Saints Rework CB Bradley Roby’s Deal
Bradley Roby is staying in New Orleans. The Saints have agreed to a new deal with the cornerback, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This move will help the Saints open up some cap space while also assuring that Roby stays with the organization.
After reworking his contract last offseason, Roby’s cap hit was set at $10.169MM in 2022. Roby also has void years in 2023, 2024, 2025 at $25MM per year.
Roby is still playing out a three-year, $36MM deal he signed with the Texans in 2020. He was traded to New Orleans a year later for a third- and sixth-round pick, and he ended up seeing time in 14 games (one start) for his new team. Roby’s first season with the Saints saw him collect 23 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and one interception.
The Saints were one of the most cash-strapped teams in the NFL, but they’ve already done some work to get under the cap. Of course, the organization is also in the hunt for Deshaun Watson, so it’s not surprising that the front office continues to look for ways to clear money from their books.
Broncos To Add TE Eric Tomlinson
Last week’s Russell Wilson trade left the Broncos down a tight end, with Noah Fant going to the Seahawks. While Eric Tomlinson does not project as Fant’s replacement, the Broncos are adding the veteran to be part of the equation.
Tomlinson agreed to terms with the Broncos on Tuesday night, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. They will be Tomlinson’s sixth NFL team since debuting in 2016. This move comes after Tomlinson played all 17 games for the Ravens in 2021.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound blocking tight end only has 18 career catches — including just one last season — but he played 35% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps and was a frequent on-field presence with the Jets’ offense in the late 2010s. Tomlinson has also played for the Patriots, Raiders and Giants.
Denver now has Tomlinson and fellow blocking tight end/fullback Andrew Beck, whom the team tendered as an RFA. Albert Okwuegbunam resides as the team’s clear-cut top tight end, though it would not surprise to see the Broncos pair the third-year player with another veteran.
Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Sam Eguavoen
Sam Eguavoen is staying with the Dolphins. The linebacker is inking a new one-year deal with Miami, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
The one year pact will pay Eguavoen $2MM, with $800K of the deal fully guaranteed.
The Texas Tech product had to settle for a CFL gig after going undrafted in 2015, and he ended up spending three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He got a chance with the Dolphins in 2019, and he’s made the most of his opportunity, appearing in all 49 games for Miami over the past three years.
That includes a 2021 campaign where Eguavoen collected 16 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble-return touchdown in 17 games. While Eguavoen spent some time on defense, he had a particularly large role on special teams.
Colts To Re-Sign DL Tyquan Lewis
One of the Colts’ four second-round picks in the 2018 draft, Tyquan Lewis will stay with Indianapolis beyond his rookie contract. The Colts are re-signing the veteran defensive lineman, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Lewis agreed to stay on a one-year deal worth $3MM. This contract certainly suggests the Colts plan to keep Lewis in a rotational role.
The Ohio State product is one of a few Colts defensive ends who entered the tampering period unattached. Fellow 2018 second-rounder Kemoko Turay, veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad and Isaac Rochell are unsigned. The Colts used first- and second-round picks on defensive ends last year, in Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.
Lewis, 27, has started 12 games over his four-year Colts career. While he has not been able to establish himself as a consistent first-string presence, Lewis has recorded 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The 2.5 he accumulated last year came before a patellar tendon tear sustained on Halloween. This represents one of the toughest injuries to surmount, but the Colts would like to see Lewis continue his career with them.
Jets To Re-Sign DT Nathan Shepherd
Nathan Shepherd is sticking around New York. The Jets are re-signing the defensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
Shepherd was a third-round pick by the Jets in 2018, and while he’s never developed into a consistent starter with the organization, he’s still carved out a role on defense.
In four seasons with the team, Shepherd has seen time in 56 games (nine starts). That includes a 2021 campaign where he saw time in all 17 games for the Jets (one start), collecting 28 tackles and eight QB hits.
He saw time on 42 percent of his team’s defensive snaps and 30 percent of the Jets’ special teams snaps.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Eagles: G Nate Herbig
- Falcons: WR Olamide Zaccheaus
- Jaguars: S Andrew Wingard
- Raiders: S Dallin Leavitt
- Rams: K Matt Gay
- Steelers: S Marcus Allen, LB Robert Spillane ($2.433MM)
- 49ers: LB Azeez Al-Shaair, OL Daniel Brunskill
Non-tendered:
- Bengals: WR Stanley Morgan
- Buccaneers: DE Pat O’Connor
- Eagles: RB Boston Scott, WR Greg Ward
- Titans: FB Khari Blasingame
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chargers: WR Jalen Guyton, T Storm Norton
Contract Details: Crosby, Gregory, Campbell, Conner, Jensen, Dissly, Glowinski
Here are the details from the latest agreed-upon contracts around the league:
- Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): Four years, $94MM. The Raiders gave Crosby a $13MM signing bonus and have fully guaranteed his 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($3.5MM, $10MM), Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Crosby’s 2024 base ($19MM) will become fully guaranteed in 2023. Crosby’s 2025 and ’26 salaries ($21MM apiece) are nonguaranteed. There are $200K-per-year incentives included for All-Pro nods as well.
- Randy Gregory, OLB (Broncos): Five years, $70MM. Denver is giving Gregory a $10MM signing bonus and has the pass rusher attached to $4MM and $14MM base salaries in 2022 and ’23, respectively, per Brad Spielberger and Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (on Twitter). Both years are fully guaranteed, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Gregory’s deal includes $1MM roster bonuses in 2025 and ’26.
- De’Vondre Campbell, LB (Packers): Five years, $50MM. Green Bay is giving Campbell a $15MM signing bonus and has backloaded the base salaries. Campbell’s first two salaries check in at $1.1MM and $1.45MM, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. They spike to just north of $7MM by 2024. A $3MM roster bonus is also due on Day 3 of the 2023 league year, with a $2.9MM roster bonus due at the same point on the 2024 calendar.
- Ryan Jensen, C (Buccaneers): Three years, $39MM. Jensen will see $23MM fully guaranteed, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. His 2022 breakdown goes $1.5MM base salary and $12.5MM roster bonus. $9MM of Jensen’s $12.5MM 2023 base salary is fully guaranteed, and the other $3.5MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2023 league year.
- Will Dissly, TE (Seahawks): Three years, $24MM (max value). The deal includes a $9.3MM signing bonus but is light on guaranteed salary. Dissly’s $1MM 2022 salary is fully guaranteed, while Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets the 2023 base ($5.64MM) is guaranteed for injury. The injury-prone tight end’s 2024 base ($6.49MM) is nonguaranteed.
- James Conner, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $21MM. Conner’s deal includes $13.5MM guaranteed, per Kyed and Spielberger (on Twitter). Conner’s 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($1.75MM and $5.75MM) are fully guaranteed.
- Mark Glowinski, G (Giants): Three years, $18.3MM. The Giants included a $4.5MM signing bonus, and Glowinski will have cap figures of $3.35MM (2022), $7.75MM (2023) and $7.2MM (’24). Glowinski is due a $1MM roster bonus in 2023 (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan).
Colts To Re-Sign OL Matt Pryor
The Colts are bringing back Matt Pryor. The team is re-signing the offensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $5.5MM with $6MM upside.
The 2018 sixth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, starting 10 of his 27 games. The lineman was traded to Indy (along with a seventh-round pick) for a sixth-round pick prior to the 2021 season.
During his lone season with the Colts, the 27-year-old saw time in all 17 games, starting five. He saw time on 40 percent of his team’s offensive snaps and 19 percent of their special teams snaps.
Texans Rework OL Laremy Tunsil’s Contract
Laremy Tunsil is staying in Houston. The veteran offensive lineman has agreed to a restructured deal with the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
The Texans converted Tunsil‘s base salary into a signing bonus, opening $8.4MM in cap space. The team also reduced the player’s cap number from $26.1MM to $17.7MM. The lineman’s $18.5MM salary for 2023 remains unchanged. Tunsil inked a three-year, $66MM extension with the Texans in 2020.
Tunsil had been mentioned as a trade candidate, and reports confirmed that the two-time Pro Bowler was on the block. That was partly due to Tunsil’s salary, but former first-round pick Tytus Howard showed promise when playing at tackle last season, making the veteran expendable.
Tunsil was traded from the Dolphins to Houston in 2019 for a pair of first-round picks. He earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his first two seasons with the organization, but he missed out in 2021 after he was limited to only five games thanks to a thumb injury.
Panthers To Sign RB D’Onta Foreman
Christian McCaffrey should (hopefully) be back in full force next season, but his supporting cast will look a bit different. The Panthers are signing running back D’Onta Foreman, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Foreman will sign a one-year deal worth $2MM, according to Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
Foreman had a standout career at Texas, but he struggled to put it together during his first four seasons in the NFL. He finally emerged in 2021 with the Titans while filling in for Derrick Henry. Foreman ultimately finished last season with 566 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 133 carries. He also added another 123 yards via nine receptions.
The 2017 third-round pick previously spent time with Texans, Colts, Titans (first stint), and Falcons. Prior to 2021, Foreman had collected only 421 rushing yards in 17 career games.
Rookie Chuba Hubbard ended up starting 10 games as a rookie while filling in for McCaffrey last season, and the fourth-round pick will likely serve as McCaffrey’s top backup in 2022. Foreman could find himself third on the depth chart, but depending on the guarantees, he could end up competing with the likes of Ameer Abdullah and Spencer Brown for a roster spot. On the flip side, considering McCaffrey’s injury history, there’s a chance the team stocks up at the position.