Saints To Place Michael Thomas On IR; WR Not Expected To Return In 2022
Michael Thomas has already missed the Saints’ past five games. The Saints ensured Thursday he will miss at least four more, preparing to place their former All-Pro weapon on IR. But Dennis Allen indicated this is a more serious issue — one that a four-game IR stay will not address.
A complication in Thomas’ recovery from a toe injury will lead to the IR placement, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter). That complication appears severe, with Allen adding he does not expect Thomas to play again this season. The 29-year-old wideout will undergo surgery, Terrell tweets.
This continues a tough period for Thomas, who has missed much of the 2020s due to injury. After missing just two games over his first four seasons, Thomas will have missed 40 over the past three. His future with the Saints is certainly in doubt in the wake of this news.
New Orleans received tremendous value from Thomas during the late 2010s. After a few teams misfired on wideout picks in the 2016 first round, the Saints found a gem in Round 2 of that draft. Thomas ascended to the All-Pro level in 2018 and broke Marvin Harrison‘s 17-year-old single-season reception record a year later. As Drew Brees continued to play at a high level in his late 30s and into his early 40s, he depended on Thomas. That partnership earned the Ohio State product a big-ticket extension. Unfortunately, injuries have ruined most of his time on this deal.
The Saints gave Thomas a five-year, $96.25MM deal before the 2019 season, and he rewarded them with that record-setting 149-reception campaign. But injuries began to crop up in 2020. Week 1 of that season began the trouble, with Thomas suffering a high ankle sprain that day. He then encountered a midseason hamstring injury, but the ankle trouble lingered into 2021. Thomas held off on undergoing ankle surgery until summer 2021 — months after the Saints wanted that operation to take place — and ran into a new ankle injury during the ’21 season.
Because the Saints restructured Thomas’ deal more than once, a high dead-money hit would come if/when the team releases him. A $25MM-plus dead-cap hit would follow a 2023 Thomas release, but the Saints could drop that to just more than $11MM by designating Thomas as a post-June 1 cut. That would spread the cap hit over the 2023 and ’24 league years.
Optimism existed coming into this season. Thomas had recovered from the career-sidetracking ankle ordeal and caught three touchdown passes in the first three weeks this season — including two during a comeback win over the Falcons. The four-time 1,000-yard receiver caught 16 passes for 171 yards in New Orleans’ first three games, but the toe problem then intervened. Thomas’ unavailability will make it difficult for the Saints to keep him — barring a major pay cut. His $28.3MM cap number is tops on the Saints’ 2023 payroll.
The Saints, who were eagerly awaiting to deploy their transformed receiving corps this season, have needed to get by without both Thomas and Jarvis Landry for much of this year. Landry is not on IR, but the free agency addition has missed the past four games with an ankle malady. Landry did return to practice this week, and it would obviously be a boon for New Orleans’ offense if the ninth-year veteran returned in Week 9. Landry will be needed more than the Saints anticipated, though first-round pick Chris Olave has produced when available for the team.
Ravens WR Rashod Bateman To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
The Ravens will be without their No. 1 wide receiver for the rest of the season. Rashod Bateman will undergo surgery to repair a Lisfranc issue, John Harbaugh said Thursday (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley, on Twitter).
This foot operation is expected to sideline the second-year receiver for this campaign’s remainder. Bateman had missed Baltimore’s Week 5 and Week 6 games, before returning to play in the team’s most recent two contests. This will be a tough blow for the AFC North-leading team.
Bateman aggravated his foot injury during the Ravens’ Week 8 win over the Buccaneers. This setback was only supposed to cost him multiple games; an IR stay was not yet certain prior to today. Instead, an already-thin Ravens receiving corps will need to get by without the player drafted to be its anchor.
Baltimore played without Bateman for five games to start the 2021 season, after the Minnesota product suffered a groin injury during training camp. But the 2021 first-round pick still re-emerged as a key target down the stretch for Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Bateman caught 46 passes for 585 yards and a touchdown. He already has two scores this season and has far exceeded his rookie-year yards-per-catch figure, but the 19-yard number will end up being final.
While Bateman still stands to be a big part of the Ravens’ long-term future, he will end this season with 18 career missed games. The Ravens moved to draft Bateman 27th overall last year, prioritizing him over an outside linebacker need. Baltimore had both Gregory Rousseau and Odafe Oweh rated closely that year, so the team preferred Bateman’s value with its initial first-round pick and ended up with Oweh — who went one spot after Rousseau — three spots later.
The Ravens resisted calls to augment their receiver situation this offseason, going into the year with Bateman and Devin Duvernay as their top targets. None of Baltimore’s auxiliary presences have made much of an impact thus far, leading the team to sign DeSean Jackson. The historically productive deep threat has battled extensive injury troubles in the recent past as well, but he bounced back with a solid health stretch last year. Jackson, 35, will likely make his Ravens debut Monday night against the Saints.
Dolphins, Bradley Chubb Agree On Extension
The Dolphins are working fast with Bradley Chubb. Less than two days after trading for the veteran pass rusher, they reached an agreement to extend him, The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports (via Twitter).
Chubb is signing a five-year, $110MM deal that includes $63.2MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter links). The former No. 5 overall pick now checks in as the league’s sixth-highest-paid edge defender. Initially reported to be worth $119MM, the deal’s new-money average comes in at $22.7MM per year. The $119MM accounts for Chubb’s remaining 2022 fifth-year option salary (just more than $7MM) and minor Pro Bowl incentives. Chubb is under contract through 2027.
Like they did with Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins stepped up with a big-ticket extension just after trading a first-round pick for a veteran. Chris Grier indicated Wednesday a deal was likely near, and he has now authorized a payday to keep Chubb off the 2023 market. The Dolphins acquired Chubb just before the deadline, sending the Broncos first- and fourth-round picks and running back Chase Edmonds.
Miami’s compensation package gave Chubb’s camp some leverage, but the sides found common ground. The 26-year-old pass rusher’s deal was always expected to come in north of $20MM AAV, but the parties finalized an agreement that puts Chubb in between ex-teammate Von Miller‘s $20MM-per-year Bills pact and the league’s top tier.
This contract checks in less than $1MM below Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-AAV Raiders extension, representing a bit of a bargain for the Dolphins. While Chubb’s production has not been as steady as Crosby’s, the trade cost and upcoming salary cap bump could have likely allowed the new Dolphin to push for a deal that moves him into the top five at the position. That said, Chubb has a notable injury history and locking in money now protects him from another setback affecting his value.
Hill came to Miami after ripping off a stretch of five straight Pro Bowls as a wideout (the first nod came for returner production); Chubb has one career Pro Bowl. That 2020 honor came for a 7.5-sack season. Chubb also has a 12-sack slate (2018) on his resume, but he has missed 24 career games — mostly due to his 2019 ACL tear and two-ankle-surgery 2021. This contract represents the Dolphins’ belief Chubb will grow into their pass-rushing anchor.
Miami has been active in reshaping its edge rush in recent years. The team brought in Emmanuel Ogbah as a 2020 free agent and gave him a new deal this offseason. The Dolphins drafted Jaelan Phillips in the 2021 first round and signed Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers this year. This contingent has produced just 15 sacks (T-21st), with Phillips leading the way at three. The Dolphins rank 22nd in points allowed and 23rd in total defense. Chubb comes to south Florida with 5.5 sacks, having shown a full recovery from an injury-marred 2021 season.
Despite this bounce-back effort, the Broncos sold high on the John Elway-era draftee. Denver is 3-5 and almost certainly did not receive an offer of a first-round pick for fellow trade candidate Jerry Jeudy. With the Dolphins stepping up to win these sweepstakes, the Broncos — who traded both their 2023 first- and second-round picks for Russell Wilson — are now in line to pick on the draft’s first day. San Francisco’s finish will determine Denver’s draft slot, with the Dolphins sending the Broncos the 49ers’ 2023 first — obtained in the 2021 swap that gave the 49ers Trey Lance draft real estate — in this exchange. The Dolphins are without a first-round pick next year, seeing its own selection stripped because of the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering penalty.
The Broncos have now traded the likes of Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Miller and Chubb over the past five trade deadlines, becoming one of the league’s consistent sellers. While Thomas, Sanders and Miller were each part of Broncos teams that ventured to the playoffs and Super Bowl 50, Chubb arrived amid the franchise’s endless search for a franchise quarterback. The North Carolina State product also barely played alongside Miller during his tenure, with both players’ injuries limiting their time together before Miller’s 2021 trade to Los Angeles.
Denver’s 2022 outside linebacker moves — signing Randy Gregory, drafting Nik Bonitto in Round 2 and moving inside linebacker Baron Browning to the edge — signaled a possible Chubb departure. The Dolphins’ offer of a first-rounder convinced the team to pull that lever early, passing on a possible 2023 franchise tag. The Broncos are saving money at this position, with Gregory tied only to a $14MM-per-year accord.
During the 2021 offseason, Broncos GM George Paton — an ex-Grier Dolphins coworker in the 2000s — called Chubb a core player. Although the Broncos gauged what it would cost to extend Chubb, the sides are never believed to have negotiated. The Dolphins have now paid up to ensure Chubb is one of their core performers, and the franchise gunning for its first playoff win since 2000 will count on the trade piece to lead the way defensively.
Dan Snyder Considering Commanders Sale?
Although a statement from Dan Snyder insisted he would never sell his franchise, he and wife Tanya have hired Bank of America Securities to “consider potential transactions,” the Commanders announced Wednesday (Twitter link). Addressing whether this would regard a partial or full sale by the Snyders, a Commanders spokesperson said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter), “We are exploring all options.”
“Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BofA Securities to consider potential transactions,” the statement reads. “The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.”
Snyder, who has owned the Washington franchise since 1999, has been under several investigations in recent years. A House Oversight Committee probe and another NFL inquiry into his franchise’s alleged workplace misconduct and financial improprieties represent the latest scandals engulfing the embattled owner and his team.
Snyder has received at least four calls from interested buyers, according to Forbes (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). The Broncos set a new market recently, by shattering the American sports record with a $465 billion price. Snyder purchased the Washington franchise for $750MM 23 years ago.
It is not known if the Snyders will follow through with a sale, but this development comes shortly after one of Dan Snyder’s peers — Colts owner Jim Irsay — went public about 24 votes potentially being there to remove Snyder as Commanders owner. Dan soon sent a letter to the NFL’s other owners ensuring them he has not hired firms to investigate them — an explosive charge levied against the Washington owner last month — and this came shortly after a statement from the Snyders which confirmed no sale would ever be considered. Amid steady turmoil, it now appears the Snyders are considering it.
No vote has ever passed to remove an NFL owner from his or her post, but scandals have led owners to sell. This happened most recently with the Panthers, who saw Jerry Richardson sell his franchise to David Tepper amid workplace misconduct allegations in 2018. As Dan Snyder goes through his latest batch of investigations, Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver — recently suspended after a lengthy investigation — announced his intention to sell both his NBA and WNBA (Phoenix Mercury) franchises.
While Washington had tumbled off its perch as a Super Bowl contender during the mid-1990s, the franchise’s reputation has taken steady hits since Snyder’s 1999 acquisition. The team, which made five Super Bowl appearances from 1972-1991, has not made consecutive playoff berths under Snyder. And countless stories of misconduct, producing the investigations, have followed. Routine calls for Snyder to sell have emanated from FedEx Field for years.
An NFL investigation that wrapped in 2021 led to Dan Snyder being fined $10MM and a de facto suspension, which left Tanya Snyder in charge of the franchise’s day-to-day responsibilities. Dan denied he was ever suspended, and a recent statement insisted he was free to resume his regular duties with the team. The NFL’s latest investigation is slated to produce a written report — after the previous probe did not — while “further action” is on tap once the Oversight Committee’s investigation concludes. No timetable exists regarding the NFL’s latest probe, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, minimizing the notion this sale buzz was connected to Mary Jo White’s report dropping soon (Twitter link).
Snyder once said he would never change the name of his team, which dropped the Redskins moniker after years of outside pressure. After insisting he would not sell, will he change his mind on this front as well?
Colts To Trade RB Nyheim Hines To Bills
The Bills will beat the buzzer by acquiring a running back. Nyheim Hines is Buffalo-bound, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Colts passing-down back/return man surfaced in trade rumors Monday night and will join a 6-1 Bills team.
Hines will head to Buffalo in a package that includes Zack Moss going to Indianapolis. The Bills are trading Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Hines, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moss is signed through 2023.
This move comes after Buffalo was involved in talks for both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. While Hines is not on that level, he has been a longtime Colts complementary piece. After signing an Indianapolis extension last year, Hines is signed through 2024. Momentum began to build toward a Hines deal earlier Tuesday, and his three-year, $18MM pact will change hands.
A part of the Colts’ impact 2018 draft class, Hines has been the team’s passing-down back supplementing both Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, catching at least 40 passes in each of his four full seasons. Hines topped 60 receptions in 2018 and 2020, displaying rare durability at his position. Hines has missed just one game as a pro.
Buffalo’s backfield equation changed in the spring, when a J.D. McKissic agreement did not lead to a finalized contract. McKissic reneged on the deal and went back to Washington. The Bills then drafted James Cook in Round 2 this year. Cook had overtaken Moss as the AFC East leaders’ No. 2 back. It will be interesting to see how the Bills use Cook now that Hines is in this Devin Singletary-fronted mix.
Hines, who turns 26 next week, has also worked as Indy’s punt returner since his second season. The North Carolina State product produced two punt-return touchdowns in that 2019 campaign. As they gun for their first championship since the AFL days, the Bills are undoubtedly planning to take advantage of Hines’ versatility. Hines has 19 career touchdowns, with a career-high seven coming in 2020.
The Bills inquired about McCaffrey this offseason and could have outflanked the 49ers by offering a first-round pick. But Buffalo viewed a first as too rich for the ex-Carolina star and did not make an offer. The team asked the Saints about Kamara recently, but New Orleans — which has not otherwise been linked to trading the five-time Pro Bowler — rebuffed that inquiry. Hines could be a nice consolation prize.
This does qualify as a seller trade for the Colts, but they have underperformed to start the season and are now breaking in another new quarterback (Sam Ehlinger). Moss will be part of the team’s Jonathan Taylor backup crew. The Bills took Moss in the 2020 second round and used him extensively during the first season and change of his career. The Utah product backed up Singletary primarily, totaling 1,118 scrimmage yards over his first two seasons. But Singletary received most of the backfield work down the stretch last season for the pass-first squad. Cook’s arrival further reduced Moss’ role this season. He will attempt to rebound as a Taylor backup.
Falcons To Trade WR Calvin Ridley To Jags
The Jaguars are making a bet for the future. Despite Calvin Ridley serving a full-season suspension, he is changing teams. The Falcons are sending the former first-round wideout to the Jags, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The sides are still determining a final compensation package, but the trade has been agreed upon. Jacksonville will send Atlanta a package that will max out with a 2023 fifth-rounder and a 2024 second. The latter part of the Falcons’ haul is classified as a conditional 2024 fourth, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Ridley’s Jacksonville performance and duration will impact the trade value. If Ridley plays for the Jags in 2023, the conditional fourth-rounder must be conveyed. If he hits certain performance thresholds, the Falcons will receive a 2024 third. The pick upgrades to a second if the Jags extend Ridley, per Schefter, adding an intriguing variable into one of the more unusual trades in recent memory (Twitter link).
Atlanta was on the verge of trading Ridley to Philadelphia earlier this year, but the impending gambling suspension nixed it. Now, the Jags are parting with two picks for a player who cannot play for them until next season.
While unexpected, this is an intriguing swap. The Jags are 2-6 and may not have a true complement for Christian Kirk. Ridley stands to fill that role next year, though he is neither a sure thing nor signed long term. Ridley’s contract tolled to 2023, due to the suspension, but he is set to play on a fifth-year option salary ($11.12MM). The Jags will still attempt to see how he looks with Trevor Lawrence.
A Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, Ridley is on the older end for a 2018 draftee as well. The 6-foot-1 pass catcher will be 29 before his first Jaguars season ends. The Jags will still provide a landing spot for the embattled pass catcher, who did not finish the 2021 season with the Falcons. Ridley left the team for personal reasons midway through the year. With that preceding his gambling ban, it is fairly surprising a team is willing to trade for him. Ridley must wait until February 2023 to apply for reinstatement.
When available in Atlanta, Ridley looked like one of the NFL’s top young receivers. The ex-Julio Jones sidekick posted back-to-back 800-plus-yard seasons with Matt Ryan in 2018 and ’19 and broke through in 2020, hauling in 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. That came during a season in which Jones’ hamstring trouble began to become a regular issue, leading to Ridley’s rise into Ryan’s top weapon. Not too much time has passed since that point, but the Falcons have completely closed the book on this period.
Atlanta has now traded Jones, Ryan and Ridley within a 17-month span. The team also let Thomas Dimitroff-era draftee Russell Gage sign with Tampa Bay. The Falcons still roster Olamide Zaccheaus from the previous era but now have a new quarterback and new top playmakers. GM Terry Fontenot chose Kyle Pitts and Drake London in the top 10 over the past two years. The Falcons will sink or swim with those rookie-contract performers catching passes, though the team is using a run-oriented attack with Marcus Mariota presently.
The Jaguars gave Kirk a four-year, $72MM deal but also signed Zay Jones to a three-year, $24MM accord this offseason. The team has 2021 free agency addition Marvin Jones playing out his contract. Kirk still resides atop Jacksonville’s long-term aerial pecking order, but the Jags have made an interesting splash to see if it can land a high-end supplementary piece in Ridley. Between Kirk and Ridley, the latter’s 2020 season represents the only 1,000-yard showing. It remains to be seen if the 2018 first-rounder can show that form again.
Broncos Trade Bradley Chubb To Dolphins
Barely 90 minutes before the trade deadline, the Broncos have decided to accept a Bradley Chubb trade offer. They are sending the fifth-year pass rusher to the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Denver will receive the 2023 first-round pick Miami obtained from San Francisco, along with a 2024 fourth-rounder and running back Chase Edmonds. The Dolphins will receive Chubb and a 2025 fifth, Schefter tweets. The Broncos needed to make a decision: accept an offer including a first-round pick or attempt to extend Chubb in 2023. Second-year GM George Paton took the first-rounder-fronted package. The teams have announced the deal.
This marks the second time in two years the Broncos have traded a cornerstone edge rusher at the deadline. Chubb, 26, will join 2021 trade chip Von Miller in the AFC East. Miami has made some moves to fortify its pass rush this year, re-signing Emmanuel Ogbah and adding Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers in free agency. Despite these moves, the Dolphins have tallied only 15 sacks this season. No player has more than three. Chubb will head to Miami after registering 5.5 sacks in his final Broncos season.
Denver’s latest seller trade wraps a swiftly developing saga. At this point last week, Chubb was expected to bring in a Miller-like haul (second- and third-round picks). But the Broncos discussed Chubb with more than 10 teams; a first-rounder was reported to be on the table since Sunday morning. The Jets and Dolphins were linked as being willing to send the Broncos a first-rounder, but while New York was believed to have backed off, Miami will pay up for the contract-year pass rusher. It is unclear if another team offered a first, but it is unsurprising the Broncos parted with Chubb for such compensation.
The Dolphins are now expected to work out a long-term deal with Chubb, Schefter tweets. Such a contract will cost north of $20MM per year. But the Dolphins are in a better position to pay Chubb his market value compared to the Broncos, who now have an expensive quarterback on their payroll.
Ogbah is signed to a $16.35MM-per-year deal, while first-rounder Jaelan Phillips (team-high three sacks) is attached to a rookie contract through 2024. The Dolphins ponied up record-setting receiver dough for Tyreek Hill, and they are set to pay Chubb as well. These accords will complement Tua Tagovailoa‘s rookie contract. With Tua not an open-and-shut 2023 extension candidate like Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert yet, the Dolphins can slow-play it with the 2020 No. 5 overall pick. Tagovailoa can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024, via the fifth-year option.
Sitting in a tie for second place in the AFC East with the Jets, the Dolphins (5-3) will be armed with a former Pro Bowl pass rusher. The Broncos chose Chubb fifth overall in 2018, and while the Nos. 6 and 7 picks from that draft became top-tier players (Quenton Nelson, Josh Allen), the North Carolina State-produced pass rusher still developed into an upper-echelon edge defender in Denver. Chubb registered 12 sacks as a rookie and bounced back from a 2019 ACL tear with a 2020 Pro Bowl berth. Chubb underwent two ankle surgeries in 2021, leading to a zero-sack season, but has rebounded again to help the Broncos form a top-five defense despite Vic Fangio‘s exit.
The pre-deadline deal closes the Broncos’ book on a decent what-if chapter in their modern history. The team’s John Elway-led regime drafted Chubb to pair with Miller, but after 2018, the two rarely ended up playing together. Chubb went down early in 2019; Miller missed all of the 2020 season. Chubb was lost early in the 2021 campaign; by the time he returned, the Broncos had traded Miller to the Rams. Denver has retooled on the edge in 2022, and each of its current cogs are Paton-era investments.
Denver signed Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70MM deal, moved Baron Browning from inside linebacker to the edge and drafted Nik Bonitto in Round 2 this year. All three have shown flashes, but both Gregory and Browning are out with injuries presently. While Tuesday’s trade depletes Denver’s 2022 edge corps, the team is 3-5 and pounced on a rare opportunity to land a first-round pick for a somewhat injury-prone player.
After losing its first- and second-round 2023 picks in the Russell Wilson trade, Denver has replenished its draft cupboard to some degree. The Dolphins have also been active with first-round selections under GM Chris Grier. They collected this 2023 draft choice from the 49ers in 2021’s Trey Lance deal, moved up to draft Jaylen Waddle that year and sent the Chiefs a 2022 first-rounder for Hill. While the Chubb move gives the Broncos a first-round pick next year, the Dolphins are now without one. The NFL stripped Miami of its original 2023 first-round pick, in the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal, and the last of the selections obtained for Lance is now sacrificed for Chubb. The Dolphins are betting big Hill and Chubb can lead them to their first playoff win in 22 years.
Edmonds signed a two-year, $12.1MM deal this offseason but has seen ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charge Raheem Mostert overtake him in Miami’s backfield. This season, Edmonds has 216 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He has not surpassed 10 carries in a game since Week 1. Edmonds, 26, showed more while playing alongside Kenyan Drake and James Conner, respectively, in Arizona. A fourth-round pick out of Fordham, Edmonds topped 800 scrimmage yards in 2020 and ’21. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, but the Cardinals turned to Conner as their primary back and re-signed him this offseason.
The fifth-year back is tied to a $2MM 2022 base salary and a nonguaranteed $5.7MM 2023 salary. The Broncos could look to pair Edmonds with Javonte Williams next year, with current backfield cogs Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray unlikely to be with the team in 2023. For now, Edmonds will join the veterans who have been sharing the backfield since Williams’ ACL tear.
Steelers Send WR Chase Claypool To Bears
After dangling Chase Claypool in trades this offseason, the Steelers will indeed move on from the former second-round pick. They reached an agreement to send Claypool to the Bears, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The Bears are paying up to see how Claypool will look in their offense, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adding Chicago will send Pittsburgh a second-round pick (Twitter link). Teams had heard Claypool was available for a third-rounder, per Albert Breer of SI.com, but multiple offers may have come in, as the Bears will part with a future second.
This trade transpired quickly, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac adding the Bears called on Claypool on Thursday morning (Twitter link). The Steelers will likely receive the higher of the Bears’ two 2023 second-rounders, noting (via Twitter) that Chicago’s original Round 2 choice (not the Baltimore pick obtained for Roquan Smith) will go to Pittsburgh.
While Chicago has made two major seller’s trades over the past several days, the rebuilding team will have Claypool under contract beyond 2022. The big-bodied wide receiver’s rookie deal runs through 2023, giving the Bears a season and a half of potential evaluation time. The Bears let Allen Robinson walk this year and brought in a host of midlevel veteran options — trade acquisition N’Keal Harry among them — but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds the team had been searching for another wideout to work with Justin Fields (Twitter link).
Pittsburgh will move on from the Notre Dame alum, a move that is set to make second-round rookie George Pickens the team’s top complementary wideout. The Steelers have Pickens signed through 2025 and the recently extended Diontae Johnson locked down through 2024. These two will be the main pieces fostering Kenny Pickett‘s development, until the next Day 2 Steelers wideout arrives of course.
The Steelers added Day 2 receiving talent in 2017 (JuJu Smith-Schuster), 2018 (James Washington), 2019 (Johnson), 2020 (Claypool) and 2022 (Pickens). The organization has an extensive track record of finding and developing receivers, so collecting another asset for one not in the long-term plan makes sense. The Bears will pair Claypool with Darnell Mooney, whose rookie contract also runs through 2023.
At 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, Claypool is one of the biggest receivers in NFL history. He showed bright flashes as a Steeler, having exceeded 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, but has also been inconsistent. The Canadian pass catcher came through for the team during its upset win over the Buccaneers, catching a go-ahead touchdown pass and multiple third-down tosses from Mitch Trubisky earlier this month. Through seven games, Claypool sits at 32 catches for 311 yards and one score.
This move stands to equip Fields with a 24-year-old No. 2 wideout. Chicago’s receiver strategy this offseason proved interesting, with Fields not exactly being set up with talent the way other young quarterbacks were. Third-round pick Velus Jones has three catches thus far this season, and the rest of Chicago’s receiving corps — Harry, Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis— consists of veteran retreads. In terms of additional draft capital, the Bears still have the extra fifth-round pick from the Smith trade, the 2023 fourth-rounder they acquired from the Eagles for Robert Quinn and 2023 sixth they grabbed from the Chargers for Khalil Mack.
Lions Trade TE T.J. Hockenson To Vikings
An intra-NFC North trade is going down. The Lions are sending tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Acquired before the current Detroit regime arrived, Hockenson is under contract through 2023. Four picks are being exchanged in this deal. The Vikings are sending their division rivals a 2023 second-round pick and a 2023 third-rounder, Schefter tweets. The Vikings will receive Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-rounder and a conditional 2024 fourth. The Vikings announced the trade.
The Vikings are making this move in part because their current top tight end — Irv Smith Jr. — is set to miss time with a high ankle sprain. Hockenson, whom the Lions chose eighth overall in the 2019 draft, will be a higher-profile piece in the Vikings’ offense. At 6-1, the Vikings are dealing into their future asset war chest to add a key playmaker for Kirk Cousins. Smith is expected to be sidelined at least eight weeks, Schefter tweets, helping to explain the big price the Vikings will pay for an upgrade.
This trade comes months after the Vikings traded their No. 12 overall pick to the Lions, who moved up 20 spots to draft Jameson Williams. The Vikes have not shied away from intra-division moves under rookie GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Following the trade-down maneuver with the Lions, Adofo-Mensah traded back with the Packers in the second round, giving Green Bay the Christian Watson draft slot (No. 34 overall).
The Lions now have acquired future assets to help their rebuild. They now own two first-rounders and two seconds in the 2023 draft. Hockenson, 25, represented the final pass-catching piece from the Bob Quinn regime. The Lions had been linked to a possible Hockenson extension; instead, the Brad Holmes regime will start over at tight end.
Although various injuries have cropped up for Hockenson during his four-year Motor City run, he has not missed more than five games in a season. The Iowa product has a 700-plus-yard season on his resume (2020, his Pro Bowl campaign) and hauled in 61 passes for 583 yards and four touchdowns last season — a 12-game slate. This year, Hockenson has 26 receptions for 395 yards and three TDs. The 15.2-yard average, albeit in just seven games, represents by far a career-high mark for the 6-foot-5 pass catcher. Hockenson is tied to a $965K base salary and will be tethered to a fully guaranteed $9.39MM fifth-year option price in 2023.
Minnesota’s passing attack has featured steady Nos. 1 and 2 options for many years, with Justin Jefferson taking over for Stefon Diggs alongside Adam Thielen. The Vikings deployed Kyle Rudolph as their top tight end through the 2020 season and have seen some contributions from Smith. But the former second-rounder out of Alabama missed all of 2021 due to injury and is averaging just 7.6 yards per catch (22 receptions, 168 yards, two TDs) this season. Smith, who caught five touchdown passes in 2020, will move toward the fringes of Minnesota’s aerial hierarchy when he returns from injury. The second-generation NFLer is in a contract year.
At 6-1, the Vikings hold the NFC’s second-best record. They are 3.5 games up in the NFC North and have the tiebreaker over the Packers, who have won this division three years running. With the Packers scuffling and the Lions and Bears rebuilding, the red carpet is laid out for the Vikings to book their first home playoff game in five years. The franchise’s first-year regime parting with two Day 2 assets certainly signals it recognizes the opportunity here.
Ravens To Acquire Roquan Smith From Bears
3:43pm: The Bears will follow the Quinn formula with Smith’s contract. They will eat $4.8MM of the remaining $5.4MM on Smith’s deal, Schefter tweets. The Ravens’ cap situation made the Bears taking on some salary mandatory, but Chicago’s willingness to pay almost all of the money undoubtedly boosted the compensation value. Baltimore only owes Smith $575K the rest of the way.
2:29pm: Days after trading Robert Quinn to the Eagles, the Bears are making another seller move. They are sending contract-year linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Smith staged a hold-in effort during training camp but returned to the team and has played well. But the Bears had stripped away most of their front-seven pieces this offseason. Quinn’s departure followed, and Smith will complete a full-on overhaul. This move also comes not long after after a report indicated the Bears would likely hang onto Smith through the deadline. The Ravens stepped up since, and the Bears will collect an interesting haul for the Ryan Pace-era draftee.
The Ravens are sending second- and fifth-round picks for Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both picks are in 2023, Schefter tweets. Chicago will receive the higher of Baltimore’s 2023 fifths, Albert Breer of SI.com notes (on Twitter). The Ravens have their own 2023 fifth and the Patriots’. The Bears will also acquire veteran linebacker A.J. Klein in the swap, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). Klein signed with the Ravens earlier this offseason. The former Saints and Bills starter stands to provide a stopgap veteran presence for the Bears, who have dealt away considerable experience on defense this year.
This represents a nice return for a linebacker that would have been difficult for the Bears to cuff via the franchise tag. Because on- and off-ball linebackers are grouped together under the tag formula, Smith would require and edge rusher-level tag sum. The team will move on, and it has now added two second-rounders, along with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks in deals involving Smith, Quinn and Khalil Mack this year.
The Smith move differs from the Quinn decision, as the former is a player squarely in his prime. The Ravens will acquire a fifth-year starter who is only in his age-25 season. Smith’s 30 tackles for loss between the 2020 and ’21 seasons ranked behind only T.J. Watt. This season, Smith leads the NFL with 83 tackles. During a brief run in Matt Eberflus‘ defense, the Georgia product has added 2.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus rates Smith behind Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes and Malik Harrison for 2022, but Baltimore’s trade certainly points to the organization not putting much stock in that placement. It will bet on the former No. 8 overall pick.
Smith is playing on a $9.74MM fifth-year option. The Bears ate most of Quinn’s salary to up the price tag from the Eagles; it will be interesting to see if the rebuilding team is doing the same with Smith. Otherwise, the Ravens will be responsible for more than $5MM of Smith’s Year 5 salary. Baltimore entered Monday with less than $3MM in cap space, so a salary arrangement — or a Ravens cap adjustment — will be necessary for the team to acquire Smith.
The Ravens have Queen signed through 2023, with a fifth-year option on the table to keep him on his rookie deal through 2024. Will Queen be playing alongside a big-ticket Smith extension next year? The Ravens making this move now would suggest they are prepared to extend Smith.
Baltimore made Bobby Wagner a competitive offer this year, signaling a willingness to pay up at the position, and attempted to keep C.J. Mosley from defecting to the Jets in 2019, but a record-smashing contract nixed those hopes. The Ravens have not spent big at this position in the years since, with Queen being their top 2020s investment at the position. Smith could change that, having been seeking a deal that eclipses Shaquille Leonard‘s $19.7MM-per-year contract. Seeing the Ravens go to such a place would be interesting, but the other Raven currently on a fifth-year option complicates their Smith path.
Lamar Jackson‘s status also makes Smith an interesting Ravens trade piece. Unless the Ravens and their superstar quarterback agree to terms on an extension before the March franchise tag deadline, the former MVP will be tagged. That takes a key option away from the team re: Smith, who is scheduled to hit free agency when the 2023 tampering period opens. Like Jackson, Smith does not have an agent.
For now, however, the Ravens are giving first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald a major piece to upgrade a defense that ranks 24th in yards allowed and 20th in scoring. Smith will return to a 3-4 defense in Baltimore, after playing in 3-4 schemes for Vic Fangio, Chuck Pagano and Sean Desai. It will be interesting to see how the three-down linebacker looks with the Ravens, who will lead the AFC North regardless of the Bengals’ result Monday night.
The Bears drafted starting safety Jaquan Brisker with the second-round pick obtained for Mack, who joined Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Danny Trevathan in being replaced by a new Bears regime this offseason. The Bears entered Week 8 coming off an upset blowout of the Patriots, but they were routed in Dallas on Sunday. GM Ryan Poles has not let early-season wins over the Patriots and 49ers cloud a long-term plan, and he will have more to work with in the 2023 draft because of this seller’s approach.