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AFC East Rumors: Bills, Jets, Douglas, Jackson

March 6th, 2022 at 5:33pm CST by Ely Allen

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made comments that all but guaranteed that an agreement for a new stadium for the Bills will be made soon, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

Highmark Stadium (previously Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, and New Era Field) has been the home of the Bills since 1973. The Bills’ current lease on Highmark expires in 2023 and the franchise has been pushing with many government entities to build them a shiny, new stadium. The team has used the very real looming threat that there are plenty of other markets in the country that can support an NFL franchise.

Hochul commented on that threat saying, “That’s why we’re negotiating very intently, to make sure we have the right outcome for this community.” The new stadium will partially be funded by the public to the tune of about $850MM. The Governor claims that a deal will be done by April 1, in time for the annual budget.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East, starting with a couple of notes that keep us in the Empire State:

  • The Jets are planning to use this offseason to add some weapons to the roster for quarterback Zach Wilson. They currently have Corey Davis and Elijah Moore sitting atop the depth chart. They would love to bring back Braxton Berrios as a fourth-receiver/gadget player and they haven’t yet given up on Denzel Mims. Still, New York will have ample opportunity to add a potential No. 1 receiver to the roster, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. The free agent market is home to many household names like Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Mike Williams, and, potentially, Amari Cooper. Players like Calvin Ridley and Cole Beasley have been rumored to be available via trade. The 2022 NFL Draft is also so rich in talented receivers that many believe some first round talent could fall to the second round where the Jets have two high picks, if they don’t choose to take a top prospect like Garrett Wilson or Drake London with the 10th overall pick.
  • That being said, Vacchiano also reports that, despite their vast spending ability, general manager Joe Douglas has been preaching the maintenance of financial flexibility. Though the Jets rank in the Top 5 in the NFL in salary cap space, Douglas rejected the notion that their $50-60MM in cap space will be dedicated to big spending in free agency. Douglas acknowledged free agency as just one of “a lot of different tools to improve your roster” and pointed to the Bengals as an example of responsible free agent spending. “I think Cincy did great in free agency last year,” he said. “They didn’t blow the doors off in terms of signing super high-priced guys. They brought in guys who fit exactly what they wanted to do.”
  • According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, Patriots’ cornerback JC Jackson is likely headed for free agency with some lofty expectations. While Jackson still likes the Patriots, money is a big factor for the 26-year-old. Giardi claims that Jackson is strictly seeking compensation similar to Jalen Ramsey. New England won’t bring that money to the table and it sounds like they won’t be utilizing their franchise tag on Jackson, either. That information could lead to a tag and trade situation if other teams aren’t willing to shell out for Jackson in free agency.

Bears’ Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks Leaving In Free Agency?

February 22nd, 2022 at 12:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

2022 will be an important season for the Bears, with Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles taking over as head coach and general manager, respectively. It will also be the first full year of Justin Fields being the undisputed starting quarterback. However, as Adam Jahns of The Athletic writes, they could very well find themselves without Pro Bowlers Allen Robinson and Akiem Hicks. 

Poles’ stated goal to “be selective in free agency” might not include Robinson or Hicks. The former has made it clear that he was not a fan of ex-HC Matt Nagy in particular, and of the offensive direction of the team more generally. The 28-year-old posted 38 catches for 410 yards and one touchdown last season, a far cry from his 1,100-plus yard seasons in the two previous campaigns.

Robinson signed his franchise tender last year, with many feeling it may be his final season in the Windy City. As Jahns writes, “aligning with a veteran quarterback is arguably in his best interests”, either as part of a long-term deal closer to the $14MM per year he originally agreed to in Chicago, or on a shorter pact to prove he can still play at an elite level.

As for Hicks, frustrations with the franchise could again be a deciding factor in his plans. As Jahns notes, even tough nearly the entire defensive staff has been replaced, the 32-year-old could look elsewhere on the open market – a stark turnaround from preseason reports that he was looking to stay in Chicago. With injuries becoming a concern in recent years, Hicks is still amongst the most disruptive interior linemen in the league, recording seven total sacks in the last two seasons. However, Jahns writes, “Hicks seemed to sense that his time was ending with the Bears” towards the end of the regular season. Regardless of where he ends up, Hicks will likely not be able to match the $12MM annual average he was making on his soon-to-be expired contract.

In the case of both players, Jahns predicts that they will leave in free agency, leaving the Bears to focus on other priorities, such as offensive linemen James Daniels. If Robinson and Hicks do depart, they will leave Chicago with plenty of cap space to work with, but also a significant number of additions needing to be made to rebound from 2021’s disappointing performance.

Allen Robinson, Bears Won’t Agree On Extension

July 13th, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It’s been trending this way for a while, but now it’s more or less official. The Bears and receiver Allen Robinson are not expected to agree to an extension, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

As a franchise-tagged player, Robinson had until July 15th to work out a long-term deal with Chicago or decide to play 2021 under the tag. It appears he’ll go with the latter option, which will pay him about $17.9MM for the upcoming season. We just heard safety Marcus Maye won’t be inking a new contract with the Jets, which leaves five other tagged players up in the air.

We’ve still yet to hear for sure about Bucs receiver Chris Godwin, Panthers tackle Taylor Moton, Washington guard Brandon Scherff, Saints safety Marcus Williams, or Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson. We haven’t heard much at all about Scherff, Williams, or Robinson. As of a couple weeks ago the Panthers were hoping to extend Moton, while we heard just this past week Tampa wasn’t particularly close with Godwin

Robinson and the Bears have been at a stalemate for most of the past year, outside of last September when it briefly looked like things were headed in the right direction. There were rumors of a possible tag and trade this offseason, but nothing materialized.

Robinson opted to attend mandatory minicamp, and appears content to play this season out. He’s often been the lone bright spot on a struggling Bears offense the past couple seasons, and has proven to be immune to poor quarterback play. Despite last year’s anemic passing game and the shuffling between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky, the Penn State product still finished with 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns.

Now that an extension is off the table, the only question left to be settled is if it’ll be Justin Fields or Andy Dalton throwing him the ball in 2021.

Allen Robinson, Bears ‘Unlikely’ To Agree On Extension Before Deadline

July 9th, 2021 at 1:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals is rapidly approaching, with next Thursday July 15th being the cut-off.

There are seven tagged players left without contracts, and it sounds like it’s safe to say at least one of them won’t be getting one. The Bears and star receiver Allen Robinson have had “no substantive talks” in recent months, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Pelissero added that it “seems unlikely a long-term deal will get done.”

Speaking a couple of weeks ago Robinson didn’t sound overly optimistic, saying “we’ll see” about the possibility of an agreement, so this isn’t too shocking. The two sides have been at a stalemate for most of the past year, outside of last September when it briefly looked like things were headed in the right direction. 

Things quickly soured again, and there were reports that Chicago might look to trade him this offseason. It appears he will play for the Bears in 2021, but without any long-term guarantees. The Penn State product did show up for last month’s mandatory minicamp, so he isn’t too disgruntled.

Perhaps the $17.9MM he’s set to earn this season is keeping him from getting too negative. Robinson has been the lone bright spot on a struggling Bears offense the past couple seasons, and should put up big numbers once again whether it’s Justin Fields or Andy Dalton throwing him the ball. He had 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns in 2020,.

Status Of 7 Remaining Franchise-Tagged Players

July 3rd, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ten players comprised this year’s franchise tag contingent — down from 14 in 2020. However, the Broncos, Cowboys and Giants reached extension agreements with their tagged players — Justin Simmons, Dak Prescott and Leonard Williams, respectively — to leave seven tag recipients unsigned entering July.

With the July 15 deadline to extend franchise-tagged players less than two weeks away, here is where things stand with the remaining members of the group:

WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

Rather than tag Shaquil Barrett for a second straight year, the Bucs cuffed Godwin at $15.9MM. The defending Super Bowl champions found room for Barrett and every other notable free agent they had this offseason, going into overdrive in their effort to defend their second championship. Like every other franchise-tagged player this year, Godwin has signed his tender. The former third-round pick has said he wants to stay in Tampa long-term. The Bucs have Mike Evans signed to a now-below-market deal ($16.5MM per year), so it will be interesting to see how they navigate negotiations with his less accomplished (but three years younger, at 25) sidekick.

S Marcus Maye, Jets

Tagged months after the Jets traded Jamal Adams, Maye has not exactly enjoyed a smooth negotiating process. Just before the Jets tagged Maye, his agent slammed the team for a lackluster effort to extend the four-year starter beforehand. The Jets have carried on negotiations since applying the tag and are believed to have been steadfast in this approach, but this has not necessarily translated to progress. These talks are expected to go down to the wire. Maye, 28, not signing an extension by July 15 would keep the Mike Maccagnan-era draft choice on the $10.6MM tag.

OT Taylor Moton, Panthers

While the Panthers’ left tackle position has been one of the toughest to fill over the past decade, Moton has locked down the team’s right tackle post. A 2017 second-round pick, Moton has not missed a game since debuting in Carolina’s lineup in Week 1 of the 2018 season. The Panthers have a new regime in place, but the Matt Rhule–Scott Fitterer duo hopes to extend Moton.

The right tackle market moved this week, with Ryan Ramczyk agreeing to a $19.2MM-per-year extension. Moton, 26, is not a candidate to top that, but he may be primed to fill the gap between the top tier (Ramczyk and $18MM-AAV Lane Johnson) and Jack Conklin‘s $14MM-AAV deal. Moton is attached to a $13.8MM franchise tender.

WR Allen Robinson, Bears

Tagged at a higher price ($17.98MM) than Godwin because of his previous contract, Robinson has been the Bears’ No. 1 option on offense for the past three years. This has not translated to harmony between he and the team. Robinson has expressed frustration with the Bears’ tactics during his lengthy extension talks, which date back to last year, and he at one point surfaced in trade rumors.

This will be the eighth-year veteran’s age-28 season. A long-term Robinson deal would pair well with Justin Fields‘ rookie contract, with no other Bears receiver making even midlevel money, but the former third-round pick did not sound especially confident a deal will be finalized by the deadline.

OT Cam Robinson, Jaguars

This might be the closest to a “prove it” tag in this year’s lot. The former second-round pick has recovered from the ACL tear that cost him 14 games in 2018, starting 30 over the past two seasons. But Robinson, 25, has yet to show he is among the better players at the left tackle position. Without a viable replacement lined up, the Jaguars tagged the Alabama alum at $13.8MM. It would make sense for the Urban Meyer regime to gauge Robinson’s contract-year performance and reassess the matter next year. Holding the most cap space in the NFL ($38MM), the Jags can afford to carry Robinson’s tag figure this season.

G Brandon Scherff, Washington

Washington and its top offensive lineman have been at this for a while. A 2015 first-round pick, Scherff has been eligible for an extension since the 2017 season ended. Instead, Washington has seen another tag situation near the point of no return. The four-time Pro Bowl guard has played on the fifth-year option and the franchise tag, pushing this year’s tag price to $18MM. A third tag is unrealistic, as the Kirk Cousins standoff showed, and no deal this month would push Scherff toward free agency in 2022. The team wants to extend the 29-year-old blocker, but it will almost certainly take a guard-record agreement to do so. Joe Thuney raised the position’s ceiling with a $16MM-AAV deal in March.

S Marcus Williams, Saints

The Saints’ salary cap tightrope walk included a $10.6MM Williams tag, completing an odyssey that began with the team $100MM-plus over this year’s reduced cap. With New Orleans already doing the rare fifth-year option restructure with Marshon Lattimore, a Williams extension would be the easiest way to create more cap room. The team checked the top item off its offeseason to-do list, the Ramcyzk extension, but it may well have either a Lattimore or Williams re-up in its near-future plans.

Part of New Orleans’ impact 2017 draft class, the 24-year-old safety has been a starter from Day 1. Even though Lattimore may be a higher extension priority, the team coming all the way back from $100MM over the cap to use a franchise tag illustrates its view of Williams’ work.

Allen Robinson On Possibility Of Bears Extension

June 30th, 2021 at 10:41pm CST by Rory Parks

Aside from some short-lived optimism last September, it has generally felt like the Bears and WR Allen Robinson are unlikely to come to terms on a new contract. In January, we heard that Chicago was bracing for the possibility that Robinson would leave in free agency, and shortly thereafter, Robinson said that the club had yet to put a viable offer on the table.

While the Bears obviously cuffed Robinson with the franchise tag to keep him in the fold for 2021, the most recent reports on the matter suggested that no progress has been made towards an extension. In an interview on NFL Total Access today, Robinson didn’t give much of an answer when asked about the prospects of a long-term deal.

“We’ll see,” he said (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com). “I think the biggest thing like, again, like I said, just about going out there this year, having fun, making plays, trying to help this team get back into the playoffs. I think that’s the main thing.”

Robinson, who will turn 28 in August, has been a rare bright spot on a Chicago offense that has struggled over the past couple of seasons. From 2019-20, the Penn State product has averaged 100 catches for nearly 1,200 yards despite drawing the top corners from opposing defenses and catching passes from Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles, and Chase Daniel.

It’s hard to say if his numbers will improve much in 2021. The Bears are set to deploy Andy Dalton under center to start the season, and Dalton is far removed from the passer he was during his best years in Cincinnati. As long as he remains the starting QB, the Bears’ offense will probably resemble the Trubisky/Foles attack of 2020.

With receivers like Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper now earning $20MM+ on an annual basis, it stands to reason that Robinson will shoot for a similar payout. To date, the Bears have not come close to meeting his asking price, but given the projected salary cap spike in 2022, there may well be a couple of teams willing to pay up next offseason if Robinson continues to perform at a high level.

Allen Robinson To Show For Bears’ Minicamp

June 14th, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have a month to sign Allen Robinson to a long-term extension, and while his future in Chicago is murky, the franchise-tagged wide receiver will resurface at team headquarters this week.

Robinson intends to report to the Bears’ minicamp, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times notes, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the eighth-year pass catcher has arrived at Halas Hall (Twitter link). This certainly represents a positive sign for the Bears, with franchise-tagged players often skipping all offseason workouts and then staying away into training camp.

[RELATED: Allen Robinson Signs Franchise Tender] 

Nothing much has transpired on the Robinson extension front. The sides have not been close to the same page on terms since negotiations began nearly a year ago, and Lieser adds they have made no progress toward a deal.

Like many players this offseason, Robinson stayed away from voluntary workouts. He was quick to sign his $17.9MM franchise tender, however, doing so amid rumors the Bears were pursuing Kenny Golladay. The ex-Lions weapon visited the Bears but ended up signing with the Giants. Robinson resides as the Bears’ clear-cut No. 1 target for a fourth straight year.

The Bears will count on Robinson to help first-round pick Justin Fields assimilate, even though it appears Andy Dalton will begin the season as Chicago’s QB1. Robinson, 27, has cleared 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons. The Bears gave the ex-Jaguar a $14MM-per-year deal in 2018 but upset him during extension talks. His reporting for minicamp should be considered a good sign, but how the parties proceed at the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions will be more telling about their prospects for a long-term partnership.

Bears Want To Pair Kenny Golladay With Allen Robinson

March 19th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

It’s not an either-or, apparently. The Bears are pursuing Kenny Golladay with the intention of also keeping Allen Robinson, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune hears.

The Bears franchise tagged Robinson earlier this month, but some have speculated about a tag-and-trade scenario — or a rescinding of the tag — with Golladay taking his place. But, the Bears want both receivers. With Robinson locked in for $18MM this year, they’ll need some cooperation from the Lions’ free agent. That could be easier said than done. The Bears are sticking to a one-year offer for $11-$12MM. Golladay, meanwhile, wants roughly $18.5MM per year, according to PFT’s Mike Florio.

An $18.5MM AAV would still be less than top-of-the-market money for wide receivers. Currently, Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins leads the pack with $27.25MM per annum. After that, it’s Julio Jones ($22MM), Keenan Allen ($20.025MM), Amari Cooper ($20MM), and Michael Thomas ($19.25MM) rounding out the top five. Golladay’s asking price would position him sixth among all WRs, just ahead of Odell Beckham Jr.’s $18MM AAV.

Robinson, heading into his age-28 season, quickly signed his tender after news of Golladay’s Bears visit leaked out. Coming off his third 1,000-yard campaign, he probably didn’t envision a scenario in which both he and Golladay would wind up in Chicago, catching passes from new quarterback Andy Dalton,

Allen Robinson Signs Franchise Tender

March 18th, 2021 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Allen Robinson is under contract again with the Bears. Chicago’s No. 1 wide receiver signed his $18MM franchise tender on Thursday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Bears applied a higher-value franchise tag on Robinson, due to his 2020 salary, at the deadline earlier this month. While Robinson has expressed frustration about his situation in Chicago, he is now locked in to that $18MM salary for the 2021 season.

The sides have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term extension, though they were considerably off on terms when they discussed a deal last year. Chicago now has a new starting quarterback, with Andy Dalton‘s deal official. The former Bengals and Cowboys quarterback said Thursday that the Bears’ pledge he will be their starter influenced him to sign with the team.

Kenny Golladay also visited the Bears on Wednesday night, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes this helped influence Robinson to sign his tag. Golladay perhaps could have been a Robinson replacement at a lower rate, and the Bears could have rescinded Robinson’s tag to send him to what has thus far been an underwhelming market for receivers.

Robinson is going into his age-28 season. He is coming off his third 1,000-yard campaign, recording two such seasons in Chicago and one in Jacksonville. The Jaguars did not use the tag on him in 2018, leading him to Chicago. The Bears gave Robinson a $14MM-per-year pact — a higher-value price at the time — despite his 2017 ACL tear. Robinson has since established himself as one of the NFL’s better receivers. It will be interesting to see if the Bears move forward on an extension or if this merely becomes a rental season.

NFL Sets $182.5MM Salary Cap

March 10th, 2021 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL salary cap has been set at $182.5MM, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). This marks a sizable (though expected) drop from last year’s $198.2MM limit.

Teams will not be allowed to borrow cap room from future years, per the CBA, so teams are basically stuck with the hard cap and difficult choices ahead. However, teams do have other ways to navigate the cap, including rollover from 2020, post-June 1 cuts, and contract restructuring.

With the new salary cap, the league has also determined the values of this year’s franchise tag tenders (Twitter link):

  • Quarterback $25.104MM
  • Running Back $8.655MM
  • Tight End $9.601MM
  • Offensive Lineman $13.754MM
  • Defensive End $16.069MM
  • Defensive Tackle $13.888M
  • Linebacker $14.791M
  • Cornerback $15.06MM
  • Kicker/Punter $4.482MM

Here’s the full rundown of this year’s franchise tags, including players on repeat tags who receive a 20% increase:

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