Texans Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Cowboys, McCarthy, Robinson

April 6th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys hosted a number of 2024 NFL Draft prospects for “top 30” visits this week. The visiting group included potential first-round targets like Taliese Fuaga, Graham Barton, and Darius Robinson as well as projected Day 2 selection Junior Colson.

Fuaga, an offensive tackle out of Oregon State, and Barton, a projected interior offensive lineman out of Duke, make sense considering the Cowboys’ losses on offensive line this offseason of Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz. If Fuaga is able to start, this would allow Dallas to keep Tyler Smith at guard, where he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. In order to land Fuaga, though, the Cowboys would likely have to trade up earlier into the first round. Barton played left tackle for the Blue Devils for the last couple of years, but his early college film at center shows the versatility that he could bring at the NFL level.

Robinson, a defensive end out of Missouri, feels like the typical Cowboys pass rusher selection and adds depth to a position that saw Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler follow former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington. A bigger defensive end, Robinson could provide some versatility across the defensive line and may be available long enough for the Cowboys to trade back to collect some extra picks and still select him. Colson, a linebacker out of Michigan, would be a nice addition to a position that could use some attention with Micah Parsons spending more time at end. While he’s likely a second- or third-round pick, he’s worth note as he’s expected to be the first linebacker off the board.

Here are a couple of other rumors making the rounds in the weeks leading up to this month’s draft:

We have seen the draft stock of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy soaring over the last few weeks. Once considered a tier-two quarterback behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the polarizing McCarthy has somehow found himself in consideration for the No. 2 overall draft selection. While his stock continues to inflate, Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan pointed out some of the red flags that have some scouts feeling less than confident about the former Wolverine. McCarthy has been compared to former Steelers’ first-round pick Kenny Pickett “due to his inability to drive the ball down the field.” His strong sense of timing made up for a lack of arm strength in college, but some worry that it will prevent him from being able to make some throws at the NFL level. While he’s almost guaranteed to be a first-round pick due to the top-heavy nature of the position this year, many don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy.
Chop Robinson is set to be the next pass rusher out of Penn State to be selected in the first round. The projected Day 1 edge rusher had already taken visits with the Eagles, Ravens, and Saints, but Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz informs us that visits with the Giants and Jets were scheduled for this past week, as well. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 adds that the Texans have Robinson firmly on their radar after meeting with him at the NFL scouting combine.

Texans Remove Final Three Seasons From Stefon Diggs’ Contract

April 5th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 5: One benefit from this unexpected move will come in the form of 2024 cap space. The Texans replaced the Diggs years with three void years, adding a fourth to spread out the wide receiver’s cap hit through 2027. Diggs’ 2024 cap number has dropped to $5.88MM, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. A restructure could have created this cap space as well, and the Texans now have a $16.64MM dead money number — in the event Diggs does not sign an extension before the 2025 league year — staring at them.

APRIL 4: A day after trading for Stefon Diggs, the Texans are making an interesting adjustment to the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s contract. Diggs’ Bills-constructed deal ran through 2027; that is no longer the case.

The Texans are removing the 2025, 2026 and 2027 season from the contract, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Diggs is now set to become a free agent in 2025. The Texans moved $3.5MM in 2025 guarantees up to 2024, running that amount to $22.52MM. This was a mutual decision, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.

Teams do not exactly make a habit of ceding contractual control, so nixing three years of a high-profile player’s contract represents an unusual development. The Texans will certainly ensure Diggs is motivated to succeed in 2024, as a fourth contract would stand to await him next year. But they now run the risk of losing the six-time 1,000-yard receiver after one season.

Houston does, however, hold exclusive negotiating rights with Diggs until March 2025. The parties could work out another deal. Unless something is already in place, the team has introduced a unnecessary risk into this equation. As SI.com’s Albert Breer notes, Diggs checking in with a $22.5MM cap number would spike his 2025 franchise tag figure north of $27MM. That would make a tag prohibitive for Houston. Because the Texans adjusted Diggs’ deal, they would not be entitled to a compensatory pick if he departs in 2025.

The Bears did not adjust Keenan Allen‘s contract upon trading for the longtime Chargers WR, who drew interest from the Texans. While teams have made trade-and-extend moves for wideouts in the recent past — Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Davante Adams each signed new deals upon being moved in 2022 — those players all had one season left on their previous contracts or, in Adams’ case, were franchise-tagged. Diggs was tied to a four-year, $96MM deal that featured four remaining years, separating this decision from those early-2020s calls.

When the Bills acquired Diggs from the Vikings in 2020, he remained on his Minnesota contract — a $14.4MM-per-year deal that ran through the 2024 season — over his first two Buffalo seasons. The Bills and Diggs huddled up on the above-referenced $24MM-per-year deal in 2022, and the extension years were just set to begin. Diggs, 30, now has an unexpected opportunity to become a first-time free agent next year.

At the time of the trade Wednesday morning, it appears the Texans would have Diggs’ $24MM-AAV contract aligned with C.J. Stroud‘s remaining rookie-deal seasons. Stroud must be kept on a rookie contract through at least 2025. The Texans had the ability to easily escape from Diggs’ deal after the 2024 season. While removing these years could reignite Diggs — who offered a low-wattage conclusion to his 2023 season — a rebound season would also stand to up his value ahead of free agency. That would work against Houston, even if Stroud presents a nice drawing card for the nine-year veteran.

As it stands, the Texans certainly appear confident they will be able to retain Diggs beyond 2024. If not, they sent a Vikings-obtained second-round pick to Buffalo for one year of Diggs, who will turn 31 in November.

Bills Trade WR Stefon Diggs To Texans

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Stefon Diggs era in Buffalo will end after four seasons. The AFC East champions are trading the star wide receiver to the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. Both teams have since announced the trade.

The Bills will receive a 2025 second-round pick, according to Schefter, who adds the Texans will pick up Diggs, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth. This will bring a decorated but mercurial period to a close for the Bills and Diggs. The 2025 second-rounder originally belonged to the Vikings, who packaged it in a deal to acquire the Texans’ No. 23 overall pick this year.

It will also arm C.J. Stroud with a high-end weapon. With Stroud on a rookie contract, the Texans are bringing in one of the NFL’s most lucrative receiver deals. This move comes after the Texans had considered trading for Keenan Allen. Both high-end wideouts have six 1,000-yard seasons on their respective resumes, but Diggs — at 30 — is more than a year younger.

This, of course, marks the second time Diggs has been dealt in his career. The first such trade changed the Bills’ trajectory. Josh Allen‘s path to stardom reached a clear pivot point when the Bills acquired Diggs during the 2020 offseason. They landed the five-year Vikings wideout for a package headlined by a first-round selection. With Diggs set to turn 31 later this year and tied to a big-ticket contract, his price tag dropped.

Buffalo kept Diggs on his Minnesota-constructed contract for two seasons but handed out a four-year, $96MM deal during the 2022 offseason. Four years remain on that contract. While Diggs’ deal sits fifth in terms of wide receiver AAV, the Texans do not have too much money allocated to their skill positions. Diggs’ contract will overlap with Tank Dell and Nico Collins‘ rookie pacts. In clear rebuilding mode to start Nick Caserio‘s GM tenure, the Texans went into last year without any payment north of $7MM at the skill positions. They have now re-signed Dalton Schultz (three years, $36MM) and signed up to add Diggs, who will join Joe Mixon as a trade pickup in Houston.

For Buffalo, this will certainly mark a sea change. Diggs ripped off four straight 1,100-plus-yard seasons with the Bills. That included two 1,400-yard years. The elite route runner gave the Bills a bona fide No. 1 target after they had lacked one for the better part of the 21st century. The addition rocketed Allen onto the superstar tier. The Bills ventured to the AFC championship game in Diggs’ first year in New York, winning their first playoff games since 1995. Diggs, of course, was not the sole reason for Buffalo’s resurgence. But he played one of the central roles.

While the Texans are set to roll out a Diggs-Dell-Collins receiver trio, the Bills have now lost Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason. Buffalo did add Curtis Samuel and saw Khalil Shakir make key contributions down the stretch, but it appears likely the AFC power will need to come out of the draft with a major WR pickup. Fortunately, this year brings another deep crop at the position. Considering their Super Bowl window ahead of Allen’s age-28 season, this trade certainly ramps up the pressure on the Sean McDermott–Brandon Beane duo.

Diggs’ Bills relationship both traversed rocky terrain and ended on a low note. A confusing situation developed at minicamp last year, with Diggs leaving the team’s facility unexpectedly. McDermott referred to the exit as an excused absence, but he also called the Diggs situation “very concerning.” Allen attempted to downplay the matter, and Diggs soon said he wanted to finish his career in Buffalo. This all came after Diggs stormed out of the Bills’ locker room and needed to be brought back following the team’s divisional-round loss to the Bengals last year. A report indicated Diggs was frustrated by his role in Buffalo’s offense, one that had consistently featured him as the lead weapon. Diggs later denied that was the case.

As last season progressed, Diggs also became a lesser part of the Bills’ offense. As the team regrouped following a 5-5 start — one that led to Ken Dorsey‘s firing and Joe Brady‘s elevation to OC — Diggs did not offer WR1-level production. Allen needed to rely on Shakir and a James Cook-powered run game to drag the Bills to their fourth straight AFC East title. Diggs finished with 1,183 yards but only eclipsed 50 in two of Buffalo’s final seven games. Diggs added a crucial drop late in the Bills’ narrow divisional-round loss to the Chiefs; he caught just three passes for 21 yards in that 27-24 defeat.

This move will also be financially punitive for the Bills. Due to signing bonus proration, the team will be hit with more than $31MM in dead money. While the second-round pick being acquired will be important, Buffalo will see this money accelerate onto its 2024 salary cap due to the deal being finalized before June 1. In terms of single-season dead cap hits, Diggs’ ranks fifth in NFL history (h/t Spotrac). For non-QBs, the $31MM hit sets a record.

Rather than restructure Diggs’ deal to create cap space, the Bills are taking on considerable pain now. That will increase an uphill battle for a Bills team that has also moved on from Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White this offseason. Diggs’ $18.5MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed. Beyond that, Houston has some flexibility.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Texans are spending in a way they have not under Caserio. The Bill Belichick disciple has greenlit this Diggs deal following the Schultz re-up, Mixon trade and a few defensive augmentations — headlined by the near-fully guaranteed Danielle Hunter accord. With Stroud and Will Anderson tied to rookie deals through at least 2025, the Texans are operating with urgency.

As this represents a risk for a Bills team attempting to stay near the AFC’s top tier, the dead money here certainly suggests the organization believed this relationship had run its course. The Texans are not giving up too much for the 10th-year veteran, but they are acquiring a player with some baggage — Diggs clashed with Vikings brass during his final Minnesota year as well — and one coming off an unremarkable finish to last season. Still, Diggs brings an impressive pedigree to Houston. He will now join younger brother Trevon Diggs in Texas; the Texans play both the Bills and Cowboys in 2024.

AFC Restructures: Howard, Mason, Wilson

April 3rd, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans front office did some work recently to help with their cap situation. The bigger of their two recent moves saw them address the contract of veteran offensive tackle Tytus Howard, per Field Yates of ESPN.

Howard agreed to a restructured contract in which Houston converted $12.88MM of his 2024 base salary (originally worth $14MM) into a signing bonus. The Texans also added two void years onto the end of his existing deal. The adjustments to his contract resulted in the clearance of $10.3MM of cap space for Houston.

Here are a few other restructured deals seen recently around the AFC:

Houston also adjusted the contract of fellow offensive lineman Shaq Mason, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The new deal saw the Texans convert $8.04MM of Mason’s 2024 base salary (originally worth $9.25MM) into a signing bonus while, once again, adding two voidable years to the end of the contract. The resulting changes added an additional $6.4MM to Houston’s salary cap space.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald informed us that a restructured deal was also underway for Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson. The new contract is a one-year, $1.2MM deal with $600K of guaranteed money, including a $300K signing bonus. The restructure results in approximately $750K of additional cap space for New England. Wilson’s new deal also contains a $200K workout bonus, $500K in potential per game active roster bonuses, $416K in incentives that are likely to be earned, and $750K in incentives classified as not likely to be earned.

Texans’ Offer Changed Bills’ Stefon Diggs Plan

April 3rd, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cutting the cord on a productive but stressful Stefon Diggs period, the Bills are eating the most dead money ever brought on by a wide receiver. They accepted a Texans offer centered around a 2025 second-round pick, effectively resetting at wide receiver during an offseason that had already seen the AFC power part with a few veteran pieces.

The Bills, however, were believed to be planning to keep Diggs for the 2024 season. Despite the headaches the talented wideout had been known to cause, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia and Dianna Russini indicate GM Brandon Beane had Diggs in his plans — as he had said previously this offseason (subscription required). While decision-makers often backtrack on such statements via subsequent trades, the Bills were still aiming to retain Diggs as his extension years started.

Given the $31.1MM in dead money hitting Buffalo’s 2024 cap sheet, it makes sense the team was moving forward with the perennial Pro Bowler. But the Texans called about the nine-year veteran Tuesday, per The Athletic, and the Bills discussed the deal to the point ownership was brought in on the matter. Buffalo agreed to the terms this morning, sending Diggs to Houston to team with Nico Collins and Tank Dell around C.J. Stroud‘s rookie contract. As the Texans load up around a rookie contract, the Bills are retooling around their veteran QB accord.

While the structure of Diggs’ 2022 extension will put the Bills in a tough spot this year, the team looks to have viewed a future second-rounder — initially a Vikings pick obtained by the Texans last month — as sufficient value for a player who would have been less likely to fetch such an asset as he aged. Diggs will turn 31 this season. Considering Keenan Allen commanded only a fourth-rounder last month, Diggs bringing back a second-round choice — one tied to a Minnesota team that just lost Kirk Cousins — brought decent value for a player who struggled down the stretch of his age-30 season.

Beane said (via the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran) the Bills are “by no means” taking a step back, but the four-time reigning division champs have moved on from several longtime starters this offseason. They released seven-year safety starter Jordan Poyer, five-year center bastion Mitch Morse and injury-prone All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White. Buffalo also has Micah Hyde, who joined Poyer in being part of Sean McDermott‘s first free agency class, unsigned. The team has a new safety plan, and David Edwards is poised to take over at center. But wide receiver has gone from a top need to a glaring deficiency.

Other Diggs inquiries have come in, Beane said (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg), but the Bills — who parted with a package fronted by a 2020 first-round pick — viewed this one as enough to move on. The calls on Diggs date back to last year, with Beane declining to confirm (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) if the wide receiver requested a trade. The eighth-year GM informed Josh Allen about the prospect of a trade before it was finalized, Getzenberg adds.

This move guts Allen’s receiving corps. Although the Bills saw promising early returns from 2023 first-round tight end Dalton Kincaid, Diggs and Gabe Davis operated as Allen’s Nos. 1 and 2 wideouts for the past two seasons. That came after Davis’ four-TD game in the 2021 divisional round. Diggs delivered two 1,400-plus-yard seasons as a Bill, leading the NFL in receiving yards upon being acquired in 2020. A notable slump took place to close last season.

Diggs did not score a touchdown over the Bills’ final seven regular-season games and averaged just 41.0 yards per game in that span. He closed the year with a three-catch, 21-yard showing against the Chiefs — a game Davis missed — and dropped a well-placed Allen pass on a potential game-winning drive. This may well have convinced Bills management their top wide receiver was no longer worth the trouble.

Diggs’ antics in the past wore on the Bills, per The Athletic’s Tim Graham, who adds the team’s power brokers were ready to move on. Diggs’ various social media posts were an issue in Minnesota as well; hours before the trade, he also fired off a tweet questioning Allen’s value compared to his own. The mercurial receiver has been seen griping on the sideline, and after he stormed out of the team’s locker room following the Bills’ upset loss to the Bengals in last year’s divisional round, a still-unsolved minicamp controversy surfaced after Diggs left the team’s facility last June. That required some careful management from McDermott, Beane and Allen.

Still, the Bills lost a No. 1 target and cap space. Before the savings from the White post-June 1 cut hit, the Bills are down below $4MM in cap space. The team holds the No. 28 overall pick in this year’s draft. After using its top draft asset to acquire Diggs four years ago, the team will almost definitely dive into another WR-heavy draft to address the position with a cheap contract to align with Allen’s $43MM-AAV deal.

Texans Re-Sign DE Derek Barnett

April 3rd, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 3: The Texans’ Barnett deal will come in at $2MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. This will represent a step down for Barnett, who will see $1MM guaranteed at signing.

MARCH 20: Finding more playing time after becoming a Texans waiver claim last year, Derek Barnett will stick around. Houston is keeping the veteran defensive end, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.

The parties agreed to keep this partnership going on a one-year deal. After not seeing much playing time with the Eagles to start last season, Barnett logged four starts in Houston. He finished his Texans portion of the season with 3.5 sacks, counting a playoff drop of Joe Flacco in the team’s wild-card win.

Houston has swapped out Jonathan Greenard for Danielle Hunter opposite Will Anderson Jr.; Barnett will be back in the fold to operate as a rotational rusher. The 2017 first-round pick had spent his entire career in Philadelphia, but after the Eagles made him available, they waived him when nothing materialized by last year’s deadline. In Houston, Barnett received the playing time he sought after being buried on Philly’s depth chart.

Despite going into his eighth season, Barnett will not turn 28 until this summer. The Texans will also bet on better form in 2024, as Barnett entered last season coming off an ACL tear. Barnett started the final four Texans regular-season games last season, recording 2.5 sacks in their Titans series in that span. Playing 66% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in their wild-card win, Barnett dropped Flacco once and registered two QB hits in what became a blowout.

The Tennessee alum also notched 11 QB hits despite playing in only six Houston games; while never a high-volume sack artist, Barnett has proven disruptive often. Save for his one-game 2022 season, Barnett has reached 11 QB hits in every year of his NFL career. Notching at least 16 QB hits on three occasions, Barnett topped out with 22 in 2019.

Only tallying two sacks in 15 starts in 2021, Barnett still managed a two-year, $14MM Eagles deal in 2022. Best known for his fourth-quarter fumble recovery that set up the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win, Barnett has 24 career sacks. Lost in the shuffle in Philly due to the presences of Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Josh Sweat (and then Haason Reddick), Barnett has three five-plus-sack seasons on his resume. He will attempt to add a fourth in Houston.

The Texans have been busy rearranging parts along their D-line this offseason. Anderson remains in place as the group’s anchor, but Hunter will bring a far more extensive track record compared to Greenard. The team has also swapped out Maliek Collins and Sheldon Rankins for Denico Autry, Mario Edwards and Tim Settle inside, with Folorunso Fatukasi set to play a run-stopping role.

Draft Notes: Barton, ’30’ Visits, Wilson

April 1st, 2024 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 tackle class has drawn rave reviews in the lead-in to this month’s draft, but Graham Barton is among those expected to play on the inside upon entering the NFL. The Duke product has nevertheless helped his draft stock recently.

Barton was already gaining steam as a rising prospect before his Pro Day, as noted by ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He battled injuries during the 2023 season and was forced to miss the Senior Bowl as a result, but the two-time All-American managed to take part in the Blue Devils’ Pro Day last week. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports Barton’s performance was highly impressive, and it secured his status as a Day 1 prospect.

Following up on the strong workout, Reid notes Barton could now work his way into the top 15 come draft night. Many NFL teams view the first-team All-ACC selection as a center, but he could also see time at guard at the pro level. Wherever he lines up as a rookie, Barton will face high expectations and no doubt draw the attention of many teams near the top of the order in need of reinforcements up front.

Here are some other draft-related notes from around the NFL:

Missouri’s Darius Robinson has also seen his stock rise in the wake of the Senior Bowl, and NFL teams are keeping an eye on him. The Steelers recently hosted him on a ’30’ visit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He adds Robinson has 20 meetings with teams on the books, making him one of several potential first-rounders who will remain busy as the draft approaches. O-lineman Taliese Fuaga is among the prospects who also met with the Steelers, as noted by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Staying in Pennsylvania, the Eagles hosted Laiatu Latu on a ’30’ visit, Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds reports. The UCLA product is one of the best edge rushers in the 2024 class, having earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. His college resume includes a medical retirement, however, so there will be risk involved in selecting him. Philadelphia and all other prospective suitors will no doubt have a vested interest in Latu’s medical examinations. The Eagles traded Haason Reddick to the Jets, creating the need for a new investment along the edge.
The inside linebacker class is not believed to have a Day 1 prospect, but Edgerrin Cooper is among the top options teams will have to choose from. The Texas A&M product had a strong Pro Day showing, and he has a number of ’30’ visits lined up. Per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the list of interested teams includes the Texans, Eagles, Cowboys, Panthers, Chargers and Buccaneers. Cooper was a consensus All-American in 2023 after racking up 84 tackles (including 17 for loss), eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Pittsburgh, Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay are among the teams also set to host Western Kentucky wideout Malachi Corley, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes. Garafolo adds the Browns, Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers have also booked a visit with the small school standout. Corley is a member of a very deep receiver class, but his 180 catches, 2,279 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past two seasons along with a strong pre-draft process has put him firmly on the draft radar.
Marshawn Kneeland has also drawn considerable pre-draft attention. The Western Michigan defensive end has either already met with (or plans to visit) the Eagles along with the Chiefs, Saints, Jaguars, Jets, Vikings, Colts and Commanders, per Pauline. Kneeland spent four years with the MAC program, totaling 12.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss while establishing himself as a power rusher and strong run defender.
While a number of prospects have helped their stock recently, the opposite is of course true of others. Michigan receiver Roman Wilson appears to have fallen into the latter category, per ESPN’s Matt Miller. He notes Wilson is in danger of falling to the late second round or early in the third, something which could become increasingly possible if a run on the draft’s other pass-catchers takes place. Wilson averaged 16.4 yards per catch and scored 12 touchdowns on a run-heavy Wolverines offense last season, but his size (6-0, 180) and mediocre statistics from his three other campaigns could make him less appealing than other WR options.

Saquon Barkley Addresses Texans Interest, Free Agent Offers

March 28th, 2024 at 11:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Saquon Barkley recently appeared on the New Heights podcast with now-retired Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother Travis. He spoke about his free agent period, which ultimately led to a Philadelphia agreement including $26MM fully guaranteed.

Barkley confirmed, via Matt Ehaly of the New York Post, the Texans were the first team he was drawn to with the new league year approaching. That matches a report from the same time, and Barkley noted he and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud communicated about a potential partnership. After interest from the Eagles picked up, though, the two-time Pro Bowler’s attention began to shift.

“As it got closer, and you start hearing word and Philly, I probably never imagined myself playing for Philly six years ago, but I get to come back to Pennsylvania,” Barkley said. “My family is from Pennsylvania, my lady, our kids, grandmas all that is from Pennsylvania and we’re already close and we can even get to get closer and get a chance to compete. I got to admire [the Eagles] from afar, admire what he was able to build over there and get to be part of that culture. It was a no-brainer for me.”

Philadelphia had interest in retaining 2023 starter D’Andre Swift, but his market became more lucrative than expected. That led the Eagles to prioritize Barkley, and the sides were able to agree to a three-year, $37.75MM pact on the second day of the negotiating window. The NFL has launched a tampering investigation into the matter, but no developments on that front have emerged.

Barkley also noted that four teams (the Giants not being among them) made a formal offer. The Texans – a team which ultimately traded for Joe Mixon to take the place of Devin Singletary – were a “serious suitor,” as Ehaly notes. In the end, though, Barkley preferred to return to the state of his decorated college career amidst solid interest from a shortlist of suitors.

“I had a good bit of teams that really was like all about me coming there and with the price point being up there,” the Penn State alum added. “I wanted to get what I deserved that I thought was fair for me to take care of me and my family. That’s the goal you want to get to, that second contract. “When I had my offers in place, I was like, ‘Alright, what best fits me? Where can I go and have the best opportunity to win?’… When you put all the pieces together, it made sense to be in Philly.”

Texans To Re-Sign LB Neville Hewitt

March 27th, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Neville Hewitt is returning to Houston. The linebacker/special teams ace is re-signing with the Texans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran.

After bouncing around the AFC East to begin his career (including a three-year stint with the Jets where he started 32 games), Hewitt landed with the Texans in 2021. He started five of his 17 appearances during his first season in Houston, finishing with 60 tackles.

His defensive role was greatly reduced in 2022, but he turned into one of the team’s most reliable special teams player. It was the same story in 2023, as Hewitt’s 13 special teams tackles (of 14 total) paced the entire league. The 30-year-old finished this past season having appeared in a career-high 366 special teams tackles, although he was limited to a career-low three snaps on defense.

“Kind of a tone setter,” Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross said last season (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston). “I think three special teamers ran the fastest in that game. Our two gunners ran 20.7 and 20.8 mph I believe and then Neville Hewitt ran 20.1. That dude was humming and you ever seen Neville Hewitt? … You don’t want to get in front of him if he’s running 20 miles per hour, so he is a juggernaut when he gets going.”

Now on his fourth contract with the organization, Hewitt will likely be eyeing a similar ST-centric role in 2024.

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

March 27th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.

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