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Eagles’ Jalen Carter Named In Civil Lawsuit Related To Fatal Crash

May 13th, 2023 at 10:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Carter‘s involvement in a fatal car crash in January has been put to rest with respect to criminal proceedings via his plea agreement. The Eagles defensive tackle is now facing a new legal hurdle, however.

Carter has been named as a defendant in a $40MM civil suit filed by Devin Willock Sr., as detailed by Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports. Willock’s son, along with staffer Chandler LeCroy, were killed in an accident resulting from a racing incident following Georgia’s national championship victory. The lawsuit also names the school’s athletic association and LeCroy’s estate as defendants.

Of the $40MM total, Carter is individually being sued for $10MM, per Callie Lawson-Freeman of Yahoo! Sports. The latter figure, the suit states, represents what Willock believes his son would have earned in the NFL. Carter recently signed his four-year rookie contract with the Eagles, which has a total value of $21.8MM and includes the potential for a fifth-year option being exercised.

The fatal accident – which included Carter fleeing the scene and later being booked on misdemeanor charges – was a key talking point during the pre-draft process. An underwhelming pro day performance added to character concerns for the All-American, leading a number of teams to take him off their draft boards. Philadelphia (a team which has added several ex-Bulldogs in recent drafts) traded up one spot to select him, though, after an evaluation process which did not include extensive vetting of the crash.

Carter was driving with a suspended license at the time of the accident, ESPN’s Tim McManus notes. That did not factor into the charges (reckless driving and racing) which he faced, however, and his plea agreement prevents any further proceedings taking place stemming from the crash. The Willock suit notes two other occasions which Carter received citations or tickets for. In addition to facing 12 months of probation, paying a $1,000 fine and serving 80 hours of community service, the latter is required to complete a driving course.

A statement from Georgia’s athletic association calls the allegations “baseless,” and makes clear its intention of fighting them in court. Whether or not Carter looks to match that approach will be a key storyline to follow as this process unfolds.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/23

May 9th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Chachere will rejoin Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. The San Jose State alum played two seasons with the Eagles, working as a regular special-teamer in Philly. He played 322 ST snaps for the Eagles in 2021 and 141 last season. He will accompany linebacker Kyzir White in following Gannon to the desert.

A 2019 Broncos sixth-round pick, Winfree spent the past three seasons with the Packers. He caught nine passes for 75 yards in that span. The Patriots initially picked up Hayes as a practice squad addition in December. Hayes, who played seven games with the Pats and Panthers last season, has been on six teams since being a 2019 UDFA.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/8/23

May 8th, 2023 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: WR Tyler Adams, WR Kody Case, T Matthew Vanderslice, DT Jamal Woods
  • Waived: WR Cody Chrest, CB Tyler Richardson, RB Titus Swen, WR Braxton Westfield

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Hatcher and Moultrie join cornerback William Hooper in landing Packers deals after the team’s rookie minicamp. Despite the Packers cutting Coco, Hatcher still has competition to become Green Bay’s long snapper. Matt Orzech, who spent the past two years as the Rams’ deep snapper, remains the favorite for the Packer gig after receiving a $300K signing bonus this offseason, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Orzech had been on Green Bay’s radar for years; the team tried to claim him off waivers in 2021.

Eagles Add Nine UDFAs

May 6th, 2023 at 8:39am CST by Ben Levine

Before kicking off rookie minicamp yesterday, the Eagles announced the signing of nine undrafted first-year players:

After not adding any skill players during the draft, the Eagles signed a pair of wide receivers in Jadon Haselwood and Joseph Ngata. After transferring to Arkansas, Haselwood led the team with 59 receptions during the 2022 campaign. Ngata got into 45 games during his four seasons at Clemson, hauling in 1,287 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Tight end Brady Russell has a personal connection to the Eagles, as his uncle, Matt Russell, is the team’s senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager. A team captain at Colorado, the UDFA finished his collegiate career having caught 67 passes and six touchdowns.

Chim Okorafor and Ty Zentner both took unusual paths to get on an NFL roster. He played two seasons of collegiate basketball before bouncing around football programs at Riverside City Community College, Missouri Southern, Pitt State, and finally Benedictine. Zentner only started playing football during his senior year of high school, and after starting his college career at Butler Community College, he caught on with Kansas State University. He served as both a punter and kicker during his time at the school.

Eagles To Sign TE Dan Arnold

May 4th, 2023 at 7:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Dan Arnold is heading back to the NFC. After a two-year stint in Jacksonville, Arnold is signing with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran TE.

The former undrafted free agent out of UW–Platteville spent a few years in New Orleans before having a somewhat prominent role with the Cardinals in 2020. That season, Arnold hauled in 31 receptions for 438 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (five starts).

That performance earned him a two-year contract from the Panthers, but he only got into three games with his new team before getting shipped to the Jaguars in the C.J. Henderson trade. The tight end had 324 yards in eight games with Jacksonville to finish up the 2021 campaign, but with Evan Engram added to the mix for 2022, Arnold finished his only full season in Jacksonville with 135 receiving yards.

The Eagles have a long list of tight ends behind starter Dallas Goedert, including Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Dalton Keene. Pro Football Focus has never been all that favorable of Arnold’s blocking ability but has given him solid marks for his receiving skills, so Arnold could perhaps carve out a role as a pass-catching option behind Goedert.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/23

May 4th, 2023 at 6:19pm CST by Ben Levine

After the Panthers got the ball rolling yesterday, a number of teams started signing draft picks to their rookie contracts today. We’ve compiled all of the four-year, later-round signings below:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Eagles, DT Jalen Carter Agree To Deal

May 4th, 2023 at 11:22am CST by Sam Robinson

The next few months will feature teams finalizing their rosters and preventing any complications with rookie contracts. The Eagles became this year’s first team to sign a first-round pick. Jalen Carter agreed to terms with the Eagles on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The 2011 CBA made rookie-deal negotiating far less complicated, introducing a slot system that carried over to the 2020 bargaining agreement. First-rounders’ contracts can still produce hiccups, but they generally involve minor issues. Less than a week after drafting Carter, the Eagles navigated those and agreed on the defensive tackle’s slot deal. The No. 9 overall pick will be tied to a four-year contract worth $21.8MM, Schefter adds. The Eagles begin their rookie minicamp Friday.

This represents a $400K bump from the No. 9 slot last year, Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross, who is tied to a four-year deal worth $21.4MM. Carter’s contract will be fully guaranteed and come with the customary fifth-year option that has existed in first-rounders’ contracts since the rookie scale came to be 11 years ago. The option could tie Carter to the Eagles through 2027.

Carter began another run on Eagles defenders from Georgia. After they used first- and third-round picks on ex-Bulldogs defenders (Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean) last year, the defending NFC champions drafted Carter, edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo last week. Carter represents the highest-profile player the Eagles drafted over the past two years, for on- and off-field reasons.

Philly obtained the Carter pick through a one-spot trade-up with Chicago, after initially landing in the top 10 via an April 2022 trade with New Orleans. While the Saints used that draft real estate to climb up for Chris Olave last year, the Eagles became the rare Super Bowl participant to pick in the top 10 the following year. In Carter, the Eagles have a clear Javon Hargrave replacement. Although the Eagles re-signed Fletcher Cox on another one-year deal, a Carter-Davis D-tackle duo seems likely to be the Birds’ long-term setup in the middle.

Carter fell to No. 9 because of myriad factors. The two-time national champion did not fare well at his pro day and received shaky reviews from some Georgia staffers. This came after he was at the scene of a fatal car accident in January, one that involved Carter in a separate vehicle as two Georgia program members — offensive lineman Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy — were killed in a crash. Carter was arrested on two misdemeanor charges — reckless driving and racing — in February, causing him to leave the Combine, but later reached a plea agreement that prevented any jail time. Carter said the Eagles did not ask him too many questions about the incident, though this collection of issues likely led to a few teams passing on him.

The Seahawks, Lions, Raiders, Falcons and Bears joined the Eagles in hosting Carter on pre-draft visits. Seattle (Devon Witherspoon) and Las Vegas (Tyree Wilson) chose other defenders over Carter, while Atlanta took Bijan Robinson and both Detroit and Chicago traded down. Multiple teams took Carter off their draft board, and the Seahawks were believed to be split on drafting the higher-risk talent. Carter was viewed as a lock top-five pick coming into the Combine. He will undoubtedly aim to prove the teams who passed on him made a mistake.

Lions Eyed CB Devon Witherspoon; Team Considered Taking Jahmyr Gibbs At No. 6

May 1st, 2023 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Decisions to use No. 12 and No. 18 overall picks on a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) and an off-ball linebacker (Jack Campbell) brought some scrutiny for the Lions. Another organizational plan would have generated more attention during Round 1.

The Lions were prepared to pounce on Devon Witherspoon if the Seahawks went in another direction, with Albert Breer of SI.com indicating the Lions regarded the Illinois cornerback as a clean prospect. But the Seahawks deviated from their past at the corner position and chose Witherspoon at No. 5, leaving the Lions in a bind.

That predicament stemmed from the team placing a much higher-than-expected value on Gibbs. After the Seahawks drafted Witherspoon, GM Brad Holmes spoke with Dan Campbell about pivoting to Gibbs at 6. While Breer adds the Lions’ initial plan was not to draft the Alabama dual threat that high, they were prepared to do so until the Cardinals called about their trade offer to secure Paris Johnson. That move to No. 12 allowed the Lions to pick up draft capital, avoiding a wildly unexpected scenario in which Gibbs went off the board before Bijan Robinson.

Teams’ interest in Gibbs became known during draft week, when reports circulated about some clubs rating former Crimson Tide contributor in the same realm as Robinson. Gibbs topped 440 receiving yards in each of the past two years, and the Lions are prepared to use thee rookie as a multipurpose back to complement David Montgomery. Holmes has acknowledged the positional value-based criticism that has come with selecting a running back 12th overall, and the Lions had the option of drafting Jalen Carter or Tyree Wilson at No. 6. Taking Gibbs over those two pass rushers would have doubled as one of the more fascinating moves in recent draft history, but the Lions added No. 34 and No. 168 to move down six spots.

Detroit did not bring Witherspoon in for a visit, and neither Campbell nor Holmes trekked to Champaign for his pro day. The Seahawks had never drafted a corner higher than 90th (Shaquill Griffin) under the John Schneider–Pete Carroll regime, but Witherspoon will team with Tariq Woolen in Seattle. Witherspoon remaining on the board at 5 helped the Seahawks resist a trade-down urge. The Lions have made a few significant additions to their secondary this offseason, signing Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley. After the Seahawks chose Witherspoon, the Lions added Alabama DB Brian Branch in Round 2.

The team initially wanted to draft either Witherspoon or Will Anderson Jr. at No. 6, per Breer, and trade up from No. 18 for Gibbs. Trading out of No. 6 obviously reflected Lions hesitancy regarding Carter and the team placing a value gap between Anderson and Wilson. The Lions moving to 12 also kept them in front of two teams they heard were Gibbs fans — the Patriots (No. 14) and Jets (No. 15). A scouting trip to last season’s Alabama-Texas game alerted Holmes to Gibbs, and he will replace D’Andre Swift in the Motor City.

The Gibbs pick prompted the Eagles to act quickly. They swapped seventh-round picks with the Lions sent the NFC North franchise a 2025 fourth for Swift, who joins Rashaad Penny as Philly offseason backfield additions. Holmes and Eagles GM Howie Roseman discussed the Swift trade for “a few days.”

“It’s my job to keep laser-focused on the present but probably even more importantly, keep laser-focused on the future,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “And that’s what went into a lot of the decisions with having to make the trade with D’Andre Swift to Philly. He was in the last year of his contract and if I go back to last year, I felt really good about us being able to bring back Jamaal Williams. I felt confident as the season ended. I felt good with our conversations with his camp, and it didn’t happen. So you have to just be prepared for all those things.”

Williams did not speak highly of the Lions’ offer; last season’s rushing touchdowns leader is now with the Saints on a three-year, $12MM deal. Montgomery signed a three-year, $18MM pact with the Lions. He and Gibbs now comprise Detroit’s backfield, with the latter on a first-round contract that could have checked in at a higher draft slot.

2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 2 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2020 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement and performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
  • Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the third-20th highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position.

With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:

  1. QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($29.5MM): Exercised
  2. DE Chase Young, Commanders ($17.45MM): Declined
  3. CB Jeff Okudah, Falcons* ($11.51MM): N/A
  4. T Andrew Thomas, Giants ($14.18MM): Exercised
  5. QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins ($23.2MM): Exercised
  6. QB Justin Herbert, Chargers ($29.5MM): Exercised
  7. DT Derrick Brown, Panthers ($11.67MM): Exercised 
  8. LB Isaiah Simmons, Cardinals ($12.72MM): Declined
  9. CB C.J. Henderson, Jaguars** ($11.51MM): Declined
  10. T Jedrick Wills, Browns ($14.18MM): Exercised
  11. T Mekhi Becton, Jets ($12.57MM): Declined
  12. WR Henry Ruggs, Raiders: N/A
  13. T Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers ($18.24MM): Exercised
  14. DT Javon Kinlaw, 49ers ($10.46MM): Declined
  15. WR Jerry Jeudy, Broncos ($14.12MM): Exercised
  16. CB AJ Terrell, Falcons ($12.34MM): Exercised
  17. WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($17.99MM): Exercised
  18. OL Austin Jackson, Dolphins ($14.18MM): Declined
  19. CB Damon Arnette, Raiders: N/A
  20. DE K’Lavon Chaisson, Jaguars ($12.14MM): Declined
  21. WR Jalen Reagor, Vikings*** ($12.99MM): To decline
  22. WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings ($19.74MM): Exercised
  23. LB Kenneth Murray, Chargers ($11.73MM): Declined
  24. G Cesar Ruiz, Saints ($14.18MM): Declined
  25. WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($14.12MM): Exercised
  26. QB Jordan Love, Packers ($20.27MM): Extended through 2024
  27. LB Jordyn Brooks, Seahawks ($12.72MM): Declined
  28. LB Patrick Queen, Ravens ($12.72MM): Declined
  29. T Isaiah Wilson, Titans: N/A
  30. CB Noah Igbinoghene, Dolphins ($11.51MM): Declined
  31. CB Jeff Gladney, Vikings: N/A
  32. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs ($5.46MM): To decline

* = Lions traded Okudah on April 11, 2023
** = Jaguars traded Henderson on Sept. 27, 2021
*** = Eagles traded Reagor on August 31, 2022

2023 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 29th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:

Arizona Cardinals

Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)

Atlanta Falcons

Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)

Baltimore Ravens

Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)

Buffalo Bills

Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)

Carolina Panthers

Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)

Chicago Bears

Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)

Cincinnati Bengals

Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)

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