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Patriots’ Patrick Chung Opts Out

July 28th, 2020 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots safety Patrick Chung will opt out of the 2020 season, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). That makes Chung the sixth Patriots player to opt out, a list that also includes middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower and right tackle Marcus Cannon.

[RELATED: Patriots’ Hightower, Cannon Opt Out]

The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he has spent all but one year of his career with New England. In that time, he’s started in 112 regular season games and collected three Super Bowl rings. Unlike Hightower, he’s never been selected for a Pro Bowl, but he’s an important member of the Patriots’ D nonetheless.

In May, the Patriots re-upped Chung on an extension that would allow him to earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. Now, he’s effectively under club control for five years. Chung’s contract will toll for 2020 and resume in 2021.

Last year, Chung appeared in 13 games and recorded 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss.

Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower To Opt Out Of 2020 Season

July 28th, 2020 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will opt out of the 2020 season, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hightower wrestled with the decision, but ultimately decided to skip the season in order to protect his 2-week-old son. 

“Me and my fiancée are just more concerned with the health of our family than football — especially the new addition to our family,” Hightower explained.

With that, Hightower becomes the fifth Patriots player to opt out. Running back Brandon Bolden, right tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale, and guard Najee Toran have also decided against playing. Hightower is the highest profile player of the Pats bunch, and one of the more notable players league-wide to opt out.

Hightower was slated to make $8MM in base salary before reaching free agency in March. Now, his contract will toll, with that final year being moved to 2021. With Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts out of the picture, the Patriots were counting on Hightower to hold down the fort at linebacker. There aren’t a ton of impact off-ball linebackers left on the open market, so the Patriots will likely have to work with what they have on hand.

Hightower, 30, has been a staple in the Patriots’ starting lineup since entering the league in 2012. Injuries aside – including a mostly lost 2017 – he’s served as the club’s locker room leader and the point guard of the defense. Last year, Hightower earned his second Pro Bowl trip and even managed 5.5 sacks from the middle.

Hightower’s opt-out falls under the “voluntary” label, meaning that he’s entitled to a $150K salary advance (likely negated by his 2020 earnings to date). Cannon, meanwhile, is “higher risk,” which means he’ll get a $350K stipend (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Cannon had two years to go on his current deal with a total of $9.5MM in base pay. His contract will also toll, with his 2020 season being bumped up to 2021.

Patriots FB Danny Vitale To Opt Out

July 27th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

A fourth player has decided to opt out this afternoon. Patriots fullback Danny Vitale informed the team of his intentions to bypass the 2020 season, Jarrett Bell of USA Today reports.

Thus far, Vitale is the fifth overall player to opt out. He follows Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Ravens wideout De’Anthony Thomas, Seahawks guard Chance Warmack and Cowboys cornerback Maurice Canady.

Vitale has played four NFL seasons — two with the Browns, two with the Packers — and signed with the Pats this offseason. The Patriots lost longtime fullback James Develin to retirement earlier this offseason.

Vitale played 170 snaps last season with Green Bay, catching 12 passes for 97 yards. His one-year Patriots contract will toll to 2021. Since he is not believed to be at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, Vitale is set to receive a $150K stipend — rather than his $1MM base salary — and see his contract toll to 2021.

AFC East Notes: Oliver, Dolphins, Thuney

July 22nd, 2020 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Montgomery County (Texas) authorities are dropping charges against tackle Ed Oliver, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports (on Twitter). The Bills defensive tackle was arrested on charges of DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon in May. Attorney Gary Patterson said, via Berman, a lack of evidence prompted the charges to be dropped. Oliver may still face NFL punishment, but the 2020 CBA limited Roger Goodell‘s disciplinary powers on personal conduct issues. It is now certainly possible Oliver will be available for the Bills in Week 1.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The NFL gave teams the option of having rookies report to training camp Tuesday, but Dolphins first-year players are set to arrive at the team’s facility Thursday, Barry Jackson and Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald note. Florida has become a global hot spot for the coronavirus, and the NFLPA had expressed concerns about teams opening up camp in certain areas. South Florida, Houston, Phoenix and Los Angeles were the locales the union mentioned, per Jackson, and it called for an emergency meeting of team doctors whose franchises reside in the most-affected areas. But the medical experts did not indicate camps in those places needed to be moved.
  • Minutes before the legal tampering period began in March, the Patriots surprisingly used their franchise tag to keep Joe Thuney off the market. The Patriots joining 11 other teams in opting not to sign a franchise-tagged player to an extension last week could point to Thuney being on the trade market. But the post-Tom Brady Pats are only carrying a $4.4MM combined cap charge at quarterback — a league-low figure, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes this will allow for more flexibility to carry Thuney’s $14.78MM tag number this season. While some major changes occurred in New England, the Pats are set to return five starting offensive linemen.
  • While Bills, Giants and Jets players will not have to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to the tri-state area, Patriots players who have spent their offseasons outside the New England region will need to do so upon arrival in the state where they work.

Michael Bennett Retires From NFL

July 21st, 2020 at 9:23am CST by Zachary Links

Michael Bennett is calling it a career. After eleven years in the NFL, the longtime Seahawks defensive end announced his retirement on Instagram. 

“Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth — the opportunity to reimagine my purpose,” Bennett wrote. “I would like to thank my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much for me to succeed. I’m looking forward to supporting them the same way they have me these past 11 years. I have never been more at peace in my life.”

Bennett, 34, went undrafted in 2009 after an up-and-down tenure at Texas A&M. His first deal technically came with the Seahawks, but he didn’t make the final cut, so he moved on to the Buccaneers. In 2013, he returned to Seattle as a free agent, and that’s where he really came into his own. The ’13 Seahawks won the Super Bowl and boasted the league’s best D, thanks in large part to Bennett. With the Seahawks, Bennett went on to rack up three straight Pro Bowl appearances and 39 total sacks across five seasons.

Bennett spent time with the Eagles, Cowboys, and Patriots across the last two seasons and was still solidly productive – he had 15.5 sacks between 2018 and 2019. Still, Bennett was mulling retirement even before the pandemic, and quarantining with the family reminded him of everything he had missed off of the field. With that, Bennett is walking away from the game with 359 tackles, 69.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and a Super Bowl ring.

Antonio Brown Retires (Again)

July 20th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. On Monday, Antonio Brown announces his retirement from the NFL. This marks at least the third time Brown has publicly called it quits since September of last year. 

[RELATED: Patriots, AB Settle Grievance]

“At this point, the risk is greater than the reward,” Brown tweeted. “Thank you [to] everyone who [has] been a part of this journey. I sincerely thank you for everything!”

Brown, of course, isn’t the only player who is concerned about the risk involved with playing this season. Still, it remains to be seen whether his latest farewell will stick. Less than three weeks ago, Brown was lobbying the Seahawks to pair him with friend and workout partner Russell Wilson. There were also rumblings of AB and Tom Brady getting together in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers weren’t interested in the drama that comes with the controversial wide receiver.

Brown, 32, remains under NFL investigation for multiple incidents, including two alleged acts of sexual misconduct. His own safety concerns aside, there was little guarantee that a team would take on the risk of signing him. Brown’s availability for the coming year was also highly questionable.

If this is truly a wrap for Brown, he leaves the game with a complicated legacy. Over the course of his ten-year career, Brown tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Before things turned ugly, Brown was a surefire Hall of Famer and regarded as one of the game’s most dangerous offensive talents. Now, (we think), he’ll focus on other endeavors, while untangling some of his off-the-field matters.

Release Candidate: Patriots QB Brian Hoyer

July 18th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Patriots signed Brian Hoyer back in March, many expected him to wind up as the Patriots’ new starter to replace Tom Brady. A few months later, things have changed dramatically. Between the addition of Cam Newton and the presence of youngster Jarrett Stidham, Hoyer may wind up back on the curb this summer.

Hoyer started out with the Patriots way back in 2008. Since then, the one-time undrafted free agent out of Michigan State has been a practice field favorite. This year would mark his third go ’round with Bill Belichick, so he knows the schemes and terminology inside and out.

He’s also signed to a very reasonable one-year, $2MM deal, and it’s fully guaranteed. Financially speaking, the Patriots would gain nothing by releasing the 34-year-old (35 in October).

Since 2010, the Patriots have generally rolled with two QBs on the depth chart, a savvy move to increase flexibility in other areas. Of course, they’re in a very different situation without Brady under center. At one point, in Brady’s rookie year, the Patriots housed four passers on the roster. If they don’t feel the need to backstop Newton and Stidham with their proven – and already paid – signal caller, the Patriots could drop him and create an extra spot for an edge rusher like Shilique Calhoun or a tenth offensive lineman.

No Progress For Patriots, Joe Thuney

July 15th, 2020 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots aren’t expected to hammer out an extension with Joe Thuney before this afternoon’s deadline, according to Ian Rapoport and Michael Giardi of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, the offensive guard is set to play on a one-year, $14.78MM deal. 

[RELATED: Patriots Open Cap Space After Settling Grievances]

The Patriots caught everyone off guard in March when they applied the franchise tag to Thuney. Even after that point, many believed that the tag was Step One towards a tag-and-trade. Instead, the Patriots tagged Thuney with the intention of keeping him and they had some talks with his camp about a multi-year arrangement.

Lately, there hasn’t been much momentum on that front. Frankly, it would be off-brand for the Patriots to pay top dollar for players as they approach free agency, and the current climate doesn’t help matters.

Thuney, 28 in November, has started in all 64 of his games for the Pats over the last three seasons. And, over the last two seasons, he’s graded out as one of the league’s five best offensive guards in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

Poll: How Many Tagged Players Will Land Extensions?

July 14th, 2020 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day away from the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, the NFL finally saw a player from this year’s group do so. The Chiefs’ Chris Jones extension represents the outlier move thus far. Discounting Jones’ deal, how many more tagged players will sign by the 3pm CT deadline Wednesday?

The 14 remaining tagged players reside in limbo for various reasons — from uncertainties about their career trajectories to the pandemic clouding the NFL’s financial future. There could be plenty of players going through the 2020 season on guaranteed one-year deals, which would both table key negotiations for several months and add to the 2021 free agent market.

Here is how everything looks with the tagged group as of Tuesday afternoon:

Already Signed Tag

*Received transition tag (vs. franchise tag)

Hasn’t Signed Tag, Won’t Hold Out

Hasn’t Signed Tag, Threatening Holdout

More players were tagged this year than in 2018 and ’19 combined. This represents the largest contingent of tagged performers since 2012, when 19 were tagged. That also came in an era when of salary cap stagnancy. After steady cap growth since 2014, the league’s best hope may be for the 2021 cap to plateau. The coronavirus has threatened to keep fans out of stadiums, with limited capacity being the likely best-case scenario. That will cost the league upwards of $3 billion, and the NFL-NFLPA talks about how to manage this have transpired for several weeks without a resolution.

But deadlines, per the cliche, incite action. Will this year be the exception? Are teams willing to carry big tag salaries on their books? Or will they prefer that to signing off on long-term extensions before the cap reality clears up? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Of the 14 players still attached to tags, how many will sign extensions?
1-2 44.57% (238 votes)
3-5 36.33% (194 votes)
4-7 13.30% (71 votes)
More than 8 5.81% (31 votes)
Total Votes: 534
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