Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/22
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on NFI: QB/WR Stone Smartt
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: QB Nate Stanley
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Jeremiah Pharms
- Placed on NFI: OL Chasen Hines, OL Andrew Stueber
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on NFI: WR Rashid Shaheed
New York Jets
- Placed on NFI: TE Jeremy Ruckert
Saints Sign Round 2 CB Alontae Taylor
As rookies begin reporting to training camp, teams are ending unusually lengthy negotiations with second-round picks. After the Jets came to terms with Breece Hall on Tuesday morning, the Saints signed their second-round pick — cornerback Alontae Taylor — to wrap their draft class, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter).
One of 10 unsigned second-rounders, Taylor finishes out New Orleans’ five-man 2022 draft class. The holdup likely stemmed from how much of Taylor’s third-year salary would be guaranteed. That issue has led to a gridlock atop the second round, and a few mid-second-round draftees have taken months to sign as well.
The Saints chose Taylor 49th out of Tennessee. This marks the second straight year the Saints have used a second-day pick on a corner, with the team choosing Stanford’s Paulson Adebo in the 2021 third round. Taylor and Adebo together gives the Saints a rather crowded corner cadre. New Orleans still rosters Bradley Roby alongside Marshon Lattimore, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back to patrol the slot. Gardner-Johnson is going into a contract year. The team also has corner/safety P.J. Williams rostered; this will be Williams’ eighth NFL season.
Taylor represents the Saints’ top draft investment at the position since Lattimore came off the 2017 draft board in Round 1. ESPN ranked Taylor as this year’s 109th-best prospect, but the Saints clearly see more in the 6-foot defender.
At Tennessee, Taylor started a chunk of games in each of his four seasons. He intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, last season and broke up six more. Taylor’s rookie deal runs through 2025. Here is how the Saints’ draft class rounds up:
Round 1: No. 11 (from Commanders) Chris Olave, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 1: No. 19 (from Eagles) Trevor Penning, OT (Northern Iowa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 49 Alontae Taylor, CB (Tennessee)
Round 5: No. 161 D’Marco Jackson, LB (Appalachian State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 194 (from Colts through Eagles) Jordan Jackson, DT (Air Force) (signed)
Round 6: No. — Selection forfeited
Saints To Work Out USFL RB Darius Victor
The Saints have met with some well-known running backs this offseason, but neither Sony Michel nor David Johnson ended up on New Orleans’ 90-man offseason roster. One of the USFL’s top players might, however.
USFL Offensive MVP Darius Victor will audition for the Saints, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. As a member of the New Jersey Generals, Victor led the latest spring-league upstart with nine rushing touchdowns. While his 577 rushing yards did not lead the league, placing third, Victor earned MVP acclaim.
Like many in the USFL, Victor has an NFL past. Part of it came with the Saints, who signed the Division I-FCS product in August 2017. Victor’s New Orleans stay did not last beyond the 2017 training camp, and after he landed on the Cardinals’ practice squad later that year, the 5-foot-8 back was out of the NFL following Arizona’s 2018 camp.
Victor, 28, did not play in a regular-season game during his first go-round. The Towson alum saw CFL and XFL action over the next two years, however, and made his strongest impression this year. It would certainly an interesting re-emergence for Victor, given his short Saints stay five years ago, but the team does have questions in its backfield. The running backs coach in place during Victor’s 2017 Saints stint, Joel Thomas, also remains on staff under Dennis Allen.
Alvin Kamara‘s participation in a Las Vegas brawl during Pro Bowl weekend opens the door to a six-game suspension taking place this year. The Saints are thin behind their perennial Pro Bowl back. Mark Ingram is going into a rare age-33 running back season, and the team has Tony Jones, longtime special-teamer Dwayne Washington and ex-Jaguar Devine Ozigbo behind the well-known pair. Victor would face an uphill battle, USFL accolades notwithstanding, but the Saints are in need ahead of camp.
Latest On Former Saints HC Sean Payton
Sean Payton was linked to a number of a head coaching gigs this offseason, but it sounds like the former Saints HC was legitimately looking to take a break in 2022. There’s still a chance he’ll be ready to return to the sideline for the 2023 campaign, and if that’s the case, the long-time coach would have a few preferred destinations.
[RELATED: Sean Payton To Be Fox Analyst In 2022]
A source told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Chargers would interest Payton if the jobs became available. Of course, the source was also adamant that Payton “would never lobby for a filled job” and would only have interest if those organizations move on from their current coaches. Further, the source indicated that Payton valued “warm weather, a roster good enough to compete and most importantly, control over personnel decisions” at a new stop, and while a good QB would be helpful, that’d be secondary to his other priorities.
If you’ve been following the Payton rumblings throughout the offseason, you’re certainly not surprised about the Miami connection. There was a reported deal in place with the Dolphins that would have seen him join Miami alongside Tom Brady if not for Brian Flores‘ racial discrimination lawsuit. As Jackson writes, Payton was “flattered” by the Dolphins interest, but he truly intends to take time away from coaching in 2022. Further, while a previous source indicated that the Dolphins offered Payton a five-year, $100MM contract, Jackson notes that the Dolphins never had the opportunity to offer the contract since they were never granted permission by the Saints to speak to the coach.
Of course, the Dolphins ended up pivoting to Mike McDaniel, and the organization is hoping they won’t even have to think about a Payton pursuit next year. There’s also the status of general manager Chris Grier, but Jackson opines that the executive wouldn’t have an issue with deferring to Payton.
Payton has also previously been connected to Dallas, where he spent three seasons as the QBs coach before landing the HC gig with the Saints in 2006. Mike McCarthy has had a roller coaster two years in Dallas; after a 6-10 campaign in 2020, the former Packers HC led the team to an NFC East title last season. Unfortunately, that brief success was overshadowed by an underwhelming playoff loss, leading some to speculate that McCarthy could be on the hot seat. Jerry Jones made it clear that he’s committed to McCarthy, but things could obviously change if Dallas underwhelms in 2022.
The Chargers are an interesting inclusion on Payton’s list. The organization gave Anthony Lynn four seasons before replacing him with Brandon Staley, and there’s a good chance that the replacement will have just as long of a leash as his predecessor. Staley would surely get more than two seasons to guide the Chargers back to the postseason, but things could have obviously change if the organization has a chance to lure a coach with Payton’s resume.
Latest On Saints QB Jameis Winston
It looks like Jameis Winston has taken a major step in his recovery from a knee injury. The Saints quarterback posted a video on Instagram that showed him practicing without a brace.
When Winston was participating in Saints minicamp, he was often seen wearing a brace on his surgically repaired knee, and reports indicated he was walking with a notable limp. Now, about eight months after tearing his ACL and damaging his MCL, the QB appeared to be practicing without any restrictions. Winston previously stated a desire to continue wearing a brace even once he’s fully cleared to practice, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll stick with that plan.
Winston and the Saints have continually expressed optimism that the QB will be ready to go come Week 1 of the 2020 campaign. However, Winston also cautioned that he’ll still prioritize his long-term health as he looks to make his return.
“We’re taking this process slowly,” Winston said earlier this offseason (via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com). “It’s about getting better every day. I’m embracing it, and I’m excited to be able to talk football and just keep progressing.”
The former first-overall pick was having a bounceback season while replacing Drew Brees in New Orleans. He went 5-2 as a starter, completing 59 percent of his passes for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions. A Week 8 knee injury ended his season prematurely, but the Saints were still willing to commit to the QB this offseason. New Orleans ended up re-signing the injured free agent to a two-year, $28MM deal, and while he sits atop the depth chart, he’ll see some competition for the starting gig from veteran Andy Dalton.
2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Between now and training camp, additional free agents will join teams. Several big names — from 2010s All-Decade-teamers Ndamukong Suh and Julio Jones — to longtime starters like Odell Beckham Jr., Jason Pierre-Paul, Trey Flowers and J.C. Tretter remain available as camps approach.
With savings from post-June 1 cuts in the rear-view mirror and fewer than 25 draft picks yet to sign their rookie deals, we have a pretty good idea of teams’ cap-space figures. Here is how the league currently stacks up for available funds:
- Cleveland Browns: $40.9MM
- Carolina Panthers: $25.1MM
- Chicago Bears: $23MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $22.5MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $21.6MM
- Washington Commanders: $17.7MM
- Green Bay Packers: $16.9MM
- Miami Dolphins: $16.5MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $16.4MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $15.8MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $14.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $14.3MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $14.3MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $13.4MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $12.8MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $12.4MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $12.3MM
- Tennessee Titans: $11.9MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $11.5MM
- Denver Broncos: $11.5MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $10.9MM
- New Orleans Saints: $10.7MM
- Detroit Lions: $9.8MM
- New York Jets: $9.6MM
- Houston Texans: $9.2MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $7.7MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $7.7MM
- New York Giants: $6MM
- Buffalo Bills: $5.6MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $4.7MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $3.9MM
- New England Patriots: $1.9MM
- The Browns reduced Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 base salary to the veteran minimum. The suspension candidate’s cap number checks in at just $10MM, though the figures from the fully guaranteed deal the Browns authorized begin spiking in 2023. Watson’s cap number is set to rise to an NFL-record $54.9MM next year.
- Carolina has been in talks with Cleveland for months regarding a Baker Mayfield trade. The sides have not come to an agreement on how to divide Mayfield’s guaranteed $18.9MM salary. While the Browns are believed to have come up to around $10MM, Mayfield remains on their roster.
- The Bears, Cowboys and Raiders each vaulted into the top five because of post-June 1 cuts. Chicago and Las Vegas were the only teams to designate the maximum two players as post-June 1 releases.
- The Seahawks have been connected to a Mayfield trade, but they have been more likely to pursue the disgruntled QB via free agency — should this process reach that point. A Mayfield free agent signing would not require Seattle to make adjustments to its cap sheet.
- After restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ contract last year, the Chiefs have not done so in 2022. The superstar passer is attached to a $35.8MM figure — the second-highest 2022 cap charge.
- Atlanta’s cap space factors in the team’s league-leading $63.2MM in dead money, a figure mostly created by Matt Ryan‘s individual dead-cap record ($40.5MM) emerging after the Falcons traded their 14-year starter to the Colts.
- Upon learning Tom Brady would be back for a third Florida season, the Buccaneers did restructure his deal. Brady counts just $11.9MM on Tampa Bay’s 2022 cap sheet, but due to the void years that helped the team save money, that number spikes to $35.1MM in 2023 — when Brady is not under contract.
- San Francisco power brokers have said for months a Jimmy Garoppolo trade is the organization’s goal. With the passer not yet fully cleared, the team — which is preparing for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa extensions to come to pass at some point — has a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap charge on its payroll. Releasing Garopppolo would save the 49ers $24.2MM.
- The Ravens have attempted to go forward with a Lamar Jackson extension, but the team has confirmed the quarterback has not expressed much interest in doing a deal now. The sides did discuss the former MVP’s deal during minicamp. Jackson is tied to a $23MM fifth-year option salary.
NFL Teams With Most Dead Cap
The Falcons made history when they traded Matt Ryan to the Colts this offseason. As a result of the trade, the Falcons were left with a record-breaking $40.5MM in dead cap. Thanks to the Ryan trade (as well as the trade of Julio Jones and the release of Dante Fowler), the Falcons lead the NFL with a whopping $63MM in dead cap heading into next season.
For a team that’s probably not looking to compete in 2022, this isn’t the biggest deal in the world. For competitive squads, a hefty dead cap charge could drastically limit their ability to add to their squad following final roster cuts and into the regular season. A team’s current dead cap commitment could also influence who they decide to cut at the end of the preseason.
So which teams have the most dead cap on their books? We’ve listed them in order below (h/t to Sportrac):
- Atlanta Falcons: $63,209,124
- Chicago Bears: $57,643,341
- Philadelphia Eagles: $54,915,221
- Houston Texans: $52,289,341
- Seattle Seahawks: $46,022,390
- New Orleans Saints: $33,347,982
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $30,863,174
- Las Vegas Raiders: $29,441,565
- New York Giants: $29,262,372
- Green Bay Packers: $24,628,608
- Carolina Panthers: $23,507,283
- Dallas Cowboys: $22,713,132
- Minnesota Vikings: $22,092,189
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $21,852,872
- Detroit Lions: $20,324,288
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $19,445,910
- Cleveland Browns: $18,774,054
- Buffalo Bills: $16,601,356
- Denver Broncos: $14,938,136
- Tennessee Titans: $14,290,108
- Los Angeles Rams: $13,522,002
- Baltimore Ravens: $12,292,703
- Arizona Cardinals: $10,278,530
- Cincinnati Bengals: $9,592,578
- New England Patriots: $9,158,009
- Miami Dolphins: $8,483,400
- Kansas City Chiefs: $7,982,236
- Indianapolis Colts: $7,037,428
- San Francisco 49ers: $6,495,221
- Washington Commanders: $6,300,496
- Los Angeles Chargers: $3,661,167
- New York Jets: $2,092,411
24 Draft Picks Remain Unsigned
Nineteen teams have officially signed all of their rookies, but there are still 13 squads that have a bit more work to do. As our 2022 NFL Draft results show (and with some instance from Miguel Benzen on Twitter), there are only 24 rookies who remain unsigned.
More than half those unsigned rookies were second-round picks. The rest of the unsigned draft picks are either third- or fourth-round picks.
The following draft picks remain unsigned:
Atlanta Falcons
- Round 2: No. 38 (from Panthers through Jets and Giants) Arnold Ebiketie, OLB (Penn State)
- Round 3: No. 74 Desmond Ridder, QB (Cincinnati)
Baltimore Ravens
- Round 2: No. 45 David Ojabo, OLB (Michigan)
- Round 4: No. 110 (from Giants) Daniel Faalele, OT (Minnesota)
- Round 4: No. 119 Jayln Armour-Davis, CB (Alabama)
Carolina Panthers
- Round 3: No. 94 (from Chiefs through Patriots) Matt Corral, QB (Ole Miss)
Chicago Bears
- Round 2: No. 48 (from Chargers) Jaquan Brisker, S (Penn State)
Cleveland Browns
- Round 4: No. 108 (from Texans) Perrion Winfrey, DT (Oklahoma)
Green Bay Packers
- Round 2: No. 34 (from Lions through Vikings) Christian Watson, WR (North Dakota State)
Minnesota Vikings
- Round 2: No. 42 (from Commanders through Colts) Andrew Booth, CB (Clemson)
- Round 2: No. 59 (from Packers) Ed Ingram, G (LSU)
New Orleans Saints
- Round 2: No. 49 Alontae Taylor, CB (Tennessee)
New York Giants
- Round 2: No. 43 (from Falcons) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Kentucky)
- Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears) Daniel Bellinger, TE (San Diego State)
- Round 4: No. 114 (from Falcons) Dane Belton, S (Iowa)
New York Jets
- Round 2: No. 36 (from Giants) Breece Hall, RB (Iowa State)
- Round 4: No. 111 (from Panthers) Max Mitchell, OT (Louisiana)
Seattle Seahawks
- Round 2: No. 40 (from Broncos) Boye Mafe, DE (Minnesota)
- Round 2: No. 41 Kenneth Walker III, RB (Michigan State)
- Round 3: No. 72 Abraham Lucas, OT (Washington State) (signed)
- Round 4: No. 109 (from Jets) Coby Bryant, CB (Cincinnati)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Round 2: No. 33 (from Jaguars) Logan Hall, DL (Houston)
- Round 4: No. 106 (from Jaguars) Cade Otton, TE (Washington)
Tennessee Titans
- Round 2: No. 35 (from Jets) Roger McCreary, CB (Auburn)
- Round 3: No. 86 (from Raiders) Malik Willis, QB (Liberty)
Latest On Saints WR Michael Thomas
It sounds like Michael Thomas has taken a significant step in his recovery from a lingering ankle injury. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football passes along a video (on Twitter) of Thomas running routes.
The last time we saw Thomas on the field was during the 2020 divisional round. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, so it’s a positive development that Thomas is now participating in football drills.
Thomas skipped Saints minicamp as he continued to rehab his ankle injury, and the organization made it abundantly clear that they didn’t want Thomas to practice until he was 100 percent. Still, there’s been some optimism that he could return to the practice field sooner than later. The Saints have expected him back at training camp for a bit now, and this latest video (coupled with the report about the WR running sprints) should only reinforce that return date.
The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.
Over the past two years, Thomas has missed 26 total games.The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs
Wednesday, we took a look at how the 2022 offseason changed the HC landscape. While 10 new sideline leaders are in place for 2022, not quite as much turnover transpired on the general manager front. Five new decision-makers, however, have moved to the top of teams’ front office hierarchies over the past six months.
The Bears, Giants, Raiders and Vikings rebooted their entire operations, hiring new HC-GM combos. The Minnesota move bumped out one of the previous top-10 longest-tenured GMs, with 16-year Vikings exec Rick Spielman no longer in power in the Twin Cities. The Steelers’ shakeup took the NFL’s longest-tenured pure GM out of the mix. Kevin Colbert was with the Steelers since 2000, and although he is still expected to remain with the team in a reduced capacity, the 22-year decision-maker stepped down shortly after Ben Roethlisberger wrapped his career.
Twelve teams have now hired a new GM in the past two offseasons, though a bit more staying power exists here compared to the HC ranks. Two GMs (the Cardinals’ Steve Keim and Chargers’ Tom Telesco) have begun their 10th years at the helms of their respective front offices. They have hired three HCs apiece. The Buccaneers’ Jason Licht is closing in on a decade in power in Tampa Bay; Licht will now work with his fourth HC in Todd Bowles. Beyond that, a bit of a gap exists. But a handful of other executives have been in power for at least five seasons.
Here is how long every GM or de facto GM has been in place with his respective franchise:
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
- Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
- Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2019
- Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013; signed extension in 2022
- Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
- Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016; signed extension in 2022
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
- Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
- George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
- Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
- Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
- Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
- Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
- Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
- Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
- Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
- Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
- Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
Footnotes:
- Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
- Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
- Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
- Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
