Bears, DL Rasheem Green Agree To Deal
The Bears passed on big-ticket defensive line additions in free agency, but the organization will add another rotational option to Matt Eberflus‘ unit. Rasheem Green agreed to terms with Chicago on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
A former Seahawks and Texans pass rusher, Green will sign a one-year deal. The sixth-year edge rusher will follow DeMarcus Walker to the Windy City. While the Bears should be expected to use one of their early-round picks on a sack artist, they have added two experienced options since free agency’s outset.
[RELATED: Bears Host Jalen Carter On Visit]
Green will come over from Houston, where he recorded 3.5 sacks in 2022. His most productive year came in 2021 with the Seahawks, who used the former third-round pick as a starter. That season, Green totaled 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits. That campaign marks the only time Green started more than five games in a season; mostly, Seattle used the 6-foot-4 defender as a backup. Green, however, has topped a 50% defensive snap rate in each of his past four seasons. The Bears will see if the USC alum, who played in a 4-3 scheme as a Seahawk, can replicate that form in Eberflus’ 4-3 setup.
Last season brought a step back for Green, who played nearly 300 fewer defensive snaps compared to his 2021 Seattle contract year, when he logged 846. Green totaled 24 pressures in 2021; he finished last season with 12. The Texans have now let Green and Obo Okoronkwo depart in free agency, lining DeMeco Ryans‘ team up for significant edge additions in the draft. Okoronkwo signed with the Browns.
Going into his age-26 season, Green will join Walker as modest investments for a Bears team that broke up its high-priced Khalil Mack–Robert Quinn edge duo last year. The team finished last in the league in sacks in 2022. As should be expected, edge-rushing additions will be targeted. Green appears more of a flier than a solidified front-four presence, but he presents an interesting depth option for the rebuilding squad.
Draft Rumors: Bears, Jets, Patriots, Titans, Cardinals, Carter, Cowboys, Saints, Browns, Bucs, Jaguars, Ravens
Teams on the radar for tackle help will be meeting with one of the top options available. Georgia tackle Broderick Jones has at least four meetings on his pre-draft itinerary. Jones met with the Titans on Tuesday, will visit the Jets today and has his Patriots meeting on tap for Thursday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Each of these teams exited free agency’s early waves with a question mark at one of their two starting tackle positions. The Bears are meeting with Jones, and the Cardinals are also likely to huddle up with the tackle prospect, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
Jones played only two full college seasons, redshirting in 2020 and declaring for the draft after his sophomore year with the Bulldogs. Of course, both those campaigns ended with Georgia winning national championships. Jones saw action behind Chargers 2022 draftee Jamaree Salyer in 2021 and took over as the Bulldogs’ full-time left tackle last season, starting all 15 Georgia games. He earned first-team All-SEC recognition for his work. The 6-foot-5 blocker grades as ESPN.com’s No. 24 overall prospect, while NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah slots the one-year college starter 19th on his big board.
Here is the latest regarding this year’s draft pool:
- Like last year, Georgia stands to be well represented in the first round. The top ex-Bulldog available will be Jalen Carter, who has generated increased scrutiny in recent weeks. After the arrest warrant interrupted Carter’s Combine, Albert Breer of SI.com notes teams outside the top 10 begun digging into the high-end defensive tackle prospect. Carter, who will not face jail time in connection with the misdemeanor warrants that arrived in February, does not plan to take visits with teams picking outside the top 10. The teams picking beyond No. 10 look to have expressed increased interest after the charges, which have affected Carter’s stock to a degree. A mediocre pro day did as well. Carter is open to meeting with teams who could trade into the top 10, and Breer adds a Laremy Tunsil-like tumble out of the top 10 should not be ruled out based on some teams’ views.
- Joining Carter and Jones as first-round-caliber talents, defensive end Nolan Smith is on a few teams’ radars. Jeremiah’s No. 16 overall prospect, Smith met with the Buccaneers on Tuesday and will visit the Ravens and Jaguars later this week, Wilson notes. A torn pectoral muscle limited Smith to eight games in 2022, and he did not top 4.5 sacks in a season with the Bulldogs. But the explosive edge — he of a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Combine — is still viewed as a near-certainty to go off the board early. The Bucs and Ravens used first-round choices on an edge in 2021 (Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Odafe Oweh), while the Jaguars took Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker first overall last year.
- Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt visited the Cowboys on Tuesday and is meeting with the Saints today, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and The Score’s Jordan Schultz report (Twitter links). The Browns also hosted Hyatt this week, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Teaming with QB Hendon Hooker, Hyatt won the Biletnikoff award — given to the Division I-FBS’ top wideout — last season after catching 15 touchdown passes. After not exceeding 300 receiving yards in his first two college seasons, Hyatt broke through for 1,267 in 2022. The slender receiver sits 36th on Jeremiah’s board; Scouts Inc. slots him 44th. The Saints have also met with Hooker.
- In addition to Hyatt, the Cowboys hosted Trenton Simpson, per Rapoport, who adds a Browns visit is also on tap for the former Clemson linebacker. Simpson started for two seasons at Clemson, pairing 65 tackles with 6.5 sacks as a junior. This is not viewed as a strong off-ball linebacker class. Both Jeremiah and Scouts Inc. rate Simpson as the top ILB available; he appears outside the top 40 on both big boards.
Texans, Lions, Bears Host Will Anderson Jr.; Houston Not Locked Into QB At No. 2?
Pre-draft visit season is in full swing, and the Texans are once again in possession of a top-three pick. The rebuilding team has long been expected to go with a quarterback at No. 2 overall, but GM Nick Caserio has not yet rushed into choosing a potential long-term Deshaun Watson replacement.
The Texans have met with Will Anderson Jr., Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Houston joins Chicago and Detroit in having met with the sought-after edge rusher. The Bears and Lions have made their plans known at quarterback, committing to Justin Fields and Jared Goff for 2023. The Texans’ meeting obviously proves more interesting.
Houston has been linked to Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Young and Will Levis have met with the Texans on pre-draft visits, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds Stroud will do so Wednesday (Twitter link). Expected to be the second team to take a quarterback in this draft, the Texans are not a lock to do so. Were Caserio not to love a quarterback who will be available at 2, NBC Sports’ Peter King hears some chatter the Texans could draft Anderson, who is considered a safer bet. The team has not scheduled a meeting with Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
In this scenario, King notes the Texans could use their No. 12 overall pick to trade back into position for one of the top quarterbacks. But taking Anderson at 2 and sacrificing future draft capital for perhaps the draft’s third- or fourth-best QB may not be the best plan from a value standpoint, but if the Texans like Anderson that much, it is a potential blueprint to monitor. The Texans do not have much in the way of edge talent, having lost Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to the Browns in free agency. DeMeco Ryans built his head coaching candidacy on the strength of strong defensive lines. The Texans have signed Sheldon Rankins and still have Maliek Collins under contract, but they are light on edge-rushing presences.
This should still be considered the less likely route for Houston, and King expects Caserio to indeed commit to a quarterback at 2. This marks the GM’s second draft with Watson in the rearview mirror, and after making his first two HC hires (David Culley, Lovie Smith) one-and-dones, Caserio has likely moved closer to the hot seat. Passing on a quarterback — potentially a former Heisman winner in Young, as the Panthers have been more closely linked to Stroud as of late — in this spot will inject more risk into Caserio’s situation.
Anderson has recorded 27.5 sacks over the past two seasons; ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades the two-time Bronko Nagurski trophy recipient as the second-best prospect in this year’s draft. Anderson sits between Young and Stroud on that list, further illustrating the risk the Texans would take by going with the acclaimed edge rusher. Both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s most recent mock drafts have Houston taking Young at 2.
Holding the No. 6 pick, the Lions may be sitting a bit low for Anderson, who would obviously make for an intriguing pass rusher on an Aidan Hutchinson-anchored defensive line. Three quarterbacks are expected to be taken in the top five, though Richardson and Levis’ statuses are more difficult to peg compared to Stroud and Young’s. Anderson’s availability could depend on where the Cardinals end up — should they trade out of No. 3 overall — and how the Seahawks proceed at 5. Even if all four top QBs go in the top five, it would still leave one slot available for Anderson, whom both McShay and Kiper have as the first non-passer off the board. The Bears are eyeing pass-rushing help, but Anderson will probably be out of their reach at No. 9.
DT Jalen Carter Visits Eagles, To Meet With Bears
Jalen Carter remains confident he will be a top-10 pick in this draft. Despite multiple stock-dropping developments in the leadup to the draft, Carter will not meet with teams who hold first-round picks outside the top 10, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he will decline meeting requests for teams picking beyond 10. Teams that do hold early choices are doing their homework on the talented defensive tackle. The Eagles have met with Carter, per Schefter, who adds the Bears are planning a visit Monday. Carter, whom NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah lists as the fifth-best prospect in this year’s draft, is also planning to meet with the Raiders, who hold the No. 7 overall pick.
By virtue of their pre-draft trade with the Saints last year, the Eagles hold the No. 10 overall pick. After collecting a pre-free agency haul from the Panthers for the top draft choice, the Bears are set to pick at No. 9. Chicago was not particularly active at the pass-rushing spots in free agency, despite finishing last season with the league’s fewest sacks (20). But the rebuilding team is planning to add on its defensive line. The draft, where the Bears hold three picks before Round 2 concludes, represents the most likely avenue for such augmentation.
The Eagles are fond of big-ticket line investments, as their 2022 depth chart reinforced, and the defending NFC champions lost Javon Hargrave to the 49ers in free agency. The Eagles drafted ex-Carter Georgia D-tackle mate Jordan Davis in last year’s first round. Philadelphia also re-signed Fletcher Cox, but the Eagles mainstay is going into his age-33 season.
One of the best players available in this year’s prospect pool, Carter has seen his offseason defined by negative headlines. He faced two misdemeanor charges in connection with a fatal car accident, having been at the scene when Georgia recruiting analyst Chandler Lecroy and offensive lineman Devin Willock died from injuries sustained in a January wreck. Carter was driving a separate vehicle that night, but authorities indicated he and Lecroy were “operating in a manner consistent with racing.” Lecroy’s blood-alcohol level was at .197 at the time of the crash, which was initially deemed a single-car accident. Carter, who did not face a charge connected with drunk driving, left the Combine following the arrest warrant and will not face any jail time in connection with the charges.
Carter reached a plea agreement with Athens-Clarke County solicitors last month, agreeing to a deal that mandated a $1K fine, community service and a driving course. Shortly before that deal came to pass, Carter struggled at Georgia’s pro day. Weighing 314 pounds at the Combine, the interior pass rusher came in nine pounds heavier at his pro day and did not finish his position drills. These hurdles notwithstanding, multiple scouts told ESPN.com’s Matt Miller they do not see Carter falling out of the top 10 (Twitter link).
The Bears are believed to have expressed some reservations about Carter, so this upcoming visit will be one of the more interesting intel-gathering efforts of this pre-draft process. Chicago added DeMarcus Walker in free agency but should still be considered likely to add at both defensive end and D-tackle before training camp.
Bears Eyeing Pass-Rushing Help
The Bears entered free agency with a significant cap-space edge on the rest of the league. They pursued Mike McGlinchey and added Nate Davis, but linebacker — via the top-five ILB contract they gave Tremaine Edmunds and the addition of T.J. Edwards — represented the team’s primary focus on this year’s market.
But the Bears looked into splashier additions on their defensive line. Chicago pursued the top D-linemen on this year’s market, Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Defensive tackle featured higher-end talent compared to edge rusher, with the likes of Javon Hargrave (49ers), Dre’Mont Jones (Seahawks) and Zach Allen (Broncos) each going for at least $15MM per year. Hargrave went to San Francisco on a contract — four years, $84MM — that ties for the third-highest AAV among interior D-linemen.
Edge rusher did not supply as many options, but most of the top edges available at free agency’s outset remain unattached. Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark and ex-Bears first-rounder Leonard Floyd are available, along with the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram. The Bears do not profile as a 2023 contender, making a hired gun-type veteran less logical. But the team, which did sign hybrid D-lineman DeMarcus Walker, is looking for more help at the position.
While the Bears should not be ruled out from adding one of these defensive ends, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs notes the more likely path will be via the draft. But Matt Eberflus confirmed the position will be a priority. The Bears, who traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn in 2022, finished with a league-worst 20 sacks last season. No Chicago D-lineman totaled more than three.
“You guys know and you can see it. We obviously need some spots on our whole football team, but certainly our lines,” Eberflus said, via Jahns. “We’re still working on that, still going to be a work in progress. We’ll be looking for different avenues through the draft and free agency to … address that.”
Trading down from No. 1 to No. 9 will likely remove the Bears from draft real estate necessary to select Alabama’s Will Anderson, whom ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades as this class’ second-best prospect. The first non-quarterback-choosing team will undoubtedly consider Anderson. But the other top-slotted edges among this crop — Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech), Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) and Myles Murphy (Clemson) — could be on the board when Ryan Poles‘ team selects.
Chicago also acquired Carolina’s second-round pick in the March swap for the No. 1 overall choice, giving the NFC North team two second-rounders (Nos. 53 and 61). The Bears, who obtained No. 53 in the Roquan Smith trade, used their own second-round pick to acquire Chase Claypool from the Steelers at the deadline. While Biggs adds tackle and cornerback also profile as top need areas for the rebuilding team, the Bears should be expected to come away with a defensive end with one of their three first- or second-rounders.
Bears, Vikings Pursued David Montgomery; Lions Pivoted After Jamaal Williams Rejected Offer
While this year’s running back market did not produce a top-10 contract at the position, some interesting dominoes fell. Perhaps none more so than David Montgomery, who left the Bears to be the Lions’ Jamaal Williams replacement.
The Lions gave Montgomery a three-year, $18MM deal that includes $8.75MM fully guaranteed. The Bears wanted to retain their veteran starter, however, with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley indicating the team believed it made a competitive offer. It just was not enough to keep Montgomery in the Windy City, something GM Ryan Poles said he was interested in doing earlier this offseason.
Chicago’s offer did not include any guaranteed money beyond Year 1 of the deal, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Montgomery can collect $2.25MM in additional funds if he is on the Lions’ roster on Day 3 of the 2024 league year. Seeing as it would cost the Lions more than $6MM in dead money to cut Montgomery before that bonus date, it represents a good bet this will be at least a two-year partnership. Only Miles Sanders received more fully guaranteed money among running backs in free agency this year.
“I would just kind of sum it up by saying players do have a choice,’’ Poles said of Montgomery’s decision, via Finley. ‘‘I thought we communicated well. I thought we negotiated well. At the same time, you don’t always know what’s going on in the background. But I thought we did a good job. We were transparent, we were organized and it just — it didn’t happen.”
Montgomery’s $6MM AAV matches the deal Williams played on from 2021-22. Williams said (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) the Lions’ offer was disrespectful, leading him to the Saints on a three-year accord worth $12MM ($8.15MM fully guaranteed). The Lions did not pivot to Montgomery, 25, until Williams, 27, rejected their offer. Lions GM Brad Holmes said conversations with Williams’ agent at the Combine led him to believe the parties were closing in on another agreement.
“From a budgeting and planning standpoint pre-free agency, we had an allotment of resources set aside, really for Jamaal,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “Didn’t really even really consider another running back higher than that amount of resources that we set aside for Jamaal. And business happens and that’s part of this business and it just didn’t work.
“We tried, but when the market crystallized and it got to a point where David was in play, kind of within the range of resources that we had set aside, then that’s when we went ahead and went forward with David, which we’re extremely excited about.”
The Lions likely offered Williams a deal with similar terms as Montgomery’s, Biggs adds, pointing to the league’s 2022 rushing touchdown leader slightly miscalculating his market. The ex-Packers draftee still landed on his feet with the Saints, though his AAV is down compared to his Lions contract. Williams will move into position as Alvin Kamara insurance. Kamara could face a six-game suspension due to his February 2022 battery arrest.
As both NFC North teams believed they were on track to retain their starting backs, Biggs adds the Vikings also pursued Montgomery. It is unclear if Minnesota made Montgomery an offer, but this interest adds another layer to what has become an intriguing divisional backfield outlook. Dalvin Cook‘s seat remains uncertain, and multiple teams viewed the perennial Pro Bowler as available ahead of free agency. A day Montgomery committed to the Lions, the Vikings gave longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison a two-year, $7MM deal that comes nearly fully guaranteed.
A day after Mattison’s agreement, the Bears gave D’Onta Foreman a one-year deal worth just $2MM ($1MM guaranteed). Foreman will team with Khalil Herbert in Chicago, though Biggs suggests the Bears adding to their backfield in the draft should not be ruled out. This intra-divisional shakeup involved the upper echelon of free agent backs, as the second wave at the position — from the Dolphins’ duo to Samaje Perine to Devin Singletary to Damien Harris — did not eclipse $3MM guaranteed. It will be interesting to see how the Bears and Lions fare with reshaped backfields.
Bears To Re-Sign QB Nathan Peterman
Each of the top two members of Chicago’s quarterback depth chart from last season will be in place for 2023. The Bears are re-signing backup QB Nathan Peterman, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
The former Bills fifth-rounder had an unflattering start to his career in Buffalo, but he landed a backup role with the Raiders starting in 2019. He ended up making only two appearances with his second team across his time with them, however, and finished his tenure there on the team’s practice squad.
As a free agent, the 28-year-old moved on for the second time in his career last offseason. Peterman inked a one-year contract with the Bears, giving the team a veteran presence behind starter Justin Fields. The latter took a step forward (at least in terms of rushing production) in 2022, to the point where general manager Ryan Poles repeatedly stated the team’s intention of keeping him as their starting signal-caller. That was confirmed when the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft to the Panthers earlier this month.
Fields operated as the full-time starter when healthy last season, but Peterman was able to make one start amidst his three total appearances. His numbers in that brief spell (56% completion percentage, 68.6 passer rating and 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio) certainly weren’t enough to convince the Bears – or any other team – that anything other than a QB2 role would be in store for Peterman in 2023 and beyond.
With this new deal, he will be able to continue his stay in the Windy City as a familiar face in the Bears’ quarterbacks room. Fellow veteran Tim Boyle, who was brought in late during the 2022 season as insurance and made one appearance in Chicago, remains unsigned. He will likely be headed elsewhere in the near future, with the Bears set under center for 2023.
Latest On Georgia DL Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter entered the offseason as a probable top-three pick and potential number-one pick. He has since been hit with two misdemeanor chargers stemming from a fatal car accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. Carter was charged with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing but avoided jail time via a plea agreement.
Since then, we’ve learned that Carter’s pro day left scouts less than impressed. The defensive lineman reportedly put on weight leading up to Georgia’s pro day and put on a “less than stellar” performance. Carolina’s trade for the first-overall pick ended Carter’s hopes of going No. 1, but it remains to be seen how these recent developments will ultimately impact his draft stock.
The Lions could end up being a fit for the defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit will host Carter on a top-30 visit. The Lions are currently armed with the No. 6 pick in the draft, but they could see some competition for Carter from non-QB-needy squads like the Cardinals (No. 3) and Seahawks (No. 5). As Birkett notes, the Lions could certainly use a player of Carter’s caliber on their defensive line, and GM Brad Holmes said the organization would leave “no stone unturned” as they evaluated their first-round options.
“Honestly, you’ve heard me preach intangibles since Day 1, and I’m a firm believer still that intangibles are the separators of success,” Holmes said (via Birkett). “You look at an Amon-Ra St. Brown, he’s a talented player, but his intangibles are as good as it gets and that’s why he has the success that he has. And there’s countless other players I could name to rattle off, but talent is one thing while the intangible piece, the character piece, are components. But it doesn’t make up the whole picture and the totality of the evaluation.”
If Carter sees a significant slide down the draft board, the Bears could be a landing spot at No. 9. The defensive tackle was a potential target for the organization before they traded the first-overall pick. Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that the Bears were hesitant about the prospect even before the charges, with some scouts questioning the player’s intangibles. It would be difficult for an organization to put their faith in that kind of player with the No. 1 pick, but the Bears may be more willing to take a risk with the ninth-overall selection.
Draft Rumors: Commanders, Texans, Bears, Titans, Panthers, Raiders, Falcons
Reported as a team not interested in Lamar Jackson, the Commanders are indeed going in another direction at quarterback. Ron Rivera confirmed Tuesday his team will not pursue the dual-threat superstar and, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, never considered doing so (Twitter link).
“It was something we feel didn’t suit what we want to do,” Rivera said. “We know he’s a tremendous player. I just didn’t think that was the direction we wanted to go.”
Washington, however, will likely be hosting other quarterbacks during the pre-draft process. The team will not rule out taking a QB in Round 1, Rivera said Tuesday (Twitter link). The Commanders hold the No. 16 overall pick; they will almost definitely need to complete a vault up the draft board to land one of the top four QBs. The Panthers will take a quarterback first overall, while the Texans, Colts, Seahawks, Raiders, Falcons and Titans — each a QB suitor or a team that would make sense as such — sit ahead of them. The Commanders passed on trading up for Justin Fields or Mac Jones two years ago and had Carson Wentz in place in 2022, tabling draft matters at the position.
Here is the latest from the draft circuit:
- The Texans have already brought in Will Levis and Anthony Richardson for pre-draft visits, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Houston will also host Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud on “30” visits soon. On track to draft a first-round quarterback for the first time since Deshaun Watson in 2017, the Texans should be expected to consider the top four options. Their Week 18 win in Indianapolis, however, allowed the Bears to leapfrog them for the draft’s top slot. The Panthers now hold that pick and will have first dibs on this year’s QB crop.
- Before making their trade with the Panthers, the Bears discussed trading back with the Texans — as part of a multi-trade effort to accumulate picks — Ryan Poles said recently (via NBC Sports’ Peter King). That scenario would have had the Bears trading from No. 1 to 2 to 9, putting the Texans at first overall and the Panthers at No. 2, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes negotiations with the Texans dragged while Panthers talks accelerated. Poles said his relationship with Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, dating back to duo’s days as scouts, helped the process. Giving Fields a chance to grow with a new regime, the Bears now hold the No. 9 overall pick this year.
- At least five teams will meet with Richardson before the draft. The Panthers, Colts, Raiders, Falcons and Titans will get together with the Florida-developed passer, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets. Each team holds a top-11 pick, and it can be considered a lock reps from each will be on-hand at Richardson’s pro day Thursday in Gainesville.
- Titans GM Ran Carthon, HC Mike Vrabel and assistant GM Chad Brinker were among the seven Tennessee staffers at Stroud’s pro day last week, The Athletic’s John Rexrode notes (subscription required). The Panthers topped that, sending a whopping 14 staffers to Columbus for Stroud’s throwing event. Stroud met with the Panthers, Raiders, Seahawks and Titans, Breer adds. Carthon and Vrabel, however, were also at Levis’ pro day last week, Breer tweets. Pete Carroll and John Schneider went to Kentucky to represent the Seahawks for that event, too. Carthon also attended Young’s pro day. While the new Tennessee GM gave some support for four-year Titans starter Ryan Tannehill, it was far from a full-fledged endorsement.
- Josh McDaniels said the Raiders are open to taking a QB at No. 7 overall, despite signing Jimmy Garoppolo, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes he and GM Dave Ziegler observed Stroud and Young’s pro days. In addition to the Raiders meeting with Levis before his pro day, Tafur adds the Kentucky QB will visit Las Vegas soon. McDaniels did not rule out the Raiders adding a veteran backup as well; Jarrett Stidham left for a two-year, $10MM Broncos deal. The team’s presence at pro days also could serve as a way to drive up trade interest in the No. 7 pick.
Contract Details: Hardman, Foreman, Edmunds, Crowder, Seumalo, Dillard
Here are some details on recent new contracts around the NFL:
- Andre Dillard, T (Titans): Three years, $29MM. The contract, according to McLane, has a guaranteed amount of $13MM, $10MM of which is guaranteed at signing. The $10MM consists of a $5.99MM signing bonus, Dillard’s first year salary of $1.01MM, and $3MM of his second year base salary (worth a total of $9MM). The remaining $3MM of guaranteed money is also part of Dillard’s 2024 salary and fully guarantees on the fifth league day of the 2024 season. His 2025 base salary is worth a total of $11.5MM. The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000. Dillard can also receive an additional $2MM in playing time incentives. The Titans built a potential out into the contract that allows the team to cut Dillard after 2024 with $3.59MM in dead cap but $16.79MM in cap savings over the following three years, two of which are void years.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Steelers): Three years, $24MM. The deal, according to McLane, has a guaranteed amount of $6.95MM composed of Seumalo’s signing bonus. He’ll receive a base salary of $1.3MM in 2023, $7.88MM in 2024, and $6.88MM in 2025. Seumalo can also receive a 2025 roster bonus of $1MM that guarantees on the third league day of the 2025 season.
- Mecole Hardman, WR (Jets): One year, $4.5MM. The deal, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN, has a guaranteed amount of $4.08MM, $3MM of which is the signing bonus guaranteed at signing. Hardman’s 2023 cap hit will be $1.88MM due to four void years used to spread out his cap numbers. He’ll have an opportunity to make an additional $2MM from incentives this year.
- D’Onta Foreman, RB (Bears): One year, $2MM. The contract according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of a $375,000 signing bonus and $625,000 of his base salary (worth a total of $1.53MM). Foreman can earn an additional $1MM from incentives based on rushing yards, touchdowns, and the playoffs to push the maximum value of his contract to $3MM.
- Terrell Edmunds, S (Eagles): One year, $2MM. The deal, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 consisting of a $250,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of his 2023 base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The contract includes a per game active roster bonus of $39,411 for a potential season total of $670,000. Edmunds can also receive an additional $850,000 in incentives based on team improvements and individual performance.
- Jamison Crowder, WR (Giants): One year, $1.32MM. The contract, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, has a guaranteed amount of $27,500 composed of Crowder’s signing bonus. The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $5,882 for a potential season total of $100,000.