Raiders To Trade Darren Waller To Giants
In need of a few pass catchers, the Giants have struck a deal to land a former Pro Bowler. The Raiders are sending Waller to New York, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Giants are sending the No. 100 overall pick to the Raiders for the veteran tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is the third-round compensatory pick the Giants obtained in the Kadarius Toney trade with the Chiefs. The Giants had been eyeing tight ends, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and they will make their move via trade.
This comes less than a year after Waller agreed to an extension with the Raiders. That $17MM-per-year contract will now be the Giants’ responsibility. Hours after their Jakobi Meyers acquisition, the AFC West team is shipping out one of its veteran playmakers. For a bit, the Raiders had five skill-position players tied to eight-figure-per-year contracts or a franchise tag (Waller, Meyers, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs). That number will drop back to four.
The Packers made an offer for Waller at last year’s deadline, but the Raiders stood pat. And, as of two weeks ago, they were not viewed as eager to move on from Waller. That said, a report last season indicated some in the organization were frustrated with his slow-progressing return from a hamstring injury.
Although the Giants effectively opted not to replace Evan Engram last season, they are acting on that front now. Fewer than 10 tight ends in NFL history have strung together back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons; Waller is among them. Even with Jeremy Shockey excelling in the 2000s, no Giants tight end has ever reached the 1,100-yard plateau in a season. That achievement occurred from 2019-20; Waller has battled some injuries in the seasons since.
The Raiders had given Waller three contracts, including two extensions, as he became their No. 1 option in the wake of the Antonio Brown deal combusting before he played a game in Oakland. A former Ravens wide receiver who nearly flamed out of the league due to substance-abuse issues, Waller launched a comeback with the Raiders. The Jon Gruden-era pickup led the team in receiving in 2019 and ’20, earning Pro Bowl acclaim for his work in the latter slate.
Engram also earned Pro Bowl honors during 2020, when the game not being played led to no alternates distorting the accomplishment, but Waller’s numbers dwarfed the ex-Giants first-rounder’s production. The Giants let Engram walk in free agency last year, tiring of the receiving tight end’s inconsistency. They will now make Waller a centerpiece player in their passing attack, one that still needs more pieces despite Sterling Shepard agreeing to come back. Waller and Saquon Barkley will represent the initial cornerstones of Daniel Jones‘ fifth Giants attack.
This year’s wide receiver market does not house many impact players, and while the Giants have been connected to receiver pursuits, they will take on Waller’s $11MM 2023 base salary. He is signed through 2026 at a reasonable rate — salaries of $10.5MM, $11.5MM and $13.5MM are also on the deal — despite the $17MM AAV breaking George Kittle‘s tight end record last year. The Giants will determine Waller’s fit in Brian Daboll’s offense; the $8.25MM guaranteed this year represent the last of Waller’s locked-in money.
Josh McDaniels has now shipped out the Raiders’ passing-game pillars from the Gruden period, cutting Derek Carr and now unloading Waller’s deal. The Raiders now have a need at tight end, with Foster Moreau also a free agent. The 2023 draft class is believed to be deep at the position, so the Raiders should be considered candidates to nab one of the top prospects. This trade also will not tag Las Vegas for dead money much. They will save $11.38MM as a result of the move.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Corey Clement
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Raiders): CB Trayvon Mullen
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: LB Tyrel Dodson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: FB Michael Burton
- Waived: WR Victor Bolden, WR Freddie Swain
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OL Matt Nelson
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: DE Derek Rivers
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Robert Spillane
- Re-signed: FB Jakob Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Calvin Anderson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Aaron Stinnie
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Luke Gifford
Raiders To Sign WR Phillip Dorsett
Josh McDaniels has recruited yet another former Patriots player to Las Vegas. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders have reached an agreement with free agent wideout Phillip Dorsett.
[RELATED: Raiders To Trade Darren Waller To Giants]
The former first-round pick was paired with McDaniels in New England for three seasons. Despite receiving passes from Tom Brady, Dorsett still wasn’t able to show his first-round pedigree during his time with the Patriots. In 45 games (eight starts) with the organization, Dorsett had 73 receptions for 881 yards and eight touchdowns.
After bouncing around the NFL during the 2021 campaign, Dorsett found a full-time gig in Houston for the 2022 campaign. The wideout got into 15 games (four starts) last year, finishing with 20 receptions for 257 yards and one touchdown.
Dorsett will be joining a new-look Raiders offense in 2023. McDaniels has brought in a pair of Patriots players already, signing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and wideout Jakobi Meyers. The Raiders are also rostering running back/special teamer Brandon Bolden and fullback Jakob Johnson, both former Patriots.
Dorsett will likely find himself behind Meyers, Davante Adams, and Hunter Renfrow on the depth chart, although the Raiders did open up some targets today when they traded tight end Darren Waller.
Aaron Rodgers’ Jets Free Agency Wish List Includes Odell Beckham Jr., Marcedes Lewis
The Buccaneers loaded up their roster with Tom Brady-approved acquisitions in 2020, adding the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown. Of course, those players became Buccaneers after Brady committed. The Jets may be dealing with a different situation.
Aaron Rodgers has given the Jets a free agency wish list that includes a few ex-Packers — Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis — but Dianni Russini of ESPN.com reports the future Hall of Fame quarterback also wants the team to acquire Odell Beckham Jr. (Twitter link). Both the Jets and Raiders are believed to be interested in Lewis, despite the tight end going into an age-39 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
It should not be assumed Rodgers will only commit to the Jets if they land all these targets, but the team has been connected to each of the ex-Packers already. The Packers were interested in OBJ back in 2021 as well, though the team stood down and let him sign with the Rams. This marks the first known Beckham-Jets connection, with his previous return-to-New York rumors involving his former team. The Giants, along with the Cowboys, Rams and others, are still believed to be interested in Beckham. Given the QB circumstances at play, the Jets should be counted among the talented but injury-prone wideout’s suitors.
The Jets and Packers have discussed a Rodgers trade for a while, and while it is not known if the parties have agreed to all terms, the holdup here is believed to be Rodgers’ interest in becoming a Jet. The four-time MVP has still not committed to playing a 19th season, despite a round of Jets players sending out celebratory tweets Monday. Putting out a free agency wish list, however, does point to Rodgers being prepared to suit up again.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson is obviously not going anywhere, but the Jets’ receiver room could look quite different soon — depending on how many of Rodgers’ guys the team acquires. The Jets have Corey Davis under contract for one more season, but with $10MM-plus in savings attached to cutting him, that should be considered a possible outcome. Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims also remain on Gang Green’s roster, each attached to rookie contracts. Both were in trade rumors last year; the Jets shopped Mims but did not honor Moore’s trade request.
Even as the Jets have made a run of overtures to Rodgers, the team rearranging its skill-position depth chart before he agrees to join them would be a notable development. Rodgers committing and then the team making an effort to add his preferred weaponry would be more in line with how Brady played it three years ago. While this might be a LeBron James-style effort to apply extra pressure to a team to acquire his preferred weaponry, he also may already be committed to the Jets. The latter scenario would make this list easier to understand, compared to an ultimatum.
As for Beckham, this represents another opportunity for him to maximize his value. It is unknown if he is interested in teaming up with Rodgers, but the 30-year-old wideout is once again seeking money seemingly well out of step with his value. Beckham was connected to a $20MM-per-year ask during his December free agency sweepstakes; that number has come up once again. While OBJ is extraordinarily unlikely to approach that price point, given his two ACL tears and missed season, this Rodgers tie could help him on the market.
Lewis was with the Packers throughout new Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett‘s Green Bay stay. He could profile as a third tight end for a team that already employs C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. A longtime Rodgers ally, Cobb has played 10 of his 12 NFL seasons with the all-time QB great. Rodgers drove the Packers, calling off his trade request, to reacquire him in 2021.
Raiders, WR Jakobi Meyers Agree To Deal
The first major wide receiver domino of the free agent period has fallen. Jakobi Meyers is set to sign with the Raiders on a three-year, $33MM contract (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). 
The pact includes $21MM guaranteed, and will give Vegas another notable new piece on offense. The Raiders agreed to terms yesterday on a deal with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He, just like Meyers, will be reunited with head coach Josh McDaniels after working alongside the latter in New England when he served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
Las Vegas’ Meyers accord contains $16MM fully guaranteed, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, with the remaining $5MM being an injury guarantee. Meyers has the final $5.5MM in guarantees coming to him in 2024, via a roster bonus. Like Garoppolo, the team could escape this contract — with a bit of dead money — next year. Beyond the fully guaranteed roster bonus, $5MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Meyers, 26, enjoyed a noteworthy career ascension across his four seasons spent in New England. The former UDFA became a starter by his second season, and has been one of the few constants in the Patriots’ underwhelming passing attack in recent years. Meyers comfortably led the team in receiving yards (804) in 2022, and was expected to headline a less-than stellar class of free agent wideouts this offseason.
The $11MM AAV of this pact falls short of what some reports indicated he could receive on the open market. Meyers has put up consistent totals in a number of categories over the past three seasons, but his yards-per-catch average sits at 11.7 for his career. That figure pegs him as a high-end complimentary wideout in an ideal role, something which will be possible with the Raiders.
Vegas already has Davante Adams atop their WR depth chart, and highly-regarded slot man Hunter Renfrow on the books after he signed a new deal last offseason. The Raiders also have Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, so Meyers represents the latest addition to a multi-faceted pass-catching corps. He will have the opportunity to continue his steady production with a familiar scheme.
For the Patriots, this news marks the second straight day of a pass-catcher departing. New England traded away tight end Jonnu Smith yesterday, and will now have a hole to fill at wideout with Meyers defecting. That position was already a weak one even with Meyers and fellow veteran Nelson Agholor, who is reportedly expected to leave in free agency as well. New England will have considerable work to do to upgrade their passing efficiency, but the Raiders will have another impact playmaker in place when they look to rebound in 2023 with a new-look offense.
Raiders, Jimmy Garoppolo Finalizing Deal
Minutes after a report indicated mutual interest existed between the Raiders and Jimmy Garoppolo, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports the team is closing in on a deal with the ex-Patriots and 49ers passer.
The Raiders had shown some interest, and The Athletic’s Jeff Howe noted Garoppolo had become receptive to rejoining Josh McDaniels. It now looks like the Raiders will replace Derek Carr with McDaniels’ former Pats pupil. This signing is happening, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini.
Las Vegas is landing Garoppolo at a reasonable rate. He is signing a three-year, $67.5MM deal, Schefter reports. While this pact includes $34MM guaranteed, the AAV puts Garoppolo squarely in between the franchise-QB tier and backup money. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com places the base value higher, indicating (via Twitter) it comes in at $72.75MM.
An $11.25MM bonus on Day 3 of the 2024 league year is also guaranteed, per Pelissero, and ESPN’s Field Yates adds Garoppoplo will carry base salaries of $11.25MM in both 2023 and ’24 (Twitter link). Annual incentives of $1.5MM are also present in the deal. Garoppolo stands to be locked in with the Raiders through 2024, with Pelissero noting the guarantees effectively cover the 2023 and ’24 campaigns. The deal includes $45MM in total guarantees and $22.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap.
Garoppolo’s 2023 base salary and 2024 roster bonus are guaranteed at signing, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. No other full guarantees are present, his 2024 salary — guaranteed for injury at signing — shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the ’24 league year. The deal’s 2025 base salary ($22.5MM) is nonguaranteed. It also includes $1.53MM in per-game roster bonuses per year. Garoppolo being healthy next March does open the door to this being a one-off pact for the Raiders, who just exercised a Carr escape hatch after a 2022 extension.
The Raiders cut Carr instead of recommitting via a $40.4MM guarantee, which was to vest Feb. 15, and the Saints picked up the 10th-year veteran. Garoppolo (and Tom Brady) were on Las Vegas’ radar weeks before Carr’s release. It took $60MM fully guaranteed for New Orleans to land Carr, while the Raiders needed to guarantee barely a third of that total to sign Garoppolo. Carr only missed three games due to injury in his career; Garoppolo has missed 30 for health reasons since his 2018 ACL tear.
Garoppolo, 31, spent three-plus seasons in McDaniels’ offense in New England, backing up Brady throughout that time (save for the Deflategate stretch). But Garoppolo showed in San Francisco he could be an effective starter. Although a top-tier defense backed him up, Garoppolo piloted the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV and the 2021 NFC championship game.
Carr provides more security than Garoppolo, with the latter suffering injuries during the 2018, 2020, ’21 and ’22 campaigns. But McDaniels did not end up viewing the nine-year Raiders starter as a good fit for his offense. It will now be Garoppolo tasked with distributing the ball to Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Co. This contract also gives the Raiders some flexibility regarding a quarterback draft choice. Holding the No. 7 overall pick, the Raiders have been connected to using it on a quarterback. That still should be a situation to monitor, though it will be interesting to see how McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler — who was also in New England during Garoppolo’s stay — categorize this signing.
QBR placed Garoppolo 16th last season; he has ranked higher — including in his 2019 Super Bowl-bound year — but injuries did well to sidetrack his run with the 49ers. He battled multiple maladies by the time he reached the NFC title game in Los Angeles during the 2021 season, and a broken foot brought in Brock Purdy last season.
The Raiders had been linked to Aaron Rodgers, though far more loosely compared to the Jets, but they will go with a younger option that will not cost them any draft capital. Garoppolo could be positioned as a multiyear bridge, depending on how the Raiders view this QB class. The team has not used a first-round pick on a passer since the disastrous JaMarcus Russell choice in 2007.
For the Jets, this raises the Rodgers stakes. The team was interested in Carr, bringing him in for a visit, but communicated to the longtime Raider he was their second choice. Some in the Jets’ organization viewed Garoppolo as a better fit compared to Carr, but both are now unavailable. If Rodgers ends up turning down a chance to join the Jets, the team’s long-expressed plan to acquire a major veteran upgrade will be thrown off axis.
Raiders To Sign DB Brandon Facyson
The Raiders continue to make moves. The team is expected to sign defensive back Brandon Facyson, per Vincent Bonsignore (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Raiders To Sign S Marcus Epps]
This will mark Facyson‘s second stint with the organization. The cornerback started nine of his 12 appearances for the Raiders during the 2021 season, finishing with 55 tackles, 13 passes defended, and one interception. That first Raiders gig followed a three-year stint with the Chargers.
Facyson spent the 2022 campaign in Indianapolis, starting four of his 16 games for the Colts. The defensive back finished the season with 28 tackles and six passes defended. Besides playing on defense, the 28-year-old also has plenty of experience playing on special teams, making him an intriguing addition for the Raiders.
This will stop a Facyson run under DC Gus Bradley. The veteran corner had played for the well-traveled DC at his past three stops. The Raiders, who then employed Bradley as their DC, claimed him off waivers from the Chargers in 2021; the Colts signed him to work with Bradley last year. Facyson is again ticketed to wear the Silver and Black, but he will be part of DC Patrick Graham‘s scheme.
The Raiders have already added one defensive back today, signing former Eagles starting safety Marcus Epps. Of course, the Raider also made headlines on the other side of the ball, adding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Raiders To Sign S Marcus Epps
The Eagles have lost another defender in free agency. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that safety Marcus Epps is expected to sign with the Raiders.
The defensive back will get a two-year, $12MM deal from Las Vegas, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The contract includes $8MM in guaranteed money.
Epps had a career season for the Eagles in 2022, starting a career-high 17 games. The defensive back finished the campaign with 94 tackles and six passes defended, and he had another 13 stops in three postseason starts. The 27-year-old only finished as Pro Football Focus’ 71st-ranked cornerback among 88 qualifiers, but the site did give him a top-12 score in rush defense.
With Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett hitting free agency, the Raiders have been mentioned as a potential suitor for free agent defensive backs. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), there was mutual interest between the Raiders and Bills safety Jordan Poyer, but it seems like the organization opted for the cheaper alternative.
The defending NFC champions have already seen a handful of defenders leave today. Besides Epps, the Eagles have also lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker T.J. Edwards to free agency.
Restructure Details: Bolts, Bucs, Bills, Jets
Teams continue to be aggressive in creating cap space ahead of Wednesday’s start to the 2023 league year, when franchises must be in compliance with the new $224.8MM salary cap. Here are the latest moves teams made to get there:
- Reasonable Chargers activity in free agency should be expected. The team that began the week well over the cap has now created more than $40MM in space over the past couple of days. Following the moves to restructure Keenan Allen and Mike Williams‘ contracts, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets the team created $25.99MM by tweaking Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack‘s deals. Mack’s 2023 cap number drops by $10.8MM, while OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald adds Bosa’s drops by $15.2MM. Bosa’s 2024 number ballooned to $36.6MM because of the move. That will, then, necessitate more maneuvering down the line. The Bosa, Mack, Allen and Williams moves have created a total of $40.37MM in space, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com tweets. They are now more than $19MM under the cap.
- In completing four restructures, the Buccaneers have now created more than $44MM in cap space. They redid the deals of Vita Vea, Chris Godwin, Ryan Jensen and Carlton Davis, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs have moved to being barely $5MM over the cap, after beginning March at nearly $60MM north of the salary ceiling. Cuts of Leonard Fournette, Cameron Brate and Donovan Smith have helped the team along the way as well. That said, Fournette and Brate cannot be released until after the start of the league year, Greg Auman of Fox Sports notes (on Twitter). The Bucs being unable to realize those savings until after 3pm Wednesday will force them to find a few other ways to create that space.
- The Jets adjusted the deals of Laken Tomlinson, D.J. Reed and Tyler Conklin — all free agency additions from 2022 — to create $15.2MM in cap space, Yates tweets. Still working to land Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are now $11.5MM under the cap.
- The Raiders are among the leaders in cap space, but Yates tweets they adjusted Maxx Crosby‘s deal to create $7.5MM in additional funds. Las Vegas holds more than $43MM in cap space, sitting third overall ahead of free agency.
- Bills defensive tackle Tim Settle agreed to a $600K pay cut for 2023, Yates adds (on Twitter). The 2022 free agency addition still has $2.1MM in guaranteed money for 2023, with the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran adding Settle can earn up to $4.41MM this year via incentives. The Bills are moving closer to the deadline with a lot of work left ahead; they are more than $19MM over the cap.
- The Vikings and swing backup O-lineman Chris Reed agreed to a renegotiated deal that trims his cap number by around $1MM, per Yates. Minnesota still has work to do ahead of the cap-compliance deadline, sitting more than $7MM over the cap.
AFC Free Agency Rumors: Jackson, Broncos, Ya-Sin, Raiders
In a recent interview, ESPN’s Adam Schefter expounded a theory on why so many teams are coming out and voicing their disinterest in Lamar Jackson, who received the non-exclusive franchise tag last week and is allowed to negotiate terms with other teams than the Ravens. The theory has nothing to do with Jackson and his outstanding abilities; it has to do with the Ravens’ player personnel staff.
One of the advantages that we teased in earlier reports on the situation was that, by tagging Jackson with the non-exclusive tag, the team would effectively be allowing other teams to do their negotiating for them, since they would likely match any offer opposing teams would make. There was speculation that the Ravens could do this to essentially allow the market to set the value on Jackson.
Schefter theorizes that other teams have no interest in doing Baltimore’s homework for them. Other franchises are fully aware that the Ravens have no intention of letting Jackson walk, so any offer they might make just does the Ravens’ job for them of organizing a new deal for Lamar.
Another added detriment for other teams is that the Ravens would have five days to match the offer or accept Jackson’s departure. In the meantime, the offering team would be stuck in salary cap purgatory, not knowing whether or not it would be taking on the contract of a premier veteran quarterback or not. This is extremely unattractive as free agency is due to open next week. If a team is stuck for five days not knowing their financial position, it becomes difficult to negotiate with other free agents.
Here are a few other free agency rumors from around the conference:
- An example not too unsimilar from the above phenomenon may occur in Denver, where new Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has recently arrived from Arizona. Joseph may also bring along a former player as, according to freelance journalist and former Cardinals staff writer Mike Jurecki, the Broncos reportedly have lots of interest in Cardinals pending free agent defensive end Zach Allen. Allen is expected to earn an impressive contract this offseason after a standout contract year in Arizona.
- In a recent mailbag with Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Vincent Bonsignore, a question was posed about the potential for the Raiders to re-sign cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. According to Bonsignore, the team is certainly open to bringing Ya-Sin back, for the right price. Ya-Sin followed up an impressive 2021 season in Indianapolis with a decent year in Las Vegas after being traded straight up for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The team could certainly use Ya-Sin as their cornerback depth has been whittled down over the years, and a semi-down year for the young corner could assist in setting up the “right price” for the Raiders.