Taven Bryan Drops To Jaguars' Roster Bubble
- Former first-round pick Taven Bryan has dropped onto the Jaguars‘ roster bubble, according to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco, who adds that the ex-Florida Gators defensive tackle’s struggles with the mental aspects of the NFL game have made him a cut candidate. The Jags benched Bryan for UDFA Doug Costin last year and signed Malcom Brown this offseason. Bryan will be used at defensive end at times in Jacksonville’s new 3-4 defense, DiRocco adds. The Jags did not pick up his fifth-year option in May.
Jaguars Sign No. 1 Pick Trevor Lawrence
This year’s top rookie prospect is now under contract. The Jaguars and No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence agreed to terms on his rookie deal Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The customary four-year deal, with the Year 5 option, will be worth $36.8MM and come with a $24.8MM signing bonus. The deal is fully guaranteed. The 21-year-old quarterback passed his physical and will collect his signing bonus within the next 15 days, Pelissero adds (on Twitter).
Lawrence will collect roster bonuses from 2022-24, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds these payouts will be due three days after the start of the Jaguars’ training camp (Twitter link). The prized rookie will collect these bonuses even if he begins any of these camps on the Jags’ non-football injury list. Given this bonus structure, it will be interesting to see the full breakdown of this deal. The contract also includes no offset language.
It took a full-on Jaguars freefall to obtain the rights to Lawrence, who starred at Clemson for most of the past three seasons. Jacksonville lost 15 straight games en route to landing the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history. Lawrence’s status played a key role in leading Urban Meyer to accept the Jags’ offer to become their head coach.
The 6-foot-6 passer had been penciled into the 2021 No. 1 overall draft slot for years, dating back to his 2018 emergence as a super prospect. Lawrence led Clemson to a national title as a true freshman, taking over for veteran Kelly Bryant midway through the season. Lawrence finished with a 34-2 record as the Tigers’ starter. In his final season in South Carolina, Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. And, with 69.2% of his passes completed, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, despite losing time to a positive COVID-19 test.
The Jags have taken the first-round route with a few quarterbacks during their history. Following trade acquisition Mark Brunell‘s successful run in the franchise’s early years, the Jags were unable to turn their first-round QBs — Byron Leftwich, Blaine Gabbert, Blake Bortles — into long-term answers. Lawrence, however, enters the NFL with considerably more hype than the other three Round 1 QBs in Jags history.
Gardner Minshew took the bulk of the Jags’ snaps over the past two years, though the team used a few arms in its rough 2020 season. Minshew remains on the roster, despite offseason trade rumors. While Meyer has floated the idea of a quarterback competition, it would be shocking if Lawrence did not open the season as Jacksonville’s quarterback.
Ex-Clemson teammate Travis Etienne will join Lawrence in Jacksonville. Etienne and Jags second-round picks Tyson Campbell and Walker Little remain unsigned.
Status Of 7 Remaining Franchise-Tagged Players
Ten players comprised this year’s franchise tag contingent — down from 14 in 2020. However, the Broncos, Cowboys and Giants reached extension agreements with their tagged players — Justin Simmons, Dak Prescott and Leonard Williams, respectively — to leave seven tag recipients unsigned entering July.
With the July 15 deadline to extend franchise-tagged players less than two weeks away, here is where things stand with the remaining members of the group:
WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Rather than tag Shaquil Barrett for a second straight year, the Bucs cuffed Godwin at $15.9MM. The defending Super Bowl champions found room for Barrett and every other notable free agent they had this offseason, going into overdrive in their effort to defend their second championship. Like every other franchise-tagged player this year, Godwin has signed his tender. The former third-round pick has said he wants to stay in Tampa long-term. The Bucs have Mike Evans signed to a now-below-market deal ($16.5MM per year), so it will be interesting to see how they navigate negotiations with his less accomplished (but three years younger, at 25) sidekick.
S Marcus Maye, Jets
Tagged months after the Jets traded Jamal Adams, Maye has not exactly enjoyed a smooth negotiating process. Just before the Jets tagged Maye, his agent slammed the team for a lackluster effort to extend the four-year starter beforehand. The Jets have carried on negotiations since applying the tag and are believed to have been steadfast in this approach, but this has not necessarily translated to progress. These talks are expected to go down to the wire. Maye, 28, not signing an extension by July 15 would keep the Mike Maccagnan-era draft choice on the $10.6MM tag.
OT Taylor Moton, Panthers
While the Panthers’ left tackle position has been one of the toughest to fill over the past decade, Moton has locked down the team’s right tackle post. A 2017 second-round pick, Moton has not missed a game since debuting in Carolina’s lineup in Week 1 of the 2018 season. The Panthers have a new regime in place, but the Matt Rhule–Scott Fitterer duo hopes to extend Moton.
The right tackle market moved this week, with Ryan Ramczyk agreeing to a $19.2MM-per-year extension. Moton, 26, is not a candidate to top that, but he may be primed to fill the gap between the top tier (Ramczyk and $18MM-AAV Lane Johnson) and Jack Conklin‘s $14MM-AAV deal. Moton is attached to a $13.8MM franchise tender.
WR Allen Robinson, Bears
Tagged at a higher price ($17.98MM) than Godwin because of his previous contract, Robinson has been the Bears’ No. 1 option on offense for the past three years. This has not translated to harmony between he and the team. Robinson has expressed frustration with the Bears’ tactics during his lengthy extension talks, which date back to last year, and he at one point surfaced in trade rumors.
This will be the eighth-year veteran’s age-28 season. A long-term Robinson deal would pair well with Justin Fields‘ rookie contract, with no other Bears receiver making even midlevel money, but the former third-round pick did not sound especially confident a deal will be finalized by the deadline.
OT Cam Robinson, Jaguars
This might be the closest to a “prove it” tag in this year’s lot. The former second-round pick has recovered from the ACL tear that cost him 14 games in 2018, starting 30 over the past two seasons. But Robinson, 25, has yet to show he is among the better players at the left tackle position. Without a viable replacement lined up, the Jaguars tagged the Alabama alum at $13.8MM. It would make sense for the Urban Meyer regime to gauge Robinson’s contract-year performance and reassess the matter next year. Holding the most cap space in the NFL ($38MM), the Jags can afford to carry Robinson’s tag figure this season.
G Brandon Scherff, Washington
Washington and its top offensive lineman have been at this for a while. A 2015 first-round pick, Scherff has been eligible for an extension since the 2017 season ended. Instead, Washington has seen another tag situation near the point of no return. The four-time Pro Bowl guard has played on the fifth-year option and the franchise tag, pushing this year’s tag price to $18MM. A third tag is unrealistic, as the Kirk Cousins standoff showed, and no deal this month would push Scherff toward free agency in 2022. The team wants to extend the 29-year-old blocker, but it will almost certainly take a guard-record agreement to do so. Joe Thuney raised the position’s ceiling with a $16MM-AAV deal in March.
S Marcus Williams, Saints
The Saints’ salary cap tightrope walk included a $10.6MM Williams tag, completing an odyssey that began with the team $100MM-plus over this year’s reduced cap. With New Orleans already doing the rare fifth-year option restructure with Marshon Lattimore, a Williams extension would be the easiest way to create more cap room. The team checked the top item off its offeseason to-do list, the Ramcyzk extension, but it may well have either a Lattimore or Williams re-up in its near-future plans.
Part of New Orleans’ impact 2017 draft class, the 24-year-old safety has been a starter from Day 1. Even though Lattimore may be a higher extension priority, the team coming all the way back from $100MM over the cap to use a franchise tag illustrates its view of Williams’ work.
Cowboys, 49ers, Jags Penalized For OTA Violations
SATURDAY: It turns out the 49ers were not forced to cancel their final week of OTAs this year, with Schefter adding the team avoided such a penalty after having already canceled its final OTA session and its mandatory minicamp (Twitter link).
THURSDAY: Three organizations have been slapped with fines following OTA violations. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the league handed out the following punishments:
- Cowboys fined $100K, HC Mike McCarthy $50K
- 49ers fined $100K, HC Kyle Shanahan fined $50K
- Jaguars fined $200K, HC Urban Meyer $100K
The three teams violated CBA rules focused on offseason workouts.
The Cowboys will also have to forfeit one of their OTA practices during the 2022 offseason, while the Jaguars will have to forfeit a pair of 2022 practices. The 49ers have already carried out their penalty; per Schefter, the NFL Management Council “ordered” the organization to cancel the final week of OTAs back in June. When we reported that the 49ers were cutting short their offseason program, the decision was attributed to injuries, as the team lost part-time starters Justin Skule and Tarvarius Moore for the season and running back Jeff Wilson for the next few months.
“The health and safety of our players is our highest priority, and we take following league rules very seriously,” the 49ers said in a statement today (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter). “We will continue to work with the NFL and the NFLPA to ensure compliance.”
Finding A Zach Ertz Destination
Months after Zach Ertz‘s name popped up in trade rumors, he remains with the Eagles. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end is not viewed as likely to be part of this year’s Philly team and did not report for the team’s offseason program. Despite a lengthy delay in this saga, a separation still feels imminent.
Ertz has one season left on the five-year, $42.5MM extension he signed way back in January 2016. The veteran lobbied for a new deal last year, but he and the Eagles could not agree on terms. Those disagreements became rather noticeable as well. Even if some suitors cannot presently afford Ertz’s $12.7MM cap number, which could cause the Eagles to finally release him, the team will likely try to work a trade for a bit longer.
Where will the 30-year-old pass catcher be come Week 1? Here are a few candidates:
Arizona Cardinals
This franchise has not shown a strong interest in bolstering this position in many years, and Kliff Kingsbury — with A.J. Green and Rondale Moore joining DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk — may well opt to deploy more four-receiver sets. That said, the Cardinals’ additions of Green, J.J. Watt, Rodney Hudson, Brian Winters and Malcolm Butler illustrate a commitment to adding veterans to help the cause in a loaded NFC West. The Cards, who have Maxx Williams (304 yards in two Arizona seasons) as their top tight end, have not had a tight end surpass 600 yards in a season since moving to Arizona in 1988.
Buffalo Bills
The team most closely connected to Ertz this offseason, Buffalo has not received much from the tight end position in recent years. And the defending AFC East champions have lacked a higher-end receiving threat at this spot for much of its existence. Five Ertz receiving totals would eclipse the best tight end showing (726 yards) in the Bills’ 61-season history. While the Bills’ Stefon Diggs–Emmanuel Sanders–Cole Beasley–Gabriel Davis quartet leaves it well-stocked for aerial targets at present, the tight end position has come up as one the franchise would not mind bolstering.
Dawson Knox led Buffalo tight ends with 288 yards last season; the team lost Tyler Kroft in free agency and has second-year player Tommy Sweeney coming off a season in which he encountered severe COVID-19 issues. With the Bills in position to aim for a Super Bowl berth again, another weapon makes sense.
Indianapolis Colts
With Doug Pederson out of the NFL at the moment, the Colts serve as the reunion spot for Ertz. Carson Wentz played with Ertz for five seasons and helped him set a tight end record with 116 catches in 2018. Frank Reich coached Ertz the previous two years, and the Colts could certainly use another viable weapon — even if they figure to lean heavily on the run game.
Indianapolis re-signed T.Y. Hilton and has 2020 second-rounder Michael Pittman Jr. coming off a promising finish to his rookie season, but the team has not been able to keep injury-prone ex-second-rounder Parris Campbell on the field. Ninth-year tight end Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox combined for just 645 yards last season. The Wentz trade, assuming he stays healthy for most of this season, will cost Indianapolis a first-round pick in 2022. Bringing in his former top target at a low cost would enhance the relocated QB’s comfort level and help justify the lofty investment.
Jacksonville Jaguars
This spot differs from the rest mentioned here, with the Jaguars coming off a 1-15 season and in clear rebuild mode. But Jacksonville drafted Trevor Lawrence and has no proven tight end to pair with him. The team leads the NFL in cap space ($38MM) as well.
Exiting draft weekend, Urban Meyer expressed concern about his team’s tight end depth chart. The Jags drafted Ohio State’s Luke Farrell in Round 5 and did go on to sign Tim Tebow. While this would seemingly not be a desirable spot for Ertz as a free agent, the Jags could make sense as an unorthodox trade destination.
Tennessee Titans
Ertz trade compensation would not approach what the Titans paid for Julio Jones, and even after acquiring the all-time Falcons great, the team was on the lookout for tight end assistance. The Titans lost Jonnu Smith and did not add a notable replacement. The Jones trade shows the Titans are committed to contending this season, even after losing Smith and Corey Davis. Even after a disappointing 2020 season, Ertz would provide a substantial upgrade over Anthony Firkser.
No Players Planning To Opt Out Of 2021 Season?
Nearly 70 players opted out of the 2020 season, with some of the high-profile opt-outs’ decisions affecting teams’ plans going into that uncertain campaign. A more stable backdrop exists a year later, and the NFL may have its full workforce available as a result.
No buzz has emerged on a player opting out of the 2021 season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Last week, the NFL and NFLPA came to an agreement that secured another COVID-19 opt-out provision. Only players deemed high risks for developing complications from the coronavirus are eligible for the $350K payout, but with vaccines now in the equation, it is possible no player opts out by Friday’s 3pm CT deadline.
Several key players opted out in 2020. Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung were among the Patriots’ league-high seven opt-outs; the Bears lost nose tackle Eddie Goldman; the Chiefs lost longtime guard starter Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and starting running back Damien Williams; the Vikings lost recent nose tackle signee Michael Pierce; Giants left tackle Nate Solder sat out as well. This group, save for the now-retired Chung, has returned. (Goldman did not show for Bears minicamp, but the team expects him back for training camp.) However, many of the lower-profile players ended up being cut after their respective opt-out decisions. With effective vaccines now available, teams will likely be less understanding of players’ decisions to skip the season.
While a few players have expressed vaccine hesitancy, at least 65% of NFL players have received at least one vaccine dose. The Broncos, Dolphins, Saints and Steelers were close to or had surpassed the 85% mark late last week, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). The Jaguars and Panthers saw a spike in vaccines after the NFL announced this year’s virus protocols, which provide considerably more freedom for vaccinated players.
A few hours remain for players to notify teams they will skip this season, but opt-outs — decisions that cannot be changed after this afternoon’s deadline — do not look like a major issue for NFL franchises in 2021.
Latest On Unsigned First-Round Rookies
After the Falcons inked first-round tight end Kyle Pitts to his rookie deal earlier today, there are eight first-round rookies who remain unsigned:
1) Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB (Clemson)
2) New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB (BYU)
3) San Francisco 49ers (from Texans via Dolphins): Trey Lance, QB (North Dakota State)
13) Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT (Northwestern)
14) New York Jets (from Vikings): Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL (USC)
15) New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB (Alabama)
25) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Rams): Travis Etienne, RB (Clemson)
26) Cleveland Browns: Greg Newsome II, CB (Northwestern)
This isn’t a huge cause for concern, as first-round contracts are pretty standard and by-the-book. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has an explanation for why at least a handful of these players still haven’t put pen to paper. According to the reporter (via Twitter), there are still some “wrinkles to work out” for the notable quarterback deals. This sentiment would presumably apply to each of the top-three picks, and it could even be referring to Patriots first-round quarterback Mac Jones.
There’s a number of minor details that agents could be pushing for, including signing bonus terms or any other contract language that goes beyond the standard, boilerplate options. On the other side, teams could be pushing for some type of offset language, meaning the organization would get some financial flexibility if the player for some reason doesn’t finish their rookie contract with the team.
When it comes to the quarterbacks, most of the agents are probably waiting to see how Lawrence’s deal unfolds in Jacksonville. Alternatively, if Bill Belichick and the Patriots (somehow) give in to any demands from Jones camp, you can bet the top-three QBs would argue for similar benefits. While there are a number of reasons why the other, non-QB players have yet to sign, one could guess that the two offensive lineman may be pushing for similar terms (Vera-Tucker could also simply be waiting for his teammate to sign their contract). Etienne is in a unique position as one of only two first-round running backs (or, like Vera-Tucker, he could be waiting for his teammate), while Newsome recently fired his agent.
The teams and the players will want the contracts settled prior to training camp in late-July, but that still leaves a few weeks for negotiating.
Urban Meyer On Trevor Lawrence, Tim Tebow
This year may bring the most closely followed Jaguars training camp ever, with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence coming to town and quarterback-turned-tight end Tim Tebow vying for a roster spot. Urban Meyer‘s role as a first-time NFL coach will be scrutinized as well.
The new Jacksonville HC addressed these topics recently. Lawrence is expected to be the Jaguars’ Week 1 starter, but the Jags interestingly pumped the brakes on this expected ascension recently. Meyer confirmed his franchise-QB hopeful is not quite there yet.
“He’s not ready yet, but he doesn’t have to be ready yet,” Meyer said during an interview with USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon (h/t 247sports.com). “We got a long training camp coming up. He’s probably advanced maybe a little quicker than we would’ve thought, which was a positive.
“One thing that we worked on, when we made a decision that Trevor was going to be our No. 1 pick, we went from the evaluation stage to the preparation stage. And that means that I want to see. I can’t remember the exact date, but we started installing the playbook with him well before the draft. So you can see the retention. He’s got a really good work ethic and he’s progressed very well.”
Replacing Kelly Bryant as a true freshman at Clemson, Lawrence rocketed onto the NFL radar by leading the Tigers to the 2018 national championship. Lawrence was viewed as the likely 2021 top pick for years. The Jags securing that selection helped lead Meyer to Jacksonville, so it would certainly be stunning if Gardner Minshew or C.J. Beathard started in Week 1.
Despite Tebow not having played in a regular-season game since 2012, the former Heisman winner and playoff QB starter will go to camp with the Jags. Meyer said earlier this month Tebow has done a “decent job” since joining the Jaguars. Last month, 46% of PFR readers said Tebow would make Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, while another 25% said the ex-Broncos QB1 and Mets farmhand would land on the practice squad.
“The last thing you just said is the tough part – there’s 53. And that’s new to me,” Meyer said, via Salmon (video link). “That’s the reality of the NFL – that you have 90 players. So to me he’s one of 90. What’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me it’s all the same. This is their livelihood. This is a job. This is a way to make a living and the reality is a good percentage of your roster is going to get cut or transitioned out of here which to me, that’s completely new.”
The Jags signed Chris Manhertz, a Panther in 2020, and drafted Ohio State’s Luke Farrell in Round 5. Veteran James O’Shaughnessy remains on the team as well. Tebow, 2020 sixth-round pick Tyler Davis and 2020 UDFA Ben Ellefson round out the Jags’ tight end contingent. The Jags potentially planning wildcat-type looks for Tebow may give him an edge, but teams keeping more than four tight ends on an active roster is fairly rare.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/21/21
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived from IR: WR Krishawn Hogan
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived from IR: WR Donte Sylencieux
Denver Broncos
- Reverted to IR: OLB Natrez Patrick
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Jon’Vea Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Devin Ross
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived from IR: WR Trevon Grimes
Ten First-Round Picks Remain Unsigned
This year, NFL teams have been quick to tackle their rookie paperwork. Still, there are a decent number of unsigned draft picks remaining, including ten of this year’s first-rounders: 
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 1 overall)
- QB Zach Wilson, New York Jets (No. 2 overall)
- QB Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (No. 3 overall)
- TE Kyle Pitts , Atlanta Falcons (No. 4 overall)
- OT Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 13 overall)
- OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets (No. 14 overall)
- QB Mac Jones, New England Patriots (No. 15 overall)
- RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 25 overall)
- CB Greg Newsome II, Cleveland Browns (No. 26 overall)
- DE Joe Tryon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 32 overall)
In a sense, this is a sign that things are back to normal in football following the pandemic. For example, by June 12th of 2019, 22 first-round picks had put pen to paper, with 222 rookies inked on the whole. However, around this time last year, there were just two first-round picks officially in the fold – Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown.
Offset language and similar minutia could be holding these ten deals up, but there’s no reason to panic. In all likelihood, these rookie contracts will be squared away before the start of training camp this summer.