HEADLINES

D.J. Hayden

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/20

November 21st, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is Saturday’s usual flood of minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Football Team

Jaguars Place CB D.J. Hayden On IR

October 7th, 2020 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars will be down their slot cornerback for at least three weeks. They placed D.J. Hayden on IR Wednesday, further thinning out the team’s new-look secondary.

Hayden left the Jags’ Week 4 game with a hamstring injury. The third-year Jaguar represents the team’s most experienced corner, having been a regular since coming into the league as a 2013 first-round pick.

Jacksonville signed Hayden in 2018 and, for the most part, has seen the former Raiders bust rejuvenate himself. Hayden graded as a top-25 corner in 2018 and ’19, per Pro Football Focus, which is less bullish on his early-2020 returns.

Hayden teamed with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye in 2018 and to start last season. Both have since been traded, leaving the veteran with younger defenders. The Jags will be forced to use their less seasoned talents exclusively against the Texans in Week 5.

Four Jaguars Players Detained In London

October 28th, 2018 at 9:42am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Sunday, 9:42am: It appears that this situation will blow over. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Church was not actually arrested — Hayden, Wilson, and Harrison apparently were — but none of the four players were charged. London Police say the matter is “resolved.”

Rapoport says that the four men skipped out on a $64K bar tab, but that may have been due to a misunderstanding (video link). Apparently, expensive bottles of alcohol were being sent to their table, but they believed someone else was paying for them. They were therefore surprised when they were expected to pay.

In any event, it seems this incident will not have any impact on the team or the players moving forward.

Saturday, 9:15pm: The players arrested were Barry Church, D.J. Hayden, Jarrod Wilson, and Ronnie Harrison, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). All four players are defensive backs, which could explain why the team was so reluctant to name them in their statement.

Jacksonville is already shorthanded in the secondary and can’t afford to be without both Church and Harrison, so they will almost certainly still play. Church, a safety, plays nearly every down while Harrison, also a safety, has seen his snaps increase in recent weeks. Hayden was already unlikely to play with an injury, and Wilson is a lightly-used special-teamer.

Saturday, 9:05pm: Online reports from British tabloids began circulating that four Jaguars players had been arrested ahead of Jacksonville’s game in London, and now the team is confirming those reports, according to James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The Jaguars released a very brief statement acknowledging what happened, which reads as follows: “We are aware that four of our players were detained over restitution of a bill. The matter is being resolved and the players are with the team. Any discipline will be handled internally.”

The statement is very light on details, and it hasn’t been reported yet which four players were detained. The original report from the British paper said the players were confronted by security at a nightclub and accused of trying to avoid paying their tab. While the team is clearly being intentionally vague, we should know more details soon. At this point, it’s unclear if the players will still play in the game against the Eagles tomorrow.

No matter what happens, it’s an awful look for a club that’s been in disarray for weeks now, with the news breaking 12 hours before they’re set to kick off. The locker room has reportedly turned toxic, with multiple shouting matches breaking out after their most recent loss. Blake Bortles was benched and is now on a very short leash, and this is the last thing the team needs.

The NFL has made expanding the game into the London market a major focal point in recent years, and the league office will likely be outraged at the optics. While the Jaguars have said any discipline will be internal, commissioner Roger Goodell may disagree.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Jaguars To Sign CB D.J. Hayden

March 14th, 2018 at 7:37am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have agreed to terms with cornerback D.J. Hayden, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link). He’ll collect a three-year, $19MM deal which contains $9.5MM in guarantees and can max out at $21MM.

Jacksonville has invested heavily in its secondary over the past few years, and has added corners Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye through the draft and free agency, respectively. However, the Jaguars aren’t able to keep everyone in their defensive backfield, and Tuesday they lost slot cornerback Aaron Colvin to the division-rival Texans.

Colvin received $34MM over four years from Houston, so the Jaguars are saving quite a bit of cash and cap space by replacing him with Hayden. However, Jacksonville is also looking at a significant in talent, at least based on prior results. Although he’s a former No. 12 overall pick, Hayden has never lived up to the draft billing, and 2017 was no exception.

Hayden ranked as a the No. 96 cornerback among 121 qualifiers a season ago, per Pro Football Focus. Colvin, meanwhile, finished 47th in the same grades, so Jacksonville should expect a downgrade in its slot performance. Hayden will be flanked by All-Pro caliber outside corners in Ramsey and Bouye, so it’s possible he’ll show improvement, but he’ll need to exceed expectations to do so.

Jaguars, CB D.J. Hayden In Talks

March 13th, 2018 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars working on deal with cornerback D.J. Hayden, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). Hayden spent last season with the Lions.

Jacksonville has invested heavily in its secondary over the past few years, and has added corners Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye through the draft and free agency, respectively. However, the Jaguars aren’t able to keep everyone in their defensive backfield, and today they lost slot cornerback Aaron Colvin to the division-rival Texans.

Hayden, a former first-round pick, could take over Colvin’s old role if signed by the Jaguars. Hayden, 27, has never lived up to his draft billing, but it’s possible his performance could improve if he’s sandwiched by All-Pro corners on either side of him. That would entail a large step forward, however: Pro Football Focus graded Hayden as a bottom-30 corner among 121 qualifiers.

Extra Points: Hayden, Titans, Patriots, Mauti

April 2nd, 2017 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite joining many of his high-first-round peers from 2013 in not living up to their draft statuses, D.J. Hayden signed a one-year, $3.75MM deal from the Lions. He will be looking to bounce back after four inconsistent seasons with the Raiders. His former GM agrees that Hayden needed to go elsewhere.

“I think he probably made a good decision by getting away from Oakland,” Reggie McKenzie told the Detroit Free Press at the NFL owners meetings last week. “Fresh start.”

McKenzie considered making a push to re-sign the former No. 12 overall pick, and per the Free Press’ Dave Birkett, that might have happened if Hayden came at more of a discount. But the sixth-year Raiders GM concluded that if Hayden was going to reach his potential as an NFL corner he would have to leave Oakland. The injuries that dogged Hayden “killed his confidence,” per McKenzie. Hayden played in 16 games just once in his four Raider years, in 2015, and missed the final five games last season. The Lions are expected to give Hayden a quality opportunity to win their slot corner job alongside Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson.

“All he lacked, and it’s hard coming from a near-death situation and being thrown right in and had a couple relapses because of the illness, but he was always playing behind the 8-ball from a physical standpoint,” McKenzie said. “So if he gets that behind him, his confidence will grow. He never, I think in his whole time in Oakland, the confidence for him to really thrive was not where it needed to be.”

Here’s more from around league.

  • The Titans may have a different view of Connecticut safety prospect Obi Melifonwu than some other teams. They worked out the UConn product today as a cornerback, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The organization reportedly likes the 6-foot-4, 224-pound player’s size and cover skills. Melifonwu also has a 4.40-second 40-yard dash clocking, which is good for a corner while being excellent for a safety. The ex-Huskies back-line defender being envisioned as a corner isn’t merely a Titans viewpoint, though, with around 40 percent of NFL teams categorizing the safety this way.
  • Adrian Peterson‘s Patriots visit strikes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk as a tactic aimed at getting LeGarrette Blount‘s attention. Noting New England’s secretive nature, this Monday summit being made public now and not after the fact leads Florio to believe this is a get-acquainted session at best. Florio writes this could be a method used at getting Blount to take what’s being offered instead of holding out for more money on the heels of an 18-touchdown season. Blount and the Patriots broke off talks last month.
  • Prior to actually participating in Wrestlemania 33, Rob Gronkowski said he would be ready to go by the time the Patriots’ offseason program begins later this month, In an interview with ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman (video link), Gronk said he feels good after his latest surgery and would be “ready to roll” when the team reconvenes on April 17. The soon-to-be 28-year-old tight end underwent back surgery in December.
  • Saints coach Sean Payton expects recovering linebacker Michael Mauti to be ready by the time training camp comes, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com reports. Stricken with an intestinal disease, the 27-year-old linebacker did not play in eight Saints games last season because of it. He remains a UFA, but the Saints have interest in retaining the backup defender. Mauti contemplated having a surgery to fix this years-long problem last spring but opted against since he was going into a contract year. Energy and weight loss led to the Saints placing Mauti on their NFI list in November, and he underwent surgery in December. The team still paid him his full $675K salary last season. Mauti told Katzenstein he wants to continue his career with the Saints.

Contract Details: Campbell, Demps, Wheaton

March 12th, 2017 at 3:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look the financial details of some recently-signed contracts:

  • Mike Adams, S (Panthers): Two years, $4.2MM. $1.15MM guaranteed. $650K signing bonus. $00K available annually via Pro Bowl and interception incentives (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Calais Campbell, DL (Jaguars): Four years, $60MM. $30MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus. Base salaries $9MM (guaranteed), $15MM (guaranteed), $12MM, $15MM. $3MM option bonus for 2019 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Marcus Cooper, CB (Bears): Three years, $16MM. $8MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $1MM available annually in Pro Bowl and interception incentives (Twitter links via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
  • Quintin Demps, S (Bears): Three years, $13.5MM. $5MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ryan Griffin, TE (Texans): Three years, $9MM. $3.225MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout base de-escalator (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • D.J. Hayden, CB (Lions): One year, $3.75MM. $2.25MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $250K workout bonus. $1.5MM available via incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ted Larsen, OL (Dolphins): Three years, $5.65MM. $1.75MM guaranteed. $1.25MM signing bonus. $500K escalator in 2018. $1MM escalator in 2019 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Josh Robinson, CB (Buccaneers): Two years, $5M. $2MM guaranteed. $1MM roster bonus due on eighth day of 2017 league year. $1.75MM team option in 2018. $750K available via incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Cornelius Washington, DL (Lions): Two years, $5.825MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. $1.5MM guaranteed (link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
  • Markus Wheaton, WR (Bears): Two years, $11MM. $5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times)
  • Terrance Williams, WR (Cowboys): Four years, $17MM. $9.5MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. 2020 option season. Annual $200K workout base salary de-escalator (Twitter links via Wilson).

Lions To Sign CB D.J. Hayden

March 10th, 2017 at 7:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions and cornerback D.J. Hayden agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth as much as $5.25MM, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). "<strong

Hayden, 27 in June, suffered a hamstring injury in November of last year, ending his season after just eleven games played. At the time of the injury, Hayden was ranked as No. 100 cornerback in the NFL out of 120 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. He posted poor grades for both coverage and run defense, but he had a better-than-average pass rush grade in his 476 total snaps. Of course, PFF’s scores aren’t everything and Hayden does come with starting experience.

Hayden entered the league as the No. 12 overall pick in 2013. He has not lived up to his first-round billing and he has only one fully healthy season on his resume. Now, he’ll likely be the first cornerback off the bench in support of Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson.

In other Lions news, tight end Darren Fells is set to visit, two other teams have entered the mix to sign Andre Roberts, and T.J. Lang will make Detroit one of his first stops on his free agent tour. The Lions snagged a big fish when they signed tackle Ricky Wagner and they shed a big name when they dropped linebacker DeAndre Levy.

Raiders Place D.J. Hayden On IR

December 3rd, 2016 at 3:47pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 3:47pm: Oakland made the move to place Hayden on IR, replacing the fourth-year corner on their active roster with defensive lineman Branden Jackson, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. A rookie UDFA from Texas Tech, Jackson has not played this season.

FRIDAY, 2:47pm: D.J. Hayden‘s season is over. The Raiders announced that they will place the cornerback on injured reserve. "<strong

Hayden suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday’s victory over the Panthers. Now, Oakland will move forward without its No. 3 cornerback. In his place, T.J. Carrie will probably see an increase in playing time.

With Sean Smith David Amerson, Dexter McDonald, and Antonio Hamilton already on the roster, the team may not need to add another cornerback. Amerson missed Week 12 with a knee injury, but he appears on track to play this weekend.

Hayden is currently ranked as the 100th best cornerback in the NFL out of 120 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. He has poor grades for both coverage and run defense, but he has a better-than-average pass rush grade. He has been on the field for 476 snaps this year, which is significantly higher than Carrie’s total to date.

In May, the Raiders declined Hayden’s fifth-year option. Instead of earning $8.03MM in 2017, Hayden will be eligible for free agency.

Raiders Won’t Exercise D.J. Hayden’s Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are not expected to use their fifth-year option for cornerback D.J. Hayden, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It was long anticipated that the Raiders would decline the option on Hayden’s 2017 season. "<strong

The Raiders probably didn’t have a hard time pondering Hayden’s $8.03MM option given his performance. However, with Hayden potentially not in the team’s plans beyond this season, it is a little surprising to see that GM Reggie McKenzie did not tap a corner in this year’s draft.

As of this writing, Hayden is likely slated to be the No. 4 cornerback on the Raiders’ depth chart in 2016. The Raiders group of corners also includes new addition Sean Smith, David Amerson, and Travis Carrie.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Load More Posts