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AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Metchie

June 7th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts had Isaiah Rodgers in mind when they traded Stephon Gilmore and let Brandon Facyson defect to the Raiders in free agency. It now looks like Rodgers, currently under investigation for an alleged violation of the NFL’s gambling policy, will not play this season. Three other players — C.J. Moore, Quintez Cephus and Shaka Toney — found to have bet on NFL games received indefinite bans that will cover at least the 2023 season. The Colts did not become aware of the Rodgers investigation until it surfaced recently, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter).

Although the Colts did not know about any Rodgers gambling probe during the draft, they chose cornerback Julius Brents in the second round. But the team already had a long-term need at the position, even if Rodgers was part of the 2023 equation. Rodgers, who admitted to some degree of wrongdoing hours after the report of his gambling surfaced, was not at the Colts’ latest OTA session, per Holder. The fourth-year defender had attended Indy voluntary workouts this offseason.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

  • As the list of AFC teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins expanded again today — via the former All-Pro’s upcoming Titans meeting — the Jaguars do not appear interested. Doug Pederson said (via 1010 AM’s Mia O’Brien) it is “not a reality” for the team to add another receiver piece. This makes sense, as the Jaguars already have their top three receivers tied to notable contracts. The team’s top move for 2023 was adding Calvin Ridley to a receiving corps housing Christian Kirk‘s $18MM-per-year contract and Zay Jones‘ $8MM-AAV deal. Ridley is tied to a $10.9MM fifth-year option, which tolled from 2022 due to his gambling-induced absence.
  • On the subject of re-emerging receivers, the Texans will have to wait a bit longer for John Metchie. While the 2022 second-round pick did some offseason work, he is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain. Metchie suffered the injury during the first phase of Houston’s offseason program, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds a training camp return is expected. Metchie is on his way back from the leukemia diagnosis that sidelined him as a rookie. The Alabama product also has not played since suffering a torn ACL late in the 2021 season.
  • A ruptured Achilles tendon kept Rigoberto Sanchez off the field throughout last season, but the veteran Colts punter is back at work. Sanchez is punting again, per the Indianapolis Star, though he has yet to participate in a Colts workout. The team is ramping up its seventh-year punter, who sustained the injury to his punting leg in practice just before last season. Sanchez, who has also served as Indy’s kickoff man, is entering the final season of his four-year, $11.6MM contract. Sanchez, 28, is the only punter on Indianapolis’ roster.

NFL Investigating Colts CB Isaiah Rodgers For Potential Gambling Violation

June 5th, 2023 at 8:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

8:52pm: Rodgers has admitted wrongdoing, though he did not specify if the recent accusations are entirely accurate. The 25-year-old defender said he has “made mistakes” and wants to rectify them. An NFL ruling may be coming soon.

“Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Rodgers said (via Twitter). “I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes repair the situation. I’ve let people down that I care about. I made an error in judgment and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process.”

Depending on the NFL’s findings, Rodgers will almost certainly face a lengthy suspension. Betting on NFL games led to Cephus, Moore and Toney being banned for at least one full season. Given the scope of Rodgers’ reported violations, he should not be expected to play in 2023. An indefinite suspension would require reinstatement. Should Rodgers receive a full-season ban, the last year of his rookie contract would toll. This is assuming the Colts not cut ties with the 5-foot-10 defender.

6:20pm: Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is believed to the player under investigation, Holder and ESPN’s David Perdum report. A former sixth-round pick, Rodgers started nine games last season and worked as Indianapolis’ primary kick returner. The Colts cleared a bit of a path for Rodgers this offseason, trading Stephon Gilmore and letting Brandon Facyson return to the Raiders in free agency. While the team drafted Julius Brents in the second round, a Rodgers suspension would certainly affect Gus Bradley‘s plans at corner.

A sportsbook account was created under the name of one of Rodgers’ associates, per ESPN, with approximately 100 bets being placed on the account over an undisclosed time span. Most of the bets were worth between $25-$50, though Holder and Perdum note at least one was in the four-digit range.

5:38pm: The NFL’s issues with player betting are spreading beyond Detroit and Washington this offseason. The league is investigating a Colts player for violating the gambling policy, according to Sportshandle.com’s Matt Rybaltowski.

The Colts released a statement indicating awareness of the gambling investigation into this unnamed player, and ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder adds the Indiana Gaming Commission has received “information pertaining to this matter.” No suspension has been handed down, but the Lions precedent set some parameters in the event of violating findings.

While the April development led to two Lions (Jameson Williams and since-cut receiver Stanley Berryhill) being suspended six games for making non-NFL bets on team grounds and two other Lions (since-released special-teamer C.J. Moore and since-waived wideout Quintez Cephus) and Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney banned at least a full season for betting on the NFL, punishment in this Colts matter may be more extreme. The unnamed Colt is alleged to have placed “hundreds” of wagers, with Rybaltowski adding some of those are believed to have been bets on the Colts.

Obviously prohibited from betting on NFL games, players — as the Williams ban reminded — are also barred from making sports wagers at team facilities. The extent of which Cephus, Moore and Toney bet on the NFL is not known, but a report indicating this many possible violations could certainly result in a stiffer suspension for the latest player in the gambling policy crosshairs. The NFL’s investigation into the Lions has expanded to a fifth player as well, though it is unknown if that player is under the microscope for betting on the NFL or on other sports. After seeing players and unnamed staffers commit violations, the Lions have provided further instruction to their players on the policy.

The report of a fifth Lion to be investigated for a potential violation also indicated players on other teams had potentially violated the policy. The league went years without a gambling policy violator, but a 2018 Supreme Court decision that expanded betting to numerous states beyond Nevada and New Jersey has both affected the NFL through partnerships and with players running afoul of the betting policy. Although Ridley and former defensive back Josh Shaw incurred indefinite suspensions prior to this offseason, 2023 has been the league’s most turbulent year on the gambling front in decades.

Colts Sign WR Breshad Perriman

June 5th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 5: Perriman’s workout has indeed resulted in a contract. The Colts announced on Monday that a deal has been signed with the journeyman, who will look to carve out at least a depth role in the team’s new-look WR room. A successful season could yield some stability for Perriman as he continues to search for a long-term home. In a corresponding move, the Colts have waived undrafted free agent wideout Tyler Adams.

JUNE 2: Already playing for four teams since arriving in the NFL as a 2015 first-round pick, Breshad Perriman may soon have an opportunity to contribute with a fifth.

The Colts brought the veteran wide receiver in for a workout Friday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes (via Twitter) the sides are in discussions about a deal. Perriman spent the past two years with the Buccaneers, working as a depth piece during the final two seasons of the team’s Tom Brady era.

Although Perriman, 29, did not make much of a statistical impact during the Bucs’ Brady period, he posted 500-plus-yard receiving seasons for the 2019 Bucs and 2020 Jets. The 210-pound wideout amassed a career-high 645 receiving yards with the Bucs in 2019 and added 505 for the ’20 Jets. The Colts have some questions at receiver after No. 1 option Michael Pittman Jr., and Perriman could be in play to become at least a second-string presence for the retooling team.

New Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter was with the Jets — as running backs coach — during Perriman’s Big Apple season. The Colts used a second-round pick on Alec Pierce last year and added multiple slot options — free agent Isaiah McKenzie, third-round pick Josh Downs — this offseason.

One of four first-round receivers the Ravens have chosen since 2015, Perriman did not work out in Baltimore. He missed all of his rookie year due to injury and totaled just 77 yards during an 11-game 2017 audition. A one-year Cleveland stay (2018) revealed some promise, and Jameis Winston‘s final Bucs season included a somewhat memorable finish from Perriman. The Central Florida alum closed the QB’s high-variance year with three straight 100-yard receiving performances. During the 2020 season in New York, Perriman finished second in Jets receiving yardage.

Tampa Bay continued to rely on its Mike Evans–Chris Godwin combination with Brady but also rostered Antonio Brown, Russell Gage and Julio Jones during the all-time great’s stay. While Brady connected with Perriman on a walk-off touchdown to beat the Bills in 2021, the backup receiver totaled just 277 receiving yards over the past two seasons.

The Colts let Zach Pascal walk in 2022 and did not re-sign Parris Campbell in March. Pierce is expected to remain their No. 2 wideout, with McKenzie and Downs in place to follow Campbell as inside presences. The team also employs backup/spot starter Ashton Dulin and third-year player Mike Strachan.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

June 2nd, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The start of June has served as a key NFL financial period for decades. While teams no longer have to wait until after June 1 to make that cost-splitting cut designation, teams pick up the savings from those transactions today. With a handful of teams making post-June 1 cuts this year, here is how each team’s cap space (courtesy of OverTheCap) looks as of Friday:

  1. Chicago Bears: $32.58MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $27.25MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $26.68MM
  4. New York Jets: $24.79MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $23.72MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $23.39MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.48MM
  8. Houston Texans: $16.81MM
  9. Green Bay Packers: $16.57MM
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers: $15.73MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: $14.92MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $14.27MM
  13. New England Patriots: $14.12MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $13.9MM
  15. Cleveland Browns: $13.86MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $13.85MM
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: $12.61MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $12MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $11.57MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $11.54MM
  21. San Francisco 49ers: $10.72MM
  22. Atlanta Falcons: $10.7MM
  23. Denver Broncos: $10.13MM
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $9.75MM
  25. Tennessee Titans: $7.99MM
  26. Seattle Seahawks: $7.94MM
  27. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  28. Las Vegas Raiders: $3.37MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.49MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.4MM
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: $653K
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $402K

The Dolphins gained the most from a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, creating $13.6MM in cap space from a deal that will spread out the cornerback’s dead money through 2024. But the Browns (John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney) and Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott) created more than $10MM in space as well.

The Jets’ number is a bit deceiving. They are still working on a restructure with Aaron Rodgers, as the trade acquisition’s cap number — after a Packers restructure — sits at just $1.22MM. In 2024, that number skyrockets to $107.6MM. Rodgers’ cap hit will almost definitely will climb before Week 1, so viewing the Jets along with the other teams north of $20MM in space is not entirely accurate.

Minnesota is moving closer to separating from its $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook contract. The team already created some space by trading Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Cleveland, which is one of the teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins, added Smith and did so with help from its Deshaun Watson restructure. Watson was set to count $54.9MM against the Browns’ 2023 cap. That number is down to $19.1MM, though the Browns’ restructure both ballooned Watson’s mid-2020s cap figures to $63.9MM — which would shatter the NFL record — and added a 2027 void year.

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles sit atop the league in dead money, with the Bucs — largely from their April 2022 Tom Brady restructure — checking in at $75.3MM here. That total comprises nearly 33% of the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The Rams, at more than $74MM, are not far behind. Despite the Bills and Chiefs — the teams most frequently tied to Hopkins — joining the Bucs and Rams near the bottom of the league in cap space, both AFC contenders also sit in the bottom five in dead money.

Colts Sign DE Genard Avery

June 1st, 2023 at 8:43am CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts will add some pass-rushing depth, bringing in veteran Genard Avery. The team announced the signing, which will send the sixth-year defender to a fourth team.

Avery, who played last season as a Buccaneers backup, will attempt to catch on in Indianapolis after spending 2022 with two teams. The Steelers signed him in March 2022 but moved on before cutdown day in August, leading to the Bucs taking a flier. Tampa Bay did not re-sign Avery this offseason. In a corresponding move, Indianapolis waived running back Darius Hagans.

A former Browns fifth-round pick, Avery has played both on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker. The Eagles used the 2018 fifth-round pick in the latter capacity in 2021, running him out as a 12-game starter. The Memphis product played 358 defensive snaps that season, making 43 tackles (four for loss) and registering a sack. Pro Football Focus ranked Avery 56th among regular linebackers in ’21.

In 2022, the Bucs reduced Avery’s workload (72 defensive snaps) but deployed him as a regular special-teamer. In just nine games, Avery logged 164 ST snaps. He finished last season on IR due to an abdominal injury. Avery, 28, picked up 4.5 of his career 8.5 sacks during his 2018 rookie year in Cleveland. During their Freddie Kitchens season, the Browns traded him to the Eagles.

Indianapolis has not re-signed Gus Bradley favorite Yannick Ngakoue, who led the team with 9.5 sacks last season. Ngakoue resides as one of the top free agents still available, but the Colts — as of now, at least — are prepared to give their young pass rushers more run. Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo are heading into their third seasons. Free agent acquisition Samson Ebukam, who worked as one of Nick Bosa‘s 49ers sidekicks last year, brings a cheaper veteran presence compared to Ngakoue. Avery will attempt to join this rotation.

Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract

May 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback market has moved again this offseason. A year after Aaron Rodgers raised the average annual value bar past $50MM, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson did so on long-term extensions. Overall, four teams have authorized the most lucrative QB deal in their respective histories this offseason. Two more — the Bengals and Chargers — are in talks about record-setting extensions as well.

On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract each team has authorized. Although teams like the Jets and Lions have acquired big-ticket contracts via trade, only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Jay Cutler, January 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM. $38MM fully guaranteed

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Carson Palmer, December 2005. Six years, $97MM. $30.8MM fully guaranteed

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

In trading this contract to the Jets in April, the Packers restructured the deal. Rodgers’ exit will still tag the Pack with $40.3MM in 2023 dead money.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Carr’s second Raiders deal — agreed to in April 2022 — was worth $40.5MM per year. The full guarantee, thanks to the February escape hatch the team built into the contract, checked in lower than Carr’s initial Raiders extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Cousins’ 2020 extension checked in with a higher AAV ($33MM) but did not approach his initial Minnesota pact for guarantees.

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Chad Pennington, September 2004. Seven years, $64MM. $23MM guaranteed.

The Jets have signed three quarterbacks to deals involving more guaranteed money, but each of those contracts — for Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021) — was a rookie pact.

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/24/23

May 24th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL’s mid- to late-round draft pick signings for today:

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Adebawore was a three-year starter for the Wildcats, functioning mostly as a defensive end in Evanston. Over his final two years at Northwestern, he totaled 9.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and four passes deflected. He isn’t a pure pass rusher or run stopper, but with explosive burst and disruptive strength Adebawore should be able to compete with Taven Bryan and McTelvin Agim for snaps rotating in behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

Also a three-year starter, Andrews made the move inside from right guard to center for the Trojans as a redshirt senior. The Patriots don’t have an immediate need at center as David Andrews is under contract for another two years. The long-time Patriots’ starting center will be 32 when his contract expires, perhaps opening the door for the rookie Andrews to take over after a couple of years of development. In the meantime, Andrews’s experience at both guard and center provides New England with some depth along the interior offensive line.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/23

May 24th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

  • Waived (injury settlement): T Hunter Thedford

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

New York Jets

  • Signed: WR Jerome Kapp

Kapp will catch on with the Jets following a run at the team’s rookie minicamp. He will attempt to make the jump from the Division II level (Kutztown University). The D-II team relied on Kapp through the air last season; he was the squad’s only player to record more than 250 receiving yards. Kapp finished with 916 (19.5 per catch) and nine touchdowns as a senior.

Colts Sign TE Kaden Smith

May 24th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 Giants ran into severe injury trouble in their blocking ranks, with tight end Kaden Smith joining Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux in sustaining career-altering setbacks. Smith missed all of last season but will soon have a chance to resume his career.

Smith agreed to terms with the Colts on Wednesday, adding to what has become one of the league’s most crowded tight end rooms. The former Giant has not played in a game since November 2021.

A knee injury paused Smith’s NFL run, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicating concern existed about the blocking tight end being able to play again (Twitter link). This setback followed Gates’ September 2021 broken leg and Lemieux’s September knee malady. Neither O-lineman was ready in time for the start of the 2022 season, with Gates debuting in Week 8 and Lemieux playing only in Week 10 of last season. While the Giants kept both O-linemen on their roster, they waived Smith with a failed physical designation before last year’s free agency period.

Prior to the injury, Smith resided as a regular alongside Evan Engram. A former 49ers sixth-round pick, Smith started 22 games for the Giants from 2019-21. Complementing New York’s receiving tight end, Smith played more than 400 offensive snaps during both the 2019 and ’20 seasons. He caught three touchdown passes in 2019 but mostly functioned as a blocker in the Big Apple.

Making the Colts’ 53-man roster will not be automatic for the 26-year-old rebound candidate. Indianapolis carries Mo Alie-Cox, 2022 third-rounder Jelani Woods, 2021 fourth-rounder Kylen Granson, 2022 sixth-rounder Andrew Ogletree, rookie fifth-rounder Will Mallory and free agent pickup Pharaoh Brown. Ogletree suffered a torn ACL during training camp last year. Of this group, only Brown and Mallory arrived under the current coaching staff. Smith will join that contingent and vie for a job in Indy in the coming weeks.

Colts’ Jonathan Taylor Changes Agents

May 24th, 2023 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now extension-eligible, Jonathan Taylor is putting pieces in place ahead of a contract year. The Colts running back changed representation Wednesday and will now work with the First Round Management agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Taylor, who will be repped by Malki Kawa and Ethan Lock, became eligible for a new deal in January. The former second-round pick joined an agency that includes teammate Shaquille Leonard and Browns tight end David Njoku. Both players signed lucrative extensions in the early 2020s, with Leonard’s deal still second among off-ball linebackers.

The Colts have done well to take care of their own under GM Chris Ballard. They have authorized extensions for Leonard, Kenny Moore, Ryan Kelly, Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson. Both Leonard and Nelson broke their respective positions’ AAV records when they agreed to terms. Taylor’s April comments regarding an extension did not reveal a potentially aggressive push was ahead, but running backs have narrower windows to cash in compared to players at most other positions.

Coming off a down year — due to an ankle injury that required offseason surgery — Taylor still has an All-Pro nod on his resume and won the rushing title by a wide margin two seasons ago. The Wisconsin product’s 1,811 rushing yards in 2021 led the league by more than 500, putting him squarely on the radar for a big-ticket extension. The Colts carried veteran-QB salaries in 2021 and ’22, and although they have some Matt Ryan dead money following that short-term partnership, the franchise has shifted away from pricier passers. Anthony Richardson will soon be under contract through 2026, with a fifth-year option in place.

Of course, running back payments have become more complicated in recent years. While the wave of late-2010s backfield deals largely burned teams, clubs have received better returns from early-2020s payments. Despite the eight-figure deals given to many 2017 draftees, this year’s free agency-eligible backs either received the $10.1MM franchise tag or settled for lower-end contracts. Among the latter contingent, only Miles Sanders scored a deal north of $6MM per year. Taylor displayed special abilities in 2021, but his 2022 slate (861 rushing yards, six missed games) shows the durability issues that cause hesitation from teams regarding extensions.

Indianapolis has both Taylor and top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. entering contract years. The 2024 franchise tag will be an option for one of the two, and the running back tag will be much cheaper. Teams utilized that tool this year, with Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard tied to tags. Less than a year away from that potential reality, Taylor has new representation to navigate this rocky terrain.

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