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AFC South Notes: Titans, Simmons, Key

April 5th, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans struggled to develop a consistent passing game in 2022, as they tried to fill the void left by the A.J. Brown trade. Their shortcomings in that department have led to the expectation that moves at the receiver position will be made this offseason, though little has taken place so far.

Tennessee lost Robert Woods on an intra-divisional deal with the Texans after releasing the veteran amidst a slew of cost-cutting moves. They have re-signed Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a one-year contract, but have yet to make a decision on depth contributors Chris Conley, C.J. Board and Cody Hollister. No outside additions have been made after the first few waves of the free agent period.

“We are going to look to address it,” new GM Ran Carthon recently said of the need for new pass-catchers. “We are not trying to fill everything via free agency, but if that’s where the best option comes from, we’ll address it that way. We just have to be patient, and exercise patience and allow that to come to fruition.”

Those remarks – along with the Titans’ lack of action so far – point to the draft being the source of additions to their receiving corps. The team used a Day 1 pick on Treylon Burks last year after dealing Brown to the Eagles, but they will have plenty of options this year (headlined in most evaluations by Jaxon Smith-Njigba) with the No. 11 pick. Tennessee also has a second- and third-rounder as part of their draft capital.

Here are some other AFC South notes, starting with one more out of Nashville:

  • Tennessee has been in talks on a new deal for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. That comes as little surprise, since he is set to play on the fifth-year option in 2023 ($10.75MM), but represents an obvious priority from a finanal standpoint. The 25-year-old put together another highly productive season in 2022, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors for the second straight year. Simmons has made clear his intention to remain with the team long-term, something which will no doubt require a hugely lucrative multi-year deal.
  • Defensive end Arden Key spent the 2022 season in Jacksonville, and put up the second most productive season of his career (27 tackles, 4.5 sacks). The Jaguars felt they would be able to re-up the veteran, as noted by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, something which would have allowed the team to retain useful edge rushing depth. Instead, Key signed a three-year, $21MM deal in Tennessee last month, leaving the Jaguars in need of either a less costly free agent addition or a draft pick to replace him.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/5/23

April 5th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves:

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Cajuste will earn just over $2.7MM on his low-round tender in 2023. The 27-year-old has made five right tackle starts starts across his 17 total appearances with the Patriots, logging a 32% snap share last season. He took a step forward in run blocking in 2022, per PFF, but continued to struggle in pass protection. The former third-rounder will look to maintain at least a backup/swing tackle role with New England this summer.

Draft Rumors: Bears, Jets, Patriots, Titans, Cardinals, Carter, Cowboys, Saints, Browns, Bucs, Jaguars, Ravens

April 5th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Jaguars Sign OL Josh Wells

April 4th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Wells is back with his first organization. The Jaguars announced today that they’ve signed the free agent offensive lineman.

Wells joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of James Madison in 2014 and ended up spending five years with the organization, appearing in 56 games (10 starts). Following a 2018 campaign where he was limited to seven games thanks in part to a groin injury and a concussion, the lineman was cut by Jacksonville.

He later caught on with the Buccaneers, where he spent the past four seasons. After starting eight of his first 45 games with the organization, Wells started a career-high seven games in 2022. Other than his first season in Tampa Bay, Pro Football Focus has generally graded the veteran as a steady offensive tackle, with the site giving hims props for both his pass- and run-blocking abilities in 2022.

Wells will likely serve as a swing tackle once again in 2023. Cam Robinson and Walker Little are entrenched as the team’s starting tackles, so Wells would need an injury to crack the starting lineup.

Jaguars Host T Cameron Fleming

April 3rd, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jacksonville lost a key member of their offensive line during the initial wave of free agency last month, but a notable addition could be coming soon. The Jaguars hosted veteran tackle Cameron Fleming on a free agent visit, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

Jawaan Taylor inked a four-year, $80MM deal with the Chiefs to protect the blindside after occupying the right tackle spot throughout his four years in Duval County. That move left a sizeable vacancy up front for the Jaguars, who have been far less active on the open market in 2023 than they were the previous offseason given their much different financial situation.

Taylor priced himself out of Jacksonville, but Fleming would represent a capable replacement. The 30-year-old did enough in limited action in 2021 to earn himself a new deal with the Broncos last summer. Brought in to provide experienced depth, he ended up starting all 15 games he appeared in over the course of the season, logging a snap percentage of 98%.

Fleming, who started his career in New England before seeing time with the Cowboys and Giants, had one of his best seasons in 2022 in terms of PFF evaluation. The Stanford product earned an overall grade of 72.6, a new personal high mark. Pass protection in particular was seen as a strength of his performance, though another deal allowing him to remain in the Mile High City would be very unlikely.

The Broncos made one of the other big splashes on the o-line market last month, signing RT Mike McGlinchey to a five-year, $87.5MM contract. That was part of their major investment up front, with left guard Ben Powers also landing a big-ticket deal. That leaves Fleming on the market for a new team, and Jacksonville could certainly be an appealing destination given their success in 2022 and potential for further postseason runs in the immediate future.

The Jaguars currently have just over $10MM in cap space, which would comfortably be enough to sign Fleming on a deal worth the relatively modest amounts he has made during his career. The fact that he has also seen extended time at left tackle during points in Denver and elsewhere, coupled with his level of play last season, could up his asking price to a degree, however. Jacksonville could still be a suitable landing spot for him to at least compete for a starting spot with 2021 second-rounder Walker Little on the right side.

NFL Restructures: Okwara, Allen, Fatukasi

March 26th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures around the league:

  • Lions edge rusher Romeo Okwara came to an agreement to restructure his contract at the beginning of the week. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the renegotiated contract reduces his cap hit in 2023 from $14.5MM to $5.65MM.
  • After center Brian Allen reportedly agreed to a renegotiated deal, the Rams benefitted from a bit of cap relief. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Allen’s restructured contract saved approximately $3.2MM in cap space for Los Angeles.
  • The Jaguars were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract with defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi recently. The team converted $7.38MM of Fatukasi’s base salary into a signing bonus and added three void years. The moves resulted in about $5.9MM of additional cap space in 2023.

Jaguars, Evan Engram Not Close On Extension

March 26th, 2023 at 4:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars have, as expected, had a quiet offseason so far. Retaining key members of the 2022 squad which went on a surprising playoff run has been the team’s priority, something which resulted in the franchise tag being used on tight end Evan Engram.

That move came as little surprise, after contract talks didn’t yield a multi-year deal before the tag deadline earlier in the month. Negotiations can continue on that front until mid-July, but much progress apparently remains to be made in the coming weeks. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the two sides “weren’t particularly close” to finalizing a new contract before the deadline.

Engram, 28, came to Jacksonville last offseason on a one-year, $9MM contract. That proved to be a wise move for both parties, as the former Giant put up career-highs in catches (73) and yards (766) in the regular season. He remained productive in the playoffs, recording 124 yards and a touchdown on 12 postseason receptions. After the season, the former first-rounder confirmed that mutual interest exists for a long-term contract to result from the success of his debut season.

The tight end tag cost ($11.35MM) in 2023 made Engram a logical recipient of the one-year contract. He likely would have been able to command a sizeable pact on the open market as arguably the top option at his position, but Jacksonville will now have him for at least one more season regardless of how talks proceed. The AFC South champions have an intriguing receiver tandem in place with Christian Kirk and trade acquisition Calvin Ridley at the top of the depth chart, but little in the way of experienced tight ends aside from Engram.

The Jaguars currently have just over $10MM in cap space, a figure which places them mid-pack in the league in terms of flexibility. Part of that will need to be kept aside to sign their draft class, but it could allow them to absorb the cap hit on a new Engram contract if one can be worked out by the summer. For that to take place, though, the two sides will need to make headway compared to where things currently stand on the negotiation front.

NFL Workout Notes: Giants, Campbell, Edwards, Neal, Carter, Fluker

March 25th, 2023 at 3:44pm CST by Ely Allen

As the initial surge of free agency has died down a bit, there are still several assets available on the market. The Giants have been fairly active in free agency and have had quite a few free agents visit for evaluations.

After allowing starting center Jon Feliciano to depart for San Francisco in free agency, the team decided to kick the tires on center J.C. Hassenauer, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. The former Steeler has some starting experience and would add some depth and competition behind Ben Bredeson.

The team also decided to check out a potential depth piece for the secondary in former Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minnesota. Boyd was able to provide some defensive depth as a seventh-round draft pick out of Texas for the Vikings, but his true value in Minnesota came on special teams, an added benefit that should help him find a roster spot moving forward.

If you thought the Giants had enough receivers, they clearly don’t agree as they reportedly hosted former Raiders and Falcons wideout Bryan Edwards, according to Jordan Schultz of theScore. Edwards barely played last year after getting traded to Atlanta and signing to the Chiefs’ practice squad, but he gets a chance to compete for serious snaps in New York. The Giants have a bevy of wide receivers but lack any sure-handed starters. The team returns Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, David Sills, and Collin Johson but has added Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Jeff Smith in free agency. It looks like a collection of strong No. 3 and 4 receivers that lacks the talent of a strong No. 1 or 2. This provides Edwards a window to perform well and earn playing time.

Lastly, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, the team hosted linebacker Justin Hollins, who started five games for the Rams last year. Hollins would be another potential depth piece for the Giants’ defense.

Here are a few other workout rumors from around the league:

  • After getting released by the Ravens for cap purposes, the former “Mayor of Sacksonville” could be poised for a return to the Jaguars. According to Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union, defensive lineman Calais Campbell visited his former team this past week. After an earlier visit with the Falcons, the veteran also has future visits planned with the Bills and Jets, according to Tiffany Blackmon of 92.9 The Game.
  • The Seahawks may be looking to replace some defensive line depth after losing defensive end L.J. Collier to free agency. Seattle hosted veteran defensive end Mario Edwards earlier this week, according to Yates. Edwards is looking to join potentially his sixth franchise since entering the league. He started seven games for the Titans last year.
  • After losing safety Marcus Epps to free agency, the Eagles continue to look at safety options. Philadelphia hosted safety Keanu Neal earlier this week, according to Yates. Unfortunately for Neal, the team signed former Steelers first-round pick Terrell Edmunds yesterday, adding him to the addition of Justin Evans. Neal has experience playing linebacker, though, which may afford him an additional chance to make a roster as free agency continues.
  • While the wide receiver waters have been fairly stagnant, former Chargers wideout DeAndre Carter‘s market is starting to heat up. After a career year, the 29-year-old visited the Raiders yesterday, according to Schultz. The Raiders have added Jakobi Meyers, Phillip Dorsett, and Steven Sims after losing Mack Hollins. Carter would likely be competing for WR3 snaps behind Davante Adams and Meyers.
  • Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, who last appeared in an NFL game in 2020 with the Ravens, is seeking a return to the NFL. Fluker spent 2021 on three different teams’ practice squads, but after getting released from the Jaguars’ on New Year’s Eve 2021, he has remained a free agent for over a year. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Fluker worked out at Alabama’s pro day this year with top prospects Bryce Young and Will Anderson. The workout drew some attention from NFL teams and could help Fluker make it back to the league.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/23/23

March 23rd, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s lone tender decision in the NFL:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Patterson will be extending his stay in Jacksonville, having kicked for the Jaguars full-time in 2022. The 23-year-old went 30-for-35 on field goal attempts last season, making all but one of his extra point attempts. Those figures will earn him the opportunity to hold down the top spot on the depth chart again in 2023, as he and the Jaguars look to build on their shared success from last campaign.

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