morning and the Raiders made it official with an announcement on Friday.
[RELATED: Lions Willing To Make Matthew Stafford League’s Highest-Paid Player]
Carr is now signed through 2022 with a deal that will contain just south of $69MM over the first three years, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Carr’s deal includes $70MM in guarantees with $40MM fully guaranteed at signing, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Additional details can be found here.
It has long been expected that Carr’s deal could approach the $25MM/year mark, but it wasn’t clear when the two sides would finally shake hands on a deal. Now, the Raiders have gotten the extension hammered out with weeks to go before training camp. That’s a huge win for the Raiders, especially since Carr was adamant about cutting off talks in late July.
“I wouldn’t even answer my phone,” Carr said recently. “The money isn’t the thing that drives me. … What drives me is making sure I’m giving everything that I have with my abilities, and making sure that we win. And I don’t want anything distracting my thought process at all…Now, that’s not a jab, or anything like that. That’s just me saying I’m not going to deal with anything that’s not helping me just focus on winning.”
The former second-round pick was slated to enter the final year of his rookie contract. Instead, he’ll see a titanic bump after his paltry $1.15MM salary in 2017. Before today’s news, Andrew Luck‘s $24.6MM average annual salary was the highest of any player in the NFL. Carr’s new deal – when counting just the “new” money – will place him at the top in AAV, besting Carson Palmer ($24.35MM), Drew Brees ($24.25MM), and Kirk Cousins ($23.9MM).
Last season, Carr completed 63.8% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 QB last season, putting him ahead of Brees, Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott, and several other major names. Only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Luck, and Russell Wilson finished with higher scores than the Raiders QB.
Carr’s new deal will have major implications for Stafford and Cousins as they seek new multi-year arrangements. Lions president Ron Wood admitted this week that a new deal for Stafford would likely mean making him the league’s highest-paid player and the Carr deal only raises the bar. The two sides may now have the framework in place for a deal and that could bump Carr from the top spot in compensation rather quickly.
Meanwhile, Cousins and the Redskins have until July 17 (not July 15) to work out an extension. Cousins is not interested in taking a hometown discount and he is seeking full guarantees that will match the total of this year’s franchise tag ($23.94MM) plus next year’s transition tender ($28.7MM).
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Bradford, Bears
Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford is one year away from free agency and he could be poised to cash in all over again, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. Bradford’s agent Tom Condon will likely seek a deal with an average annual value of $20MM or more with at least $40-$50MM in guaranteed money. That may sound like a high price tag for Bradford, but it’s not that outlandish when looking at other quarterback contracts. After Derek Carr‘s extension with the Raiders, 13 quarterbacks in the league now make an average of $20MM or more. The question is – will the Vikings be the team to give Bradford that kind of deal? In theory, Minnesota could have Teddy Bridgewater ready to go for 2018, but they can’t bank on that, so they’ll likely explore a Bradford extension.
Here’s a look at the NFC North:
- Running back Ka’Deem Carey is not a lock to make the Bears‘ roster, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Right now, Carey is in a contract year and, like former starter Jeremy Langford, he’s competing to be the backup for Jordan Howard. Carey can help his chances of making the cut by improving his special teams play, but Biggs can also see the Bears signing another running back late in the summer.
- Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, and Bucky Hodges project to be the Vikings‘ three tight ends on the 53-man roster, but Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune could see the team adding a veteran instead of keeping Hodges. Hodges, a Virginia Tech product, was taken in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
- Will former Chiefs GM John Dorsey land with the Packers? Contrary to speculation, a reunion between the two is believed to be unlikely.
- Lions president Rod Wood isn’t balking at the idea of making quarterback Matthew Stafford the NFL’s highest-paid player.
AFC West Rumors: Chiefs, Dorsey, Veach
Here’s a look at the AFC West following the Chiefs‘ surprising GM shakeup:
- Chiefs co-director of player personnel Brett Veach is the name to watch in the team’s GM search, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Veach was widely identified as a candidate for the opening on Thursday, but it sounds like he has an early lead over the rest.
- Several sources in the know say that John Dorsey didn’t know the Chiefs were going to fire him this week, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Chiefs reportedly weren’t pleased with how Dorsey handled contract negotiations with stars like Justin Houston and Eric Berry, but Dorsey still did not believe that his job was in jeopardy.
- The Raiders‘ commitment of $40MM guaranteed at signing for Derek Carr is nothing to sneeze at, but the team got a level of flexibility that you don’t see with some of the other quarterback contracts out there, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Before the third year of the deal, the Raiders could theoretically walk away from Derek Carr and take on just $7.5MM in dead money. Because he’ll effectively be going year-to-year, the deal has some similarities to Colin Kaepernick‘s 49ers contract and that’s not necessarily great for the player. Carr did get some financial security with his new deal, but Fitzgerald feels that quarterbacks need a new champion to really push the market. That could come in a matter of weeks when/if Matthew Stafford inks a new deal with Detroit.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Boldin, Bengals
Could the Ravens still sign Anquan Boldin? People are naturally speculating that Baltimore could bring Boldin back to the fold, but Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun gets the sense that the Ravens are content with what they have at wide receiver. The Ravens want to give Breshad Perriman lots of playing time while also getting Chris Moore involved and a Boldin signing would hurt both of those efforts. Baltimore is also looking to use its remaining cap space to bolster the offensive line.
For his part, Boldin says that he is willing to wait until later in the summer to join a team. The wide receiver, who turns 37 in October, reportedly would like to play close to his home in Florida.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- There’s a lot of chatter about coach Marvin Lewis‘ future with the Bengals, but the players aren’t necessarily dwelling on it. “He doesn’t talk about contracts. He doesn’t talk about his situation,” quarterback Andy Dalton said (via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer) . “It’s all about having a good year. So, the guys aren’t thinking about that.” While Bengals players say they are focused on winning rather than saving Lewis’ job, every player quoted in the story had positive things to say about the coach.
- Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer is gaining ground on Cody Kessler in the Browns‘ quarterback competition, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. “We already have some capable guys here in Brock and Cody, and we want to see if (Kizer) can compete with those guys,” coach Hue Jackson said last week. “Obviously, there are some things he does really well, and there are some things where he’s still a young quarterback. He’s still learning, but he’s emerging. I do believe that. We’ll see how this all unfolds.” Of course, Brock Osweiler is also in the mix for the No. 1 QB job and the early word on him has also been positive.
- Former Browns and Steelers cornerback Justin Gilbert has been suspended for one year by the NFL.
Details On Derek Carr’s Contract
We now have some additional details on Derek Carr‘s new extension with the Raiders. As previously reported, the five-year, $125MM deal gives Carr a record-setting $25MM per year when evaluating only the new money. A closer look shows that the deal, while still lucrative, is far from a sure thing for the young quarterback. 
Carr will get $40MM fully guaranteed at signing with $70.2MM guaranteed for injury, as ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets. However, the particulars of the deal effectively make this a two-year, $47.5MM contract with team options the rest of the way. That’s because Carr’s 2019 and 2020 guarantees do not vest until February in each of those years. It’s also worth noting that the final two years of the deal – 2021 and 2022 – are non-guaranteed.
If the Raiders do not release Carr before that date in 2019, he’ll be in line for $67.5MM in earnings through the first three years of the deal. As we learned on Thursday morning, Carr’s agents purposely pushed for a backloaded contract so that Carr could take full advantage of Nevada’s 0% state tax. Still, the fine print of the deal leaves Carr with little certainty in the event that he regresses. The notion of Carr falling off before his 30th birthday seems unlikely today, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.
Chiefs Fire GM John Dorsey
Shocking news out of Kansas City as the Chiefs have fired general manager John Dorsey. This comes on the heels of a brand new extension for coach Andy Reid. 
[RELATED: Chiefs, Andy Reid Agree To Extension]
“I notified John that we would not be extending his contract beyond the 2017 season, and after consideration, we felt it was in his best interests and the best interests of the team to part ways now,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “This decision, while a difficult one, allows John to pursue other opportunities as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season and the seasons to come. My family and I sincerely appreciate John’s work over the last four-and-a-half years, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
It’s not often that teams will make a GM change this late in the offseason. Dorsey was at the helm for the draft and the meat of free agency, but the Chiefs, for one reason or another, have decided to can him in June.
The Dorsey-led front office made some major moves this year, including the signing of Eric Berry to a substantial extension and trading up to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It’s not immediately clear what decision(s) led to Dorsey’s ouster or whether Reid wanted him gone.
Dorsey, who has 27 seasons of experience as a personnel member, was given the title of GM in Kansas City in January of 2013. After playing for the Packers and spending time in their front office, you can expect to hear some speculation about him eventually succeeding GM Ted Thompson in Green Bay.
“I want to thank Clark, the Hunt family and the Chiefs fans for the opportunity to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom over the last four seasons,” Dorsey said. “I believe this team is well positioned for the future and I wish Coach Reid, the players and the entire organization all the best.”
The Chiefs are expected to explore both internal and external options to replace Dorsey. After letting Chris Ballard leave to become the GM of the Colts, they are down one excellent in-house candidate.
Rams Release DT Tyrunn Walker
The Rams have released defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Walker joined the Rams as a free agent just three months ago. 
The Rams were Walker’s third NFL stop and he’ll now be in search of team No. 4. Walker, 27, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints and the last two with the Lions. All in all, he has totaled 42 appearances with the majority of his 13 career starts (eight) coming in 2016.
Walker tallied 26 tackles and played in 34.1% of the Lions’ defensive snaps last year. He ranked a below-average 77th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.
With the Rams, Walker was supposed to provide depth at defensive tackle behind starting nose tackle Michael Brockers. Now, the Rams will evaluate Mike Purcell, rookie Tanzel Smart, and untested 2015 UDFA Louis Trinca-Pasat as reserve options.
Chiefs, Andy Reid Agree To Extension
The Chiefs have signed coach Andy Reid to a contract extension, according to a team announcement. It’s a four-year extension, keeping him under contract through 2021, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Chiefs Fire GM John Dorsey]
“My family and I have been very pleased by the success the franchise has sustained over the last four seasons under Coach Reid,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “He has already established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and he is well on his way to solidifying a place among the all-time greats. We are proud to have him leading our football team, and I look forward to working with him to bring a championship to Chiefs Kingdom.”
Reid is entering his fifth year Kansas City and his 19th season as an NFL head coach. He owns a career regular season record of 173-114 (.602) and has 184 wins in total if you include the postseason. That total win count puts him second among active NFL head coaches, trailing only Bill Belichick (260). After helping KC reach the playoffs three times in the last four years, an extension was widely expected.
“I’d like to thank Clark and the entire Hunt family for the opportunity to continue my coaching career here in Kansas City,” Reid said. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress over the last four seasons, but we are not done yet. We are going to continue to work towards our ultimate goal of winning championships. I’ve been blessed by the support of the community, our fans, the Hunt family and the entire Chiefs staff. I’m looking forward to the years ahead as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Last year, Reid’s Chiefs finished with a 12-4 record and captured the AFC West title. After securing a first-round bye, the Chiefs lost to the Steelers in the divisional round. This year, they’ll hope for a better outcome.
NFC West Notes: Smelter, 49ers, Cardinals
The odds are against receiver DeAndre Smelter making the 49ers‘ final cut, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Even though he’s 6’2″ and the rest of the team’s WRs are lacking size, the numbers crunch will make it hard for him to stick. The starters right now are Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, and Jeremy Kerley. Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan favorite Trent Taylor is almost assured a roster spot and Aldrick Robinson has a leg up thanks to his familiarity with Shanahan’s system. That leaves seven receivers, including Smelter, vying for one potential spot.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Big things could be in Byron Leftwich‘s future. Leftwich is currently serving as the Cardinals‘ quarterbacks coach but head coach Bruce Arians seems to think he’ll ascend the ranks quickly. “He’ll be a head coach early and fast,” Arians said (via Darren Urban of the team’s official website). Leftwich was promoted to quarterbacks coach in January after Freddie Kitchens was moved to running backs coach as Stump Mitchell‘s replacement.
- The Rams‘ inability to build a winning culture for the past 12 years has left them in a tough spot, Michael Lombardi of The Ringer writes. The Rams have just 60 wins over that period and have not done better than .500 in that span.
- A pair of ex-49ers employees had some not-so-complimentary things to say about Colin Kaepernick.
Reactions To Derek Carr’s New Contract
Derek Carr is now the highest-paid player in the NFL – if you count only his new money average. Carr will begin a five-year, $125MM deal in the 2018 season, giving him a record $25MM average annual value. If you roll in his 2017 salary, which is less than $2MM, then Carr’s yearly average falls closer to $21MM. Carr’s deal is substantial, but what kind of ripple effect will it really have on other top quarterbacks around the NFL?
Here’s a look at some reactions to Carr’s new deal:
- The market for quarterbacks truly peaked with Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) argues. Top players have failed to really push the market since 2013, in his view, as he feels that the league’s top quarterbacks should be earning between $27-$30MM per year at this point. Keep in mind, the salary cap has grown roughly 35% from 2013 to 2017 and top QB deals have not ballooned at the same rate.
- Fitzgerald (Twitter links) also believes that Carr’s $70MM in injury guarantees hints at a contract that is going to be more like Russell Wilson‘s than a real market setter. A deal giving Carr about $43MM in Year 1 new money, $60MM by Year 2, and $80MM Year 3 would have pushed the market further, in Fitzgerald’s view. For what it’s worth, the expected cash flow on the deal might not be too far off at the start with $40MM fully guaranteed at signing. His $69MM intake over the first three years, however, falls short.
- Carr’s new deal led Mike Florio of PFT to wonder how much Tom Brady could have gotten from the Patriots if he drove a hard bargain. One beat writer suggested to Florio that he could have gotten as much as $40MM per year. Florio doesn’t think it’s quite that high, but he does believe that the future Hall of Famer would be making at least $30MM per season if he wanted to squeeze every penny out of New England. Brady is under contract with the Pats through the 2019 season and he is arguably one of the league’s most underpaid players.
- Even when going by new money average, Carr’s deal only tops Andrew Luck‘s by $271K per season, Florio notes.
- Carr’s deal will impact negotiations for Matthew Stafford, but it probably won’t mean much to the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, as one agent tells Mark Maske of The Washington Post. “The Stafford contract clearly will take it the next step higher,” said one NFL agent not involved in the Carr, Stafford or Cousins negotiations. “Whatever Carr gets, Stafford will get more. The Cousins thing, that’s a little bit different. Those are negotiations where the numbers are set by the [franchise] tag, more so than [by comparison to] other contracts.”