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Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

August 3rd, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021, the Titans took a step back after another injury-riddled season. As numerous starters moved from Tennessee’s two-deep to IR, ownership reversed course on an extension it had just authorized months earlier. Like the Cardinals, the Titans fired a GM (Jon Robinson) they had extended earlier in the year. Robinson’s decision to trade A.J. Brown also brought disastrous effects, and the Titans enter 2023 with their longtime offensive pillars — Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill — in contract years.

Rookie GM Ran Carthon made several lineup changes this offseason, and the Titans do play in what has been the AFC’s worst division for the better part of the past decade. Will the high floor Mike Vrabel has helped provide be there for this reconstructed team?

Extensions and restructures:

This Robinson bet on an injured prospect paid off for the Titans, who have one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen. And Simmons has been durable since debuting midway through his rookie season post-ACL tear. Notching back-to-back second-team All-Pro seasons, Simmons has totaled 16 sacks and 21 tackles for loss from 2021-22. His three sacks drove a ferocious pass rush that nearly dragged the Titans to a divisional-round win over the Bengals. The Titans now have the two anchors of that rush — Simmons and Harold Landry — signed long term.

During an offseason in which the NFL’s top non-Aaron Donald tier of D-tackle contract became firmly established, Simmons exited with more guaranteed money than the Rams legend. Although Carthon did not draft Simmons, the former 49ers exec made a point to hammer out the deal before the offseason program began.

Simmons, 26, had staged a hold-in at the Titans’ 2022 minicamp, but with non-quarterback extensions for players with two years of control remaining still fairly rare, the DT-rich 2019 first round needed to wait. With the Commanders franchise-tagging 2018 first-rounder Daron Payne, it created a glut of D-tackles aiming to bridge the mammoth gap between Donald and the field.

In a league in which Patrick Mahomes‘ contract — which stood $10MM north of the second-highest NFL AAV when finalized — has been passed over many times, it is notable none of the 20-something D-tackles came especially close to Donald’s $31.7MM average salary. Simmons has a case to be labeled the league’s third-best inside D-lineman — behind Donald and Chris Jones — and his AAV landed at $23.5MM. Teams were not willing to go near the price the Rams set for their historically talented pass rusher, but Simmons securing the $47.8MM guarantee number obviously proved crucial for his camp. While the Jones-Chiefs talks have not produced a resolution, Simmons trails only Quinnen Williams in fully guaranteed money at the position.

The Byard saga did produce an agreement, but the Carthon era has not started off ideally for the veteran safety. A reliable performer on one of the NFL’s most injury-prone teams, Byard is two seasons removed from a first-team All-Pro nod. The seven-year veteran has never missed a game, giving the Titans vital security as injury trouble has impacted the roster at key points. Pro Football Focus has also graded Byard as a top-10 safety in five of the past six seasons. Byard, who will turn 30 before the season, admitted he did not expect Carthon to hit him with a pay-cut request.

No trade drama ensued, but Carthon did trim money from Byard’s 2023 base salary. This is not a true restructure, as the transaction shaved nearly $3MM off Byard’s 2023 base salary. Incentives can move the number back to the $13.6MM place at which it previously stood, but the Titans also gave Byard $7MM in additional guarantees — on a contract that had seen its guarantees elapse — to agree to this. As a result, the team created more than $7MM in 2023 cap space with this adjustment. After two previous restructures, Byard’s cap number had ballooned to $19.6MM.

Free agency additions:

The Ravens’ Odell Beckham Jr. contract shook up Hopkins trade talks, eventually opening the door for the Titans. As Hopkins’ free agency played out, it seemed fitting the Titans ended up playing the Ravens role as they competed against true AFC contenders. Tennessee ended up outflanking other suitors — perhaps by a decent margin — to sign Hopkins. Considering the performance of the Titans’ receiving corps last season and the state this year’s group resided post-draft, Hopkins represented a vital upgrade.

Dealing Brown immediately burned the Titans, who may have misread the market. Although the Ravens traded Marquise Brown, the other four teams with decisions on 2019 receiver draftees — the Commanders (Terry McLaurin), Seahawks (D.K. Metcalf), 49ers (Deebo Samuel) and Steelers (Diontae Johnson) — reached extension agreements, with the pacts being based on the one the Eagles gave Brown. While first-rounder Treylon Burks — effectively Brown’s replacement — showed flashes, Tennessee’s receiving corps produced just one 500-yard showing. And that came from a declining Robert Woods, who totaled 527 yards as this passing attack cratered.

Hopkins, 31, is not where he was when traded from the Texans to the Cardinals, but of the suitors, no team needed him more. The contract the Titans shelled out reflected that. Had the Ravens’ similar receiver need not driven them to give Beckham $15MM guaranteed, the long-rumored Bills-Chiefs bidding war might have taken place on the trade market.

Hopkins was apparently ready to accept a reduction to facilitate a trade away from the rebuilding Cards, but once OBJ (zero first-team All-Pro nods) landed the Baltimore deal after not playing in 2022, Hopkins naturally did not believe he needed to make a big sacrifice ahead of his 11th season. Rather than becoming a major chip in the arms race taking place atop the AFC, Hopkins will take some pressure off Burks in Nashville.

This move does remind of Tennessee’s Julio Jones pickup two years ago. Jones was also a three-time first-team All-Pro coming off an injury-limited season in his early 30s. But the Titans needed to fork over a second-round pick for the ex-Falcon great. The Hopkins contract details reveal an easy out after one year. The Titans designating Hopkins as a post-June 1 cut next year would come with just $1.96MM in dead money (and $14MM-plus in savings). Hopkins is due a $4.1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2024 league year, providing an early decision date — unlike this offseason.

Bailing on another accomplished wideout with a post-June 1 release designation would not be optimal for Tennessee, which still has $8.4MM in Jones dead money on its 2023 cap sheet. But even though it looked like the team needed to offer several million more than Kansas City or New England did in guarantees, thus topping the incentive-laden deals each proposed, the Titans are not pot-committed for 2024.

In Hopkins’ last full season, he totaled a career-high 115 receptions for 1,407 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Hamstring issues and a torn MCL halted Hopkins’ momentum in 2021, bringing about the first injury-plagued stretch of the former first-round pick’s career. A PED ban and a minor knee issue emerged last year. Hopkins has missed 15 games over the past two seasons. But he has a history with Vrabel and new OC Tim Kelly, who were each in Houston during part of his seven-season stay.

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Offseason In Review: New York Giants

July 30th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Joe Schoen regime’s first offseason did not feature splash moves, with cap issues limiting the GM last year. After a surprise voyage to the NFC’s divisional round, the Giants became far more active this year in making moves that will shape their long-term future. For the most part, the team’s core players are now locked down. Though, more headlines came the team’s way because of the pillar that exited the offseason without an extension.

Re-signings:

Faced with one of the more fascinating decisions in the franchise tag era, the Giants made no secret of their stance adjustment on Jones. Schoen passed on the Dave Gettleman-era draftee’s $22.4MM fifth-year option in 2022. Picking that up would have brought an easier route for the Giants, but the former No. 6 overall pick was coming off an injury-limited season and had not justified such an investment at that point. With Jones becoming the first quarterback to re-sign with a team that had declined his fifth-year option, he exerted the leverage the March franchise tag deadline gave him. At the end of that journey: a payday that would have been unimaginable a year ago.

By not picking up Jones’ option and letting Barkley play out his, the Giants entered March with both unsigned. They ended up navigating this scenario in the same way the 2020 Titans did, re-signing the quarterback and tagging the running back. But the Ryan Tannehill–Derrick Henry situation did not produce half the headlines the Giants’ Jones-Barkley proceedings did.

In the fall, the team first identified Barkley as an extension candidate, beginning bye-week negotiations and offering an extension worth more than $12MM per year. No Jones negotiations took place at that point, with the new Big Blue regime wanting to see more. After Jones piloted a Giants offense stripped of non-Barkley skill-position talent to the franchise’s first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI, Schoen and Co. changed course. Jones became the priority and was set to receive an expensive franchise tag ($32.4MM). Barkley’s superior talent notwithstanding, the two-time Pro Bowl running back’s positional value dropped him in the team’s queue. This set up a high-stakes stretch leading up to the March 7 deadline to tag players.

Rumored to be aiming for a deal south of $40MM per year, the Giants saw their quarterback change agents and come in with a $47MM-AAV ask once talks heated up in the winter. After a lack of progress in the days leading up to the deadline, the Giants talked Jones down to $40MM per year. Beating the deadline buzzer on this extension allowed them to tag Barkley, completing step one of a seminal offseason itinerary. While that set off another high-profile negotiation that would play out in the coming months, Jones successfully negotiated the same contract parameters Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott received and did so coming off a season in which he threw only 15 touchdown passes.

The Eli Manning heir apparent transforming his value to this degree made for one of the most interesting contractual sagas in recent memory. Jones, 26, had shown promise as a rookie under Pat Shurmur. His 24 TD passes — in a 12-start season — still rank fifth for a rookie. But Joe Judge‘s tenure, which largely placed Jason Garrett at the controls on offense, ended up setting Jones back. The Duke product combined for 21 TD passes in 25 starts from 2020-21, and his midseason neck injury in the latter season led to one of the worst stretches in Giants history. Although the team’s 9-7-1 response to that benefited Jones more than anyone, the Giants are making a reasonable bet on a player they were seemingly ready to discard at this time last year.

Factoring in rushing impact, QBR viewed Jones as having made tremendous strides under Brian Daboll. Despite increasing receiver limitations and a basement-level tight end situation, Jones ranked sixth in that metric. His 708 rushing yards boosted a team in need of viable non-Barkley help moving the chains, and it will be interesting to see how Jones performs in Daboll’s offense with an improved pass-catching corps.

This contract also gives the Giants a reasonable out after two years. They would be on the hook for barely $9MM in dead money if they designated Jones a post-June 1 cut in 2025. And the subsequent deals for Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert did bump the Jones contract down to 11th at the position. Still, Jones is a bit on this deal is a different than having him on rookie money. While it would have been interesting to see if another team would have been willing to give him $40MM per year on the open market, the Giants did not wish to chance that.

Barkley’s tag became one of many events in a crushing offseason for the running back position. The throughline from Mike Shanahan‘s brigade of post-Terrell Davis 1,000-yard backs to the gridlock atop the market following Christian McCaffrey‘s 2020 agreement has led to an overdue spotlight shining on this position’s place in the modern game. At the end of 2023’s carnage, the RB position is at maybe its most unstable point in history.

The Giants not coming to an agreement with Barkley certainly puts this relationship at risk of falling apart after 2023. But the team will have a chance to use the most talented back in its near-100-year history for at least one more season. The Giants will have a chance to tag Barkley again, at barely $12MM, in 2024. Will the 26-year-old RB remain in the picture by that point?

After shaking off a three-year stretch of injuries, Barkley provided great value on a $7.22MM fifth-year option salary by powering the Giants to the playoffs. While the Giants have not been able to utilize Barkley’s pass-game talents on the level his rookie year brought, he gained a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and was by far the most talented Giants skill player. Barkley stayed healthy throughout the season, but after the fall talks did not come close to producing a deal, the Giants ended up pulling their second offer — worth roughly $13MM per year — after tagging him. Four months later, Barkley will play the season for the $10.1MM tag salary (feat. a small incentive package with lofty benchmarks).

Barkley blasted the Giants for leaks that made him look greedy, when the fall and winter offers included low guarantees. Once the team finally moved up to the $22MM guarantee level that represented the cost of two franchise tags, the backfield staple was annoyed that increase came with an AAV decrease south of $12MM. Despite the parties being close to a deal, the Giants making the late move to reduce the AAV led to Barkley passing. Barkley’s No. 2 overall draft slot and fifth-year option money moved his career earnings past $38MM, which would have given him interesting leverage to use a Le’Veon Bell-like absence as evidence — on a Giants team still bereft of dependable skill players elsewhere — of RB value while preserving his body for what could be a last-chance free agency run in 2024. Barkley’s bluff on this front did not translate to even a training camp holdout, illustrating the power the tag gave the Giants.

With the Giants free to use Barkley as they please, this tag season could tank his stock — through either an injury or a third 350-plus-touch year — and leave him in a tough spot on what looks like another crowded free agent market. That is, if the Giants let Barkley reach free agency in 2024. With Miles Sanders receiving $13MM guaranteed from the Panthers, Barkley will bet on himself this year in hopes a reasonable guarantee figure will await him on the market in 2024.

Shepard is the Giants’ longest-tenured player, but his injury history and having re-signed for no guaranteed money makes the Slayton transaction more pertinent for the 2023 Giants. Although Jones and Barkley zoomed into this regime’s good graces after down 2021 offerings, Slayton’s turnaround with the organization may have been more surprising.

The Giants buried Slayton on their depth chart going into his contract year and then slashed his pay, stripping away the proven performance escalator money he earned, before the season. But the slew of issues to affect the team’s receiver cadre — Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson‘s ACL tears, Kadarius Toney‘s repeat injuries and then a give-up trade, and Kenny Golladay cementing himself as a historic free agency bust — led to Slayton climbing back into a starting role and leading the team in receiving (724 yards). The Giants are deeper at wide receiver this year, but with Robinson not a lock to begin the season on time, Slayton (three 700-yard years) could still find himself opening the season as Jones’ top wideout.

Trades:

In betting Jones will grow with better pass catchers, the Giants are wagering Waller will shake off the injury trouble that plagued him in Las Vegas. Waller, who will turn 31 in September, missed 14 games over the past two years. The Pro Bowl tight end’s injuries eventually caused the Raiders to cut bait. For a Giants team that has not employed a difference-making tight end in maybe 16 years (Jeremy Shockey?), this is a bet worth making. The pick obtained for Toney is a reasonable price to pay for a dynamic player like Waller.

Unlike Shockey, Waller has delivered a 1,000-yard season. In fact, the ex-Ravens wide receiver is one of just eight tight ends with two 1,100-yard years. Waller saved the Raiders when their Antonio Brown trade preceded a spectacular combustion, going from Jon Gruden-era flier to cornerstone piece in Derek Carr‘s final stretch with the franchise. In his most recent healthy season, Waller ripped off 107-catch, 1,196-yard, nine-TD performance.

Of course, that came three years ago. Since, Waller has dealt with ankle, IT band and hamstring problems. Waller missing eight games due to a hamstring issue — weeks after the Raiders made him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, at $17MM per year — last year frustrated some in the organization. But he has a clear opportunity in New York. The Raiders had transitioned to a Davante Adams-centered aerial attack. While the Giants took a quantity-based approach at receiver, no No. 1-type wideout — at least, no known commodity — exists on this depth chart. Waller will enter the year as the most likely passing-game centerpiece.

Waller’s 2022 extension did not feature lofty guarantees, which gave the Raiders an easy out. The Giants will only be tagged with $2.5MM in dead money if they designate Waller a post-June 1 cut in 2024. This is a relatively low-risk proposition for Big Blue. Waller did show flashes after coming back from his hamstring issue in December; when healthy, he presents the capability to give the Giants a weapon that would accelerate Jones’ development.

Extensions and restructures:

In an offseason that has placed Barkley in a late-’90s George Costanza-like position, when the Susan Ross Foundation continued to unveil other financial plans regarding her estate, Thomas and Lawrence have joined Jones in receiving windfalls. How the Giants proceeded this year doubles as a decent encapsulation for positional value in the NFL. Beyond the reality of the Giants taking care of higher-value players and letting their running back stay on the tag, two more Gettleman-years breakthrough players are under contract for at least five more seasons. Thomas’ deal, in particular, could age very well for the team.

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Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles

July 26th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Like Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni led the Eagles to a Super Bowl in his sophomore HC effort. The endings proved different, as Philadelphia’s defense could not stop Patrick Mahomes in a shootout, but the Eagles went from 9-8 in 2021 to the NFC’s best team. While this represents considerable progress after the team did not tumble onto the rebuilding tier — as many expected — in 2021, this offseason featured defections from both starters and staffers.

Two new coordinators and five new defensive starters will be in place this season. The Eagles, however, hover as the NFC favorites. Their roster blueprint has also changed. The quarterback they once drafted as Carson Wentz insurance is now signed to a monster extension.

Extensions and restructures:

Hurts has completed one of the most remarkable ascents in modern quarterback history. Eagles brass was split on the ex-Alabama and Oklahoma passer, with some in the organization wanting the team to take safety Jeremy Chinn in the 2020 second round. The Eagles defied traditional roster-building measures by selecting Hurts in Round 2, doing so less than a year after giving Wentz a $32MM-per-year extension. They took on a then-record dead-money hit ($33.8MM) by trading Wentz in 2021, but even after Hurts spent a full season as a starter, Philly was not fully committed to him.

Jeffrey Lurie expressed hope the Eagles would not bring in a quarterback to compete with Hurts in 2021, but during the season, the owner was still believed to be higher on the then-accuracy-challenged QB than Howie Roseman. In turn, the Eagles looked into higher-profile trade options in 2022. But neither Russell Wilson nor Deshaun Watson would waive their respective no-trade clauses to join the Eagles. Philly did not end up a finalist for Watson. Although the Eagles had wanted Wilson in the 2012 draft and were prepared to make a substantial trade offer to the Seahawks 10 years later, the perennial Pro Bowler steered his way to the Broncos. Wilson’s no-trade clause now looms as a significant Eagles “what if?” scenario, as Hurts removed much of the doubt about his future last season.

The Eagles went 16-2 in games Hurts started last year, and the stout quarterback went toe-to-toe with Mahomes in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts’ completion rate (66.5%), yards per attempt (8.0), passer rating (101.5) and QBR (66.4 — fourth overall) took substantial leaps last season. Philadelphia’s decision to trade for A.J. Brown paid off in more ways than one, with the ex-Titans wideout breaking the Eagles’ single-season receiving record and aiding Hurts in the process. Philly’s years-long commitment to beefing up its offensive line boosted Hurts as well, as his nearly unstoppable QB sneak — which the NFL considered outlawing before standing down this offseason — became a tremendous drive-extending or drive-finishing tactic that benefited the Eagles (and fantasy GMs) in key spots.

Hurts going from an uncertain piece in the Eagles’ big-picture puzzle to surefire extension candidate could have made talks complicated, especially with the Eagles having a 2024 franchise tag at their disposal. But the soon-to-be 25-year-old QB signed in April. Just as they had done in 2019 with Wentz, the Eagles went first on a QB extension. This paved the way for the Ravens to end their years-long impasse with Lamar Jackson, which led to the Chargers’ Justin Herbert deal and will set up Joe Burrow to finish this round of market reshaping.

Hurts did not flirt with Watson-like guarantees, with the deals for he, Jackson and Herbert successfully pegging the Browns contract as an outlier. The Eagles gave Hurts $110MM guaranteed — a cool $120MM south of Watson’s monstrous figure — and used a startling seven void years to spread out the cap hit. As a result, Hurts will not even count $40MM on the Eagles’ cap until 2027. By then, the salary cap could be close to $300MM. Of course, Hurts will need to continue on the path he started in 2022 to justify this expense. The Eagles were not shy about recommitting to a quarterback, despite Wentz rapidly fading from franchise centerpiece to supplanted starter. And while the team let a number of key defenders walk in free agency, most of the same pieces remain in place for Hurts to succeed going forward.

One of those is Johnson, who has been the Eagles’ right tackle since Michael Vick‘s final season with the team. This is the former No. 4 overall pick’s fourth contract with the Eagles, who previously extended him in 2016 and 2019. This contract only tacked on a year to Johnson’s deal but rewarded the cornerstone lineman with $30MM in additional guarantees. Johnson played through an adductor tear in the playoffs, putting off surgery. If Johnson plays out this contract, he could pass Tra Thomas for the most starts by a tackle in Eagles history. As of now, Johnson (127 starts) sits fourth on that list. But he has been an indispensable cog for the Eagles.

On the Hall of Fame radar as a three-time All-Pro, Johnson aided LeSean McCoy to a rushing title and helped the Eagles lead the league in rushing in 2021. Wentz and Hurts have benefited tremendously from the 10-year veteran, and while the Eagles have a replacement for Jason Kelce in place, they have not made plans to succeed Johnson just yet. This will be Johnson’s age-33 season; Pro Football Focus has ranked the Wisconsin product as a top-10 tackle during each of Hurts’ full seasons as a starter. The extension, which includes three void years, dropped Johnson’s 2023 cap hit by more than $9MM.

Johnson’s status with the Eagles was not in question, but Slay’s was during an eventful March span. In less than a week’s time, the decorated cornerback went from discussing an Eagles extension to being granted permission to seek a trade to moving close to a post-June 1 cut designation to making it back to the extension radar and finalizing a deal. The Eagles had talked terms with Slay, who was going into the final season of a three-year, $50MM contract. After those discussions — which may or may not have included a pay-cut request — did not progress, the Eagles allowed him to talk trades. The Ravens and even the Cowboys came up as suitors, but the Eagles and Slay found a resolution.

This did make for an interesting turn of events, as Slay turned 32 in January. Yet the Eagles will guarantee him $23MM — not bad for a player who has now signed three extensions and already pocketed nearly $87MM during a 10-year career. The Eagles made a modest bet on Slay in 2020, prying him from the Lions for third- and fifth-round picks. The former third-rounder has provided considerable ROI, making two Pro Bowls as an Eagle. PFF slotted Slay as a top-25 corner in both years, and while teams do not make a habit of giving 30-something corners big-money deals, this pact will keep Slay’s cap hits below $12MM in 2023 and ’24.

This deal will keep Darius Slay–Darius Slayton matchups coming for at least another year, thanks to the latter’s Giants re-signing, and because of the four void years attached, Slay would bring at least $9MM in dead money if cut at any point before 2026.

Trades:

Swiftly becoming expendable after the Lions chose multipurpose back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, the former Detroit second-round pick generated interest from multiple teams. The oft-RB-inquiring Dolphins emerged on the radar, but the Eagles pulled the trigger on a deal. A much brighter future could exist for Swift in Philadelphia. Being phased out in Detroit, the Georgia product has a chance to start for a team that just booked a Super Bowl berth.

Injuries have impeded Swift for much of his NFL career, but the pass-catching back has never missed more than three games in a season. Swift totaled 25 touchdowns in Detroit, amassing 2,878 scrimmage yards over his first three seasons. Swift has never taken more than 151 handoffs in a season. His 364 career carries certainly could appeal to the Eagles, who let Miles Sanders (739 career totes) walk in free agency.

The Eagles are open to a Swift extension, but it will likely depend on how he performs in a contract year. This is not a good time for RB value, but Swift’s receiving prowess could help him. That said, the Eagles have not been big on involving their backs in the passing game since Hurts’ debut. Sanders totaled 20 catches for 78 yards last season, while Kenneth Gainwell led Philly backs with 169 receiving yards. It is possible the Eagles will explore this dimension further with a better receiving RB, but early returns with Hurts do not bode well for the 24-year-old’s aerial skills to be utilized properly.

Re-signings:

Three of the Eagles’ core four along their lines played on expiring deals last season. Despite each player having at least 11 years’ experience, the batch of 30-somethings is back for at least one more go-round. Kelce again considered retirement, but the All-Pro center/podcast host/SNL special guest re-signed for a 13th season. The longest-tenured Eagle, Graham is back for a 14th year. Although Philly has now drafted defensive tackles from Georgia in each of the past two years, Cox remains in the team’s plans ahead of his 12th season. Graham, Kelce and Cox all arrived during Roseman’s first three years as GM; they join Johnson as part of a storied quartet in Eagles history.

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5 Key Stories: 7/16/23 – 7/23/23

July 23rd, 2023 at 4:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

The opening of some NFL training camps capped off a busy seven-day period around the league. In case you missed any of the top developments from the past week, here’s a quick recap:

  • Commanders Sale Goes Through: The long-awaited purchase of the Commanders by Josh Harris was ratified during a special league meeting, and the sale went through the following day. That marked an end to the Dan Snyder era in Washington, with the embattled ex-owner being issued a $60MM fine stemming from the results of the Mary Jo White report. Her probe into Snyder and the Commanders found evidence of sexual harassment on Snyder’s part, and of revenue being withheld from the league by the team. Harris – already the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils – will now look to take the team in a direction far away from the 24-year one it had under Snyder, marked by scandals and a lack of postseason success. The $6.05 billion price tag represents another North American record for franchise sales, comfortably topping Rob Walton’s winning bid ($4.65 billion) for the Broncos from last year.
  • No Deadline Deals For Franchise-Tagged RBs: Monday represented the final day for franchise tag recipients to sign a long-term deal. No such agreement came to fruition for Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs or Tony Pollard, however, putting them on track to earn $10.1MM on the one-year tender in 2023. The Giants came much closer to a deal with Barkley than the Raiders did with Jacobs, but the key question in both cases now is how much time they will spend away from their teams. Both backs have stated a willingness to sit out regular season games – missing out on $561K per week in the process – amidst their frustrations with the RB market. Pollard, by contrast, is obligated to attend Cowboys training camp having already signed his franchise tag.
  • Titans Win Hopkins Sweepstakes: Tennessee emerged as DeAndre Hopkins‘ destination when the parties agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $32MM. High performance thresholds are in place via incentives, but the $12MM in guaranteed compensation for this season helped convince the All-Pro wideout to join the Titans rather than teams such as the Patriots, Chiefs and Bills. Those clubs were unwilling to offer as much up front as Tennessee was, so Hopkins’ return to the AFC South will give them a signficant boost in the passing game. The 31-year-old will aim to put his injury- and suspension-related absences of the recent past behind him, while helping the Titans’ offense in the process. Doing so could lead to further individual accolades for the five-time Pro Bowler and help his new team return to the postseason.
  • Steelers Extend Highsmith: After a busy offseason seeing several additions, the top remaining priority for the Steelers was finalizing a second contract for Alex Highsmith. They did just that by signing him to a four-year, $68MM extension which includes $27.7MM in guaranteed money. Pittsburgh already has the league’s most expensive edge rusher (in terms of AAV) with T.J. Watt, but his sack partner is now on the books through 2027. Highsmith, a former third-round pick, has taken a step forward in production during each of his three seasons, putting him firmly on the radar for a new deal. Both he and the team expressed a desire to work out an extension before training camp, and with that business settled Highsmith can now turn his attention to continued progression and what would be a second consecutive double-digit sack campaign.
  • Engram Avoids Tag With New Jaguars Deal: Unlike his running back counterparts, tight end Evan Engram was able to land a multi-year contract to take the place of the franchise tag. The Jaguars signed him to a three-year, $41.25MM deal. The guarantees in the pact ($24MM) are roughly the value of what he would have earned by playing on consecutive tags, but incentives could allow him to slightly outpace that mark. The 28-year-old turned his prove-it Jacksonville contract into a career year with 766 yards last season, an impressive showing after an up-and-down Giants tenure. Engram is well-positioned to continue his success for the intermediate term and he should remain a key member of the Jaguars’ offense as they look to repeat their playoff run from 2022.

Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars

July 17th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time in franchise history, the Jaguars overcame a 2-6 start to make the playoffs. The last time the team did so (1996), a run of playoff appearances followed. This Jaguars nucleus has similar ingredients in place compared to the Mark Brunell-fronted teams of the late ’90s. At the center is Trevor Lawrence, the former No. 1 overall pick who shook off a rough rookie season to emerge as a factor in the QB-rich AFC. The Jags’ 27-point playoff rally past the Chargers and competitive effort against the eventual champion Chiefs would seemingly depict a clear team on the rise.

The organization proceeded accordingly this offseason, not doing much to tamper with the roster it assembled during the 2022 free agency period. The Jags enter the season as favorites in what appears to be the AFC’s weakest division. How much more of a level jump can the 2023 edition make?

Extensions and restructures:

The Jaguars look to have made several strong investments in 2022. While the rest of the A- and B-listers from that pricey lot received multiyear deals, Engram needed to prove his value after an inconsistent Giants run. The former first-round pick did that, establishing a new Jaguars single-season best for tight end receiving yardage (766) last season. Although the Jaguars also had right tackle Jawaan Taylor looming as a free agent, they slapped a less expensive franchise tag ($11.35MM) on Engram. After both sides expressed interest in a long-term partnership, an agreement emerged barely 24 hours before this year’s deadline for tagged players to sign extensions.

As the tight end position remains undervalued relative to its best players’ contributions, Engram and contract-year Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson represented this year’s needle-movers on the financial front. But Engram is both going into his age-29 season and has not been a reliable pass catcher from a year-to-year perspective. As such, he and the Jags reached common ground short of the $17MM-per-year positional ceiling Darren Waller established in September 2022. At $13.75MM per year, Engram is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid tight end.

It is a bit surprising Engram could not clear the $14MM-AAV barrier, seeing as the salary cap is back on its steady rise after a 2021 reduction. Both Mark Andrews and Dallas Goedert signed $14MM-per-year deals in 2021, and Engram’s 2022 season featured better production than either of Waller’s past two slates. The Ole Miss alum became one of Lawrence’s go-to targets, adding 12 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown during Jacksonville’s two playoff games. In terms of guarantees, Engram did slightly better. The $24MM, which covers this year’s franchise tag and the tag amount had Engram been cuffed in 2024 as well, checks in fifth at the position.

While Travis Etienne is tied to a rookie contract, Lawrence’s top four pass catchers are all either tied to veteran deals or a fifth-year option (Calvin Ridley). Lawrence’s eventual extension will likely be a record-setting accord, but the Jaguars can backload that deal to make the cap numbers to best line up with those of Engram and Christian Kirk. Zay Jones‘ $8MM-per-year pact runs through 2024, while Ridley should be an extension candidate, provided he bounces back from 1 1/2-season absence.

Engram could not become a reliable difference-maker in New York, but he did surpass 700 receiving yards as a rookie (2017) and earn a Pro Bowl bid during a 2020 season in which alternates were not part of the equation (due to the game not actually being played). In his three other Giants years, the 6-foot-3 target underwhelmed. This included a 408-yard 2021 showing, but the Giants were not exactly giving their pass catchers much of an opportunity during this period, which bottomed out following Daniel Jones‘ neck injury in November 2021. Engram showed enough in Jacksonville last season, and a team that has struggled for years to generate notable work from the tight end position rewarded him.

After bouncing back from the Urban Meyer debacle, the Jaguars made a concerted effort to retain talent this offseason. This was particularly a point of emphasis along their defensive front. One year remained on Hamilton’s rookie contract, with Robertson-Harris’ three-year deal also running through 2023. The Jaguars drafted Hamilton in the 2020 third round, when former GM Dave Caldwell was still running the show, and added Robertson-Harris during Meyer’s short span in charge. GM Trent Baalke, however, was with the organization when both arrived. The Baalke-Doug Pederson regime prioritized both as D-line supporting-casters.

A part-timer on his rookie contract with the Bears, Robertson-Harris has now fetched two three-year deals from the Jags. His $14.4MM guarantee is nearly identical to the one that brought him to Duval County — $14MM — two years ago. Robertson-Harris is primed to continue his run as a starter. The former UDFA has started 30 games with the Jags — nearly triple his Bears first-string work — and is coming off his most productive season. In 2022, Robertson-Harris equaled his 2021 sack total (three) but offered career-best marks in tackles for loss (seven) and QB hits (12). Going into his age-30 season, Robertson-Harris opted to stay in Jacksonville rather than aim for a bigger deal in free agency next March.

Hamilton, 26, emerged as a full-time starter last year. Pro Football Focus rated the Ohio State alum as a top-30 interior D-lineman in 2022, giving the Jags an ascending player alongside veterans Fatukasi and Robertson-Harris up front. Playing a career-high 610 defensive snaps last season, Hamilton has helped the Jags compensate for missing on 2018 first-rounder Taven Bryan. Hamilton also looks to be an under-the-radar draft win for the Jags, who reached their franchise nadir in the first two years of this decade.

With Hamilton also bypassing a chance at a free agency payday in 2024, the team has an interesting trio complementing its pair of ex-top-10 draftees on the edge.

Free agency additions:

Last year, the Jags signed Kirk, Scherff, Oluokun, Engram, Fatukasi, Jones and Darious Williams; five of those contracts were worth at least eight figures per year. Baalke said this would be a quieter free agency, and the third-year Jags GM did not deviate from that plan. Johnson, Brewer and Wells profile as backups, while McManus’ latest contract is worth far less than his most recent Broncos agreement.

Working behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in Cleveland, Johnson did rise to the Browns’ RB2 when one of the stalwarts was hurt. This led to the former Alliance of American Football performer rushing for 534 yards in 2021. In Johnson’s three games as the Browns’ primary running back that year, he gained 146, 99 and 123 rushing yards. The South Florida alum is already 27, but he only has 141 career carries. The Jags, who are planning to reduce Etienne’s workload by a touch, figure to give their RB2 a change-of-pace workload to spell their clear-cut starter. Third-rounder Tank Bigsby will likely push Johnson for the backup role, but the free agency addition also has steady special teams experience to bring value as a third-string option.

McManus, 31, spent the past nine seasons as the Broncos’ kicker. Last year, which began eventfully via the Nathaniel Hackett-ordered 64-yard game-winning try in Week 1, was not the veteran’s best work. McManus made just 77.8% of his field goal tries — his worst accuracy rate since 2017 — but did connect on 8 of the 12 50-plus-yard tries he attempted after that bizarre Week 1 scene in Seattle.

The Broncos used the McManus post-June 1 cut money to add Frank Clark. As Sean Payton‘s team zeroed in on the veteran edge rusher, McManus contacted the Jaguars about a gig. The push worked, and the Jags will aim for kicker stability after years adrift at the position. Eight kickers had seen time in Jacksonville from 2020-22, with last year’s option — Riley Patterson — after training camp had concluded.

Re-signings:

Bigger money went to players on the Jags’ extension radar, but the team also retained multiple regulars on defense. Wingard made 24 starts over his rookie contract, including 15 during the dismal 2021 season. Last year, he settled in as a third safety behind starters Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco. PFF has viewed Wingard’s work well, ranking him as a top-35 safety during his 2021 starter year and slotting him in the top 10 — albeit on just 223 defensive snaps — last year. Wingard’s ability around the line of scrimmage and work on special teams has allowed him to become a UDFA success story out of Wyoming, and the Jags’ retention mission included a pay bump from rookie-deal money for the 26-year-old defender.

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This Date In Transactions History: Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas Sign Extensions

July 15th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Ben Levine

With the deadline looming for extension-eligible players, two of the league’s top wideouts signed lucrative extensions with their organizations on this day eight years ago. On July 15, 2015, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas signed new deals with their squads.

The two 2010 first-round WRs were slapped with the franchise tag before they could hit unrestricted free agency, and negotiations with their respective teams hadn’t necessarily gone smoothly. In fact, the NFL Players Association threatened to file a collusion complaint against the Cowboys and Broncos over the lack of extension progress, and both Bryant and Thomas began teased holdouts as the July 15 deadline approached.

Ultimately, both players ended up getting their desired pacts from their new squads, with the duo seeking deals that approached Calvin Johnson‘s $16.21MM average annual salary. Bryant and Thomas ultimately signed similar five-year, $70MM deals; the two players were previously attached to franchise tags worth $12.8MM.

At that point of his career, Bryant had established himself as one of the league’s elite wideouts. At the time of his signing, Bryant hadn’t missed a game in three seasons, and he was coming off his third-straight campaign with at least 88 catches and 12 touchdowns. He took it to another level during his contract year, hauling in a career-high 16 touchdowns while tying a career-best 15.0 yards-per-catch mark.

Unfortunately for the receiver and the Cowboys, that 2014 campaign that preceded his extension was the last time Bryant would earn an All-Pro selection in his career. His 2015 season was limited to only eight games while he dealt with a lingering foot injury, although he did return to Pro Bowl status in 2016 after finishing with 50 catches and eight touchdowns in 13 games. Bryant managed to revert to his durable self during the 2017 season, appearing in all 16 games. However, his 12.1 yards-per-reception mark set a new career-low, and with two years remaining on his deal, the Cowboys moved on from the wideout.

Bryant joined the Saints for the 2018 season, but he ended up missing the year thanks to a torn Achilles. He sat out the 2019 season while seeking a new job before catching on with the Ravens in 2020. He caught six passes in six games for Baltimore, and he hasn’t earned an NFL contract since that gig.

The Broncos got a bit more production out of their extension with Thomas. Prior to signing his new deal, the receiver was coming off a three-year stretch where he averaged 99 receptions, 1,494 receiving yards, and close to 12 touchdowns per season (he added another five scores in five playoff games). While Thomas would never hit those numbers again, his first season under his new deal was still plenty productive. The wideout finished the year with 1,304 receiving yards and six touchdowns before earning his lone Super Bowl championship.

Thomas would only have one more 1,000-yard season after 2015. Despite losing Peyton Manning under center for the 2016 season, the receiver still earned a Pro Bowl nod after compiling 1,083 yards. Inconsistent QB play led to Thomas finishing with only 949 receiving yards in 2017, and with the Broncos eyeing a rebuild in 2018, Thomas was traded to the Texans. Following a brief stint with the Patriots during the 2019 preseason, Thomas caught on with the Jets, hauling in 36 receptions in 11 games. After not playing during the 2020 season, Thomas announced his retirement.

Teams are naturally cautious when it comes to handing out big-money extensions. You can’t blame the Cowboys nor the Broncos for extending their star wideouts, but it also shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise that neither player ended up completing their deals with their respective teams.

2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team

July 14th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.

Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
  2. Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
  3. Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
  4. Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
  8. Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
  9. Houston Texans: $31.72MM
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
  11. Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
  13. Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
  14. Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
  15. New York Giants: $22.74MM
  16. New England Patriots: $21.82MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
  19. Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
  20. San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
  21. Cleveland Browns: $16MM
  22. Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
  24. Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
  25. Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
  27. New York Jets: $7.95MM
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
  30. Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $593K

No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.

Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.

Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.

The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.

The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.

While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.

This Date In Transactions History: Broncos Extend LT Ryan Clady

July 14th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mid-July annually features extension talks ramping up, particularly for a small group of players. With the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions looming July 15 in most years (or around that date if July 15 falls on a weekend, as it does this year), dozens of extensions in the tag era (1993-present) have been completed around this point.

One of them came 10 years ago today. On July 14, 2013, the Broncos and cornerstone left tackle Ryan Clady agreed to terms on a five-year deal worth $52.5MM. The Broncos had tagged Clady earlier that year, keeping Peyton Manning‘s blindside protector off the market for $9.83MM. Illustrating where the salary cap has taken tag values, it would have cost a team $18.24MM to tag an offensive lineman this year.

Clady’s peak reached as high as just about any offensive lineman in Broncos history. Only he and stalwart center Tom Nalen earned two first-team All-Pro nods as Broncos. Denver used its 2008 first-round pick on Clady, who excelled at Boise State, and immediately plugged him in as Jay Cutler‘s blindside protector. (Clady earned second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie and finished third in that year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.)

The franchise abruptly changed course at quarterback upon hiring Josh McDaniels as head coach a year later, leading to the team trading Cutler to the Bears. But Clady earned first-team All-Pro acclaim for his work as Kyle Orton‘s left tackle. Clady suffered a patellar tendon tear suffered while playing basketball during the 2010 offseason, moving him off the Pro Bowl level in 2010, but he rebounded to help the Broncos make a surprise playoff run after changing their offense to suit Tim Tebow‘s skillset the following year.

After returning to the Pro Bowl level in 2011, Clady notched his second All-Pro honor during Manning’s first season in Colorado. With Manning signed to a five-year, $96MM deal, the Broncos made sure to keep his top O-lineman off the market via the tag. Negotiations ramped up just before the tag deadline, and the sides reached an agreement on a deal that made Clady the third-highest-paid tackle — behind Jason Peters and Joe Thomas — at the time.

Denver’s deal came with $33MM guaranteed, and two more All-Pro selections would have bumped the value to $57.5MM. While the contract gave the talented blocker security, injuries soon caught up with Clady. After Clady suffered a shoulder malady late in the 2012 season, he sustained a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 2 of the 2013 season. Although Clady came back in 2014 and collected his fourth Pro Bowl honor, he suffered an ACL tear in May 2015. Clady collected a Super Bowl ring as a member of that Broncos team, but he did not play a down that season.

The Broncos, who had plugged in Chris Clark as their LT replacement during their Super Bowl XLVIII-qualifying season, primarily used Ryan Harris as their left tackle during their Super Bowl-winning year two seasons later. The team traded Clady to the Jets in April 2016. After Clady — the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson successor — wound up on IR in November 2016, he opted to retire during the 2017 offseason. The Broncos used Russell Okung as a one-year stopgap in 2016 before drafting Garett Bolles in the 2017 first round. Bolles is currently tied to a four-year, $68MM extension.

Offseason In Review: Houston Texans

July 13th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans’ rebuild continues, and it now involves a third head coach in three years. Following in the footsteps of the 1970s and 2010s 49ers in seeing back-to-back one-and-done coaching tenures transpire, the Texans have been the league’s most anonymous on-field operation during the 2020s. GM Nick Caserio generated scrutiny as the losses piled up, but he convinced one of this year’s hottest head coaching candidates to sign up.

DeMeco Ryans is now in charge of this lengthy ascent attempt. The Texans turned to their former linebacker — who presumably will receive more than the one season David Culley and Lovie Smith did in the HC chair — and this offseason at least brought some big swings from an organization that kept the car in neutral in 2021 and ’22. The C.J. Stroud–Will Anderson Jr. pairing will go a long way toward determining if Caserio’s rebuild will work.

Trades:

Even though Cooks’ production fell off in 2022, the NFL’s active trade kingpin had long been destined to get off the Texans’ long rebuild runway. It did look strange to see Cooks sign a two-year, $39.5MM Texans extension in April and then want out by midseason. Cooks’ NBA-esque about-face did not result in a midseason trade. Instead, the veteran deep threat languished on a 3-13-1 Houston team, finishing the season with a career-low 699 receiving yards.

Cooks effectively boycotted the Texans’ first post-trade deadline game but returned to action soon after. Interest came from nearly a fourth of the league, and the Texans listened to offers before the 2022 trading cessation. The team is believed to have sought a second-round pick, which was an unrealistic ask for a ninth-year player with an $18MM guarantee for 2023.

The actual trade price came in far below the 2017, ’18 and ’20 Cooks deals (which collectively involved two first-rounders and a second). After the Cowboys renegotiated Cooks’ deal, the former Saints, Rams and Patriots pass catcher is now part of an exclusive NFL club, being traded four times. Two of Cooks’ six 1,000-yard seasons — for four different clubs — came in Houston, which looks to be without an upper-echelon receiver after this deal.

Extensions and restructures:

Seemingly incongruent with the Texans’ timeline, Tunsil’s presence has offered high-end left tackle play and affected his position’s market. Few would label Tunsil (zero first- or second-team All-Pro nods) as the game’s best tackle, but he has managed his career well. This offseason marked the second time the Texans have made Tunsil the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. The three-time Pro Bowler played a full season for the first time in his career last year, and while a Texans team that has shown no interest in contending (since at least 2020, that is) carrying a high-priced tackle has been a bit strange, checking off this key box has not been a problem thanks to a Bill O’Brien trade.

Months after trading two first-rounders and change to the Dolphins for Tunsil, O’Brien — during a short but eventful run wearing both HC and GM hats — signed off on a three-year, $66MM extension. That made Tunsil by far the NFL’s highest-paid O-lineman. Three years after Tunsil became the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year O-lineman, he is the only $25MM-AAV blocker.

The short-term contracts Tunsil has preferred have proven tremendously beneficial, as they have given him leverage of two contract years coming in his 20s. Tunsil also did not make any real guarantee concessions despite the medium-term deal; his $50MM guarantee figure trails only Ronnie Stanley‘s among tackles. After two seasons without a franchise quarterback to protect, Tunsil will be assigned to Stroud’s blind side. This extension also dropped Tunsil’s 2023 cap hit from $35MM to $26.6MM. Pro Football Focus has graded Tunsil as a top-30 tackle in each of his three non-injury-marred Texans seasons, with last year bringing a career-high placement (11th).

The Texans did authorize a $39MM-per-year Deshaun Watson extension in 2020, but beyond that and the disastrous Brock Osweiler deal they paid the Browns to take on, the franchise has kept QB costs low over the past 10 years. Building around Stroud’s will give the organization flexibility. With no big-ticket wideout, tight end or running back deal on the payroll, Caserio has invested up front. Mason is now signed through 2026 at $12MM per, and right tackle Tytus Howard — who may or may not be on the team’s extension radar — holds the team’s second-largest cap number ($13.98MM).

Mason, 29, joins Tunsil in signing a third contract. The Patriots gave the steady guard a five-year, $45MM deal in 2018, when Caserio remained Bill Belichick‘s right-hand man. Houston’s payroll now includes two eight-figure-AAV O-line deals. This brings a change from recent years, when the Texans opted to add bottom-tier or low-middle-class contracts around Tunsil’s.

In Mason, the Texans have one of the league’s most consistent players. PFF graded the former fourth-round find as a top-10 guard for six straight years (2016-21). After a Bucs one-off, which did feature 17 starts and a top-30 PFF grade, how long will Mason’s prime extend into his Texans years? He will be a key part of the team’s Stroud-years plan.

Caserio has inked numerous veterans to two-year deals during his time as Houston GM. Collins has now signed two of those. The former Cowboys draftee has signed a Texans contract in each of the past three years, coming over in 2021 (one year, $5MM), re-signing in 2022 (two years, $17MM) and now inking a player-friendly extension. Collins, 28, will shift back to a 4-3 scheme under Ryans, after playing two years in Smith’s system. Collins, who was a 4-3 D-tackle in Dallas and Las Vegas, totaled 18 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, representing one of the few Texans bright spots during this bleak period.

Free agency additions:

Caserio’s preferred genre of veteran contract appeared often on the transaction wire this year. Middling talent floods this section, though the team did cut down on its volume of two-year deals compared to 2022. Still, the Texans added a host of veteran role players, stocking Ryans’ defense with potential starters alongside cornerstones Anderson and Derek Stingley and giving new OC Bobby Slowik some skill-position talent.

This contract is not what Schultz envisioned during his year on the franchise tag. The Cowboys are believed to have made their former tight end starter a long-term offer, but the preference for a shorter-term agreement — not a Cowboys specialty — helped lead to Schultz playing on the tag. After missing early-season time due to injury, Schultz still resided as one of Dak Prescott‘s top targets. But his overall and per-game yardage totals were down compared to 2021.

Schultz, 27, will join fellow 2022 tight end tag recipient Mike Gesicki in attempting to boost his value on a one-year deal. The Texans have struggled for nearly a decade to find a reliable pass-catching tight end. No Texan tight end has surpassed 600 receiving yards in a season since Owen Daniels in 2012. Schultz has done that in two of the past three seasons and should be a go-to player on a team likely to be without a No. 1-caliber wide receiver.

Was Woods’ down 2022 a sign of a decline, or was the 527-yard year due to a woeful Titans pass offense and being a year out from an ACL tear? The Texans paid a fairly surprising amount — adding the Titans cap casualty before the market opened — to find out. Woods, 31, did play in all 17 Titans games last season, and he resided as a consistent player (three 900-yard seasons) in Sean McVay‘s attack. With Cooks gone, Houston needs a reliable veteran to foster Stroud’s development. With Nico Collins the team’s top returning receiver, Woods looks to be that player.

As the contracts for Mark Ingram, Rex Burkhead, Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman showed, Caserio has not shied away from veteran backs during his tenure. Singletary will be tasked with supplementing Dameon Pierce this season. The former Florida Atlantic star worked as the most prominent Bills back during Josh Allen‘s career, eclipsing 150 carries in each of his four Buffalo seasons and surpassing 750 rushing yards in three of his four rookie-contract years. The Texans did not possess much behind Pierce last season. Singletary, 25, has not offered much in the passing game, but he is a proven ball-carrier who should have some use as a 1-B option.

Undoubtedly placing a premium on Ward’s leadership and system intel, Ryans had spoken to the nine-year 49ers safety about following him to his next destination before last season ended. Ward, 32 next week, toggled between safety and cornerback during his San Francisco stay. The former first-rounder expressed disappointment in being moved back to the nickel role last season, but while Ryans was leading the 49ers’ defense at that point, the Texans are planning to move Ward back to the safety spot at which he is more comfortable. Ward has battled injuries throughout his career but has made 79 starts. He profiles as a mentor to emerging safety Jalen Pitre.

The Texans also beefed up their defense using one-year contracts, most notably the Rankins agreement. The Jets pushed to keep the former first-round pick, with it turning into a free agency battle between the 49ers’ past two DCs. Rankins’ fit in Robert Saleh‘s Jets defense certainly points to a useful cog for Ryans. The inside pass rusher has not replicated his eight-sack 2018, but at worst, the 29-year-old defender can assist as a rotational option. Ridgeway, 28, has been a 4-3 D-tackle for most of his career, including a 2022 stopover in San Francisco.

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Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense

July 12th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:

  1. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
  3. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
  4. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
  5. Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
  6. Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
  7. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
  8. C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
  9. Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
  10. Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
  11. Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
  12. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
  13. Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
  14. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
  15. Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
  16. Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
  17. Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
  18. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
  19. Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
  20. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
  21. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
  22. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
  23. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
  24. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
  25. Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM

The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.

As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.

Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.

Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.

New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.

The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

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