New York Jets News & Rumors

Giants Meet With Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers; Veteran WRs Still On Radar

March 31st, 2023 at 10:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants used a first-round pick on a wide receiver in 2021, connecting them to a dive back into that pool is not especially difficult. Kadarius Toney is gone, and the team’s lot of free agency moves led complementary-type options coming in or staying put.

Unsurprisingly, this year’s top receiver prospects have heard from the Giants. The team has now met with TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Boston College’s Zay Flowers at pre-pro-day dinners, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links). Johnston’s meeting occurred Thursday. The other top-four wideout in this year’s class, USC’s Jordan Addison, said the Giants were the most recent team to contact him.

Mentioning Smith-Njigba as a wideout GM Joe Schoen is doing extensive homework on, NJ.com’s Darryl Slater notes the team filled its quota of signings in this year’s unremarkable free agency class. The next step would be to take a swing at a player with a better chance of becoming a lead pass catcher.

“I think we’re better than we were,” Schoen said of the team’s receiver situation. “I think Daniel [Jones] has a better group. It goes back to: It’s not fantasy football. So to say, ‘Go get a No. 1 receiver,’ you’re only afforded what’s on the market and what’s available. So all these things sound great. But with the receiver group that was out there…”

Schoen’s voice trailing off effectively illustrated the leaguewide view of this year’s free agent receiver class. No top-25 contract at the position ended up going to a wideout, which marks a change from recent years, when the likes of Christian Kirk, Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay and Corey Davis scored such deals as UFAs. John Mara said the team might not be done in free agency, and the owner said earlier this week the team is not out on Odell Beckham Jr.

The former Giants Pro Bowler has received multiple offers, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds, though they have clearly not met with the mercurial talent’s approval. Attempting to pair him with Aaron Rodgers, the Jets remain the most likely Beckham destination, per Graziano, who adds OBJ may be waiting on the Rodgers deal to be finalized before he commits.

Schoen said a trade for a receiver remains in play. The Giants made a push for Jerry Jeudy before the 2022 deadline, but the Broncos want a first-round pick for their top wideout. That seems like a non-starter for the Giants, who prioritized draft capital — a third-rounder, which turned into Darren Waller — over waiting on Toney’s potential. Denver also wants a second-rounder for Courtland Sutton. Barring a big offer, the Broncos are standing pat at wide receiver.

The Giants could be a DeAndre Hopkins suitor as well; they will have competition for the Cardinals standout. The Waller move makes it a bit more difficult to envision the Giants dealing away another prime draft asset for a veteran pass catcher.

The Giants doing work on Smith-Njigba adds up, after the promising playmaker finished an abbreviated junior year. JSN broke through for 95 receptions, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, leading the Buckeyes in receiving by a substantial margin despite that squad housing 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. That included a monstrous 347-yard showing in that season’s Rose Bowl. Smith-Njigba, however, only played three games last season, catching just five passes. ESPN’s Todd McShay said in December Smith-Njigba had healed from his nagging hamstring injury by the Buckeyes’ semifinal game against Georgia but was protecting his draft status. That claim drew backlash from the junior wideout’s family, but his third-season no-show has undoubtedly prompted teams to examine the lengthy absence.

This year’s receiver class has not generated the buzz of recent crops, but ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates Johnston, Addison, Smith-Njigba and Flowers as first-round talents. Johnston is coming off an MCL injury in TCU’s semifinal win over Michigan. None are viewed as top-10-level talents, though the top three here are each listed in the scouting service’s top 20 at the position. New York holds the No. 25 overall pick in next month’s draft. Mel Kiper Jr. mocks Addison to New York at 25.

The Giants, who retained Isaiah Hodgins as an RFA, re-signed Sterling Shepard and 2022 receiving leader Darius Slay ton and added Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. Wan’Dale Robinson still represents the centerpiece here, being signed through 2025. Though, the Kentucky-developed slot player is coming off an ACL tear. There probably will not be room for this sextet to each be part of Brian Daboll‘s second roster, and how the Giants proceed early in the draft will play a major role in determining this position group’s 2023 outlook.

AFC Coaching Updates: Dolphins, Ravens, Titans, Jets, Patriots

March 31st, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins announced that they had finalized their 2023 coaching staff three weeks ago. We have reported this offseason on most of the major changes, but here are a few included in their announcement that are new.

On the offensive side of the ball, there were some updates to the team’s assistants. Ricardo Allen moved on to coaching shortly after retirement last year, taking a role as the Dolphins special teams assistant. This year, Allen has moved to the offensive assistant position. Another new offensive assistant, Mike Judge returns to a coaching role after spending some time in the personnel department. Miami will also give former NFL wideout Max McCaffrey his first NFL coaching position. McCaffrey will serve as an offensive assistant after time coaching wide receivers at Northern Colorado.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Dolphins hired Steve Donatell. The son of former Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell worked under his father last year and will serve as a defensive assistant with Miami. Lastly, the team has promoted Ryan Slowik, who served as a senior defensive assistant in 2022. In 2023, Slowik will be the Dolphins outside linebackers coach.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the conference:

With Tee Martin moving to quarterbacks coach, the Ravens hired former Chiefs running backs coach Greg Lewis to fill the wide receivers coaching position, according to the team’s Twitter account. Lewis coached the position in Kansas City for four seasons before moving to running backs.
Leaving Baltimore will be former safety Anthony Levine, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport. Levine had reportedly taken up a role with the Ravens as a scouting and coaching assistant after retiring but will now accept a role with the Titans as a special teams assistant. Tennessee will also bring on Tom Quinn as a special teams assistant and Matt Jones as an offensive line assistant.
The Jets have hired Shaq Wilson to fill their assistant defensive line coaching role, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Former assistant defensive line coach Greg Scruggs became the defensive line coach at Wisconsin, so New York went to the college ranks that took him away to find Wilson at South Carolina.
The Patriots have also added a former college staffer in Keith Jones, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The former Arkansas assistant spent time with New England during the 2022 training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. Jones, who mostly worked with the Patriots’ defensive line, will be a coaching assistant in New England.

AFC North Notes: Mixon, Browns, Steelers

March 31st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly three weeks into free agency, Joe Mixon remains on the Bengals‘ roster. The team having seen Samaje Perine turn down an offer to stay and instead choose Denver thinned out its running back room. But Mixon’s status for a seventh Bengals season is not yet a lock. Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn stopped short of guaranteeing the six-year Cincinnati starter will be back, reminding of comments player personnel VP Duke Tobin made at the Combine.

“Right now, he’s on the team and we are going count on him until that wouldn’t be the case,” Blackburn said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway. “Right now, he’s our starting guy. You’ve seen other teams have to make moves. Could we get to that point? Maybe. But it would be down the road here and we’d have to see if that’s what makes sense or not.”

This situation could hinge on how the Bengals approach the position in the draft. Mixon, 26, is due a $9.4MM base salary and is tied to the third-highest cap figure ($12.8MM) on the team. Blackburn did not rule out the possibility of a post-June 1 cut designation, which would save Cincy $10MM, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicated recently (h/t Bleacher Report) the Bengals are looking to add at running back. (They were linked to Ezekiel Elliott, but little has emerged on that front since.) The Perine offer may have been indicative of Mixon plans. The team could still pair Mixon with a rookie, but it does have some pricey deals — most notably for Joe Burrow — on the horizon. Mixon’s $12MM-per-year deal could be used to create more cap space.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

The Browns attempted a bigger swing at defensive tackle in free agency. Dalvin Tomlinson became an expensive consolation prize, with Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noting the team was one of the final two suitors for Javon Hargrave. The standout D-tackle signed a four-year, $84MM 49ers deal, denying the DT-needy Browns one of this year’s biggest free agency fish. Cleveland regrouped with Tomlinson, who signed a four-year, $57MM pact. The Browns, who did little at D-tackle ahead of a poor run-defense season in 2022, preferred Tomlinson to fellow target Dre’Mont Jones, Cabot adds. Tomlinson’s acumen as a run defender attracted the Browns more, as Jones profiles as an inside pass rusher rather than a run stopper.
Staying in Cleveland, the Browns no longer have a second-round pick thanks to the Elijah Moore pick-swap trade. The Browns eyed Moore since his trade request emerged last year, GM Andrew Berry said (via Cabot). After a dispute with then-Jets OC Mike LaFleur, Moore requested a trade. The Jets were adamant they did not want to trade Moore at the time, but after they signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman, the Ole Miss alum became expendable. Still, Cabot adds Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh vouched for Moore’s character to the Browns ahead of the trade.
The Steelers traded Chase Claypool for a second-round pick last year, and given their reputation for selecting Day 2 wideouts, it should not surprise the team is being connected to such a move once again. The team will seek an upgrade in the slot, GM Omar Khan said (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly). Hopeful slot weapon Calvin Austin III missed his entire rookie year due to injury. The team should be considered likely to address this need by Round 3, Kaboly adds in a separate piece. From 2013-22, the Steelers chose eight wideouts on Day 2. Both their current top two receivers — Diontae Johnson and George Pickens — were Friday-night draftees.
It does not sound like the Ravens will use a notable resource to replace Ben Powers. John Harbaugh alluded to another competition — one featuring former third-round pick Ben Cleveland, ex-Raiders draftee John Simpson, swingman Patrick Mekari and 2022 fourth-round tackle Daniel Faalele (who is 6-foot-9) as options — being how the team will replace Powers, who won a left guard battle last year. Powers, who scored a four-year Broncos deal worth $52MM, beat out Cleveland in training camp. A draft choice could be added here, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec does not anticipate a high pick going to this spot.

Contract Details: CJGJ, Hardman, Cowboys

March 31st, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some of the details on a few deals reached around the league recently:

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S (Lions): One year, $6.5MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, is completely guaranteed with a signing bonus of $4MM and a fully guaranteed base salary of $2.5MM. The contract also includes a second, void year to spread out his cap hit. Gardner-Johnson can earn an additional $1.5MM based on incentives. There’s a potential for him to make $375,000 each for playing 70-percent of the team’s defensive snaps and/or intercepting three passes. He can make an additional $375,000 each for upping those numbers to 80% and five interceptions. Unfortunately, these potential bonuses are conditional. Even if he checks all those boxes, Gardner-Johnson will reportedly only receive his money if the Lions are in the top 16 in the league for yards allowed.
Mecole Hardman, WR (Jets): One year, $4.5MM. We’ve already reported some details of Hardman’s new contract. Thanks to Wilson, we have a bit more information on the incentives of the deal. Depending on receptions, Hardman can earn $125,000 if he catches 50 passes or more, $250,000 for 60, and $500,000 for 70. For yards, Hardman can receive $125,000 for 650 receiving yards or more, $250,000 for 750, and $500,000 for 850. For touchdowns, Hardman can earn $125,000 for catching six touchdowns, $250,000 for eight, and $500,000 for 10. Lastly, Hardman can receive $250,000 for a wild card win or bye, $250,000 for a divisional round win, $250,000 for a conference championship, and $250,000 for a Super Bowl win. In total, that makes $2.5MM available through incentives. The Jets are expecting big things out of Hardman, as he would’ve only earned the bottom level of each incentive once over his four-year career with the Chiefs.
Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB (Titans): One year, $3.5MM. The deal, according to Wilson, is fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $2.42MM and a base salary of $1.08MM. The contract includes two void years to spread out his cap impact. Wilson reports $1.5MM-worth of incentives for Murphy-Bunting based on playing time and interceptions.
Dante Fowler, DE (Cowboys): One year, $3MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of his signing bonus. All of Fowler’s incentives are contingent on Dallas making the playoffs. If they do and Fowler tallies eight sacks, he can earn an additional $500,000. Ten sacks gives Fowler $1MM. If Fowler plays over 55-percent of the team’s defensive snaps (and they make the playoffs), he can make an additional $250,000.

Falcons Sign DL Calais Campbell

March 31st, 2023 at 8:51am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 31: The Falcons will give the 16th-year veteran $7MM fully guaranteed, Rapoport tweets. This deal can max out at $9MM through incentives. Although Campbell is going into his age-37 season, he will receive more to sign compared to what the Ravens gave him in 2022. Baltimore’s most recent Campbell pact was a two-year, $12MM deal that featured $6MM guaranteed.

MARCH 29: Following his Falcons meeting, Calais Campbell engaged in discussions with other teams. But the veteran defensive lineman will end up in Atlanta. The Falcons agreed to terms with Campbell on a one-year deal Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Ravens made Campbell a cap casualty ahead of free agency, and while the sides did not rule out a return at a reduced rate, the 15-year veteran generated interest from the Bills, Jets and Jaguars. Despite those teams’ 2023 contention prospects appearing to outflank the Falcons’, Campbell agreed to join the retooling defense.

The former Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner spoke at length with Arthur Blank before making his decision, and Rapoport adds discussions regarding leadership and Campbell’s potential impact in the community played a significant role in his agreement with the team (Twitter link). The Jets made a strong offer, Campbell said (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, on Twitter), but the accomplished pass rusher alluded to the off-field component of an Atlanta agreement — along with the on-field fit, naturally — as a factor that drove this agreement past the goal line.

This will be Campbell’s fourth NFL destination, coming after productive stints in Arizona, Jacksonville and Baltimore. On the field, the 6-foot-8 defender will team with Grady Jarrett and ex-Ryan Nielsen Saints charge David Onyemata. The Falcons have added a few pieces on defense since the legal tampering period began. Campbell joins Onyemata, Jessie Bates and Mike Hughes in agreeing to terms to aid a defense that ranked 27th last season. Longtime Bears starter Eddie Goldman is also back in the fold, preparing to make an attempt to come out of retirement.

Campbell, who will turn 37 before Week 1, started all 14 games be played for the Ravens last season. The interior D-line standout/kick-blocking specialist totaled 5.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 2022. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Falcons use their talent influx up front in 2023. The team struggled to generate pressure last season, recording just 21 sacks. Jarrett contributed six of those.

For his career, Campbell is sitting on 99 sacks. He registered 14.5 of those with the Jaguars in 2017, helping to drive a rebuilding team to the Super Bowl LII precipice to complete one of the more impactful seasons by a defensive free agency addition. Campbell earned first-team All-Pro honors after his first Jaguars season, which ended in the AFC championship game. The ex-Cardinals second-round pick has continued to churn out quality seasons into his mid-30s. The Denver native has added three more Pro Bowl invites since leading the “Sacksonville” defense.

The Jets would have paired Campbell with Quinnen Williams inside. The team, which is gearing up for a potential Super Bowl push around expected trade acquisition Aaron Rodgers, has added some pieces — including ex-Ravens safety Chuck Clark — this offseason. But New York lost D-tackles Sheldon Rankins (Texans) and Nathan Shepherd (Saints). Solomon Thomas is back in the fold, however.

Campbell, who has never missed more than four games in a season, continuing his run of durability in Atlanta would move him further into rarefied air among defensive linemen. His 208 career starts are tied with Rams icon Merlin Olsen for eighth-most by a D-lineman in NFL history. By starting nine more games, Campbell can climb into the top five in league annals at the position. He can pass Olsen, fellow Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, along with Justin Smith and Kevin Carter, by making 12 starts in 2023.

Multiple Day 2 Picks Viewed As Enough To Finalize Aaron Rodgers Trade?

March 30th, 2023 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

These Jets-Packers talks dragging into April should not exactly surprise. Since Aaron Rodgers‘ 2021 trade request became public, lengthy sagas featuring drawn-out announcements have become standard for the future Hall of Famer. After Rodgers’ latest delay, he is not believed to be the holdup here.

Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday a first-round pick does not need to be part of this trade, though it was believed the veteran Green Bay GM was targeting New York’s No. 13 overall at earlier points during these negotiations. While Gutekunst’s comment about trade compensation could be viewed as a signal that pick is off the table, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes it still could take multiple high picks for the Jets to complete this deal.

The view around the league points to the Packers targeting two high picks — one potentially the second-rounder the Jets obtained in the Elijah Moore trade (No. 43 overall) — with the second being a conditional choice that hinges on Rodgers’ performance and decision on the 2024 season. As could be expected, Rodgers’ 2024 status is a major issue for the Jets, Fowler adds. Rodgers said back in the late 2010s he wanted to play into his 40s but has since walked that back a bit, leading to this offseason’s extended, darkness-enhanced retirement deliberation. Rodgers, 39, said he was 90% retired when he began the darkness retreat earlier this month.

The Jets have expressed concerns to the Packers about overpaying for a player who plans to play only one more year. While that would not seem to matter much to the Pack anymore, the Jets’ worries about Rodgers being a one-and-done for them — as Brett Favre was 15 years ago — are worth monitoring. It would seem unlikely Rodgers will provide an early guarantee he will play in 2024, but the trade value the Pack extract from the Jets will be telling as to the AFC team’s belief in how much longer the four-time MVP plans to play.

Most of this deal is completed, per Fowler, due to the legwork the teams did in recent weeks. Neither team is believed to be in a rush here, with on-field football work not beginning until May — and that is if Rodgers shows for OTAs, which he has not done since 2019 — but Albert Breer of SI.com notes a deal crossing the goal line this week is not out of the question. The Packers backing off their first-round pick pursuit would stand to expedite an agreement, and Breer adds the trade will be completed before the draft.

Every exec surveyed at this week’s league meetings expects the trade to happen, and Jets GM Joe Douglas refusing to use a potential Lamar Jackson pursuit as leverage is somewhat indicative he believes this deal is close. Then again, no team has made it known it will pursue Jackson. But two teams’ quarterback situations are on track to be solidified soon, with Rodgers supplanting Zach Wilson and Love following the Rodgers path by taking over as QB1 ahead of his fourth season.

The Jets were interested in re-signing Mike White, but he is now with the Dolphins. A setup in which Rodgers and another notable veteran joined Wilson in the Jets’ quarterback room seemed like wishful thinking, and Robert Saleh confirmed this week Wilson — his stock’s freefall notwithstanding — is set to be the Jets’ second-stringer. The former No. 2 overall pick spent last season in all three positions on the Jets’ depth chart; he will land in the middle once the Rodgers dust settles. Chris Streveler is the only other QB on the Jets’ roster.

Giants Not Out On Odell Beckham Jr.; Jets, Ravens, Rams Interested

March 28th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: Attempting to move this process along, Beckham has arrived in Arizona for this round of owners’ meetings. The free agent receiver is expected to meet with teams, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports notes the Ravens are one of them (Twitter link). Baltimore has added Nelson Agholor in free agency, but the team still features a need for pass catchers — regardless of who will be playing quarterback in 2023. For the time being, Beckham is not expected to meet with the Giants at the league meetings, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (on Twitter).

MARCH 27: The Giants have been busy at the receiver position this offseason, bringing back Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and signing Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. This glut of veterans, however, will not take them off the Odell Beckham Jr. radar.

While a previous report indicated the Giants are likely out on a Beckham reunion, John Mara said Monday (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he is in favor of bringing the standout wide receiver back. The longtime owner, however, deferred to his GM and head coach by indicating this is contingent on OBJ fitting into Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s plans.

Mara’s comments come after Robert Saleh confirmed the Jets are indeed interested in signing Beckham, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Jets have been on the OBJ radar for a bit now, with Aaron Rodgers wanting to see his likely next NFL team add the talented but injury-prone wideout. Mutual interest is believed to exist.

Beckham expressed interest in rejoining the Giants, who traded him in March 2019, and the team re-signing Shepard and franchise-tagging Saquon Barkley will help keep that door open. Both players have been longtime Beckham friends, dating back to the trio’s time together before the Browns trade. But the Giants still should be considered more likely to finish off their wide receiver augmentations early in the draft. Still, Beckham being available nearly four months after his free agency visit — and after the Cowboys went in another direction — keeps the door slightly ajar for the Giants, who should not be considered certain to carry each of the receivers they signed and re-signed on their 53-man roster come September.

Jets GM Joe Douglas confirmed Monday he has spoken with Beckham’s agent, noting productive conversations have taken place. Douglas expressed confidence in the team’s adjusted receiving corps, via Garafolo, but added OBJ is a “unique player” who remains on the team’s radar. A Beckham-Jets meeting is in play, but Douglas adds nothing is scheduled just yet.

The Jets have signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman while shipping out Elijah Moore after two seasons. Beckham remaining on the radar keeps Corey Davis on unsteady ground. The Jets can save $10.5MM by moving on from the former top-five pick, who has one season left on his three-year contract.

The Rams are still keeping tabs on Beckham, GM Les Snead said Monday. That said, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue does not sense much urgency on the Rams’ part here (Twitter links). Last year, the Rams, as they eyed a Super Bowl title defense, loomed as the frontrunners for months. Snead, Sean McVay and COO Kevin Demoff expressed a desire for Beckham to be re-signed. But OBJ did not like the team’s incentive-laden offer and went ahead with Bills, Giants and Cowboys visits.

McVay’s team is in a different place a year later, trading Jalen Ramsey and cutting Leonard Floyd as they attempt to cut costs and regroup after years of a Super Bowl pursuit. Unless Beckham’s market nosedives further than it already has appeared to, the Rams do not make too much sense as a landing spot any longer.

Jets Willing To Give Up Second-Round Pick For Aaron Rodgers

March 28th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: Providing the latest update on the matter of compensation, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that talks are now centered on the possibility of New York sending a second-round pick in 2023 and ’24 to Green Bay. The latter selection would be conditional, and have the potential to become a first-rounder depending on the Jets’ success with Rodgers at the helm.

With the 39-year-old admitting that retirement was a strong consideration following this past season, however, the Jets remain hesitant to sign off on 2024 compensation without assurances Rodgers will continue his career that long. As a result, Robinson notes that New York is seeking 2025 draft capital from the Packers in the event Rodgers does indeed retire after next season, to help protect against the lost draft pick in 2024. Progress made within this new framework will help determine if/when this deal gets over the finish line.

MARCH 27: The Jets and Packers remain engaged in trade talks on Aaron Rodgers; this week’s league meetings will allow for additional time for the sides to produce a resolution. While Douglas said Monday no timetable is in place, the Jets GM acknowledged progress has occurred.

Another Jets transaction may have changed the Rodgers talks. In trading Elijah Moore, the Jets obtained an additional second-round pick (No. 43 overall) from the Browns. They are willing to give up that pick for Rodgers, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes, but have thus far refused to part with their first-rounder (No. 13 overall). The Packers want a first-rounder in this trade.

Gang Green is also likely prepared to part with a conditional draft asset down the road, Salguero adds. That choice’s value could be a sticking point as well. When asked about parting with the No. 13 pick in this deal, Douglas did not shoot down that prospect, nor did he address which picks have been discussed. But the veteran Jets GM said that selection will give the team a chance to “bring in a strong player,” while confirming (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt) the Jets and Packers’ talks are not where they need to be yet.

Fifteen years ago, the Jets sent the Packers a conditional draft choice — which ended up a 2009 third-rounder — for Brett Favre. The Packers are positioned to land more for Rodgers, who made it clear he is ready to join the Jets. The Packers are moving forward with Jordan Love, but they want better draft capital than the Jets have offered. They also want “cap-related concessions” in this deal, Salguero adds.

It would cost the Packers just more than $40MM to trade Rodgers before June 1. While that dead-money number drops considerably (to $15.8MM) on a deal after that date, the Packers look to be targeting more than just draft capital from the Jets, who would — absent any contract maneuvering — have Rodgers on their 2023 cap sheet at barely $15MM in 2023. The Jets are, assuming they finish this trade, prepared to pay Rodgers’ roughly $59MM bonus negotiated into his three-year, $150.8MM extension agreed to last March.

Leverage in the form of a Lamar Jackson pursuit could have been an option for the Jets, but Douglas joined the host of teams preparing to stand down on the Ravens’ disgruntled quarterback. Praising Jackson but not wanting to negotiate with the Packers in bad faith, as they are far down the Rodgers road, Douglas said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets will not pursue him. Hit with the franchise tag, Jackson has requested a trade.

Jackson would likely have been a Jets consideration had he requested a trade in January or February, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (video link). The team met with Derek Carr, but its Rodgers meeting took place a day after Carr signed with the Saints. It would seem the Jets could still pivot to Jackson, though the former MVP would cost far more in a trade and require a monster extension. But they are pot-committed to Rodgers at this point. That represents good news for the Packers. While Green Bay is certainly taking a risk with its Rodgers-to-Love transition, the team is set to collect a premium draft choice for a player no longer in its plans.

Jets Interested In C Ben Jones

March 27th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Rory Parks

MARCH 27: Having brought in Jones’ former position coach this offseason, Douglas confirmed Monday (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team is indeed interested in signing the veteran center.

MARCH 26: The Jets’ pursuit of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been one of the NFL’s biggest storylines in 2023. A resolution to the Rodgers situation will obviously remain the top priority for both Green Bay and New York, but even assuming the Jets ultimately land Rodgers as expected, they will still need to determine who is snapping the ball to him.

Connor McGovern, who has operated as Gang Green’s starting center over the past three years, is now out of contract. He remains unsigned, and there have been no public reports of interest in his services despite his starting experience, durability, and the fact that he has achieved average or better grades from Pro Football Focus in each of his professional seasons outside of his rookie campaign in 2017.

Still, it does not appear as if a new contract for McGovern is Plan A for GM Joe Douglas. Instead, as Brian Costello of the New York Post reported last week, the Jets appear to be interested in Ben Jones (Twitter link). Jones, a longtime starting pivot for the Titans, was released by the club earlier this month, and as former Tennessee OL coach Keith Carter is now with the Jets, there is an obvious connection to be made.

Prior to missing five games last season, Jones, an 11-year veteran, had been a model of durability for the Titans. He missed just one game in his first six Tennessee slates, becoming a central part of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles and the team’s Mike Vrabel-era resurgence. Jones’ 108 starts at center are the most in Titans history.

Now 33, Jones has been consistently rated by PFF as a top-10 center, a trend that continued in 2022 despite the fact that he suffered two concussions during the season. Jones was said to be contemplating retirement as a result of those injuries, though we have not heard anything on that front one way or another in recent weeks.

The center market has been fairly team-friendly this offseason, so the Jets could likely acquire Jones for a modest price relative to his experience and abilities. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com confirmed today that the Georgia product is a consideration for Douglas & Co.

New York has already added a possible center option in Trystan Colon-Castillo, but it appears the team wants a more proven talent at the position (which makes sense given the likely Rodgers acquisition). And although Wes Schweitzer is now on hand to offer experienced depth across the O-line, he does not profile as a starting-caliber option as a snapper.

Contract Details: Hardman, Foreman, Edmunds, Crowder, Seumalo, Dillard

March 26th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recent new contracts around the NFL:

Andre Dillard, T (Titans): Three years, $29MM. The contract, according to McLane, has a guaranteed amount of $13MM, $10MM of which is guaranteed at signing. The $10MM consists of a $5.99MM signing bonus, Dillard’s first year salary of $1.01MM, and $3MM of his second year base salary (worth a total of $9MM). The remaining $3MM of guaranteed money is also part of Dillard’s 2024 salary and fully guarantees on the fifth league day of the 2024 season. His 2025 base salary is worth a total of $11.5MM. The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000. Dillard can also receive an additional $2MM in playing time incentives. The Titans built a potential out into the contract that allows the team to cut Dillard after 2024 with $3.59MM in dead cap but $16.79MM in cap savings over the following three years, two of which are void years.
Isaac Seumalo, G (Steelers): Three years, $24MM. The deal, according to McLane, has a guaranteed amount of $6.95MM composed of Seumalo’s signing bonus. He’ll receive a base salary of $1.3MM in 2023, $7.88MM in 2024, and $6.88MM in 2025. Seumalo can also receive a 2025 roster bonus of $1MM that guarantees on the third league day of the 2025 season.
Mecole Hardman, WR (Jets): One year, $4.5MM. The deal, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN, has a guaranteed amount of $4.08MM, $3MM of which is the signing bonus guaranteed at signing. Hardman’s 2023 cap hit will be $1.88MM due to four void years used to spread out his cap numbers. He’ll have an opportunity to make an additional $2MM from incentives this year.
D’Onta Foreman, RB (Bears): One year, $2MM. The contract according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of a $375,000 signing bonus and $625,000 of his base salary (worth a total of $1.53MM). Foreman can earn an additional $1MM from incentives based on rushing yards, touchdowns, and the playoffs to push the maximum value of his contract to $3MM.
Terrell Edmunds, S (Eagles): One year, $2MM. The deal, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 consisting of a $250,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of his 2023 base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The contract includes a per game active roster bonus of $39,411 for a potential season total of $670,000. Edmunds can also receive an additional $850,000 in incentives based on team improvements and individual performance.
Jamison Crowder, WR (Giants): One year, $1.32MM. The contract, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, has a guaranteed amount of $27,500 composed of Crowder’s signing bonus. The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $5,882 for a potential season total of $100,000.

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