Minor NFL Transactions: 4/27/21
Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1
The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.
As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bills To Consider RB At No. 30?
The Bills seem to have a full depth chart at running back, but Brandon Beane is receptive to adding a running back in the first round. Speaking to reporters, the GM revealed that the team would consider taking a running back at No. 30.
“What does his skill set have in comparison to what we have on the roster?” Beane asked reporters (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Is this player going to do something … I don’t think either one of our backs are home run hitters, so is there an elite trait that this guy has and says, ‘Man, he’s got something we don’t have.’ That’s probably the conversation, versus, ‘OK, are we going to take the same type of back as Devin [Singletary], are we gonna take the same type of back as Zack [Moss]? Because even those two guys have different skill sets.”
While the Bills have used third-round picks in each of the past two drafts to select running backs (Singletary in 2019, Moss in 2020), the team still ranked in the bottom-half of the NFL in rushing yards, yards per attempt, and rushing touchdowns (with a chunk of that production coming from Josh Allen and his 421-yard, eight-touchdown performance on the ground). While Singletary and Moss (along with free agent addition Matt Breida) should be a passable grouping in 2021, it’d make sense that the team would look to add a dynamic play-maker to the bunch.
Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Alabama’s Najee Harris, and North Carolina’s Javonte Williams could all be available when the Bills are on the clock at No. 30.
Latest On Extension Talks Between Bills, Josh Allen
It sounds like Josh Allen and the Bills will eventually agree on a long-term pact, but the two sides are starting to play some hardball. Speaking to reporters, general manager Brandon Beane seemed to hint that the two sides weren’t close on a deal.
“Josh and I have spoken,” Beane said (via Chris Brown of the team’s website on Twitter). “We’d love to get Josh extended, but it has to be a number that works for him and us. We’re all on same page. Josh wants to be here. That gives me hope we’ll get something done at some point. Can’t guarantee it’ll be this year.”
That tiny revelation at the end is a bit telling. It was only last month that Beane revealed that the two sides would likely focus on extension talks following the draft, and there seemed to be some optimism that the deal would be completed relatively quickly. Now, it’s sounding like the organization isn’t convinced that a deal will get done any time soon.
Of course, there shouldn’t be any cause for concern. Allen could simply play the 2022 season on his fifth-year option, meaning there’s no urgency to get a deal done before the start of the 2021 season. In fact, Beane has plenty of experience dealing with this contract scenario; the former Panthers executive detailed how his front office was unable to extend Cam Newton following the QB’s third season.
“He played that season and then after that season, we got it done pretty quick that next offseason,” Beane said (via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). “We were all on the same page. I guess what I’m saying is, you can’t force it. It happens when it happens. If it happens this year, great. If it doesn’t, I’ll be very positive that we’ll get it done next year.”
Allen had a breakout campaign in 2020, transforming into an MVP candidate and guiding the Bills to 13 wins. He finished the year having completed 69.2-percent of his passes for 4,544 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and he added another 421 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the grund. He also helped lead the Bills to the AFC Championship Game, the organization’s first appearance in the game since 1993. Considering some of the recent quarterback deals that have been handed out, Allen will certainly be eyeing a lucrative pay day when he inevitably puts pen to paper.
Colts To Re-Sign CB T.J. Carrie
After two visits elsewhere, T.J. Carrie will opt to stay in Indianapolis. The Colts are re-signing the veteran cornerback, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth more than $2MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
Carrie, who initially signed with the Colts last year, visited the Saints and Bills over the past three weeks. Carrie’s Buffalo trip occurred this week, and Fowler adds the Bills made a push to sign Carrie. Rather than joining a fourth team, however, Carrie will follow Xavier Rhodes in re-signing with the Colts.
[RELATED: Colts Re-Sign CB Xavier Rhodes]
While Carrie played in 15 games last season, he saw a reduced snap rate. After playing more than 60% of his team’s snaps from 2017-19, the former seventh-round pick saw action on just 38% of Indianapolis’ defensive plays in 2020. The Colts stand to bring back their top four corners from last season, with Rhodes and Carrie pledging to stay on one-year accords, slot corner Kenny Moore signed long-term and Rock Ya-Sin still on his rookie deal.
Originally a Raiders draftee in 2014, Carrie spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons with the Browns. While he saw more time in Cleveland, Carrie intercepted a career-high two passes with the Colts and took one back for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus graded Carrie as a top-40 corner and was incredibly high on the seven-year vet’s run-game presence. PFF graded Carrie as the league’s top run-defending corner.
The 30-year-old defender will reprise his role in an experienced cornerback corps, though with both Carrie and Rhodes north of 30, the Colts still profile as a team that could add at this spot early in the draft.
Bills’ Trey Adams Retires
Bills tackle Trey Adams has retired from the NFL, per a post on his Instagram page. Once a highly-touted prospect, Adams has spent more time on the trainer’s table than the football field.
“Thank you football for everything,” Adams wrote. “I have put much thought into this decision and it is time for me to retire from the game that has given me so much…I will always be a [University of Washington] dawg! And thank you to the Buffalo Bills for believing in me. And to every teammate I’ve had, Thank you for being my brothers and I will never forget the long practices, conditioning and locker room talk. Love you boys.”
The UW product suffered a torn ACL in 2017 and missed much of 2018 with back trouble. Before that, Adams earned a first-team All-Pac-12 nod and second-team All-American honors in 2016. When he turned pro last year, the 6’7″, 304-pound blocker went undrafted and landed on the Bills’ practice squad.
The Bills won’t have Adams in camp, but they will have a few new blockers to consider for their Week 1 roster, including former Chargers lineman Forrest Lamp.
T.J. Carrie Meets With Bills
Colts cornerback T.J. Carrie recently met with the Bills (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). This marks Carrie’s second known visit of the offseason, following a get-together with the Saints.
[RELATED: Bills Interested In Jesse James]
Last year, Carrie recorded two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and two touchdowns for the Colts. His first score came off of a pick six against the Jets in Week 3. Then, against the Titans in Week 10, he found pay dirt again on a punt return. According to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, Carrie graded out as the 37th best cornerback in the NFL with a 67.9 overall grade.
Carrie was mostly used as a reserve last year, but he was first-string for much of his early Raiders tenure. With the Bills, he’d support top corners Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace while pushing for playing time with Taron Johnson, Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, and Cameron Lewis.
Bills Interested In Jesse James
The top tight ends have all found their new homes, but there are still some (relatively) big names left for the second wave. One of those is Jesse James, who is apparently on the radar of an AFC contender.
The Bills are interested in James, sources told Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork. Those same sources did caution that “they are not close to a contract.” James was released by the Lions last month just halfway through the four-year, $22.6MM pact he signed with Detroit back in 2019. James started his career as a fifth-round pick of the Steelers back in 2015. He flashed some potential in Pittsburgh, including with a 423-yard campaign in 2018.
That potential earned him the big contract from the Lions, but the Penn State product disappointed there. In 32 games (18 starts) over the past two years in Detroit, James has hauled in 30 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns. The Bills didn’t get a ton of production from the position in 2020 despite having a dynamic passing game overall, so it’s not too surprising they’re looking to add to the group.
2019 third-rounder Dawson Knox led the Bills’ tight ends with only 288 yards last season. Pauline writes that it could be a situation where Buffalo or another team looking for help there signs James on “Day 3 of the draft if they can’t come away with a tight end in Rounds 2-4.”
Buffalo already has a great receiving group highlighted by Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, so tight end is the natural spot to bolster as they look to take the next step in 2021.
NFL Distributes Performance-Based Payouts
Since 2002, the NFL’s performance-based pay system has rewarded low-salary players who exceed their expected playing time. This year, due to the pandemic, the league and the players’ union negotiated a gradual payout schedule, one that will meter out the money between now and 2024.
All in all, the league divested $8.5MM per club. This year’s top earner is Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa, a 2018 third-round pick who played every single snap for the eventual champs. Cappa will now receive an extra $622K on top of his $750K base salary for 2021. Per the union’s records, 25 other players also topped $500K, including Cardinals tackle Kelvin Beachum ($604K), Bills cornerback Taron Johnson ($579K), Rams guard Austin Corbett ($573K), Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye ($572K), Bears tackle Germain Ifedi ($571K), Steelers offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor ($568K), Vikings offensive lineman Dakota Dozier ($561K), Ravens safety DeShon Elliott ($557K) and Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead ($555K).
The full list, going team-by-team, can be found here, courtesy of the NFLPA.
Bills Sign Forrest Lamp
The Bills have signed guard Forrest Lamp to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely for something near the veteran’s minimum.
[RELATED: Bills Meet With Le’Raven Clark]
The Chargers selected Lamp in the second round of the 2017 draft to solidify their offensive line. Considered one of the safest offensive line prospects in the draft, the Western Kentucky product has yet to live up to that billing. Lamp’s first season was spiked by a torn ACL. After a knee procedure in 2018 and a broken ankle in 2019, Lamp suited up for just nine total games in his first three years under contract.
Injuries have kept him on the sidelines for much of his career, but he bounced back last year to play on 100% of his snaps last year. With the Bills, he has a chance to prove that the injury bug is behind him.