Eagles, 3 Other Playoff Teams Made Run At Gilmore
After discussing deals and meeting with several teams that made the playoffs in the 2021 NFL season, cornerback Stephon Gilmore ended up signing with a team that just missed the playoffs in Week 18 last season joining the Colts. Well, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the teams that pushed the hardest for the two-time All-Pro were playoff teams from last season: the Eagles, Raiders, Rams, and Bills. 
Philadelphia “made a hard play” for the ten-year veteran in their efforts to replace departing starter Steven Nelson. Nelson started alongside Darius Slay in the Eagles’ secondary last season before signing with Houston this offseason. Without Nelson, the Eagles will likely count on Avonte Maddox to take another step in his development after being a strong rotational player for the past four seasons. They may turn to the 2022 NFL Draft to address the position, but, currently sitting at 15th, they would likely miss out on the Draft’s two most exciting cornerback prospects: Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner and LSU’s Derek Stingley. Those two are even less likely to fall to Philadelphia with Baltimore sitting one spot in front of them wanting to add some depth to the position after spending most of last year without starters Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey.
Las Vegas had an impressive showing from their cornerback group last year despite losing Damon Arnette due to multiple lawsuits and behavioral issues and only seeing Trayvon Mullen play five games. The Raiders saw Casey Hayward, Nate Hobbs, and Brandon Facyson step up and contribute to a strong defense. With Hayward going to Atlanta and Facyson joining Gilmore in Indianapolis, the Raiders made addressing the cornerback position a priority. Luckily, despite missing out on Gilmore, the Raiders made strong additions acquiring Rock Ya-Sin from the Colts in exchange for Yannick Ngakoue and signing Anthony Averett, who started much of last year for the Ravens with Peters and Humphrey injured. Ya-Sin and Averett will join a hopefully full-health Mullen and Hobbs to round out a solid cornerback room.
The Rams pursued Gilmore in an attempt to replace departing starter Darious Williams after he signed with the Jaguars this offseason. Los Angeles returns star Jalen Ramsey and role players David Long and Dont’e Deayon, but they likely would’ve preferred to add another bona fide starter opposite Gilmore. Unlike the Eagles, the Rams probably won’t turn to the Draft to fill this role. They’ve made an example in the league trading draft capital for experienced veterans and won a Super Bowl doing so. Not only is it more on brand for them to seek a replacement through the trade and free agent markets, but, even if they wanted to use the Draft, they don’t have a selection in the Draft until the 104th pick.
The Bills would’ve liked to bring Gilmore back home to Buffalo after losing starter Levi Wallace to free agency. Buffalo brings back plenty of contributors from last year in Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson, Dane Jackson, and Siran Neal, but bringing back Gilmore would’ve allowed them to slip him into the void left by Wallace without asking too much of Jackson or Neal to step up. The Bills could try to slot in another veteran free agent cornerback like Joe Haden, Kyle Fuller, or Chris Harris, or, with a later first-round pick, they could try to take a flyer on one of the Draft’s less elite corners like Washington’s Trent McDuffie or Florida’s Kaiir Elam.
The targeting of Gilmore by these playoff teams speaks to his current value in the NFL. It shows something that teams contending to win it all believe he can add value to their defense. There’s also something to be said that these teams usually have a nearly complete roster, seeking Gilmore to fill in one of their last positions of need. While Gilmore may not be able to anchor a defense by himself on a fledgling defense, he can make strong contributions when surrounded by talented teammates. In Indianapolis, he’ll team up with Kenny Moore and Facyson to lead an otherwise inexperienced group of corners.
Raiders Meet With DL Darius Philon
The Raiders’ new regime is monitoring one of the free agents who played a key role during the Jon Gruden/Rich Bisaccia season. Darius Philon met with the team Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Philon, 28, completed a comeback after two seasons out of the league, playing in 11 Raiders games and making decent contributions as a rotational defensive lineman. This included key work in the team’s Week 18 marathon against the Chargers, but Philon suffered a season-ending injury — a torn patellar tendon — during that five-period contest. This will give the five-year veteran the task of completing another comeback.
A four-year Chargers contributor, Philon registered two sacks and five tackles for loss during his Raiders campaign. Both sacks came in the first game against his former team — an October loss — but he logged 277 defensive snaps despite his hiatus. Philon saw an arrest lead to his Cardinals release in the summer of 2019, and no team signed him until the Raiders gave him a shot in March of last year.
Patellar tendon tears represent one of the toughest injuries to surmount, so the new Raiders regime gauging his mid-offseason status makes sense. The Raiders brought back another of the previous regime’s D-line cogs in Johnathan Hankins but have also made several outside additions up front. Vernon Butler, Andrew Billings, Bilal Nichols and Kyle Peko signed with the Raiders in recent weeks, forming a mostly new interior D-line cast in Vegas.
Raiders, Derek Carr Agree To $121MM+ Deal
5:12pm: Carr’s contract contains a $65.5MM injury guarantee, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, and the deal will give the ninth-year veteran a $5.2MM raise in 2022 (Twitter link). Carr will make $24.9MM fully guaranteed in 2022, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.
A key date comes after Super Bowl LVII. Three days after the Super Bowl, Carr will see $40.5MM — his $33MM 2023 salary and $7.5MM of his 2024 pay — become fully guaranteed, Breer tweets. This would give the Raiders a small window to work out a trade in 2023, but Carr’s no-trade clause gives him final say on any potential escape-hatch deal for the team.
9:33am: The Raiders and Derek Carr have agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth $121.5MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). With that, the Raiders’ star quarterback will remain in place through the 2025 season. 
Carr’s deal includes a no-trade clause (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), a rarity in the NFL enjoyed by only about a dozen players. All together, Carr is set to earn $141.3MM over the next four years, with $100MM of it coming in the next three seasons, per Garafolo. That’s player-friendly cashflow for Carr, who was fighting for his Raiders future just a couple of years ago.
It’s the latest splash in the Raiders’ busy offseason, following their acquisition of wide receiver Davante Adams. Ultimately, GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have kept much of the core in tact while revamping the team after a tumultuous 2021.
Carr’s $40.5MM new-money average puts him fifth among all quarterbacks and, as noted by NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link), he’s now the seventh member of the league’s $40MM/year club, joining Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott.
Carr, who just turned 31, had one year to go on his old deal with a cap hit of $19.8MM. After he notched a career-high 4,804 passing yards en route to his first ever playoff appearance, the Raiders were unwilling to risk losing him. Now, Carr’s got a fat new contract and an old friend in Adams, his former teammate at Fresno State.
“Derek’s fit on the team, as a player, is obviously what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to build around,” McDaniels said recently. “[When it comes to the contract,] you try and do what’s best for the team. When we get into those conversations with Derek, Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him… There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody, and we’ll be excited to go forward like that.”
Today, the Raiders are undoubtedly excited as they’ve locked up their three-time Pro Bowler for years to come.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/11/22
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived: T Cody Conway
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DE Tashawn Bower
- Released, NFI: OT Kamaal Seymour
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 4/11/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Signed:
- Broncos: LB Malik Reed
- Jaguars: S Andrew Wingard
ERFAs
Signed:
- Cardinals: RB Jonathan Ward
- Broncos: S P.J. Locke, QB Brett Rypien
- Chargers: TE Donald Parham
- Jaguars: LB Jamir Jones
- Lions: P Jack Fox
- Raiders: TE Nick Bowers, S Roderic Teamer
Raiders Re-Sign Johnathan Hankins
The Raiders are keeping one of their own in the fold. On Monday, the Raiders announced that they’ve re-signed defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.
Terms of the deal are not yet known. Last offseason, Hankins re-upped on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, a drop-off from his previous two-year, $8.5MM accord.
The Ohio State product been with the Raiders for past four seasons. Originally a 2011 second-round pick of the Giants, Hankins spent his first four years in New York. He then signed a three-year, $30MM pact with the Colts in 2017, but was released just one season into that. He landed with the Raiders, where he’s been ever since.
He’s started at least 14 games in each of his four seasons with the Raiders, including all 16 in 2020. In 2021, he finished with 38 tackles and, despite not registering a sack, he did notch two QB hits. All in all, he’s started in 60 of his 61 Raiders games for 172 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.
Hankins, heading into his tenth pro year, has registered 356 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 36 tackles for loss, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries over the course of his career.
This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals Trade For Carson Palmer
In the years between Kurt Warner‘s retirement and Bruce Arians‘ 2013 Arizona arrival, the Cardinals experienced persistent issues at quarterback. A few months into Arians’ tenure, the franchise made a move to stabilize that position. 
Nine years ago today, the Cardinals acquired Carson Palmer from the Raiders. In the second Palmer trade in less than two years, the Raiders were not able to fetch what the Bengals did in 2011. On April 2, 2013, the Cards sent a 2013 sixth-round pick and a conditional seventh-rounder in 2014 for Palmer. Arizona immediately extended the then-33-year-old passer, signing him for two years and $16MM. That would not be the last Cardinals contract Palmer signed.
Palmer spent eight seasons with the Bengals, essentially redshirting as a rookie before starting from 2004-10. However, the former Heisman winner grew impatient with the Bengals’ conservative offseasons and staged a brief retirement that lasted well into the 2011 season. The Raiders ended the Palmer-Bengals stalemate by sending a 2012 first-round pick and a 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati in October 2011. Those picks became Dre Kirkpatrick and Giovani Bernard. While Palmer mostly stayed healthy in Oakland, the Raiders went just 8-16 during the Pro Bowler’s starts in silver and black.
The USC product threw for 4,018 yards, with 22 touchdown passes compared to 14 interceptions in 2012, but went 4-11 as a starter that season. Oakland parted ways with Hue Jackson, their head coach in 2011, and hired Dennis Allen in 2012. The Raiders made an unusual pivot in 2013, using Terrelle Pryor as their primary starting QB — with Matt McGloin mixing in — but acquired Derek Carr in the 2014 second round. Interestingly, the conditional seventh-round pick the Raiders acquired in the Palmer deal turned into defensive lineman Shelby Harris, who played eight games in Oakland before catching on as a regular in Denver.
The Cardinals, who went 5-11 in 2012 and had used John Skelton as their primary post-Warner QB, improved immediately. Palmer started 16 games and guided Arizona to a 10-6 record in 2013. He went 6-0 as Arizona’s starter in 2014, but the second ACL tear of his career harpooned a talented Cardinals squad — one that also lost backup Drew Stanton and ended up starting Ryan Lindley in its wild-card playoff outing. In 2015, Palmer rebounded and finished second in the MVP voting. The then-35-year-old quarterback threw a Cards-record 35 touchdown passes and led the NFL with 8.7 yards per attempt, guiding the team to a 13-3 record and an overtime playoff victory over the Packers.
Injuries ended up limiting Palmer again in 2017, and he retired shortly after that season. This came after Palmer signed a three-year, $49.5MM contract — in 2014, days before his second ACL tear as a pro — and a one-year, $24.4MM extension in 2016. While the Cardinals traded up for Josh Rosen months after Palmer’s exit, they reversed course a year later and drafted Kyler Murray first overall.
Raiders Sign Nick Mullens
The Raiders are signing Nick Mullens to a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The quarterback will receive just over $1MM guaranteed with a chance to earn up to $2.5MM via incentives (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Raiders Begin Extension Talks With Carr]
Mullens will support Derek Carr on the Raiders’ depth chart, alongside Garrett Gilbert. It’s not a given that the Raiders will carry three QBs on their final roster, so it may be a one-or-the-other scenario. For what it’s worth, Mullens has $1.5MM guaranteed versus sub-$100K locked in for Gilbert.
Mullens, 27, has appeared in 20 games over the course of his career with 17 starts. The bulk of those starts came with the Niners, where he spent his first three seasons. Last year, he made just one start for the Browns — a December loss to the Raiders.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have kicked off extension talks with Carr. The 31-year-old currently has one year to go on his contract with a cap hit of $19.8MM.
Raiders Beginning Extension Talks With Derek Carr
Amidst a slew of major moves in the AFC West this offseason – including two notable additions by the Raiders – one priority has remained the same. An extension for quarterback Derek Carr is something the team’s new front office has begun working towards, per Vic Tafur of the Athletic (subscription required). 
As Tafur reports, talks have begun between the Raiders and Carr’s camp regarding a new deal. The just-turned 31-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $19.8MM. Earlier this month, it was reported that an extension was expected to be coming “sooner than later“.
Besides the level of Carr’s play in its own regard this season (including a career-high 4,804 passing yards and his first ever playoff appearance), the main reason that was the case was Las Vegas’ acquisition of Davante Adams. The two played together at Fresno State, and the teams’ willingness to trade for Adams signalled they were prepared to make a commitment to Carr as well. New head coach Josh McDaniels said, “Derek’s fit on the team, as a player, is obviously what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to build around”.
As for a new contract, McDaniels added, “Ultimately you try and do what’s best for the team… when we get into those conversations with Derek, Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him… There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody, and we’ll be excited to go forward like that.”
While that comment was quickly met with a response from Tim Younger, Carr’s agent (on Twitter), Tafur notes that “talks have not grown adversarial” between the two camps. That will be a welcomed sign for the Raiders, as they try to secure the three-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future.
WR Damiere Byrd Visited Falcons, Raiders
Damiere Byrd is starting to generate some interest around the NFL. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Falcons hosted the free agent wideout on a visit. Yates notes that Byrd previously met with the Raiders.
The former undrafted free agent spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers, where he mostly played a special teams role. He saw a larger offensive role during his lone season with the Patriots in 2020, finishing with 619 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 49 touches.
Byrd joined the Bears last offseason, and he proceeded to collect 329 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 26 touches. He saw time in all 17 games with four starts.
The Falcons offense will look a whole lot different in 2022, with Matt Ryan gone and Calvin Ridley suspended. While the team can still hang their hat on Kyle Pitts, their receiving corps is questionable at best, so Byrd would provide some experience to the unit. The wideout is also familiar with Falcons exec (and former Bears GM) Ryan Pace. Similarly, Byrd is familiar with Josh McDaniels, who he played under in New England. However, Byrd wouldn’t have as clear of a path to playing time in Las Vegas. At best, Byrd would be fourth in line for targets behind Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and tight end Darren Waller.