- The Patriots have primarily used Jonathan Jones as a slot cornerback. His 2019 extension came as a result of slot play, and Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-tier cover man in 2020. But New England has been using Jones on the outside in recent days at camp, Doug Kyed of PFF notes, with third-round rookie Marcus Jones working in the slot. The Pats have been searching for an outside corner alongside Jalen Mills, and the recently unretired Malcolm Butler has yet to seize that gig. Marcus Jones is also viewed as the likely Pats punt returner, per Kyed.
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/injured: DT Bryce Rodgers
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: RB Kyren Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to IR: RB Nathan Cottrell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DE Matt Dickerson
- Waived: LB Shilique Calhoun
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: C/G Cameron Hunt
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from PUP: WR Warren Jackson, RB Kyren Williams
- Released from IR: TE Kyle Markway
New England Patriots
- Activated from NFI: G Chasen Hines
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Jordan Brown, DE T.J. Carter, LB Chase Hansen
- Activated from NFI: WR Rashid Shaheed
- Waived/injured: CB Dylan Mabin
New York Giants
- Released: OL Matt Gono
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Ron’Dell Carter
- Activated from PUP: DE Tyson Alualu
- Waived/injured: LB T.D. Moultry
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Matt Cole
- Reverted to IR: WR Jequez Ezzard
James White remains without a return timetable. The veteran is still sidelined following hip surgery, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets that it’s uncertain when the long-time Patriots RB will return to the field.
The longest-tenured member of the Patriots offense could ultimately land on PUP, but Howe notes that the organization will wait a few more weeks to evaluate White’s progress. The RB suffered a hip subluxation injury last September, limiting him to only three games during the 2021 season. White had 496 yards from scrimmage during his first non-Tom Brady season in 2020, but he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 2019 and 2018.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the organization still has Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson atop their depth chart, but it’s tough to replace the pass-catching prowess of White. The organization also used a pair of draft picks on RBs Pierre Strong Jr. (fourth round) and Kevin Harris (sixth round).
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an appendectomy last week, and it’s unlikely we see him until the regular season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Burrow likely won’t play during the preseason. Rapoport estimates that the QB could return two to four weeks after his initially surgery, and he’ll likely participate in throwing sessions while limiting his hits during practice.
- Bills All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer hyperextended his elbow yesterday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). While the injury will keep Poyer off the field for a few weeks, he’s expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. The veteran defensive back has only missed a pair of regular season games since joining the Bills in 2017.
- Giants fourth-round safety Dane Belton suffered a broken collarbone, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter). While the rookie will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, the organization is holding out hope that he’ll be good to go for the start of the season. There’s a better chance he lands on IR following final cuts and will then be activated at some point in October. The Iowa product had already made a strong impression at training camp, according to Raanan.
- Falcons defensive tackle Vincent Taylor ruptured his Achilles, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter). The injury will force Taylor to miss the 2022 season. The 28-year-old joined the Falcons back in April. The journeyman has appeared in 40 career games, including a single start with the Texans in 2021.
There have been persistent rumors that the Dolphins’ pursuit of Tom Brady included a scenario where the quarterback would have become a minority owner of the franchise. As ESPN’s Jeff Darlington tweets, this hypothetical was never very realistic. If Brady wanted to both own and play for a team, the vote would have needed to go through a vote of all owners. It’s very unlikely that vote would have passed.
“Current policy stipulates that a current player or coach could have a financial interest in his or her club but only under an agreement affirmed by a vote of the 32 teams,” Darlington cites. “Among the considerations could be salary cap implications.”
Darlington details the chaos that could have followed Brady’s brief retirement if the QB decided to become an owner/player in Miami. Not only would Brady have had to get out of his Buccaneers contract, but he would also need rival organizations (including Robert Kraft in New England, Joel Glazer in Tampa, and many AFC foes) to agree to the arrangement. These organizations wouldn’t have necessarily been denying Brady’s chance to be an owner; rather, they would have been denying his chance to join a key opponent.
Some additional details regarding the Dolphins’ punishment:
- Brady and former Saints coach Sean Payton will not face any discipline for their role in the Dolphins’ tampering. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), there were “no findings or discipline” besides those levied to the Dolphins organization.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that Dolphins vice chairman Bruce Beal, who was suspended and fined for his role in the tampering scandal, may have been the reason the whole story “blew up.” Per Florio, Beal had been telling friends about Miami’s pursuit of Brady for more than a year. The executive wasn’t discreet, and Florio implies that his behavior may have come back to bite the organization.
- Tom E. Curran of NBC Boston explored (on Twitter) what may have led to Brady’s “dalliance” with the Dolphins back in 2019. In August of that year, Brady inked a “phantom” two-year, $70MM extension with the Patriots that was actually a year-to-year, incentive-laden deal. So, with Brady “resigned to leaving,” he started considering his exit plan, and that included some flirting with Miami. As Curran notes, the Patriots’ unwillingness to truly extend Brady doesn’t excuse the QB, but it does illustrate “how betrayed Brady felt by August 2019.“
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Devin Jones
- Waived: WR Andrew Parchment
Chicago Bears
- Activated from NFI: DB Dane Cruikshank, DB Michael Joseph, WR Tajae Sharpe
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: WR Isaiah Weston
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Alex Mollette
- Placed on IR: WR John Hurst, G/T Carter O’Donnell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: OL Chris Glaser
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Jalen Elliott, S Brad Hawkins, LB Nate Wieland
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended six games: WR Kawaan Baker
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: CB Jarren Williams
After letting J.C. Jackson walk in free agency, a decision consistent with offseason cornerback choices in the recent past, the Patriots will have a transition to make. But the team does return some talent at the position. One of those players made a long-awaited return to work Monday.
The Patriots activated Jonathan Jones from their active/PUP list. The team’s primary slot corner, Jones was lost early during the 2021 season, going down with a shoulder injury in Week 6. Offseason safety addition Jabrill Peppers, who suffered an ACL tear days after Jones went down, is also back at practice for New England. The team also activated defensive back Myles Bryant from its active/non-football injury list.
Jones, 28, and Devin McCourty are the only secondary cogs left to have played regular roles in the Patriots’ most recent Super Bowl season. A former UDFA, Jones has been a key member of the Pats’ secondary since the 2017 season. New England gave the Auburn alum a three-year, $21MM extension just before the 2019 season. Jones graded as one of the top corners in football in his most recent full season (2020), per Pro Football Focus; his deal expires after the 2022 campaign.
Peppers was linked in trades ahead of last year’s deadline, but his injury nixed any move. The Giants let the 2019 trade acquisition walk this offseason. The former first-round pick saw his role decrease in 2021, with the Giants using Xavier McKinney and ex-Patriot Logan Ryan more often on their back line, but has made 59 career starts and was the No. 25 overall pick in 2017.
This will be Peppers’ age-27 season. The Pats, who signed Peppers for just $2MM, added the Michigan product to a deep safety corps — one that has McCourty back alongside Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger.
The Patriots have taken care of an important piece of business with respect to their special teams. New England is extending punter Jake Bailey on a four-year, $13.5MM contract with $6.5MM fully guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
Bailey, 25, was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. Now, he will be on the books through 2025, allowing the Patriots to have long-term stability at the position. The former fifth-rounder (who also handles kickoffs and is the team’s holder on field goals) earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors in 2020, after averaging 48.7 yards per punt. That average dipped slightly last season, and a league-leading three of his punts were blocked.
Despite that, Bailey’s success from the year prior earned him a sizeable raise via the Proven Performance Escalator. As a result, he was scheduled to carry a cap hit of $4.05MM this season. Not surprisingly, then, the Stanford alum was widely thought to be due an extension at some point this offseason.
Schefter’s colleague Mike Reiss adds that this new deal will lower Bailey’s 2022 cap charge by roughly $1.85MM – a relatively nominal amount, but one which is particularly significant for the Patriots, as they entered the day with the least cap space in the league. Even with this extension, they will have less than $5MM in financial wiggle room.
The $3.375MM-per-year average of the deal moves Bailey into second in the league in terms of annual compensation at the position, behind only Seattle’s Michael Dickson. He will be in place for the foreseeable future in New England, as he looks to repeat the success he has already enjoyed in his career.
After seven years with the rival Dolphins, wide receiver DeVante Parker is set to be a difference-maker in the Patriots offense this season, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. With the early days of camp in New England focusing on the red zone, Parker’s 6’3″, 219 lb. frame has been on full display.
The Patriots don’t have a traditional No. 1 receiver this season. They return last year’s top-three receivers, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, and they recently traded away former first-round pick N’Keal Harry. They also drafted Baylor wide receiver Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Without a bona fide star in the receiving corps, they’ll count on each receiver to contribute their own versatile skills to the offense, and Parker’s, it appears, will come in handy in the restricted confines of the red zone.
Here are a few other notes from Patriots training camp, as reported by Reiss:
- After spending last season with Isaiah Wynn at left tackle and Trent Brown at right tackle, spring ball saw the two swap sides. Head coach Bill Belichick downplayed it as a way to build versatility in his top offensive linemen, a worthwhile trait to shield from injury, but it may end up being a permanent change. As New England opened up training camp this week, Wynn and Brown remained switched at right and left tackle, respectively. Brown has even reportedly been “feeling (at) home” on the left side of the line.
- According to Reiss, one of the biggest remaining question marks on the Patriots’ roster is at cornerback opposite Jalen Mills. The top-two options so far in camp have been veterans Terrance Mitchell and Malcolm Butler. Mitchell got the first opportunity of camp and received praise from Belichick in early practices. Butler returns to the team this summer after a three-year vacation in Nashville and a one-year retirement after signing to play for the Cardinals. He admits he’s still “getting in shape” after not playing at all in 2021. Reiss reports that rookie fourth-round pick Jack Jones is next in line, ahead of rookie third-round pick Marcus Jones, and returning backups Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams, Justin Bethel, and Shaun Wade.
Some recent deals and extensions have been signed around the NFL. We’ve provided some updates on those contracts below:
- Davon Godchaux, DT (Patriots): Two-year, $20.8MM extension, including $17.85MM guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Godchaux got a $10.5MM signing bonus, and he’ll have a base salary worth $1.5MM in 2022. The extension reduced the defensive lineman’s cap hit from $10.25MM to $8.75MM.
- Riley Reiff, OT (Bears): One-year deal worth a maximum amount of $12.5MM ($10MM likely to be earned). Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Bears structured Reiff’s contract in such a way that it will count for just $3MM against the cap next season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provides more details on Twitter, noting that the lineman will earn a $3MM base salary, and he’ll earn another $4.5MM if he’s on the field for 10% of his team’s offense snaps. There are also incentives tied to offensive categories and a playoff appearance.
- Kwon Alexander, LB (Jets): One-year deal. Contract is worth $1.12MM with a $152K signing bonus, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be around that $1.12MM mark for the 2022 campaign.
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Duke Dawson
Chicago Bears
- Activated from active/PUP list: DL Sam Kamara
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Jets): S Jovante Moffatt
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from active/PUP list: CB Quandre Mosely
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR Sammy Watkins
- Activated from active/PUP list: LB Randy Ramsey, OL Rasheed Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Caeveon Patton
- Released: DE Bryan Cox Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Waived: K Andrew Mevis
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas
- Waived/injured: RB Xavier Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Josh Hammond
- Activated from active/PUP list: C David Andrews, P Jake Bailey
New York Jets
- Waived: LB Javin White
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Tomasi Laulile
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Bug Howard
- Waived: P Sterling Hofrichter
- Activated from active/PUP list: G Sadarius Hutcherson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Shakur Brown
Signed as a UDFA shortly after the draft, Mevis fared rather poorly in a Thursday workout. The rookie kicker missed badly on three warmup kicks, one of which drilling ex-Cowboys HC Dave Campo (of Hard Knocks 2002 fame), per ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. Mevis had struggled during the start of Jaguars camp. This is Fry’s seventh NFL team since he entered the league in 2019. The workout-circuit regular has played in three regular-season games — one-offs with the Falcons, Bengals and Chiefs. The Jags also have kicker Ryan Santoso on their roster.
A hamstring injury, sustained during a workout shortly after a flight to Green Bay, sidelined Watkins for the start of Packers camp. The veteran will try to shake a well-earned injury-prone label in Green Bay, though the former top-five pick’s roster spot may not be 100% secure. Andrews, who returned in 2020 after missing all of the 2019 season due to blood clots, underwent offseason shoulder surgery. He is back for a seventh season as the Patriots’ starting center.