No Talks Yet Between Bengals, Tee Higgins

April 11th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars’ Josh Allen extension thinned the NFL’s 2024 pool of tagged players to two (down from nine in early March), the situations involving the remaining two will be magnified. The Buccaneers are optimistic about an extension for Antoine Winfield Jr., while it is unclear if the Bengals intend to extend Tee Higgins.

Higgins sent out a trade request just before free agency, but the Bengals have not budged. Cincinnati decision-makers indicated at the owners meetings they intend for the team’s No. 2 wide receiver to be part of the 2024 roster. Higgins may well be staring at a rental season, with Joe Burrow‘s contract not yet into its deep waters in terms of cap numbers.

Making it clear Ja’Marr Chase is their top priority at receiver, Higgins may eventually need to land a second contract from another team. Unless the Bengals change their mind on a trade, the former second-round pick is stuck. As of Thursday, no talks between the Bengals and Higgins have taken place, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller notes. If the Bengals are not merely planning on a rental season, they still have plenty of time here. They and the Bucs have until July 15 to extend their tagged performers.

It would be surprising if the Bengals buckled here. They executed a rental season with Jessie Bates two years ago, tagging the standout safety and letting him walk in free agency in 2023. The 2022 season featured Bates play a key role for a Bengals team that was probably a historically ill-timed late hit away from overtime in the AFC championship game. The old-school organization planning to have Higgins in 2024 points to the Clemson alum potentially staring at this situation again in 2025.

With Burrow on his way back from the wrist surgery that ended his 2023 season and crushed the Bengals’ contention aspirations, the team running back the Chase-Higgins tandem back for a fourth season in hopes of dethroning the Chiefs would make sense. Even with Higgins’ $21.82MM tag on the books, the Bengals still hold more than $23MM in cap space.

The Bengals receiving a big trade package for Higgins could conceivably change its plans, but with an acquiring team needing to hammer out an extension, that would stand to reduce the compensation Cincy would receive in a trade. Higgins, 25, resides in a similar situation to Brandon Aiyuk. Because Aiyuk was a first-round pick, however, he is a year behind Higgins on what could be a multiyear cycle (fifth-year option, franchise tag) with the 49ers.

It would cost the Bengals more than $26MM to tag Higgins again in 2025. Burrow’s cap number, however, spikes from $29.7MM this year to $46.3MM in 2025. The Bengals already have three void years in Burrow’s deal to spread out his signing bonus. Chase will be due a $21.82MM fifth-year option in 2025, though an extension could reduce that number and potentially make a second Higgins tag affordable.

Higgins has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, but he slumped to just 656 — after being unimpressed with a Bengals extension offer — in an injury-altered 2023. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher would stand to be in position to move back on track thanks to Burrow’s return, and it is also possible the Bengals pass on a 2025 re-tag move and let the standout sidekick hit the market. Then again, we certainly could be back here again next year, when tag-and-trade rumors could pick up more steam as the Bengals’ other contracts on offense force a final decision on Higgins.

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Taken Into Custody

April 11th, 2024 at 8:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 11: Rice has turned himself in, Lopez reports. The Chiefs wide receiver was moved to the DeSoto (Texas) Jail, posting a combined bond of $40K. All eight of Rice’s charges are felony counts. Additionally, SMU suspended the driver of the other vehicle in this accident — Knox — earlier Thursday.

APRIL 10: Rashee Rice‘s legal situation stemming from a hit-and-run incident in Dallas has seen a notable but expected development. The second-year Chiefs receiver is the subject of an arrest warrant, WFAA’s Rebecca Lopez and Paul Livengood report.

Rice is facing a total of eight charges, per the warrant: six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault. The report indicates Rice now has one day to turn himself in to police.

The 23-year-old was one of two people behind the wheel when a Lamborghini SUV and a Corvette lost control the night of March 30. The drivers were believed to be racing, and they fled the scene immediately after the crash. 10.8 grams of marijuana was found in Rice’s vehicle after the crash, per a separate WFAA report. That amount would lead to a Class B misdemeanor charge in Texas. The latter report adds that all occupants (six in total, between the two vehicles) fled the scene of the crash.

Rice has since retained legal counsel, and he has accepted responsibility for his role in the crash (which caused two of its victims to be hospitalized). Rice is also leasing the Corvette, which was being driven at the time by Theodore Knox. The latter now faces the same charges as Rice, per the Dallas Police Department. Knox is listed on SMU’s football roster; Rice spent his four-year college career with the Mustangs.

Rice’s attorney acknowledged last week that he and his client expected charges to be laid in this situation. He added the latter intends to cover the expenses facing the victims of the crash. Rice has publicly stated he will cooperate with authorities in their investigation, and doing so will now include surrendering himself to police in the immediate future.

Kansas City endured plenty of struggles in the receiving corps last season, but Rice had a productive rookie season with 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 79 receptions. He added another 26 catches and one score during the team’s run to a second straight Super Bowl, positioning himself as a key figure in the team’s offense for 2024 and beyond. The Chiefs signed Marquise Brown in free agency, but the team could make further additions during the upcoming draft.

The NFL indicated (via Mark Maske of the Washington Post) the league continues to monitor the Rice situation. Legal action is not required for fines or suspensions to be handed down, but it would not come as a surprise if the league elected to await further developments now that formal charges are in place.

Draft Notes: Titans, Alt, Chargers, Jags, Hawks, Cardinals, Bucs, Pats, Latu, Rams

April 11th, 2024 at 8:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cutting Andre Dillard and not replacing him to this point, the Titans have a clear left tackle need going into a draft loaded with high-end prospects at the position. The Titans are “definitely” interested in Joe Alt, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller writes, noting the team’s recent visit and Combine meeting with the two-time All-American. But the Chargers should be considered a team to watch for the Notre Dame alum. The Bolts, whose first-round slot (No. 5) is two in front of the Titans’, have a clear wide receiver need but have hired a coach (Jim Harbaugh) who has not emphasized that position.

Alt continues to come up in connection to the Chargers at 5, ESPN’s Jordan Reid adds, and SI.com’s Albert Breer is not sure the Titans will have a chance at the decorated blocker due to the Bolts staying drafting Alt at 5. Alt would replace Trey Pipkins at right tackle in this scenario. Alt was a left tackle for the Fighting Irish and would step in there immediately if he lasted until the Titans at 7. One avenue for Tennessee to have a shot here would be if the Bolts trade down — a move they have made it known they are willing to make. Other quality tackles like Alabama’s JC Latham and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga could be options for the Bolts if they move down, Reid adds.

Here is the latest from the draft:

Personnel around the NFL are tying the Jaguars to a cornerback investment at No. 17, Reid adds in the above-referenced ESPN piece. Jacksonville has hosted both Alabama CBs — Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry — and has a need at the position due to the Darious Williams cut. The Jags signed Ronald Darby, but the 30-year-old CB is signed to a two-year deal that can be shed easily in 2025. A young corner to pair with Tyson Campbell would make sense. With Josh Allen signed long term and Trevor Lawrence perhaps on deck this year, the Jags finding quality starters on rookie contracts will be paramount.
The Cardinals and Seahawks have hosted Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson on visits this week, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. The ex-Nittany Lions sack artist has been busy during the draft run-up, having already met with the Eagles, Ravens, Saints, Giants and Jets. Robinson would come into play for the Cardinals if they moved down from No. 4, but Arizona — which certainly needs help on the edge — also holds the No. 27 choice courtesy of its Texans trade early in last year’s draft. The Seahawks hold the No. 16 selection. Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com mock draft sends Robinson to the Buccaneers at 26.
Speaking of the Bucs, they recently brought in Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley for a pre-draft meeting, Pelissero tweets. The Bucs have plenty of money allocated to the receiver position, with both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on deals north of the $20MM-AAV mark. Corley profiles as a second-round option in a deep receiver draft, with teams who pass on filling a WR need in Round 1 likely paying attention to the ex-Hilltoppers standout’s status entering Day 2. The Browns, Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers have also scheduled Corley visits.
Moving to another Day 2-level wideout, Troy Franklin is believed to have scheduled a Patriots meeting, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. The Patriots not landing Calvin Ridley places them on the radar for a wideout in Round 2, assuming they fill their QB need at No. 3 overall. The Pats did sign K.J. Osborn and kept Kendrick Bourne off the market, but the team’s rookie QB will need more help.
Most teams to meet with UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu have cleared him medically, per Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline, who indicates the Rams are one of them. A neck issue forced a Latu medical retirement in 2020, and the ex-Washington recruit missed the 2021 season. He re-emerged to post back-to-back double-digit sack seasons in L.A., and ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop notes edge rusher is a priority for the Rams. With Aaron Donald gone and the team not making any additions here in free agency, that adds up. The reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year has already met with the Eagles, Bears, Broncos, Vikings and Cardinals.

Rams Re-Sign LB Troy Reeder

April 11th, 2024 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Troy Reeder‘s run in Los Angeles will continue. After leaving the Rams for the Chargers in 2022, the veteran linebacker returned to the NFC’s L.A. franchise last year. The Rams still have Reeder in their plans.

The Rams re-signed Reeder on Thursday, per a team announcement. The former UDFA started six games for the 2023 Rams edition and has made 31 starts for the team since arriving in the NFL in 2019. Also lining up as a Super Bowl LVI contributor, Reeder is readying for a fifth season with the team.

Reeder’s only NFL stretch outside L.A. came when he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings last year. Minnesota did not carry Reeder onto its initial 53-man roster, leading to a return to the Rams via the practice squad. The Rams quickly called up the veteran defender and used him in all 17 regular-season games. Reeder, 29, logged 192 snaps on defense and was on the field for 59% of the Rams’ special teams plays. The Delaware native will be back as a key depth piece.

Sean McVay‘s team has turned to Reeder regularly, and he has offered a low-cost solution for a Rams team that has continually kept LB costs low — save for its 2022 Bobby Wagner contract — since releasing Mark Barron. Reeder was not teammates with Wagner, playing with the Chargers in 2022. The Bolts used Reeder strictly as a backup, doing so despite the ex-Blue Hen notching 91 tackles and two sacks for the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning iteration in 2021.

Pro Football Focus offered Reeder a much better assessment in 2020 compared to 2021, when he dropped from 27th to 72nd in LB rankings on the advanced metrics site. Reeder recorded three sacks and 81 tackles in 2020, making seven starts. He made 10 in 2021 and was in the starting lineup for three Los Angeles playoff games. Reeder played 21 snaps in Super Bowl LVI, which came after he was out there on 96% of the Rams’ defensive plays in the NFC championship game — an eight-tackle performance.

The Rams still have Ernest Jones as their LB centerpiece, though extension talks are not on tap ahead of the season. PFF ranked L.A.’s other off-ball LB regular — Christian Rozeboom — as a bottom-five player at the position in 2023. The Rams have not made any outside additions at this spot this offseason, but with Jones going into a contract year and the team regularly opting to save money at this position, it would be surprising if help was not coming via the draft.

Latest On Vikings’ Quarterback Plans

April 11th, 2024 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making their intentions fairly clear via the March trade with the Texans, the Vikings are in position to present an intriguing offer to a team willing to trade out of this draft’s prime QB real estate. A path that would make Sam Darnold a bridge (at best) is firmly in play for Minnesota.

Third-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said this draft features multiple quarterbacks the Vikings “love,” creating a similar scenario to the 49ers of 2021. The team was high on multiple QBs when it acquired the No. 3 overall pick from the Dolphins, and the team had not decided which QB it would select when it made that move. The Vikings have not traded up yet, but it would not shock to hear offers emerging soon.

“There’s multiple guys that we’re in love with just on an outright basis, but there’s also other guys that we’re in love with given what — if we get them at a certain value — what they’d also be able to come with,” Adofo-Mensah said (via NFL.com) of this year’s QB class. “As I talked about earlier skillset-wise, if you’re talking about the ability to overcome context, well, if the guy has less ability but we have assets to go get somebody that’s not going to put him that situation, those things add up too.”

As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, the Vikings would prefer to trade up and land their long-term QB in this draft. But it takes two to tango here. A trade with the Patriots, Cardinals or Chargers would likely be necessary for the Vikings to acquire their preferred passer. All three have been linked to trading down, with Arizona perhaps the most willing trade partner. The expectation around the league points to the Vikes trading up for a passer, though the Commanders and Pats’ calls at Nos. 2 and 3 will influence — unless Minnesota strikes a deal with one of those teams — which arm the NFC North team will acquire.

It would appear Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy would be in play for the Vikings; one of them definitely will be on the board at No. 4, when the Cardinals (as of now) are slated to go on the clock. The Vikings are believed to be high on Daniels, who is set for a Minnesota meeting soon, and new QBs coach Josh McCown mentored Maye in high school. McCarthy is also coming up in Vikings rumors, offering more intrigue to this post-Kirk Cousins search.

Moving from 11 to 4 would be costly. It cost the 49ers two future first-rounders and a third to climb from 12 to 3 in 2021, but the Vikings are in better position thanks to acquiring the No. 23 overall pick from the Texans. That choice would certainly be attractive in a trade, and if the Vikings are required to send off a 2025 first-rounder, they would likely only go one draft — as opposed to two, as the 49ers did — without a first.

The Vikings have never drafted a quarterback in the top 10, though Daunte Culpepper (1999) and Christian Ponder (2011) were just outside that neighborhood. Ownership also may be making it known that, after the Cousins partnership moved to a year-to-year stage as the QB’s Twin Cities tenure wore on, a long-term option is needed now. The Vikings scheduled workouts with five of the draft’s top six passers (Maye, Daniels, McCarthy, Michael Penix, Bo Nix), ESPN.com’s Matt Miller adds, preferring to gauge them in that setting compared to at a controlled pro day. Kevin O’Connell was not at this year’s QB pro days, raising the stakes for these Minneapolis-area workouts.

Cousins joined Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Brett Favre as veteran fixes for the Vikings, who had seen their QB plan veer off course when Culpepper suffered ACL and MCL tears in 2005. The homegrown options Minnesota used in the years since did not last long, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury dealing the team another bad break. After Cousins left for Atlanta, his former team appears committed to finding a successor via a move up from No. 11.

“Just because something is risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it,” Adofo-Mensah said of a trade-up for a QB. “It’s something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right? And that’s something you have to weigh and measure. … You can look at countless examples of other teams who’ve made decisions, but maybe the decision you thought was going to be the decision, it was a different decision that ended up being right and the outcomes were good.

“… I think our odds will be better than the margins. How good are those odds? I think it’s still a pretty risky thing, but just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you’re scared from it, you’re scared of it — you just have to believe. It’s uncertain, right? It’s uncertain and we have to take our swing, but that doesn’t give us any pause, I would say.”

49ers Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin

April 11th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are not stopping at Isaac Yiadom at cornerback this offseason; they are adding another veteran outside cover man to the mix. Rock Ya-Sin is signing with the team, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes. The 49ers have since announced the agreement.

Ya-Sin, who spent last season with the Ravens, is joining the 49ers on a one-year deal. The former second-round pick will be part of the team’s boundary CB mix, joining Yiadom and a few others in the running to see regular time alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir.

Not signing with Baltimore until after last year’s draft, Ya-Sin did not stay on his path of starting jobs. A regular starter for both the Colts and Raiders, Ya-Sin only started one game with the Ravens. That came in Week 18, when the team rested much of its starters due to clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed previously. He logged a 29% defensive snap share last season, playing behind Marlon Humphrey and late-summer pickup Ronald Darby. Ya-Sin made just 13 tackles and broke up two passes as a Raven. He was on the field for just two defensive plays in the playoffs.

For his career, Ya-Sin has 39 starts on his resume. Nine of those came for the Raiders in 2022, though the former Colts draftee missed six 2022 games and has not played more than 13 in a season since his 2019 rookie year. A knee injury ended Ya-Sin’s Raiders season early. The Colts traded Ya-Sin to the Raiders straight up for Yannick Ngakoue; that relocation came in Ya-Sin’s contract year. The Temple alum, who worked as a Colts starter for parts of three seasons, will try for another bounce-back season.

Pro Football Focus ranked Ya-Sin as a mid-pack corner during his Raiders and Ravens years. In 2021, however, the advanced metrics site slotted Ya-Sin 29th at the position. Primarily playing on the outside, the soon-to-be 28-year-old defender will join a 49ers team that will feature an adjusted CB group from its Super Bowl LVIII plan. Logan Ryan primarily operated as San Francisco’s slot cog during the overtime loss to Kansas City; Ryan retired earlier this week.

The 49ers appear to be looking for an outside regular opposite Ward, which would allow Lenoir to shift to the slot in sub-packages. Lenoir and Ward are going into contract years. The 49ers added Yiadom and Ya-Sin to a group that includes Ambry Thomas, Darrell Luter and Samuel Womack. The defending NFC champs are casting a wide net in hopes of finding CB stability.

Giants Sign DT Jordan Phillips

April 11th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants have added some ex-Bills pieces on offense this offseason, bringing in Devin Singletary and Isaiah McKenzie. A defender from GM Joe Schoen‘s days in Buffalo will follow the skill-position players to the Big Apple.

Jordan Phillips is joining the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Enjoying two stints in Buffalo, Phillips overlapped with Schoen during his first run with the team. The 31-year-old defensive tackle will likely vie for a depth role with the Giants. The team has now announced the signing. This also reunites Phillips — a 2015 Dolphins second-rounder — with ex-Miami GM Dennis Hickey, who is now in the Giants’ front office.

Schoen was with the Bills as assistant GM when they claimed Phillips off waivers from the Dolphins in 2018. In 2019, the imposing inside presence set a career-high mark with 9.5 sacks. That showing led to a Cardinals free agency pact, but that deal did not end up providing much value for Arizona. After the Cardinals cut Phillips in 2022, he ended up back in Buffalo. While this brought a depth role in 2022, DaQuan Jones‘ early-season injury required more work from Phillips last season. The 341-pound defender started nine games in 2023.

The Giants roster one of the NFL’s best D-tackles, in Dexter Lawrence, but traded Leonard Williams to the Seahawks before last year’s deadline. The team also lost 2023 pickup A’Shawn Robinson in free agency; Robinson joined the Panthers last month. Phillips will be in the mix to supply some depth in a group that also includes Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson.

Pro Football Focus did not view Phillips as a productive player last season. The advanced metrics site graded the nine-year veteran as the second-worst DT regular, slotting him 129th overall. Phillips recorded 2.5 sacks and batted down five passes with the Bills. He has aided the team in the run game as well — most notably in 2019, when he posted 13 tackles for loss.

As Jones re-emerged from IR despite a torn pec, the Bills did not have Phillips to close out last season. Phillips ended the year on IR, suffering a dislocated wrist that kept him out of Buffalo’s final three regular-season games and both playoff contests. This signing also comes after the former second-round pick considered retirement earlier this year. Deciding against hanging up his cleats, Phillips will attempt to help a Giants team that also rosters ex-Bills D-end Boogie Basham.

Eagles Sign TE C.J. Uzomah

April 11th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

C.J. Uzomah will land in an intriguing spot. Released by the Jets earlier this offseason, Uzomah will move to a darker shade of green — save for throwback occasions. He is expected to sign with the Eagles, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

The veteran tight end visited the Eagles on Thursday and passed a physical. He is expected to sign a one-year deal to join the Eagles. After seven seasons in Cincinnati, Uzomah could not live up to his contract in New York. Then again, Jets pass catchers have not enjoyed too much to work with in recent years. This deal is now official.

Now 31, Uzomah will not have a path to the starting tight end role in Philly. Dallas Goedert remains one of the NFL’s best all-around tight ends. While injury trouble has interrupted Goedert over the past two seasons, he is still tied to a through-2025 contract. The Eagles did not carry much TE depth behind their starter last season; Uzomah would stand to provide more help in a TE2 role. He is poised to replace Jack Stoll, who signed with the Giants last month.

The Bengals rostered Uzomah as a Tyler Eifert backup to start his career, with Tyler Kroft also on that depth chart at the time. Gradually working his way into playing time (due to frequent Eifert injuries), Uzomah posted two 400-plus-yard receiving seasons. He delivered his best slate in 2021, helping the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in 33 years. Uzomah caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns.

That season certainly featured prime circumstances for the former fifth-round pick, with Joe Burrow throwing him passes and the Bengals rolling out a Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins–Tyler Boyd trio for the first time. Uzomah tallied back-to-back 60-plus-yard playoff performances — against the Raiders and Titans — before suffering an MCL sprain in the AFC championship game. While Uzomah returned for Super Bowl LVI, he caught two passes for 11 yards.

With the Jets, the 6-foot-5 pass catcher’s numbers cratered. The Jets gave Uzomah a three-year, $24MM deal ($15MM fully guaranteed) in 2022 but did not see him flash much of his Bengals form. Uzomah totaled just 290 receiving yards as a Jet, losing time to fellow free agent pickup Tyler Conklin. As the Zach Wilson era wound down in New York, Uzomah finished the season on IR. He sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons.

Uzomah, who also has an Achilles tear on his medical sheet (from 2020), provides value in the run game as well. In his 240-snap season, Uzomah graded fourth among tight ends in run blocking (per Pro Football Focus) last season. After helping Joe Mixon in Cincinnati as well, Uzomah — provided he completes his latest rehab effort — stands to see time helping Saquon Barkley find running room for an Eagles team that has deployed one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks for years.

QB J.J. McCarthy To Visit Commanders

April 11th, 2024 at 12:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders are projected to select a quarterback second overall, but three candidates are in place to become the team’s next franchise passer. By the time the draft takes place, all three will have made a visit to the nation’s capital.

[POLL: How Will Commanders Proceed At No. 2?]

Washington will meet with J.J. McCarthy next week, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. He adds the same is also true of Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, both of whose ‘top 30’ visits have previously been reported. Considering every signal-caller not named Caleb Williams will likely be on the board when the Commanders make their selection, it comes as no surprise the team is evaluating each option at the position.

McCarthy entered the pre-draft process as part of the second tier of passers behind the Williams-Maye-Daniels trio. The Michigan product has seen his stock soar in recent weeks, however, owing in large part to an impressive showing at his Pro Day. A report from last month indicated McCarthy could be in play at second overall, and Washington’s interest in an in-person visit certainly suggests that is still the case.

Helping lead the Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national title, McCarthy was not leaned on heavily by Michigan’s run-first offense. His performances in workouts along with his age (21) has led to strong projections based on his upside, though. As is the case with Daniels and Maye, opinions are split amongst NFL evaluators regarding where McCarthy should (and will) end up being selected later this month.

A survey of various active and former general managers, scouts, coaches and ex-players who are now analysts conducted by The Athletic’s Ben Standig slotted McCarthy as the class’ fourth-best quarterback (subscription required). Two of those who were polled ranked him second overall, however, and it will be interesting to see which assessments match the one ultimately made by Commanders’ new regime.

First-year general manager Adam Peters, new head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will be key players in the decision-making process at No. 2 overall. Washington has Marcus Mariota in place, but a rookie selected with the team’s top pick would have the chance to earn the starting gig right away. Passers with more college experience will be on the board when the time comes to make a selection, but McCarthy will nevertheless receive consideration.

Patriots, S Kyle Dugger Agree To Deal

April 11th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

APRIL 11: Dugger’s new pact is guaranteed in full for its first two years; he will collect $29.75MM over that span, as detailed by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin (the additional $2.75MM guaranteed, set to paid out in Year 3, is conditional). The contract includes an $18MM signing bonus along with per-game roster bonuses worth up to $5MM. Dugger’s cap hit will sit at $7.5MM in 2024 before rising to $11MM the following season, then $12.5MM and $13.5MM.

APRIL 7: Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is no longer on the transition tag. Per Mike Garafolo and Eric Edholm of NFL Media, player and team are in agreement on a four-year contract, which NFL Media colleague Ian Rapoport says has a base value of $58MM (including $32.5MM in guaranteed money). The maximum value, according to Rapoport, is $66MM.

This offseason, New England made it a point to retain its homegrown talent, re-signing players like Michael Onwenu, Anfernee Jennings, and Josh Uche. At one time, Dugger seemed the likeliest of that group to remain in Foxborough on a long-term basis, with the Patriots submitting a $13MM/year offer to the Lenoir-Rhyne product shortly before the deadline to apply the franchise or transition tag. The two sides were unable to come to terms prior to that deadline, which compelled the Pats to deploy the transition tag, but it ultimately did not take too long for an agreement to be consummated.

Per the rules of the transition tag, if Dugger had signed an offer sheet with another team and New England declined to match the offer sheet, the Patriots would have received no draft pick compensation. Fortunately for them, no outside club extended an offer, as Dan Duggan of The Athletic confirms. As such, all the Pats needed to do was bump the average annual value of Dugger’s new contract ($14.5MM) slightly above the $13.8MM transition tag value to get a deal done.

In terms of both AAV and total guarantees, Dugger now ranks fifth in the league’s safety hierarchy (excluding Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who remains on the franchise tag as of the time of this writing). That underscores his importance to New England’s defense, a unit that finished in the top-10 in total yardage and defensive DVOA in 2023.

Now 28, Dugger has been a full-time starter for most of his four-year career, racking up nine interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and 20 passes defensed along the way. He has not yet earned any Pro Bowl acclaim, and his Pro Football Focus evaluation in 2023 was less than ideal; PFF assigned him an abysmal 50.0 coverage grade and considered him the 68th-best safety out of 95 qualified players.

While it is true that Dugger is more suited to play near the line of scrimmage — he eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in his career last season — he did yield a fairly modest 82.7 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction in 2023, and his PFF evaluation was much more favorable in 2022, when the advanced metrics placed him as the 11th-best safety among 88 qualifiers.

Regardless of what PFF might say, the Patriots clearly consider Dugger to be a foundational player and value his versatility (in addition to lining up in the box and at free safety, he has also seen action as a slot and boundary corner, on special teams, and even on the D-line). His new contract will keep him under club control into the Pats’ next competitive window.

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