Latest On Giants, Saquon Barkley
JULY 13: An interesting twist to the Barkley negotiations has emerged. Ed Berry of CAA, who has long been involved in marketing for Barkley, is now involved in contract talks. Florio reports that Berry was added to the franchise-tagged star’s camp last month to provide an extra voice in negotiations. As a result, Barkley is now represented by both CAA and Roc Nation (in the form of Kim Miale) as talks are nearing the deadline-imposed finish line.
Meanwhile, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that the Giants’ best offer to date included $19.5MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link). Consecutive franchise tags would equate to $22.2M in guaranteed money, so it comes as little surprise that Barkley would turn down such a proposal.
JULY 12: In one of the more eventful stretches for a team and the franchise tag in recent NFL history, the Giants have until 3pm CT Monday to extend Saquon Barkley. As the deadline nears, this situation reminds of their point-of-no-return situation with Barkley and Daniel Jones in March.
Prior to that point, the Giants had made a second offer to Barkley — a deal worth more than $13MM per year. The five-year veteran declined the proposal, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting the talented running back sought a contract in the $16MM-per-year neighborhood. That would have matched Christian McCaffrey‘s position-record average, which has stood as the top running back contract since April 2020.
[RELATED: Jones’ Asking Price Reached $47MM Per Year]
The Giants informed Barkley that a declined offer would mean the proposal would be pulled if the team tagged him. The subsequent Jones agreement — a four-year, $160MM accord reached minutes before the March deadline for teams to apply franchise tags — led to the Giants following through with that plan/threat, tagging Barkley and withdrawing their best offer. While the parties have continued off-and-on negotiations during the spring and summer, they are believed to be at an impasse.
Earlier this offseason, a report suggested Barkley was pushing for a top-market contract. Barkley, however, said following the Giants’ divisional-round loss to the Eagles he was not looking to reset the market. Pushback has since come out regarding Wednesday afternoon’s report.
The Giants’ offer is believed to have included $26MM in the first two years, per Florio. Only two veteran backs (McCaffrey and Derrick Henry) are tied to guarantees north of $20MM. It does not seem like all $26MM in Barkley’s offer was locked in, with insufficient guarantees being an issue for the running back’s camp. Indeed, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes the offer did not include $26MM guaranteed. Barkley also disputes this report (Twitter links). A $16MM-AAV ask never seemed realistic to the standout back, Jordan Raanan adds (on Twitter).
Even if Barkley is angling for McCaffrey-level money, a case exists for it. However, that case was stronger before the carnage at the running back position this offseason. On one hand, the salary cap has climbed since McCaffrey’s four-year, $64MM Panthers extension; the cap stood at $198.2MM at that point. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic reducing the salary ceiling in 2021, it has rebounded to $224.8MM this year. OverTheCap lists $256MM as the projected 2024 ceiling. The cap spiking by $32MM between 2023 and ’24 will lead to position-record deals; will a team be willing to authorize one at running back?
Since Barkley was first connected to $16MM-AAV territory, two of the top four RB contracts (for Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook) have been shed. The Packers and Aaron Jones agreed to a pay cut that provided more 2023 guarantees; the Bengals have been connected to asking Joe Mixon to accept a trim. No free agent back signed for more than $6.35MM per year, and Austin Ekeler‘s trade request — which came about because he is tied to a Chargers-friendly extension ($6.13MM per annum) — did not spark much interest. During a mostly uninterrupted period of the league devaluing running backs, 2023 has brought a widespread bloodbath.
Then again, free agency was not a true representation of the RB market, since the three tagged backs — Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard — were not available. Barkley, 26, also means more to the Giants than most backs do to their respective teams, seeing as Big Blue recently extended a middling quarterback and has question marks at wide receiver and tight end. It will be interesting to see what other terms are thrown around before Monday’s deadline. Given the frequency of Barkley-related updates this offseason, it seems likely we will find out the particulars.
Saquon Barkley To Consider Skipping Week 1 If No Extension Reached
Five days out from the franchise tag extension deadline, three players — Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram and Josh Jacobs — have not signed their tenders. If no extensions are reached by Monday’s 3pm CT deadline, the trio will not be obligated to report to training camp.
After Jacobs has been connected to rumors of potentially sitting out the Raiders’ regular-season opener, Barkley has now been mentioned as having a chance to stay away from the Giants once the season starts. Barkley’s Week 1 availability against the Cowboys would be “in serious question” if no extension is agreed to, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED: Examining Remaining Franchise Tag Situations]
This course of action would cost Barkley a game check, but the former No. 2 overall pick is in a unique position compared to other backs who have been tagged. Whereas Jacobs collected his four-year rookie-deal salary as a No. 24 overall pick and Pollard played four Dallas seasons on a fourth-round contract, Barkley earned more than $31MM over his first four years due to his draft slot. The Penn State product then added $7.2MM on the fifth-year option last season, bringing his career earnings close to $40MM.
Barkley missing Week 1 would cost him $560K, and his NFL earnings to date offer him some protection. Barkley, 26, has also said taking the Le’Veon Bell route — skipping a season in protest of the tag — is a consideration. This would be a highly unlikely scenario, however, as it would mean punting on $10.1MM fully guaranteed. Only Bell has gone through with radical route this century. A threat of missing Week 1 will be used as leverage as well, as Barkley is obviously a central component in the Giants’ offense, ahead of Monday’s deadline. Barkley has already been connected to skipping training camp, as Bell did during the first year the Steelers tagged him.
For now, Barkley and the Giants remain at a stalemate, Russini adds (on Twitter). The Giants came through with a resolution at the previous tag deadline, extending Daniel Jones on a four-year, $160MM deal and then tagging Barkley in March. Upon unholstering the tag, the Giants withdrew their extension offer to the sixth-year running back. The team had offered the two-time Pro Bowler more than $12MM on average during November 2022 negotiations and upped the proposal to beyond $13MM AAV earlier this year. Neither offer, however, was believed to have high-end guarantees. Guaranteed money remains a sticking point here.
Last week, some optimism was believed to exist regarding an extension. Ownership remains behind Barkley, and it will be interesting to see if that impacts a final push for a deal. While running back value has taken another dip this year, the Giants are one of the NFL’s more RB-reliant teams. Jones and a low-end pass-catching cast relied on Barkley last season, and the former Offensive Rookie of the Year rebounded from an injury-plagued stretch to lead the team to the playoffs. The Giants have made some skill-position upgrades this offseason. But both their receiving and tight end additions come with questions. Darren Waller has encountered considerable injury trouble over the past two years, and none of Big Blue’s wideout acquisitions will be viewed as a No. 1-caliber target this season. Third-rounder Jalin Hyatt is not expected to be a Week 1 starter.
With the salary cap expected to spike again in 2024, it is interesting teams have cut costs further at running back this year. Christian McCaffrey‘s $16MM-per-year deal has topped this position group since April 2020, and neither Barkley nor Jacobs appears a candidate to take that down. The Giants will also need to decide whether to give Barkley a deal that includes more than $22MM guaranteed, which would cover the cost of a 2024 franchise tag. McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson are the only backs attached to more than $18MM guaranteed.
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.
Giants LB Jarrad Davis Undergoes Surgery, Facing Long-Term Absence
The Giants authorized this offseason’s second-most lucrative linebacker contract, giving Bobby Okereke a $10MM-per-year deal. However, one of the team’s holdovers had been leading the competition to join the ex-Colt as a starter.
But Jarrad Davis‘ path back to the Giants’ starting lineup has encountered a road block. Davis underwent surgery recently and is believed to be facing a long-term absence, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports. The operation was on Davis’ knee, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes. The Giants re-signed Davis, 28, in March but saw him miss minicamp due to this unspecified injury.
Davis started just one regular-season game for the Giants last season, but the ex-Lions first-rounder played a first-string role in both Big Blue playoff tilts. During Giants OTAs, Davis was running with Okereke on Don Mardindale‘s first unit. The former Colts starter could now be an option at middle linebacker, where Davis was stationed.
Should this knee injury threaten Davis’ regular-season availability, the Giants will be prepared to hold a competition between Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers. A 2022 fifth-round pick, McFadden started seven games for an embattled Giants linebacking corps last season. The Giants chose Beavers in last year’s sixth round, but he did not play as a rookie due to a torn ACL sustained during the team’s second preseason game. Beavers, whom Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan notes the team remains high on, did not practice in full at minicamp but did side-field work (Twitter link).
If this is a season-threatening injury, it obviously deals a blow to Davis’ career. The Florida alum received extensive playing time during his first go-round in Detroit but did not receive strong reviews for his work. The Lions benched Davis during his 2020 contract year, and while he did receive $5.5MM from the Jets in 2021, he settled for $1.2MM from the Lions last year. The Lions deemed Davis a practice squad-level player during his second stint, leading to the Giants poaching him off that Detroit unit in December. Davis re-signed with the Giants for the league minimum (one year, $1.1MM). His $75K roster bonus will only be due if he makes the team’s 53-man roster.
It would make for a natural transition for the Giants to have one of their recent Day 3 picks win this competition. Both Beavers and McFadden were drafted by the team’s current regime, and each makes low-end money that would complement Okereke’s four-year, $40MM deal. The Giants hosted former Falcons mainstay Deion Jones earlier this offseason, doing so after signing Okereke. Jones could potentially be an option, depending on the severity of Davis’ injury. For now, two second-year players have clearer paths to a regular role.
Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Offense
The NFL’s salary cap once again ballooned by more than $10MM, rising from its $208.2MM perch to $224.8MM. Factoring in the pandemic-induced 2021 regression, the NFL’s salary risen has climbed by more than $42MM since 2021.
This has allowed teams more opportunities for roster additions and opened the door for more lucrative player deals — at most positions, at least. However, it does not look like this season will include a $40MM player cap number. The Browns avoided a record-shattering Deshaun Watson $54.9MM hit by restructuring the quarterback’s fully guaranteed contract, calling for monster figures from 2024-26.
Here are the largest cap hits for teams on the offensive side going into training camp:
- Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $39.69MM
- Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): $36.6MM
- Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $30.98MM
- Jake Matthews, T (Falcons): $28.36MM
- Trent Williams, T (49ers): $27.18MM
- Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $26.83MM
- Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): $26.61MM
- Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers): $23.8MM
- Amari Cooper, WR (Browns): $23.78MM
- Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $23.69MM
- Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens): $23.67MM
- Joe Thuney, G (Chiefs): $22.12MM
- Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $22MM
- Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $22MM
- Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $21.75MM
- David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $21.29MM
- Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $20.25MM
- D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $20.17MM
- Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $20MM
- Brian O’Neill, T (Vikings): $19.66MM
- Taylor Decker, T (Lions): $19.35MM
- Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $19.1MM
- Braden Smith, T (Colts): $19MM
- Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $18.64MM
- Courtland Sutton, WR (Broncos): $18.27MM
As should be expected, quarterbacks dominate this list. Mahomes’ number checks in here despite the Chiefs restructuring his 10-year, $450MM contract in March; the two-time MVP’s cap hit would have set an NFL record had Kansas City not reduced it. The Chiefs did not restructure Mahomes’ deal last year, but if they do not address it — perhaps via a complex reworking — before next season, Mahomes’ $46.93MM number would break an NFL record.
The Titans have not touched Tannehill’s contract this offseason, one that included some trade rumors months ago. This is the final year of Tannehill’s Tennessee extension. Mahomes and Tannehill sat atop this ranking in 2022.
Cousins is also heading into a contract year, after the Vikings opted for a restructure and not an extension this offseason. Cousins does not expect to discuss another Minnesota deal until 2024, when he is due for free agency. Two relatively low cap numbers have started Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension. The Denver QB’s cap number rises to $35.4MM in 2024 and reaches historic heights ($55.4MM) by ’25. The subject of a Goff extension has come up, and it would bring down the Lions passer’s figure. But Goff remains tied to his Rams-constructed $33.5MM-per-year deal through 2024.
Jackson and Jones’ numbers will rise in the near future, with the latter’s contract calling for a quick spike in 2024. Next year, the Giants QB’s cap hit will be $45MM. Watson’s 2024 hit, as of now, would top that. The Browns signal-caller is on the team’s ’24 payroll at $63.98MM. Long-term consequences aside, the Browns can be expected to once again go to the restructure well with Watson’s outlier contract.
The Raiders did not backload Garoppolo’s three-year contract; it only climbs to $24.25MM on Las Vegas’ 2024 cap sheet. The Bills did backload Allen’s pact. Its team-friendly years are done after 2023; the six-year accord spikes to $47.1MM on Buffalo’s cap next year. The Cowboys have gone to the restructure well with Prescott. Like Watson, the Cowboys quarterback is tied to a seemingly untenable 2024 cap number. The March restructure resulted in Prescott’s 2024 number rising to $59.46MM. Two seasons remain on that $40MM-AAV extension.
Another notable cap hold that should be mentioned is Tom Brady‘s. When the Buccaneers did not sign the again-retired QB to another contract before the 2023 league year, his $35.1MM dead-money figure went onto Tampa Bay’s 2023 cap sheet. The Bucs will absorb that entire amount this year. Brady’s 2022 restructure, after retirement No. 1, led to the $35.1MM figure forming.
Were it not for another O-line-record extension, the Tunsil number would have come in at $35MM this year. Matthews signed an extension last year. Moore would have come in higher on this list were he still on the Panthers, who took on $14.6MM in dead money to move their top wideout for the No. 1 overall pick. Sutton came up regularly in trade rumors, with the Broncos wanting a second-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. The former second-rounder’s high base salary ($14MM) hinders his trade value.
Options As Clock Ticks Down On RB Franchise Tags
JULY 10: During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Darlington added to his previous reporting on the Barkley and Jacobs situations (video link). He stated that Barkley remains the likelier of the two backs to ultimately sign a long-term deal before the deadline, with Jacobs’ tenure in Vegas having seemed uncertain since the arrival of head coach Josh McDaniels last year. Many of the remaining RB free agents – including, quite possibly, Dalvin Cook – will see their value determined in part by the developments (or lack thereof) which take place with the Giants and Raiders in the coming days.
JULY 9: Running back has notoriously become the most difficult position at which to earn a salary worth your performance in the NFL. For the clearest examples we’ve seen of this, look no further than Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley.
Both running backs delivered elite performances in contract years, which at any other position would set them up for big extensions. Unfortunately, both players were franchise tagged by their respective teams and have threatened holdouts to try and gain leverage in their contract negotiations. So, how do their teams respond to the situation? After talking with league executives, Dan Graziano of ESPN provided a few options. 
The first option involves both players getting a “fair market” deal, a new contract extension that will keep Jacobs and Barkley home. Another option involves the team’s doing nothing. They would allow the backs to play out their tags and likely tag them a second time the following offseason. A third option would try to avoid the second. With the second option being the most likely, the teams could offer the two a two-year, fully guaranteed deal that would pay slightly more than two consecutive franchise tags. This provides slightly more security over the next year and a half before the two would hit free agency again. Lastly, Graziano mentions a fourth, “nuclear” option of rescinding the tags then signing someone cheaper.
Because the combination of youth and rookie contracts have proven some success in the recent past, it really feels like most of the decision lies with the teams. Both teams have the simple option of locking the backs down with the franchise tag and then tagging them a second time in 2024 at a still relatively cheap price, compared to other positions. In that situation, the teams get to have their star running backs for the 2023 season but aren’t committed to them past that. If either back shows signs of regression next season, they can allow them to walk away at no financial risk. Jacobs and Barkley can always hold out during the regular season (as their own financial burden), but they’ll just come out the other side in a similar situation.
With the deadline for franchise players to sign multi-year contract approaching on Monday, July 17, conversations are expected to pick up between the teams and running backs. New York and Las Vegas are both expected to make some last-ditch efforts to sign their backs to a deal other than their franchise tags. If either player gets a deal done before the deadline, it will certainly lay the groundwork for the other.
Regardless, in today’s NFL, hitting the open market is the worst-case scenario for a running back. If two consecutive franchise tags is the alternative, at least it keeps them on a roster for 2023. Barkley’s relationship with the Giants has proven a bit less rocky than Jacobs’s relationship with the Raiders, so it might be on Barkley and New York to set the tone if new deals are going to get done.
Giants, S Xavier McKinney Have Not Commenced Extension Talks
The Giants are not believed to have initiated extension talks with safety Xavier McKinney, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic (subscription required). McKinney, a 2020 second-rounder, has accrued three years of service time and is therefore eligible for an extension. If he and the team do not come to terms on a new deal prior to the 2024 league year, he will become an unrestricted free agent (barring the application of the franchise tag).
In his first year as New York’s general manager in 2022, GM Joe Schoen discussed extensions with impending free agents like Saquon Barkley and Julian Love during the bye week. Neither of those negotiations culminated in a new contract, and Barkley was ultimately hit with the franchise tag while Love defected to the Seahawks in free agency. Still, it could be that Schoen prefers to wait until this year’s bye (Week 13) to begin laying the foundation for a second contract for McKinney.
McKinney may also prefer to wait until later in the 2023 season, or even until the end of the season, to engage in talks. In 2022, the Alabama product suffered a broken hand during a midseason ATV accident, and he played in just nine regular season games as a result. His surface-level production naturally dropped as a result of the missed time — for instance, he recorded five interceptions in 2021 versus just one in 2022 — but the underlying metrics also suggested that he took a step back. After earning a strong 75.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021 (which included an even better 78.4 coverage score), McKinney was assigned a subpar 57.8 mark in 2022. He also yielded a 93.6 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, which was up significantly from the 72.2 rating he allowed the year before.
As such, his leverage is relatively low at this point, and he may want to take some time to reestablish his value. On the other hand, Duggan suggests that the soon-to-be 24-year-old, who has earned just under $6.5MM through his first three professional seasons and who is due a modest $1.8MM salary in 2023, may be inclined to sign a team-friendly deal in exchange for some financial security. It is unclear what type of payout McKinney will be seeking, though Duggan sees Jalen Thompson‘s three-year extension with the Cardinals — which is worth up to $40MM and which includes $24.5MM in guarantees — as a potential comp.
McKinney remains a key component of the Giants’ defense, and he will be joined by some combination of Nick McCloud, Bobby McCain, Jason Pinnock, and Dane Belton in the defensive backfield. Earlier this year, we learned that McKinney had retained super-agent David Mulugheta, who represents some of the highest-profile safeties in the game.
Anthony Blevins Leaves Giants For XFL Job
The Giants will need to make a late-offseason replacement on their coaching staff. One of their longest-tenured staffers is stepping away for an opportunity in the XFL.
Assistant special teams coach Anthony Blevins is leaving Brian Daboll‘s staff, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard (on Twitter). Although the Giants have changed head coaches twice in the past four years, Blevins has been part of the team’s past six staffs. It is not especially common to see July coaching staff departures, but the XFL will provide a promotion of sorts. The Vegas Vipers named Blevins as their head coach, per a team announcement.
“I’m honored to be named head coach of the Vipers. I watched the XFL last season, and I was incredibly impressed by the action on the field and the coaching on the sidelines,” Blevins said. “I’m looking forward to taking the next step in my career, and this a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experience while getting the most out of players on the field for the fans in the stands and watching at home.”
Blevins will replace Hall of Famer Rod Woodson as the Vipers’ leader. Woodson agreed to join the twice-rebooted league as the Vegas franchise’s head coach, but the sides mutually parted ways last month. The Vipers went 2-8 last season.
In place as the Giants’ assistant ST coach since 2021, Blevins also held roles on defense during his time in New York. The 46-year-old assistant joined Pat Shurmur‘s staff in 2018, leaving a five-year post as Bruce Arians‘ assistant ST coach in Arizona for the same role in New York. The Giants moved Blevins to assistant defensive backs coach upon hiring Joe Judge — who came to the Big Apple with a special teams background — in 2020 and then to assistant linebackers coach in 2021. Daboll returned Blevins to the assistant ST role last year.
The Browns interviewed Blevins for their special teams coordinator role earlier this year, but the gig went to former Colts ST boss Bubba Ventrone. Blevins has been in the NFL for the past 10 seasons, spending most of the previous decade as a college assistant.
The Giants still have ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who joined the team during the same offseason in which Blevins arrived, in place. McGaughey is the last staff link to the Shurmur years now. Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and assistant DBs coach Mike Treier are holdovers from Judge’s staff, however.
Looking Into The Four Remaining Franchise Tag Situations
Less than two weeks remain until this year’s franchise tag extension deadline. Following spring extensions for Lamar Jackson and Daron Payne, four franchise-tagged players remain. Three of those (Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Josh Jacobs) have not signed their respective tenders. Cowboys running back Tony Pollard has, guaranteeing his 2023 salary.
If no extension agreements are finalized before 3pm CT on July 17, these players will be tied to the tag this season. For players who remain on the tag after that date, no long-term negotiations are permitted until season’s end. With one position dominating the tag landscape this year, here is how the four situations look entering crunch time:
Saquon Barkley, Giants; tag price: $10.1MM
Easily the negotiation that has brought the most twists and turns, Barkley has been in off-and-on talks with the Giants since November. The Giants’ Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime inherited Barkley, but they have extended two other Dave Gettleman-era draftees (Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence) this offseason. But the team’s most popular player finds himself is battling another leaguewide devaluation of the running back position. As Barkley turned down two offers with AAVs north of $12MM — one of those being higher than $13MM per year — the Giants pulled their top proposal off the table after their March extension-tag sequence involving Jones and Barkley.
Barkley, 26, took issue with being characterized as greedy, citing Giants leaks that did not reveal the full truth about the offers he declined. Insufficient guarantees hover at the root of Barkley’s gripes. With the Giants having the option of re-tagging Barkley for barely $12MM in 2023, it is understandable the two-time Pro Bowler would seek a guarantee north of $22MM per year — to cover both tags.
Only two veteran backs (Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry) are tied to deals including more than $20MM fully guaranteed. While McCaffrey encountered injuries on his second contract, the 1,000-1,000 performer did not run into Barkley’s rookie-deal health issues. Those could certainly be giving Giants brass pause regarding guarantees.
These talks have included rumblings of Barkley skipping training camp — if unsigned by July 17 — and a (likely idle) threat of following Le’Veon Bell‘s 2018 path of sitting out the season in protest. The Giants are believed to be OK with Barkley playing on the tag, but ownership remains high on the former No. 2 overall pick. That might be driving the recent optimism in these talks. The skill-position-deficient Giants relied on Barkley (1,650 scrimmage yards) last season, and while they have let two players (Jason Pierre-Paul, Leonard Williams) play on the tag, the team has never not extended a player whom it tagged. (Both D-linemen signed extensions after being tagged again.)
Evan Engram, Jaguars; tag price: $11.35MM
Barkley’s former Giants teammate broke through for a Jaguars single-season tight end record last season, posting 766 receiving yards to boost Trevor Lawrence‘s development. The Jaguars added Calvin Ridley but cuffed Engram as well. Both the Jags and the seventh-year tight end want to strike a deal, but the most recent rumor coming out of these talks placed the sides as far apart on terms.
Dating back to their Julius Thomas miss, the Jaguars have struggled to staff this position. Engram provided a win for GM Trent Baalke, whose first free agency class as lead Jags decision-maker made significant contributions. But Engram also has a history of inconsistency, having never put it together for an extended stretch as a Giant. Engram does have an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod on his resume (2020) and saw the Giants pick up his fifth-year option prior to that performance. His 2021 provided a letdown, but the Giants — with Jones going down with a neck injury that November — were not exactly in position to see any pass catcher thrive at that point.
Guarantees are undoubtedly an issue here. A 2024 Engram tag would cost $13.62MM, likely giving the 28-year-old pass catcher a guarantee target of $25MM. Only three veteran tight ends (Mark Andrews, George Kittle, Hunter Henry) have secured that at signing, but with those deals taking place in 2020 or ’21, Engram can make a case — on a $224.8MM salary cap — he deserves such security as well. The tight end market appears out of step with its top cogs’ contributions, with Travis Kelce still tied to a $14.3MM-per-year deal. That offers an interesting complication in these Engram discussions as well.
Josh Jacobs, Raiders; tag price: $10.1MM
A threat to miss game checks makes more sense from Barkley, who has earned nearly $40MM in five seasons. Jacobs following suit is less logical, as he has made $11.9MM in four NFL years. The Raiders passed on Jacobs’ fifth-year option, and he proceeded to become the team’s first rushing champion since Marcus Allen did so in a 1985 MVP season. Jacobs, 25, zoomed onto the tag radar with his 2022 performance, but while the Giants have made multiple offers to Barkley, it is unclear if the Raiders are making a serious push to extend Jacobs. The team is still hopeful, but numbers have proven elusive.
The Alabama product has offered cryptic assessments of his negotiations, hinting at making a stand for the running back position. Seeing as Bell has expressed belated regret for passing on $14MM with his 2018 anti-tag crusade, it would surprise if Barkley or Jacobs stayed away into the season. It might be a negotiating tactic, as RBs are low on leverage these days, but the threat of Jacobs skipping Week 1 has surfaced. With Josh McDaniels in a crucial year — after his first Raiders HC season went south quickly — and the Raiders now employing the league’s most injury-prone quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo), Jacobs putting regular-season absences on the table is an interesting move.
While Jacobs is still more likely than not to be in uniform in Week 1, the prospect of an injury or regression affecting his 2024 market should be a factor here. Jacobs’ light Crimson Tide workload (251 college carries) worked in his favor, but the Raiders giving him an NFL-most 393 touches last season undercuts that advantage to a degree. Players to log that many touches in a season over the past 10 years (Henry, McCaffrey, Bell, DeMarco Murray) either fared far worse the following year or, in Bell’s case, skipped the next season.
With Jacobs not the same threat out of the backfield McCaffrey, Barkley or Alvin Kamara are, a top-market pact will be hard for the fifth-year vet to secure. With McDaniels previously expressing support for the Jon Gruden-era draftee, will be interesting to see what numbers come out of these talks.
Tony Pollard, Cowboys; tag price: $10.1MM
The Cowboys are certainly unafraid to unholster their franchise tag, having used it in each of the past six years. In addition to keeping Pollard away from free agency, Dallas tagged Dalton Schultz, Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence in that span. With Prescott and Lawrence being tagged twice and Schultz leaving after his tagged season, the Cowboys have been fine letting players carry tag figures into seasons. Considering Pollard’s is the lowest cap hit among Dallas’ recent tags, the team is likely OK with the $10MM number staying on its books this year.
Pollard, 26, presents perhaps a more interesting case for a mid-2020s ascent compared to the Giants and Raiders backs. He has taken just 510 handoffs as a pro — Barkley sits at 954, Jacobs at 1,072 — and offers pass-game explosiveness that helped lead Dallas to drop Ezekiel Elliott.
The six-year, $90MM Elliott extension did not age well for the Cowboys, who are eating $11MM-plus in dead money over the next two years after the post-June 1 cut designation. But Elliott also accumulated more mileage (868 carries) before signing that extension. Pollard’s rookie-contract usage rate and skillset point to a promising late-20s stretch. Although Elliott’s deal helped spread out his cap hits, the Cowboys are eyeing a shorter-term Pollard pact.
As a former fourth-round pick, Pollard was smart to sign his tender and secure the guaranteed salary. Coming off a season in which he totaled 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns, the Memphis alum’s arrow is pointing up. The Cowboys can look at the deal the Packers gave dual-threat back Aaron Jones in 2021 (four years, $48MM) as an example of a good contract for a multipurpose back. The organization’s history with re-tagging players should also point to Pollard aiming for $22MM-plus in guarantees, but with no back earning between $7MM and $12MM on average, both Pollard and the team have interesting decisions to make in the coming days. Unlike Schultz’s 2022 tag period, however, updates have been scarce regarding Pollard talks.
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs
The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.
Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]
As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.
The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.
Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:
- 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 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]
- 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 2023
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
- 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
- Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
- Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
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