Patriots Ink Top Two Draft Picks To Conclude Rookie Signings
The Patriots followed the league’s recent trend, wrapping up their rookie contract signings today, inking their last two remaining unsigned players. The team announced today that Oregon first-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Georgia Tech second-round edge Keion White have both signed their rookie contracts. 
Gonzalez transferred to Oregon after two years of college at Colorado. After stepping in as a one-year starter for the Ducks, Gonzalez is set to step in as a starter for a new team once again this year. During his one year in Eugene, Gonzalez was a no-doubt first-team All-Pac 12 cornerback with four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and a blocked field goal. That single-season performance alone was enough for many teams to place him atop their draft boards as the top cornerback prospect.
In New England, Gonzalez is likely to start across from Jonathan Jones at cornerback. Marcus Jones and Jack Jones are both expected to step up in expanded roles in their sophomore seasons, but with Jalen Mills making a likely transition to safety, Gonzalez could make an earlier impact on the first-team defense.
Gonzalez will be playing on a fully-guaranteed four-year, $15.10MM rookie contract with a $7.98MM signing bonus, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. He’ll also receive roster bonuses of $521.494 in 2024, $675,000 in 2025, and $550,000 in 2026.
White was also a transfer in college, joining the Yellow Jackets after three years at Old Dominion. He only had two years of dominance over his five college seasons, but in those two seasons, he combined for 11.0 sacks and 22.0 tackles for loss. Injuries and a position change from tight end kept White from fully developing as a pass rusher at the collegiate level, but a high motor and natural abilities allowed White to lead Georgia Tech in both sacks and tackles for loss last year.
At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, White is a perfect fit for the Patriots’ defensive line, where he can move along the line as a rotational substitute. With Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise returning as long-time starters, White will almost certainly rotate in as a rookie but could develop into an eventual replacement for one of the two veterans. It shouldn’t take long for White to become a regular contributor as a rotational disruptor for the Patriots’ defense.
White’s deal is a four-year, $7.79MM contract, according to Kyed. He’ll receive a $2.67MM signing bonus, and the first two years of his rookie contact (worth $750,000 and $1.10MM, respectively) will be fully guaranteed. $802,008 of his 2025 salary (worth a total of $1.46MM) will also be guaranteed. This doesn’t quite match the three guaranteed years we saw with 39th-overall pick Jonathan Mingo‘s deal, but over two and a half years’ worth of guarantees continues the recent growth of contracts for second-round picks.
With an early concentration on defense and two special teams selections, the Patriots certainly came into the 2023 draft with a plan. Here is New England’s completed draft class:
Round 1, No. 17 (from Steelers): Christian Gonzalez, CB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 2, No. 46: Keion White, DE (Georgia Tech) (signed)
Round 3, No. 76 (from Panthers): Marte Mapu, LB (Sacramento State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 107 (from Rams): Jake Andrews, C (Troy) (signed)
Round 4, No. 112 (from Jets): Chad Ryland, K (Maryland) (signed)
Round 4, No. 117: Sidy Sow, G (Eastern Michigan) (signed)
Round 5, No. 144 (from Falcons from Raiders): Atonio Mafi, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 6, No. 187 (from Panthers): Kayshon Boutte, WR (LSU) (signed)
Round 6, No. 192: Bryce Baringer, P (Michigan State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 210: Demario Douglas, WR (Liberty) (signed)
Round 6, No. 214 (from Raiders): Ameer Speed, DB (Michigan State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 245 (from Falcons through Bills): Isaiah Bolden, CB (Jackson State) (signed)
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/23
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league as teams prepare their rosters for training camp:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI: OLB Tyus Bowser
- Placed on PUP: RB J.K. Dobbins, FB Patrick Ricard, CB Damarion Williams, DT Rayshad Nichols, WR Mike Thomas
- Placed on reserve/did not report list: WR Rashod Bateman
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Austin Watkins
- Placed on NFI: WR Marquise Goodwin, G Colby Gossett, WR Anthony Schwartz, WR Mike Woods
Denver Broncos
- Signed: K Brett Maher
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on NFI: WR Grant Dubose, TE Camren McDonald
- Placed on PUP: WR Jeff Cotton, OLB Rashan Gary, C Jake Hanson, CB Eric Stokes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DT Nick Thurman
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on NFI: DE Tyree Wilson
- Placed on PUP: DT Byron Young
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: S Cody Davis, G Michael Onwenu, DT Justus Tavai
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Damarea Crockett, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- Waived: WR Izaiah Gathings
Washington Commanders
- Placed on PUP: S Xavier Henderson
There are some big names in Baltimore that won’t be healthy to open camp. Two offensive youngsters who can’t seem to stay on the field, Dobbins and Bateman, continue to struggle to get healthy. Bateman sat out most of the spring after receiving a cortisone shot in hopes it would help get him back in time for camp. While he didn’t report, general manager Eric DeCosta expects him back soon, according to the team’s editorial director Ryan Mink. Dobbins has started thinking about his second contract this summer, and getting healthy will be key to gaining any leverage in negotiations. Ricard is no surprise, as head coach John Harbaugh predicted this placement a month ago. Bowser, though, experienced an unexpected flare up in his knee this spring after missing eight games last season.
In Cleveland, Goodwin experienced a medical scare recently when discomfort in his legs and shortness of breath turned out to be blood clots in his legs and lungs, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. He will miss the start of training camp as the clots are addressed.
In Denver, a kicking competition appears to be in the cards. The team held a workout for Maher, Elliott Fry, and Parker White back in May and ended up signing Fry. Now, with Maher joining the team, and the exit of Brandon McManus, the position battle between Maher and Fry will continue.
In Wisconsin, Gary and Stokes each ended their season after Week 9 of last year due to long-term injuries. Both will continue slowly working their way back in order to play big roles on defense.
In Vegas, Wilson, this year’s seventh overall pick, will have to be patient in finding his way to the field for his rookie year. He was expected to be cleared for training camp after ending his college career with a Lisfranc injury, but he’ll have to wait just a bit longer. The Raiders are counting on him to relieve some of the defensive responsibilities of Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.
Latest On Bill Belichick’s Job Security
The post-Tom Brady era in New England has seen more lows than highs. After missing the postseason only once between 2003 and 2019, the Patriots have now missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. As a result, owner Robert Kraft is reportedly getting antsy, and he may be pointing the finger at his iconic head coach.
During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran acknowledged that coach Bill Belichick is currently on the hot seat and has “been there at different levels of warmth since 2019” (Twitter link). While Curran notes that Kraft has recently walked back his demand for a playoff win (something that’s eluded the organization since their last Super Bowl in 2018), the reporter also believes that the organization could consider drastic changes if the team disappoints in 2023.
As Curran hints, Belichick’s approval rating in New England started to see some cracks in 2019. That year, Belichick and the front office refused to commit to Brady beyond that season, and the QB ended up leaving the organization for Tampa Bay in 2020. While Brady going on to win a championship with the Buccaneers surely ruffled some feathers in Foxborough, Curran believes Kraft was most upset that the Patriots didn’t have a plan at the position for the 2020 campaign. The team ended up rolling with free agent Cam Newton as their starter and won only seven games, the organization’s fewest amount since the 2000 season.
The team managed to bounce back in 2021 with a rookie Mac Jones under center, but the wheels fell off in 2022. Belichick did little to replace offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who left for the head coaching job in Las Vegas. Belichick turned to former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coordinator Joe Judge to lead the offense, and the results were predictably disastrous. There’s been various reports about how much Kraft influenced Belichick’s decision to hire Bill O’Brien for the OC job this offseason, but either way, the owner clearly wasn’t happy with the on-field product in 2022.
Complicating the matter is Belichick’s ongoing pursuit of the all-time wins record. The 71-year-old is 19 wins behind Don Shula for the all-time record (regular season and playoffs), and there’s little chance Belichick or Kraft make a move until the record is set. That would mean the Patriots head coach is locked in through at least the 2024 campaign, but depending on the results of the 2023 season, the team’s owner may not want to wait that long to make a move.
If Kraft does decide to make a head coaching change following the 2023 season, it sounds like the replacement is already in-house. Defensive coordinator Jerod Mayo ended up turning down head coaching interviews this offseason to stick in New England, and it’s believed he’s the heir apparent for the Patriots head coaching gig. Mayo played under Belichick before recently serving as the team’s de facto co-DC alongside Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick. In this scenario, the elder Belichick would likely transition to an advisory role, and Curran believes that the future Hall of Famer would be in support of a Mayo promotion. Of course, that support would be contingent on Belichick ending his coaching career on his own terms.
Patriots Work Out RB Leonard Fournette, Darrell Henderson
3:56pm: Darrell Henderson also took part in this workout, Pelissero adds (on Twitter). The former Ram’s market has been just as quiet as Fournette’s this offseason. The Jaguars waived Henderson shortly after claiming him late last year. Henderson does have two 600-plus-yard rushing seasons on his resume and operated as the Rams’ starting back for much of their Super Bowl LVI-winning season.
But the former third-round pick is coming off a down contract year, one in which he gained just 385 scrimmage yards and did not see action after being claimed by the Jags.
11:54am: The Patriots met with Leonard Fournette during his 2022 free agency stay. Nearly 18 months later, the sides will huddle up again. Fournette is set to work out for the Pats on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
New England has been kicking the tires on running back depth, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, and has been in the Dalvin Cook mix for a bit now. Fournette’s market is not expected to reach the Cook level, opening the door to a lower-cost Pats addition at the position.
Fournette, 28, met with the Patriots in March 2022 but ended up back with the Buccaneers on a three-year, $21MM deal. Fournette and the Bucs mutually parted ways in March of this year, but not much has come out regarding the former top-five pick’s market since. Fournette joins the likes of Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and Kareem Hunt as notable RBs in free agency.
A former No. 4 overall Jaguars pick, Fournette served as the centerpiece of an offense that faced the Patriots in the 2017 AFC championship game. Three years later, Fournette came on late to make major contributions in the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning season. Tampa Bay rewarded Fournette with contracts in 2021 and ’22. The latter deal included $12MM guaranteed. That contract was in line with what the Cardinals gave James Conner last spring, but this offseason brought a market crash at running back. This market sits in a strange place after numerous cost-cutting measures — and Monday’s lack of extensions for three franchise-tagged players — reduced the position’s standing further.
Adding Fournette would seemingly remove the Pats from the Cook market. It is worth wondering if recent events will impact Cook offers as well. But Fournette will be in Foxborough today, exploring a possible partnership with a third NFL team.
The Bucs ranked last in rushing in 2022; Fournette’s yards per carry dropped by a full yard. The LSU product had averaged 4.5 per tote in 2021, but as just about everything on the Bucs’ offense worsened last year, the team’s starting back averaged a 3.5 yards per handoff. Fournette totaled 1,191 scrimmage yards, however, contributing a career-high 523 through the air. Earning the “Playoff Lenny” alias for his work during the Bucs’ Super Bowl march, Fournette finished with 448 scrimmage yards in the team’s four 2020 playoff games. Prior to a hamstring injury that shut Fournette down in Week 15 of the 2021 season, he totaled 1,266 scrimmage yards as the Bucs’ lead back.
Rhamondre Stevenson resides as the Pats’ starter, with Kyed adding Pierre Strong has a chance to solidify the No. 2 role. But the team being connected to multiple big-name backs could impede the second-year player’s RB2 quest. Stevenson’s status as the team’s starter, especially after Damien Harris‘ free agency exit, should not be considered in jeopardy at this point. But the team may be set to bring in a proven back to complement him soon.
Latest On Patriots’, Chiefs’ DeAndre Hopkins Offers
DeAndre Hopkins made his free agent decision on Sunday, inking a $26MM deal with the Titans. He turned down offers from other AFC suitors in the process, opting for the contract which included the most guaranteed money available. 
The Patriots were long considered a serious contender to land the All-Pro wideout, having been the only team other than the Titans to host him on a free agent visit. New England, like Tennessee, submitted an offer to Hopkins, but a report from yesterday indicated the Patriots one he turned down was significantly lower than that of the Titans. Further details on that front have emerged.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s Sports Sunday program (h/t Darren Hartwell) that New England was willing to offer Hopkins a maximum of $15MM in 2023, but the majority of that figure was represented by incentives. The Titans, by contrast, guaranteed the five-time Pro Bowler $12MM with the potential for another $3MM via incentives.
The Patriots currently sit 10th in the NFL in cap space, with over $17.7MM in available funds heading into training camp. That means they could have afforded to match the Titans’ offer, but instead elected to hold firm with a more risk-averse approach to the 31-year-old, who has missed notable time during each of the past two seasons due to injury and suspension. They will now move forward with an in-house collection of receivers which is led by the recently-extended DeVante Parker, free agent addition JuJu Smith-Schuster, 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton and veteran Kendrick Bourne.
Breer also provided insight into the Chiefs’ pursuit of Hopkins. The defending Super Bowl champions were long mentioned as a potential destination, in spite of their cap constraints. Before the draft, Breer notes, Kansas City offered a base salary of $4MM with incentives pushing the contract’s maximum value to $10MM. Hopkins was thought to be waiting for the Chiefs to free up money via a Chris Jones extension, but his Tennessee agreement has come before any developments on that front. Even with manufactured cap space for this season, Kansas City likely would not have realistically been able to outbid Tennessee.
Hopkins secured a lofty base package, along with a tall task in terms of reaching the maximum value of the pact through incentives. By choosing the Titans, though, he has added considerably to the team’s chances of reclaiming the AFC South title while ensuring better compensation compared to what the Patriots and Chiefs were willing to provide.
NFL Staff Updates: Cowboys, Falcons, Ravens, Lions, Chiefs, 49ers, Saints, Caminiti
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has made analytics a focus since joining the staff three years ago. That trend has continued into 2023 as Dallas made three hires this week, all of them in the analytics department. The Cowboys even took a page out of another sport’s book, as baseball has taken the lead in analytics over the past several years.
Bryant Davis will join the team as a strategic football analyst, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. For the last four years, Davis has been a research and development analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB. Even in a sport that’s already more analytical than football, the Rays are one of the more advanced teams in their use of analytics.
Joining Davis as a strategic football analyst, according to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, is William Britt, a former Steelers staffer. Britt spent the past two seasons as a data analyst in Pittsburgh. Along with Davis and Sarah Mallepalle, this is the third person the Cowboys have hired to that role this offseason.
Finally, Dallas has convinced Max Lyons to return to the NFL in the role of football data engineer, according to Marcus Mosher of Pro Football Focus. Lyons has been out of the league for about ten years, founding and maintaining the website Gridiron Rank over that period. After working with the Eagles and Jaguars all the way back in 2012, he finally makes his return to the league.
Here are some other staff updates from around the NFL:
- After joining the Falcons as a scouting assistant a year ago, Hakeem Smith has been promoted to assistant pro scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Before coming to the NFL, Smith had spent three years working in the Pittsburgh Panthers recruiting department. Another scouting assistant hired last summer out of the college ranks, James McClintock has been promoted to a BLESTO scout for Atlanta, according to Stratton. McClintock’s time in the collegiate ranks was spent at Auburn, North Carolina, and Liberty.
- The Ravens are also reportedly hiring out of the college arena. According to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports, Baltimore is expected to hire Adam Neuman as chief of staff and special advisor to the president. Not to be confused with Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, Neuman has served the last four years as chief of staff for strategy and operations for college football’s Big Ten conference.
- There’s been a promotion in the Lions‘ analytics department, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. After joining the team in 2020 as an analytics assistant, Caio Brighenti will now be in the role of football information manager. Brighenti has served as football information analyst for Detroit since March 2021.
- Chiefs‘ staffer Anthony McGee has finally climbed the ranks to become a pro scout, according to Stratton. After interning for the team in different roles from 2018 to 2021, McGee was hired in the personnel department as a player personnel assistant. Two years later, he’ll get his chance at a scouting role.
- A personnel staffer who got his chance as a pro scout last year, J.P. Crowley Hanlon of the 49ers has been promoted to West Coast area scout, according to Stratton. Crowley Hanlon joined San Francisco after gaining some experience with the Eagles and a sports agency.
- The Saints poached an analytics staffer from the Jets this week, according to Walder. After serving in New York as football analytics coordinator since 2020, Zach Stuart will head south to New Orleans as director of analytics.
- Lastly, the Patriots will lose a scout this summer, according to Stratton. Chris Caminiti will be departing for a role to head the Disruptive Sports firm’s coaching representation division. Caminiti has been an area scout for New England since 2021 after serving in operations and coaching roles previously with the Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers.
Pats’ Offer To DeAndre Hopkins Fell Short
In case you missed it, the Titans won the sweepstakes for three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Tennessee signed him to a two-year, $26MM contract that can be boosted up to $32MM with a few incentives. It seemed coming into the weekend that it was a two-team race between the Titans and Patriots, but New England ended up just falling short, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
For weeks, Tennessee and New England were the only visits Hopkins had taken, but a deal didn’t seem imminent with either organization, despite an unofficial soft deadline of training camp to get a deal done. Many seemed to think that Hopkins was waiting for more teams to jump into the mix. Perhaps Kansas City would find a way to clear some cap space by extending defensive tackle Chris Jones, effectively allowing them into the race. Or, maybe, another team with cap space might suffer an injury that leaves them in need of a No. 1 receiver.
Even if new suitors emerged, the Patriots felt they were in a strong position after Hopkins’s visit. The veteran receiver was well-received by current players, and the presence of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien in New England only helped the team’s case. Some of Hopkins’s most impressive seasons came with O’Brien as his head coach in Houston. The idea of reuniting with his former head coach kept the Patriots in contention, alongside Tennessee.
The feeling for weeks has been that New England liked Hopkins, according to Phil Perry of NBCS Boston. He clearly still has gas in the tank and is familiar with their new offensive coordinator’s system. He would also provide some veteran depth and leadership at a position that has two players with significant injury history in JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker. Providing their young, developing quarterback with a star receiver could prove invaluable.
As much as they like him, though, nobody was expecting them to pay the big bucks to obtain him. They reportedly had the ability to match the Titans offer. According to Perry, they could’ve beaten Tennessee’s offer if they really wanted to. Instead, Fowler reports that New England’s “base financial package wasn’t in the same ballpark as what (the) Titans offered.” Hopkins will head to Nashville, and the Patriots will have to hope that their wide receiving corps will have what it takes to get the job done.
2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team
Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.
Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
- Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
- Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
- Houston Texans: $31.72MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
- New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
- Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
- Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
- New York Giants: $22.74MM
- New England Patriots: $21.82MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
- Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
- Cleveland Browns: $16MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
- Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
- Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
- New York Jets: $7.95MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
- Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $593K
No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.
Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.
Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.
The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.
The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.
While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.
Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense
While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:
- Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
- T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
- Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
- Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
- Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
- Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
- Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
- C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
- Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
- Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
- Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
- Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
- Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
- Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
- Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
- Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
- Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
- Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
- Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
- Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
- Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
- DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
- Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
- DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
- Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM
The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.
As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.
Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.
Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.
New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.
The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.
Titans Eyeing Tyjae Spears As RB2
Most of the Titans’ efforts to install a quality back behind Derrick Henry have not proven successful. The only back to qualify as a reliable option throughout his tenure has since changed teams twice.
D’Onta Foreman, who belatedly became the team’s top option to replace an injured Henry in 2021, has signed with the Panthers and Bears in consecutive offseasons. The productive fill-in’s departure prompted the Titans to draft Hassan Haskins in the 2022 fourth round, but the Michigan product totaled just 25 carries as a rookie and was arrested on an assault charge last month.
Haskins is expected to vie for the Titans’ third-string job with Jonathan Ward and Julius Chestnut, per Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. This will leave third-round rookie Tyjae Spears as the primary backup to Henry. The Tulane product is on track to “one-two punch” with the accomplished veteran, Wyatt adds.
Foreman and Haskins are just two of the players to be added since DeMarco Murray‘s 2018 exit (and subsequent retirement). Tennessee gave Dion Lewis a four-year, $19.8MM deal in 2018. While the ex-Patriots back operated as a nice Henry complement that season, he struggled to carve out much of a role in 2019. The Titans released Lewis in 2020. They drafted Darrynton Evans in the 2020 third round, but the Appalachian State product struggled with injuries and could not earn much playing time. Tennessee added Adrian Peterson following Henry’s November 2021 foot fracture and also tried Jeremy McNichols. Foreman, whom the team signed to its practice squad shortly after Henry’s injury, ended up playing the lead replacement role.
Spears will be the latest mid-round pick to receive an opportunity. A four-year Tulane contributor, the 201-pound back broke out with a 1,581-yard rushing season in 2022. He concluded his career with a 205-yard, four-touchdown performance in Tulane’s Cotton Bowl win over USC.
The Titans made Spears, the No. 81 overall pick, this year’s fifth running back selected. Spears ran a modest 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the Green Wave’s pro day, after not running at the Combine. An NFL.com report during draft weekend indicated Spears does not have an ACL in his one of his knees, after two tears, and had battled arthritis. He was not on every team’s draft board due to the medical concern, Daniel Jeremiah noted at the time. When asked about the report during Titans offseason workouts, Spears attempted to brush it off by indicating he was healthy.
The elusive rookie was a full participant in OTAs and minicamp. Considering the Titans’ run-oriented offense and lack of proven wide receivers, Spears may be called upon frequently. And he now represents the team’s top option if Henry, 29, goes down. Henry’s four-year, $50MM deal expires after this season.