Newsstand News & Rumors

No Criminal Charges For Deshaun Watson

March 11th, 2022 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Harris County (Texas) grand jury did not indict Deshaun Watson on Friday. The Texans quarterback will not face criminal charges related to the accusations of sexual assault and harassment.

While the veteran QB’s civil cases are not closed, this represents a positive development for his prospects of continuing his career. Watson remains in trade rumors, and Friday’s decision will surely lead to those intensifying. Interested teams understandably awaited this decision, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets the market should accelerate quickly.

“After a Harris County grand jury was presented all the evidence and had the opportunity to hear from all witnesses, grand jurors declined to indict Deshaun Watson,” said Dan Schiller, spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “Grand jury proceedings are secret by law, so no information related to their inquiry may be disclosed.”

The NFL is still investigating the Pro Bowl passer as well, and a suspension may well come out of this. But the biggest hurdle Watson faced in this saga is now clear. The 26-year-old standout could soon see his wish to exit Houston granted as well, in what promises to be one of the biggest trades in NFL history.

Twenty-two women accused Watson of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct, with the allegations stemming from massage therapy sessions. Nine of those accusers proceeded with criminal complaints. This led to the Texans shelving him for the 2021 season. The NFL did not place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list, but the Clemson product has not played since Week 17 of the 2020 campaign. Despite the inactivity, the Texans are expected to land a considerable haul from interested parties. With multiple teams still in the mix here, Houston’s ask of three first-round picks and change could be on the table soon.

The Buccaneers, Panthers and Seahawks are believed to be interested in Watson. The Eagles did extensive homework on the embattled QB last year, and Watson has been connected to the Vikings as well. A few teams bowed out of the slow-moving sweepstakes. The Giants are expected to pass here, as are the Steelers. The Broncos moved to acquire Russell Wilson, and the Dolphins — the team most closely connected to Watson ahead of last year’s deadline — closed the door on a Watson trade. It will be interesting to see if Miami resurfaces here, but GM Chris Grier said just days ago the team has moved on.

Houston did not entertain trade talks for Watson for most of the 2021 offseason but did discuss its disgruntled starter with the Dolphins and Panthers ahead of last year’s deadline. Watson only waived his no-trade clause for the Dolphins. If they are truly out, he will need to reconsider his options. Multiple teams were believed to have offered three first-rounders, even amid the turmoil engulfing the QB, last year. That would be a good sign for the Texans’ trade ask, now that Watson is not facing prison time.

Raiders, DE Maxx Crosby Agree On Extension

March 11th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after reports of extension talks surfaced, Maxx Crosby will see a big raise. The Raiders locked down their Pro Bowl pass rusher Friday, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (on Twitter). The Raiders announced the extension agreement.

Crosby agreed to a four-year, $98.98MM extension; the deal includes $53MM guaranteed. This is a considerable development for a player who entered the NFL as a Day 3 pick from a mid-major program.

This contract bumps Crosby into the upper echelon of edge rushers. At nearly $25MM annually, the former fourth-round pick is now the league’s fourth-highest-paid defensive player. Crosby’s deal tops Aaron Donald‘s, with only T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett‘s contracts coming in ahead of his.

This is obviously a major commitment from the Raiders, who saw Crosby quickly usurp draft classmate Clelin Ferrell as their cornerstone defensive lineman. An Eastern Michigan product, Crosby is just 24 and already has 25 sacks on his resume. He played a big part of Las Vegas clinching a playoff berth in Week 18, dominating against the Chargers to cement the team’s first postseason appearance in five years.

Crosby’s extension agreement ties him to the Raiders through the 2026 season. The Raiders are transitioning to a new regime, with Patrick Graham set to take over the defense. Friday’s contract terms certainly illustrate the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels duo’s faith in Crosby, acquired in Jon Gruden‘s second draft running the Raiders. The team still has Yannick Ngakoue under contract for one more season, while Ferrell and Carl Nassib are also signed through 2022.

Bears, Chargers Finalizing Khalil Mack Trade

March 10th, 2022 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

After four seasons in Chicago, Khalil Mack is headed back to California. The Bears and Chargers are nearing a trade for the All-Pro edge defender, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The sides have nearly completed this deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Chargers are set to send the Bears second- and sixth-round picks, Rapoport tweets, for the eight-year veteran. The Bears will receive the Chargers’ 2022 second-round pick and their 2023 sixth. This will reunite Mack and Brandon Staley, who coached the Bears’ outside linebackers from 2017-18.

No contract adjustment is coming, per Rapoport, who adds the Chargers will take on the remaining three years and $63.9MM on Mack’s pact (Twitter link). That contract will be more manageable for the Chargers, with no guarantees remaining on the deal.

Mack is coming off an abbreviated season, but the former Raiders top-five pick and NFL Defensive Player of the Year is still regarded as one of the best pass rushers in the game. Mack is set to team with Joey Bosa in Los Angeles. The Chargers rank in the top five in the NFL for cap space, giving them an easier path to absorbing Mack’s contract compared to most teams.

While this is a major move, it comes a year after the Raiders discussed reacquiring Mack from the Bears before the 2021 free agency period. Chicago passed but saw Mack go down with a foot injury midway through last season. Mack underwent surgery and missed nine games. Prior to last season, however, the three-time All-Pro had never missed more than two games in a season.

The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, Mack went to Chicago in 2018 for a monster haul. Chicago sent Oakland a package headlined by two first-round picks. The Bears gave Mack a then-defender-record $23.5MM-per-year contract. Three seasons remain on that deal. Mack is set to earn $12.1MM in base salary next season. The Bolts, however, now boast the most expensive pass-rushing duo in NFL history. They signed Bosa to a $27MM-AAV extension last year. This move likely will send previous Bosa sidekick Uchenna Nwosu elsewhere; Nwosu is set to hit free agency next week. This is a luxury many teams could not afford, but the Bolts have Justin Herbert tied to a rookie deal until at least 2023.

Mack, 31, played a major role in lifting the Bears to the 2018 NFC North title. He collected his third All-Pro honor that year. The Buffalo alum will head to Los Angeles with four double-digit sack seasons and six Pro Bowls on his resume. This represents another move for one of the highest-profile divisions in recent memory. The Broncos sent the Seahawks two firsts for Russell Wilson this week, giving them a much better shot to contend in the AFC West. The Bolts now have a top-tier edge tandem to throw at Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Derek Carr.

The Bears still have Robert Quinn, who broke Richard Dent‘s franchise single-season sack record last season, under contract for 2022. But losing Mack is certainly a significant development for the franchise, which recently hired a new coach and GM. This move will douse the Bears in dead money as well, saving them only $6MM in cap space. Chicago will incur a $24MM dead-money charge, part of that coming because the team restructured Mack’s deal in 2019 and in 2021.

Cardinals Release LB Jordan Hicks

March 9th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three seasons as a Cardinals starter, Jordan Hicks is back in free agency. Arizona is releasing the veteran linebacker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cards have since announced the move.

This move comes a year after Hicks landed in trade rumors, once the Cardinals added Zaven Collins as a first-round pick. Arizona went back-to-back with off-ball linebackers in Round 1 from 2020-21, and it will be Collins and Isaiah Simmons leading the group going forward.

Hicks should garner interest as a street free agent. He is a vested veteran and can sign with a team at any point going forward. This release will give the seven-year vet a chance to catch on elsewhere before the free agent market opens March 16. While Hicks will turn 30 this offseason, he did well to change his career trajectory in three Arizona seasons.

The former injury-prone Eagle stayed healthy as a Cardinal, playing in every game with his second NFL franchise. While the Cardinals gave Hicks permission to seek a trade shortly after selecting Collins in last year’s first round, Hicks logged his usual snap rate in 2021. He played 97% of Arizona’s defensive snaps last season, that coming after working on 92% of the team’s defensive plays in 2020 and 100% in 2019. Collins will surely see more run in 2022, after participating on just 20% of Arizona’s defensive plays last season.

Last season, Hicks racked up 116 tackles and registered a career-high four sacks. He finished with 29 tackles for loss in three seasons in the desert. The Cardinals will save $6.5MM by cutting Hicks, who had one year remaining on his contract. This doubles as the end of an obscure era as well, one that featured two Jordan Hickses affiliated with professional Cardinal franchises. The other, a St. Louis reliever, remains with his team.

Colts To Trade Carson Wentz To Commanders

March 9th, 2022 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). In exchange, the Commanders will send their 2022 third-round pick and their 2023 third-round pick to the Colts. The ’23 third-rounder can also convert to a second-round choice if Wentz plays on 70% of Washington’s snaps in 2022. The deal will also see a swap of second-round picks with the Colts moving from No. 47 to No. 42. Schefter adds that the Commanders are also receiving the Colts’ 2022 seventh-round pick (Twitter link).

Colts GM Chris Ballard recently indicated that he was “still working through” the Wentz situation with head coach Frank Reich and owner Jim Irsay. Ultimately, following Tuesday’s Russell Wilson blockbuster, they’ve chosen to move their own starter and reshape the quarterback position. The Colts — who already had about $37MM in available cap room — have carved out even more space by trading Wentz.

“When we made the decision, after Philip [Rivers] retired and we made the decision to make a move on Carson, at the time of the decision we felt good about it and I still don’t regret the decision at the time,” Ballard said in January. “Sitting here today, just so y’all know, I won’t make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who is not going to be here next year. That’s not fair to any player.”

The QB was widely panned for his Week 18 performance against the Jaguars, the loss that cost the Colts a playoff berth. He also clashed with team brass throughout the year and even rankled Irsay. Still, despite all the issues, Wentz managed to finish the year with a 27-7 TD-INT ratio while placing ninth in league-wide QBR.

The Commanders were previously linked to Wilson and said to have interest in 49ers signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo. Ultimately, they didn’t want to wait on the Niners, choosing instead to pivot to Wentz. (The Colts, meanwhile, could consider Jimmy G as their next QB, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.)

Wentz, 30 in December, may be a consolation prize, but he’s still a strong pickup Ron Rivera & Co. They’ll have Wentz under contract at a $22MM salary this year with a $6.294MM roster bonus. After that, they’ve got him for two more seasons. In 2023, he’s due $20MM in salary with a $6.176MM roster bonus. In 2024, that salary increases to $21MM with a $6.235MM bonus payout.

The Colts will now move on to their fifth starting quarterback in Ballard’s sixth year at the helm. So far, they’ve gone through Jacoby Brissett, Andrew Luck, Rivers, and Wentz — none of those players served as the primary starter in back-to-back seasons. Now, Wentz is out less than one year after his arrival in Indianapolis.

As noted by ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Colts sent a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round choice to the Eagles for Wentz. The Colts now have one rocky year and significantly less draft capital to show for it. The Eagles, meanwhile, went on to parlay the third-rounder into a trade up for DeVonta Smith, and they’re still set to pick at No. 16 overall in April.

Seahawks To Trade Russell Wilson To Broncos

March 8th, 2022 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

9:57pm: Wilson has signed his no-trade provision and passed his physical, making the deal official on his end, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The other players involved in the trade still have to take their physical.

12:46pm: The Seahawks have agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The deal will see multiple draft picks go to Seattle, plus quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant (Twitter link).

Details are still emerging, but when all is said and done, the deal will see three players (Lock, Harris, and Fant) go to Seattle along with two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick. The Broncos, meanwhile, get Wilson plus a Round 4 choice (Twitter link via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports). Even when accounting for Wilson’s talent and accomplishments, it all adds up to a solid haul for the Seahawks.

The Seahawks have been at odds with their star quarterback for quite some time. Now, after years of speculation, they’ve finally turned the page. The Broncos, meanwhile, have a Hall of Fame worthy quarterback for the first time since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.

Previously, head coach Pete Carroll said that the Seahawks had “no intention” of moving Wilson. Ultimately, however, Wilson wanted a new start. The Seahawks also get an opportunity at something of a clean slate. Wilson’s $35MM-per-year contract wasn’t necessarily outsized, but it was a blocker on their books. Now, Carroll & Co. can reshape the team as they see fit — perhaps with a QB with less gripes about the rest of the roster.

“At this time of year, there’s conversations about everybody, and it’s commonplace for us to have conversations with teams about all of the players, particularly marquee players,” Carroll said recently. “That’s not changed. It’s been the same every year. It’s the same…We have no intention of making any move there. But the conversations, [GM] John [Schneider] has to field those, he always has. But nothing specific.”

Wilson has had his eyes on the Broncos for a while, dating back to his four-team list of acceptable trade destinations. Still, in interviews, the 33-year-old tried to slow the rumor mill down.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to play ten amazing years in Seattle,” Wilson said roughly three weeks ago. “My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it, never been anything different.”

Wilson has been connected to a number of teams this year, including the newly-crowned Washington Commanders. They were said to have sent a “strong offer,” though it’s unclear if they approached the Broncos’ mega-package. Wilson, of course, holds a no-trade clause, so it’s possible that the Broncos had the second-best offer en route to the winning bid.

The Broncos also had the cap room to accommodate the deal, unlike some of the other teams tied to Wilson. Heading into today, they had $41.999M in cap space. So, even before factoring in Lock and Harris, Denver had the room necessary to take on the deal.

The Broncos may agree to give Wilson a brand-new deal as a part of the trade. So far, we’ve yet to hear any word on that front. For now, they’ve got the superstar under contract for two more non-guaranteed years.

Seahawks To Release LB Bobby Wagner

March 8th, 2022 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks are cleaning house. The team informed eight-time All Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner that he’ll be released, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

Wagner had spent his entire career in Seattle, joining the organization when he was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. He came off the board a round before future teammate Russell Wilson…who, of course, was traded to the Broncos earlier today. Wagner and Wilson were previously the two longest-tenured members of their team.

Wagner quickly established himself as a key member of the Seahawks defense, starting 15 games as a rookie. He started all three playoff games during the Seahawks Super Bowl-winning 2013 campaign, and he then proceeded to go on an eight-year run of Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. During that stretch, Wagner averaged 145 tackles per season, and he’ll leave the organization as the Seahawks’ all-time leader in tackles.

The 31-year-old was still productive in 2021, compiling a career-high 170 tackles to go along with three tackles for loss and three QB hits. However, his $20.35MM cap hit for next season had Wagner admitting that he could be done in Seattle.

“You think about it,” Wagner said in December (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “You think about what the next year looks like and what the future holds because this was a season that I don’t think we all planned for. We didn’t plan for the season to go this way, so obviously there’s going to be some changes and whether or not I’m part of those changes, I don’t know.”

With Wilson gone, it was clear that the Seahawks were pivoting toward a rebuild. This move will save the organization $16.6MM against the cap. He’ll leave behind $3.75MM in dead cap.

Titans, Harold Landry Agree On Extension

March 8th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after not placing the franchise tag on Harold Landry, the Titans have a long-term agreement with their top edge rusher. Tennessee is signing Landry to a five-year extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Jon Robinson said he wanted to retain Landry this offseason, and for a second straight year, the Titans GM will authorize a major payment to an outside linebacker. Landry agreed to a five-year, $87.5MM deal, with Pelissero adding $52.5MM will be guaranteed. Less than a year after Tennessee gave Bud Dupree a five-year, $82.5MM pact (with $33.75MM guaranteed), they now have both signed long-term.

Landry will get a whopping $20.25MM in his first season of the deal, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The tag would have cost Tennessee $18.7MM

Landry was a second-round pick out of Boston College in 2018, and he’s spent his entire four-year career with the Titans. After serving as mostly a backup during his rookie campaign, Landry has started all 49 games for Tennessee over the past three years. That includes a 2021 campaign where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod after collecting a career-high 12 sacks.

Aaron Rodgers Agrees To Extension In Green Bay

March 8th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

1:50PM: The Aaron Rodgers saga has apparently reached a conclusion. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that he has signed a four-year, $200MM extension with the Packers (Twitter link). Rodgers himself has tweeted a rebuttal to the reported deal, though he confirms that he is staying in Green Bay.

The $50MM per-year average will indeed make the reigning MVP the highest-paid player in NFL history, something which had been reported in the build-up to today’s news. Rapoport adds that the deal includes $153MM in guaranteed money, and will lower his 2022 cap hit.

12:37PM: In a follow-up, Rapoport reports that Rodgers’ 2022 cap hit is set to go “way down”, and that in 2023, it won’t rank in the top ten amongst QBs (video link).

Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds that the 38-year-old “figures to be year-to-year” until he decides to retire (Twitter link). With this extension signed, it is now all but a certainty he will end up having played exclusively for the Packers, regardless of when he hangs up his cleats.

Rodgers had been the center of speculation on a number of fronts throughout the offseason, as retirement and trades to AFC teams – especially the Broncos – were named as distinct possibilities. The hiring of Nathaniel Hackett in Denver in particular was thought to be one of the reasons Denver was fully committed to bringing in Rodgers, and in doing so ending their own search for a franchise QB dating back to Peyton Manning‘s retirement.

Reporting then focused more on the specific actions taken by the Packers to accommodate not only Rodgers’ contract wishes, but also to manufacture the needed cap space to keep him and pending free agent Davante Adams. Through a series of restructures, along with the particular details of this new contract, the team should be able to field a team similar in strength to the one which earned the NFC’s No.1 seed in 2021. It had been reported recently that the team was intending to keep 2020 first rounder Jordan Love; today’s deal may change the organization’s stance on that front.

With the biggest domino in the QB market – and the offseason as a whole – now having fallen, attention will turn to other big names such as Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Allen Robinson. Plenty of other big moves are likely to be made involving at least some of those names. For the Packers, at least, the Super Bowl window will remain open for the near future.

Cowboys, Michael Gallup Nearing Deal?

March 7th, 2022 at 8:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

MONDAY, 8:23pm: The Cowboys are still confident they will retain Gallup on a pre-free agency extension, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes the deal is expected to come in north of $10MM per year (video link). Dallas is aiming to complete a five-year deal with Gallup. Given where the receiver market has gone in recent years, the particulars will be interesting here.

FRIDAY, 4:58pm: This process might not be as close as initially indicated. Gallup and the Cowboys are in talks, but the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken tweets no deal is imminent. The parties are still working through “moving pieces” as they attempt to agree on a second contract, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets.

FRIDAY, 3:39pm: The Cowboys’ wide receiver plan continues to unfold. Following reports of the team’s intentions to move on from Amari Cooper — via trade or release — the NFC East champions are hoping to retain Michael Gallup.

Gallup and the Cowboys are in talks on a deal that would keep him off the market. The sides are close to finalizing this extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights with Gallup until March 14, when the legal tampering period begins. Absent a deal, the free agent-to-be would hit the open market March 16. A contract being finalized Friday would be fitting, as it is Gallup’s 26th birthday.

Moving Cooper’s $22MM cap number off the payroll will be important here, with the Cowboys long having needed to make a Cooper-or-Gallup choice to go along with CeeDee Lamb‘s rookie contract. Gallup did not have a productive contract year, missing several games because of his Week 1 calf injury and ending the season early due to an ACL tear. That stands to impact Gallup’s value, but the Cowboys are clearly confident he can regain his previous form and work alongside Lamb going forward. Gallup underwent surgery in February.

A third-round pick out of Colorado State, Gallup broke out for 1,107 yards in 2019 alongside Cooper. That is Gallup’s only 1,000-yard campaign, with Lamb having entered the picture a year later. But he still topped 800 in 2020 and enjoyed moments during an injury-plagued 2021 slate. Gallup will not command the price tag Cooper did when he signed a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020.

Reaching a lower-cost accord with Gallup would keep the Cowboys’ hopes of keeping Randy Gregory and Dalton Schultz as well. One of the duo can be retained via the franchise tag, which would make more sense for Schultz due to the tight end tag being much cheaper than the defensive line figure.

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