Browns Release OL Joe Haeg

Joe Haeg had two years remaining on his current Browns contract, but he will now hit the open market once again. Cleveland announced on Monday that they have released the veteran offensive lineman.

Haeg’s deal includes $500K in guranteed money for 2023, so the Browns will incur a dead cap charge of that amount for the season. This move will still yield $2MM in savings this year, though, along with $2.9MM in 2024. The Browns entered the day mid-pack in terms of cap space, and they have now added further flexibility for the summer.

Haeg joined the Browns in 2022, continuing his recent stretch of bouncing around the league. He had previously had one-year stints in Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay prior to joining Cleveland, logging five starts across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 30-year-old is best known for his four years with the Colts, though, during which time he made 35 starts and 55 total appearances.

The former fifth-rounder played just one offensive snap in Cleveland, after seeing a 37% snap share with the Steelers. He has not seen full-time starting duties since his third season with the Colts (2018), though his versatility could help land him a new contract. Haeg has seen time at every spot on the offensive line except center during his career, including at least 43 snaps at each tackle and guard position in 2021. While unspectacular, his PFF evaluations have remained relatively consistent during his career.

The Browns also announced the signings of wide receiver Ra’Shaun Henry and offensive tackle Hunter Thedford. Both players are former UDFAs, and have yet to make a regular season appearance in the NFL. Moving on from Haeg was necessary to keep the team at the 90-man roster limit, and the latter will now search for a new opportunity for the fourth consecutive offseason.

Colts Sign WR Breshad Perriman

JUNE 5: Perriman’s workout has indeed resulted in a contract. The Colts announced on Monday that a deal has been signed with the journeyman, who will look to carve out at least a depth role in the team’s new-look WR room. A successful season could yield some stability for Perriman as he continues to search for a long-term home. In a corresponding move, the Colts have waived undrafted free agent wideout Tyler Adams.

JUNE 2: Already playing for four teams since arriving in the NFL as a 2015 first-round pick, Breshad Perriman may soon have an opportunity to contribute with a fifth.

The Colts brought the veteran wide receiver in for a workout Friday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes (via Twitter) the sides are in discussions about a deal. Perriman spent the past two years with the Buccaneers, working as a depth piece during the final two seasons of the team’s Tom Brady era.

Although Perriman, 29, did not make much of a statistical impact during the Bucs’ Brady period, he posted 500-plus-yard receiving seasons for the 2019 Bucs and 2020 Jets. The 210-pound wideout amassed a career-high 645 receiving yards with the Bucs in 2019 and added 505 for the ’20 Jets. The Colts have some questions at receiver after No. 1 option Michael Pittman Jr., and Perriman could be in play to become at least a second-string presence for the retooling team.

New Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter was with the Jets — as running backs coach — during Perriman’s Big Apple season. The Colts used a second-round pick on Alec Pierce last year and added multiple slot options — free agent Isaiah McKenzie, third-round pick Josh Downs — this offseason.

One of four first-round receivers the Ravens have chosen since 2015, Perriman did not work out in Baltimore. He missed all of his rookie year due to injury and totaled just 77 yards during an 11-game 2017 audition. A one-year Cleveland stay (2018) revealed some promise, and Jameis Winston‘s final Bucs season included a somewhat memorable finish from Perriman. The Central Florida alum closed the QB’s high-variance year with three straight 100-yard receiving performances. During the 2020 season in New York, Perriman finished second in Jets receiving yardage.

Tampa Bay continued to rely on its Mike EvansChris Godwin combination with Brady but also rostered Antonio Brown, Russell Gage and Julio Jones during the all-time great’s stay. While Brady connected with Perriman on a walk-off touchdown to beat the Bills in 2021, the backup receiver totaled just 277 receiving yards over the past two seasons.

The Colts let Zach Pascal walk in 2022 and did not re-sign Parris Campbell in March. Pierce is expected to remain their No. 2 wideout, with McKenzie and Downs in place to follow Campbell as inside presences. The team also employs backup/spot starter Ashton Dulin and third-year player Mike Strachan.

K Brandon McManus Reached Out To Jaguars

Brandon McManus unexpectedly found himself on the open market recently, but he was able to find a new home rather quickly. The veteran kicker played a key role in pitching the idea of joining the Jaguars for 2023.

McManus reacted in short order to his Broncos release, a move which caught many off guard and ended his nine-year stint in the Mile High City. He and agent Drew Rosenhaus immediately starting contacting teams which may have represented suitable destinations, but Jacksonville was at the top of the 31-year-old’s list. The reason for that, as detailed by Garry Smits of the Florida-Times Union, was his relationship with Jaguars special teams coach Heath Farwell.

The pair first met before a Broncos-Jaguars game in London, and McManus’ desire to work with Farwell made Jacksonville one of at least six teams he reached out to during his brief free agent period. That interest was obviously reciprocated, since Jacksonville signed McManus to a one-year deal. Later that day, they traded incumbent kicker Riley Patterson to the Lions, marking their commitment to the veteran for at least the short-term future.

“I can’t say enough about Riley and what he did for us last season,” head coach Doug Pederson said when asked about the change made at the position. “We wish him the best. But anytime you can add a player like Brandon, who’s got the experience… and to get something for Riley… it’s just an opportunity to help us get better as a football team.”

Smits notes that McManus’ Jaguars deal includes $2.35MM in guranteed money, and a strong season could lead to a longer-term extension of this new relationship. The veteran went 10-for-10 on field goals during the Broncos’ 2015 Super Bowl run, and he has connected on 40 attempts of 50 or more yards during his career. A drop in overall accuracy to 77.8% in 2022 helped convince Denver to move on, though, so much will depend on McManus’ ability to rebound on a team with high expectations on offense, and which has seen considerable turnover at the position in recent years.

The Temple alum made it clear that he was taken aback by being let go in Denver, but he still reflects on his time there fondly. With a new home – one very much of his choosing – he is also confident that he will be able to enjoy a lengthy second chapter in his NFL career.

“We had a great run and hopefully I can have an equally great run here,” McManus said. “Kickers can play a long time. This is an up-and-coming team and I’m looking forward to bringing my leadership here.”

Latest On Sale Of Commanders

We had a couple of recent updates to the situation around the sale of the Commanders from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris this week. We were provided with a peek into the thoughts of the owners on one of the factors holding up the sale, as well as an update into the Brian Davis lawsuit.

The sale has been stalled lately in part due to some concerns over current requirements for franchise sales, specifically the requirement that a prospective primary owner must be able to furnish 30 percent of the total sales price in cash at the time of the purchase. There’s been some recent speculation that, due to the skyrocketing price tags on franchises, the league may rethink this stipulation. The practice was much more sensible years ago, when the Panthers sold for around $2.28 billion, but with the Commanders’ bids breaching $6 billion, the 30 percent requirement is much more difficult to manage.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, it doesn’t sound like the current owners care. Breer reports that none of the owners he spoke with had an “appetite for changing the rule.” The owners currently believe that Harris will come up with the cash necessary and, if he does, the issue will be pushed down the road.

It could be pushed two sales down the road if the Seahawks are next on the chopping block. If presumed bidders Steve Ballmer or Jeff Bezos end up with winning bids, they likely wouldn’t have any trouble coming up with the cash. That should be a non-issue, though, as chairman of the team’s ownership group Jody Allen has confirmed that the team is still not for sale, according to Rachel Bachman of The Wall Street Journal.

In unrelated news, gaming law and sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach provided the update that Davis’s lawsuit against Bank of America has been withdrawn. Davis’s company, Urban Echo Energy, sued Bank of America claiming that they failed to present his bid to buy the Commanders to the responsible parties. Bank of America came back with allegations that the documents provided as proof of the transfer looked obviously fictitious.

It sounded like the case may reach a negotiated settlement, but with the allegedly fictitious documents in hand, it sounds like Bank of America may have earned an upper hand. The demand for the lawsuit, originally a ludicrous $500 billion, already was dropped to $990K. Bank of America did not join Urban Echo Energy in the filing of the withdrawal, so it’s unclear what the steps are moving forward. It sounds like Davis’s attorney may potentially face sanctions if the documents and claims are deemed fictitious, but in the meantime, Davis’s involvement in the sale of the Commanders has likely come to an end.

Lions Rumors: Gambling, Joseph, Gibbs

After the Lions were hit with multiple suspensions in April for player gambling violations and the announcement that the NFL was still investigating for further violations, Detroit has decided to take matters into its own hands, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive. The Lions are working to provide their players with a self-imposed supplemental education into the league’s policies on gambling.

The team’s violations led to the release of the players involved, except for former first-round pick Jameson Williams, who received a six-game suspension for making bets on non-NFL games while at the Lions’ facility. With so much damage done, head coach Dan Campbell gave some words on the team’s decision to implement further instruction.

“It’s much more an emphasis from us, as opposed to just leaving it to the league,” Campbell said. “Like, we need to make sure that we really hit this ourselves and make a point of it. We did, but obviously not enough. The proof’s in the pudding. So, for us, let’s take it out of their hands. They will have what they do every year, but now we need to put our own emphasis on it. And I think that is the best way to do it, is to highlight it.”

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the Motor City:

Front Office Rumors: Vikings, DeLuca, Saints

The Vikings made a number of staff moves this past week. They’ve got one season under their belt with new head coach Kevin O’Connell and new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and Minnesota continues to make adjustments to the front office.

The first such adjustment was the release of a longtime staffer in director of football quantitative methods and pro scout Scott Kuhn. According to Seth Walder of ESPN, the two parties decided to part ways after 16 years together. Kuhn first came to Minnesota in 2007, following former general manager Rick Spielman in his move from Miami. The former Dolphins staffer worked his way through multiple roles in Minnesota before finally landing his most recent role back in 2016.

Here are few other front office moves from around the NFC, mostly coming out of the Twin Cities:

  • In further efforts to shape the front office to his liking, Adofo-Mensah brought a big piece over from Cleveland in Sam DeLuca, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. DeLuca had been with the Browns since 2013, serving mostly in the role of assistant director of pro scouting. He also spent some time with the Eagles before he joined Cleveland. In Minnesota, DeLuca will claim a role as the Vikings’ senior assistant director of pro personnel.
  • The Vikings will reportedly also be adding a new scout, according to Stratton. Minnesota is poaching Matt Kelly from the Senior Bowl staff, where he served as director of football operations. With the Vikings, Kelly will be the team’s new West Coast area scout.
  • Lastly, the Saints also parted ways with a longtime staffer, according to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune, letting go of a top analytics researcher in Ryan Herman. Herman joined the Saints back in 2017 after working with New Orleans’ assistant general manager Jeff Ireland in Miami, when Ireland was the Dolphins’ general manager. Herman’s seven years in Miami culminated in his role as the director of football administration before taking the job in New Orleans. After six years with the Saints as the team’s head of football research and strategy, New Orleans allowed Herman’s contract to expire.

Harry Kane Eyeing Future NFL Playing Career

In 2015, English soccer star Harry Kane stated that he wanted to attempt playing as a kicker in the NFL at some point in the future. His recent remarks on the subject confirm that his intentions on that front remain the same.

“It’s something I want to definitely explore,” Kane said during an appearance on Good Morning America (video link). “I know it’ll be a lot of hard work. I’m not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals. It will be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work but, yeah, it’s something I’d love to do. The NFL is something I’ve been following for about 10 years now, and I love it. So, would love to give it a go.”

Kane has been with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur since 2012, and has enjoyed considerable individual success during his career. He ranks second all time in Premier League goals, and has led the league in scoring three times. A mainstay in international competition, Kane’s 55 goals place him first in England’s history.

The 29-year-old has made it clear that any hypothetical move to the NFL would only come after his soccer career has ended. Given his age and production, it should be several years until he reaches that point, though only one season remains on his current contract. Aside from the obvious obstacles to his goal becoming reality, finances could represent a factor dissuading him from making a serious commitment to the NFL.

Kane has earned 10.4 million British pounds (nearly $13MM) in annual salary since 2018, a far greater total than any NFL kicker has ever made. Five players at the position currently average $5MM or more per season, while Justin Tucker is the league’s only $6MM-per-year kicker. Kane would thus be in line for a signficant step down in compensation (relative to where it currently stands, at least) if or when he were to end his current career in favor of an NFL gig.

Players with backgrounds in other sports (particularly rugby and Australian rules football) have had NFL careers, but Kane would face a considerable challenge in attempting to develop into a consistent enough kicker to remain in the league for any notable length of time. Doing so is clearly part of his long-term agenda, though, so his actions taken after his soccer career ends will be worth watching.

5 Key Stories: 5/28/23 – 6/4/23

As the calendar flips to June, a number of notable storylines remain around the NFL. In case you missed anything from the past week, here’s a quick recap:

  • Bills Extend Oliver: The latest major extension at the defensive tackle position has been agreed to, with Ed Oliver set to ink a four-year, $68MM deal. The former top-10 pick was already on the books for 2023 via the fifth-year option, but his long-term future is now secure. The pact includes $45MM in guarantees, a surprising figure given how Oliver’s career to date has been less impactful on the statsheet than the other young DTs who have inked big-money deals this offseason. The Bills are banking on Oliver continuing his career progression at the heart of what should be a strong defensive front while also hoping to enjoy relatively cost-effective play at the position given the changes in the market. Expectations will become even higher for the Houston product in the years to come now that his financial future is no longer in doubt.
  • Vikings Likely To Move On From Cook: The Vikings have parted ways with a number of high-profile veterans already this offseason, but they may not be done yet in that regard. Running back Dalvin Cook is expected to play elsewhere in 2023, even though he is still under contract in Minnesota at this point. A trade or release would yield cap savings for the Vikings, while also allowing them to hand the RB1 reigns over to Alexander Mattison, who inked a new deal in March. Cook, 27, had another productive campaign in 2022 by topping 1,100 rushing yards for the fourth straight season. The Dolphins are still a team to watch in terms of landing spots for the four-time Pro Bowler, but other suitors could emerge especially if he finds himself a free agent in the near future.
  • Hopkins Sweepstakes Continue: The most high-profile free agent at the moment is DeAndre Hopkins, making him the center of plenty of attention and speculation. The All-Pro wideout is, to no surprise, thought to be seeking a contract similar to the one-year deal Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Ravens (worth a base value of $15MM guranteed). Such a pact would cost less than what Hopkins was owed before his Cardinals release, but it would be a challenge for any contending team to afford it. Despite that, the Bills and Chiefs continue to be named as frontrunners for the 30-year-old, who would represent a signficant boost to either team’s passing attacks in the talent-rich AFC. On the other hand, the Giants and Cowboys can likely be crossed off the list of expected destinations for Hopkins, who has also been linked to the Browns and Texans during his ongoing free agent process.
  • Giants, Barkley No Closer To Deal: The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year deals is getting closer, but the Giants and Saquon Barkley are not on the cusp of getting an extension worked out. The Pro Bowl running back is set to earn $10.1MM on the tag this year, but he has turned down offers with significantly higher AAVs during extension talks. Now that quarterback Daniel Jones is under contract, the Giants have leverage in negotiating with Barkley, who had a career-year in 2022 as the team’s offensive focal point. No standing offer is on the table, and guarantees are likely the primary obstacle to both parties reaching agreement on a long-term deal. The sides have until mid-July to avoid Barkley playing on the tag in 2023.
  • Purdy Remains On Track To Retain Starting Role: One of the top storylines for the 49ers has been the recovery process for quarterback Brock Purdy. His progress on that front has reached the point where he has resumed throwing, putting him slightly ahead of schedule compared to post-surgery estimations. The 2022 ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ underwent UCL surgery in March, putting his Week 1 availability in serious doubt – something of particular concern considering the job he did after taking over QB1 duties midway through his rookie season last year. General manager John Lynch confirmed that, if healthy, Purdy will retain his spot atop the depth chart, despite the presence of former No. 3 picks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold on the roster. For now, things are lining up for Purdy to attempt a follow-up to his impressive debut campaign.

Buccaneers OC Dave Canales Addresses QB Competition

One of the key decisions the Buccaneers will need to make this offseason is their 2023 starting quarterback, something which will be made based on the result of a competition between two relative unknowns. Tampa Bay will be evaluating an inexperienced developmental passer in Kyle Trask alongside free agent addition Baker Mayfield, whose career has taken a number of unwanted turns since being selected first overall.

The latter joined the team on a one-year, $4MM deal in March. That base value is far lower than what Mayfield may have envisioned given his situation as the Panthers’ starter last summer, but things did not go according to plan in Carolina in 2022. Tom Brady‘s second retirement opened up another opportunity for the former Heisman winner, though, and Mayfield could be well-positioned to occupy another QB1 role.

However, there is support in the organization for Trask, whom the Buccaneers spent a second-round pick on in 2021. The Florida alum has made only two brief appearances in his career, but Brady’s absence opens the door to an extended look during the summer. When asked about the situation, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales addressed the obligation the team feels to both signal-callers.

“I think it’s partly just respecting the team, respecting what’s best for everyone, and then also respecting Kyle’s process,” Canales said of Trask during an appearance on Fox 13’s No Days Off podcast“You know, he comes in as the second-round pick with high hopes… Tom Brady’s been here, so he’s been able to learn from him. But at the same time he’s worked really hard to try to have an opportunity to show what he can do.

“On the flip side, too, I think Baker, would he love to be named the starter? I’m sure. But Baker also knows this is his road back, too. From Cleveland to Carolina and L.A… And so for him to be able to come out here to win the team over in his own right, to perform and to show them that he can be the caliber quarterback that he believes he can be, I think I owe it to both of them and to the team to put the best guy out there.”

Those remarks certainly leave the door open to either quarterback winning out the starting job, one which Mayfield should be considered the favorite for at this point. In any event, the Buccaneers’ offense will enter the 2023 campaign with tempered expectations under center, after the team declined to make a big-money investment at the position in free agency and elected not to draft a signal-caller.

In spite of that, playing out the coming season atop the depth chart would be critical for Trask and Mayfield. The former has two years remaining on his rookie contract, and his performance as a starter would go a long way in informing the team’s decision with respect to extending or supplanting him next offseason. The latter, meanwhile, would boost his stock considerably heading into another free agent period with a strong showing if he were to land the top spot.

Giants Notes: Flott, McCloud, Cowden

Although they still have a need at wide receiver, we learned yesterday that the Giants are not presently expected to acquire free agent DeAndre Hopkins. With Hopkins eyeing a $15MM/year contract, and with New York boasting less than $4MM in cap room, much would have to change for the club’s interest in Hopkins to go beyond the exploratory stage.

Here are a few more Giants-related items:

  • As Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (subscription required) writes, the Giants believe that second-year pro Cor’Dale Flott — who was drafted as a slot corner — is better-suited to man the boundaries. That could mean that Darnay Holmes will reprise his role as the club’s primary slot defender, but the team could also gain much-needed cap space (about $2.5MM) by cutting Holmes. If Flott shows improvement as an inside option, or if UDFA Leonard Johnson should impress, Holmes may become a release/pay cut candidate.
  • The Giants lost safety Julian Love to the Seahawks in free agency this offseason, and as Dunleavy writes in a separate piece, Big Blue is shifting 2022 waiver claim Nick McCloud to safety on a full-time basis. Per Dunleavy, McCloud will compete with free agent signee Bobby McCain and incumbents Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton for the starting safety job alongside Xavier McKinney. McCloud, like Love, offers positional versatility and started eight games at corner in 2022, so even if he works primarily at safety, DC Wink Martindale may still use him elsewhere in the defensive backfield.
  • According to Dunleavy, first-round rookie Deonte Banks is now lining up as a starting boundary corner opposite Adoree’ Jackson after working with the second-team defense during the first week of OTAs.
  • The Giants recently added Ryan Cowden to their front office, and per the team’s official website, Cowden’s title will be executive advisor to the general manager. Cowden, who actually interviewed for New York’s GM job last year — a job that ultimately went to Joe Schoen — ended the 2022 campaign as the Titans’ interim GM, but Tennessee elected to hire Ran Carthon for the permanent gig. Cowden and Schoen worked together in the Panthers’ front office from 2000-07, so Schoen is adding a familiar and experienced sounding board to his personnel department.
  • Last week, we heard that the Giants and franchise-tagged running back Saquon Barkley are no closer to coming to terms on a long-term contract than they have ever been. It appears that guaranteed money is the biggest sticking point, though it is unclear what the Giants have offered in that regard, nor the degree to which those offers fall short of what Barkley might be seeking.

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