Patriots To Cut QB Cody Kessler
The Patriots’ quarterback depth chart will soon be two-man group again. They are cutting Cody Kessler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). This will leave Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as the Pats’ QBs.
New England acquired Kessler in late September of last year, and the former Cleveland third-round pick bounced on and off the Pats’ roster. But the USC product spent most of last season with the Patriots. This move points to the team planning to add another quarterback.
Despite being a fourth-round pick who threw four passes as a rookie, Stidham is rumored to have the inside track at being Tom Brady‘s immediate successor. Hoyer re-signed with the Pats because he was told he would be able to compete for the starting job. Kessler was not expected to factor into that equation, but his departure opens the door to questions about the Pats’ plans for this additional quarterback job.
Kessler was under contract through the 2020 season; his release will save the Pats $935K in cap space. They entered Wednesday with just $708K in cap room.
Kessler has 12 career starts on his resume, the first eight coming with a 2016 Browns team that went 1-15. He briefly supplanted Blake Bortles with the 2018 Jaguars. For his career, Kessler has completed 64% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdown passes and five interceptions.
POLL: Where Will Cam Newton Sign?
The quarterback carousel has mostly come to a stop, and a few big names were left without starting gigs when the dust settled. The highest profile signal-caller on the open market is Cam Newton, and it’s going to be very interesting to see where he ends up signing.
Newton won an MVP and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2015, but his past two campaigns have been derailed by injuries. Last year he was limited to only two games because of a foot injury. The year before that he started the season off hot, but fell apart down the stretch once he started having shoulder issues. Since teams are unable to host free agents on visits due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it might be harder for Newton to find a home for a while with teams’ doctors being unable to examine him in person.
The Chargers are the betting favorite at sportsbooks offering odds on where Newton will end up, and it’s not hard to see why. Los Angeles is arguably a quarterback away from being a legit Super Bowl contender, and on paper they might have the most talented defense in the league. Tyrod Taylor is currently slated as the team’s starter and while he has been solid at times in the past with Buffalo, he doesn’t have the upside that Newton does.
The Chargers own the sixth overall pick however, and they’ve been linked to drafting a passer in the first-round. We also heard a couple weeks ago that they were no longer looking to add a veteran after they whiffed on Tom Brady, although that was before Newton became a free agent.
The Jaguars are another option, as they’re currently rolling with second-year player Gardner Minshew at quarterback and not much else. Minshew showed flashes last year, but he was hardly consistent. The Redskins are another conceivable suitor as they could reunite Newton with his old coach Ron Rivera, although we heard before he was released that they weren’t expected to be interested.
The Dolphins don’t have a firmly entrenched starter right now, but they’re widely expected to draft a quarterback in the first-round. If they surprisingly decide to pass on one, Newton could make sense as an upgrade over Ryan Fitzpatrick. Then there’s the Patriots. New England has a lot of uncertainty at the position after Brady’s departure, and all they have right now is the unproven Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Newton being paired with Bill Belichick would certainly be interesting, to say the least.
So where will the former first overall pick be playing next year? Vote in the poll below (link for app users) and show your work in the comments!
Where Will Cam Newton Sign?
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Chargers 33% (3,786)
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Patriots 26% (2,971)
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Other 12% (1,358)
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Jaguars 11% (1,279)
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Dolphins 9% (996)
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Redskins 9% (973)
Total votes: 11,363
AFC Notes: Campbell, Patriots and Jets Cap
Many in and around the league were shocked that the Ravens were able to acquire defensive lineman Calais Campbell from the Jaguars for just a fifth-round pick. Baltimore had limited cap space entering the offseason, but decided the value was too good to let the opportunity to add Campbell go. However, it appears Campbell had his eyes set on the Ravens as well. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Campbell agreed to take less money from Baltimore than he would have received elsewhere because he believed the organization is well equipped to win moving forward.
Here are some more notes from around the AFC:
- Mike Reiss of ESPN details the Patriots salary cap situation in his weekly quick hits piece. Reiss notes that with at least 20 roster spots left to fill, more than $25MM in dead money on the books for next season, and nearly zero remaining cap space remaining, the team will likely need to make some cap-saving move (whether through an extension, pay-cut, or release). Most notably, New England’s strapped cap situation makes it hard to envision them finding a way to add a free agent quarterback like Cam Newton or Jameis Winston.
- Like New England, the Jets have very little cap flexibility remaining for this offseason. However, unlike their division-rival, New York is gearing up to be a major player in next year’s free agency, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The majority of the Jets spending this offseason has been on one-year deals once they missed out on their top targets and now the team is set to have more than $80MM in cap space (per Over the Cap estimates).
Colts, Pats Discussed Hoyer Trade
Before the Colts released Brian Hoyer last week, they discussed trading the veteran quarterback to the Patriots, the club that ultimately signed Hoyer once he was cut, as Stephen Holder of The Athletic writes. The conversations seemed to be at least somewhat serious in nature, as Holder reports trade compensation was discussed, but a deal never came together. Had New England acquired Hoyer, it would have been responsible for the rest of the three-year, $12MM contract Hoyer signed with Indianapolis in 2019. Instead, the Patriots inked Hoyer to a one-year, $1.05MM pact that includes up to $2MM in available incentives.
Contract Details: Davis, Roberts, Haeg
Let’s take a closer look at the details of a few recently-signed free agent contracts:
AFC
- MyCole Pruitt, TE (Titans): One year, $2.5MM. $2.35MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
- Shilique Calhoun, DE (Patriots): One year, $1.5MM. $250K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Dan Vitale, FB (Patriots): One year, $1.3MM. $100K signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
NFC
- Sean Davis, S (Redskins): One year, $4MM. $2MM guaranteed (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
- Seth Roberts, WR (Panthers): One year, $3.75MM (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of ESPN.com).
- Zach Kerr, DT (Panthers): Two years, $3MM. Unknown incentives available (Twitter link via Garafolo).
- B.J. Goodson, LB (Browns): One year, $2.4MM. $2.25MM guaraneed. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- Joe Haeg, T (Buccaneers): One year, $2.3MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. Up to $1MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Cedric Ogbuehi, T (Seahawks): One year, $2.3MM. $500K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
- Will Parks, S (Eagles): One year, $1.5MM. $1.375MM guaranteed. $375K signing bonus. Up to $125K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Tajae Sharpe, WR (Vikings): One year, $1MM. $675K guaranteed. $175K signing bonus. Max value of $1.5MM (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Sharrod Neasman, S (Falcons): One year, $950K. $40K signing bonus. Veteran salary benefit (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Joe Walker, LB (49ers): One year, $900K. Max of $75K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Wilson).
Jarrett Stidham To Start For Patriots?
We heard earlier today that the Patriots may be gearing up for a starting quarterback competition between Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, but Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston says that as of now, the job is Stidham’s to lose.
There is plenty of logic to that. The Patriots selected Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and are said to be high on him, and most believe that New England will spend 2020 cleaning up its salary cap situation and preparing for a return to contention in 2021. That means that the club will not pursue a potentially pricey QB like the recently-released Cam Newton, and it means that Stidham will have a chance to prove that he can be the rightful heir to Tom Brady.
Curran does say that if the COVID-19 pandemic puts a damper on Stidham’s development — which it seems almost certain to do — then Hoyer could get the nod to open the 2020 season. Stidham, though, would probably step in at some point thereafter. The Auburn product threw just four passes in his rookie campaign but put together a strong two years against SEC defenses in 2017-18.
While we’re on the subject of the Patriots, let’s round up a few more notes out of Foxborough:
- The release of longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski did not create $3.5MM of cap space, as originally reported. Because $2MM of Gostkowski’s 2020 salary was fully-guaranteed, the move actually frees up less than $1MM of space. So as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, Gostkowski’s release wasn’t financially motivated; the team just wanted a new kicker.
- Hoyer’s contract calls for a $1.05MM salary with $2MM in playing time incentives, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Because his deal with the Colts contained offsets, Hoyer will earn at least $2MM in 2020.
- The Patriots agreed to sign veteran defensive back Cody Davis yesterday, and ESPN’s Field Yates reports that Davis will take home a $1.1MM base salary and landed a $100K signing bonus (Twitter link). He will carry a cap charge of $1.5MM.
- Fullback Dan Vitale‘s new contract is a one-year pact worth $1.3MM, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. He received a $100K signing bonus and can earn another $200K in playing time incentives.
Patriots Re-Sign Shilique Calhoun
The Patriots have agreed to re-sign DE/LB Shilique Calhoun, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Calhoun appeared in 15 games (one start) for the defending AFC East champs in 2019.
New England has seen three LBs depart via free agency this offseason, and while the club will surely add reinforcements, Calhoun could be in line for a bigger role in 2020. He appeared in just over a quarter of the Pats’ defensive snaps last year and recorded 16 total pressures, though he was unable to covert any of those pressures into a sack.
He did establish himself as a core special teamer and will continue to see plenty of burn in that role regardless of what happens on the defensive side of the ball. And that still represents an upgrade over the disastrous start to his career with the Raiders.
Oakland selected Calhoun in the third round of the 2016 draft, but he never started a game in his three years in the Silver-and-Black. In fact, he was waived during final cutdowns in September 2017, went unclaimed, and was subsequently re-signed to the Raiders’ practice squad.
Brady Fallout: Bucs, Belichick, Colts, Hoyer
The Buccaneers‘ signing of the most accomplished free agent in NFL history triggered a ripple effect in several cities. That started in Charlotte. Although neither Bruce Arians nor Jason Licht spoke to Tom Brady until Wednesday of last week, the Bucs believed they had a “shell of a deal” with Brady by Tuesday, Peter King of NBC Sports reports. This was hours before the future Hall of Fame quarterback announced he would no longer return to the Patriots. The Bucs’ discussions with Brady’s agent, Don Yee, Tuesday prompted them to bow out of the Teddy Bridgewater pursuit, King adds. Bridgewater’s Panthers offer prompted the Bucs to give him an answer, and they chose to stay in the Brady pursuit without a full commitment. The Bucs had been linked to Bridgewater for weeks.
At February’s end, the Bucs’ quarterback hierarchy went Brady-Bridgewater-Jameis Winston, King notes. Tampa Bay had also been linked to Philip Rivers in February, but it became clear the Colts were his top option.
Here is the latest fallout from the Bucs’ Brady signing:
- Brady’s camp expressed interest in the Colts, but King notes the interest was not mutual. The prospect of a Rivers-Colts partnership surfaced shortly after the Chargers revealed they would not re-sign him, and while the notion of Rivers-over-Brady sounds interesting based on the veterans’ accolades, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets the Colts’ preference of going with a one-year quarterback arrangement probably did not align with Brady’s hopes of a multiyear commitment. Rivers signed a one-year, $25MM deal; Brady became a Buccaneer for two years and $50MM fully guaranteed. Brady also expressed interest in the 49ers, and the Titans were a long-rumored suitor. These franchises joined the Colts and Raiders in leaving the Brady race early.
- Early this offseason, Brady’s camp put out feelers to other teams, and ESPN.com’s Seth Wickersham notes many executives around the league viewed the quarterback as being driven by ill will toward Bill Belichick that they could not tell if he wanted out of New England or merely wanted Robert Kraft to step in and broker a new Pats deal. Belichick refused to give Brady the extension he sought last summer, and Wickersham adds that a Brady-Belichick conversation in late 2017 about the quarterback’s future with the Patriots ended with a “blowup.” This meeting appears to have happened just before Wickersham’s “tension in New England”-centered report that indicated Kraft’s intervention helped drive the Jimmy Garoppolo-to-San Francisco deal. The Patriots gave Brady an incentive package in 2018, leading to his extension-in-name-only 2019 contract.
- As for the Patriots‘ plans, they may actually be planning a Brian Hoyer–Jarrett Stidham quarterback battle. Hoyer could have earned more money elsewhere but wanted to return to New England because he was told he will have a chance to vie for the starting job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (video link). The Patriots, as of now, do not have Andy Dalton on their radar and are viewed as being high on Stidham, who has attempted four NFL passes.
Patriots To Release Stephen Gostkowski
The longest-tenured kicker in Patriots history will need to head elsewhere to continue his career. The Pats are releasing Stephen Gostkowski, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
Gostkowski signed a two-year deal to stay with the Patriots in 2019 but is coming off an injury-marred season. He has been New England’s kicker since 2006, taking over after the Pats let Adam Vinatieri walk in free agency. A Gostkowski release will save the Pats nearly $3.5MM. They entered Monday with less than $5MM in cap space.
Gostkowski spent a few days as the Patriots’ longest-tenured player, rising to that position after Tom Brady defected to the Buccaneers. That distinction now belongs to 12th-year special-teamer Matthew Slater. Gostkowski’s 204 regular-season games played ranks fourth in Patriots history. When postseason contests are included, his games-played total ranks only behind Brady’s.
New England used four kickers last season, with Kai Forbath, Nick Folk and Mike Nugent taking turns replacing the injured Gostkowski. While Folk finished the season as the Pats’ kicker, he is currently a free agent. Gostkowski, 36, is coming off hip surgery. This marks another big change for the Pats, who last week saw the most decorated player in franchise history opt to leave.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Gostkowski resides as one of this era’s best kickers. He landed on the 2008 and 2015 All-Pro first teams as well. The former fourth-round pick’s 87.4% career field goal success rate ranks fifth in NFL history, and his 39 career playoff field goals rank behind only Vinatieri’s 56 in playoff history.
Patriots To Sign DB Cody Davis
Veteran defensive back Cody Davis will sign with the Patriots, according to his agent (Twitter link). He will land with a franchise that has frequently displayed a commitment to rostering high-end special-teamers.
Davis spent the past two seasons with the Jaguars, playing at least 85% of their special teams snaps in those years. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rams. While Davis made five starts with Los Angeles, the former UDFA has primarily operated as a special-teamer in the NFL.
The 30-year-old specialist will join recently re-signed Matthew Slater, a perennial special teams Pro Bowler, and three-time Pro Bowl special-teamer Justin Bethel — whom the Patriots added last year. Davis does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume, but he will add to New England’s array of talent at these spots while helping the Pats fill the void Nate Ebner created when he signed with the Giants.