Evan Engram

Evan Engram Wants To Stay With Jaguars

February 21st, 2023 at 6:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last month, Jaguars GM Trent Baalke expressed interest in the team re-signing Evan Engram. The former first-round pick confirmed he is also onboard with staying in Jacksonville, offering a firmer stance compared to his December 2022 view.

The former five-year Giants starter put himself in better position to cash in this year, setting a Jaguars single-season tight end record with 766 receiving yards. While Engram is going into his age-29 season, he could be the market’s top tight end. Although he will be in a good spot if he hits free agency, the Ole Miss product wants to stay where he is.

“Hopefully something gets done; it’s mutual,” Engram said (during a Sirius XM Radio interview; audio link) of the interest in him returning to the Jaguars. “We haven’t had too many conversations yet, but the interest is there on both sides for me to come back, and obviously I would love to come back as well.”

After toiling on flawed Giants teams during his first half-decade in the NFL, Engram became a key component in the Jags’ late-season surge to the divisional round. The franchise had not seen ideal returns on recent investments at the position, from Julius Thomas to Josh Oliver to Tyler Eifert. Engram provided a different impact, topping Kyle Brady‘s 22-year-old Jags tight end single-season standard. Engram also surpassed his own career yardage best — set during his 2017 rookie year — and added a seven-catch, 93-yard outing in the Jags’ 27-point wild-card comeback.

The Jags gave Engram a one-year, $9MM deal in March 2022, and while that is decent “prove it” money, Engram will be targeting more on his second Jacksonville accord. The Jags’ interest and the tight end franchise tag checking in as the third-cheapest this year could also point to Engram not reaching free agency.

It does not sound like he would begrudge the Jaguars for proceeding down that path. Three teams — the Browns, Cowboys and Dolphins — tagged tight ends last year; David Njoku was the only one to sign an extension before the July deadline.

“I felt like I put a lot of great things on film; I had a lot of great results this year. I was a big part of helping my team win,” Engram said. “When you do that at the pass-catching position, those guys get taken care of financially. That’s something that’s been a big goal of mine my entire career.

“If [the tag] happens, I think that’ll be a placeholder to get something done. If that does happen, I’ll be blessed either way. We’ll figure something out long-term that both sides will be happy with.”

The tight end tag will cost teams $11.36MM this year. The Jags may well have Engram positioned as their top free agent. While four-year right tackle starter Jawaan Taylor wants to stay as well, the team already has left tackle Cam Robinson signed to a top-10 deal at his position and Brandon Scherff attached to a top-level guard pact. The team also, however, already has three wide receivers signed to notable contracts. Christian Kirk is set to count $23MM toward Jacksonville’s 2023 cap; Zay Jones is at $10.6MM. Calvin Ridley‘s potential reinstatement will lead to him counting $10.9MM against the cap, via his fifth-year option. But Engram’s deal could be backloaded to complement the receivers’ numbers. Should Engram be retained, he would round out a promising pass-catching corps for Trevor Lawrence‘s third season.

2023 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 16th, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Set to begin its fourth decade of existence, the franchise tag remains a valuable tool for teams to keep top free agents off the market. This year’s tag window opens at 3pm CT on Feb. 21 and closes at 3pm CT on March 7. The NFL released its franchise tag figures — regarding the non-exclusive tag, at least, which will apply to all but one possible tag recipient — earlier this month, and teams are busy budgeting for free agency.

The legal tampering period opens March 13, with the new league year (and official free agency) starting March 15. Once a player is tagged, he has until July 15 to sign an extension with his respective team. Absent an extension agreement by that date, the player must play the 2023 season on the tag (or go the Le’Veon Bell/Dan Williams/Sean Gilbert route, passing on guaranteed money and skipping the season).

With high-profile free agents weeks away from hitting the market, here are the players who figure to be tagged or at least generate conversations about a tag ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Locks

Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens)

One of the most obvious tag candidates since the tag’s 1993 debut, Jackson has been extension-eligible since January 2021. He and the Ravens went through negotiations in 2021 and 2022, negotiating into the season two years ago and stopping talks before Week 1 — a Jackson mandate — of last season. The self-represented quarterback has declined multiple Ravens offers in this span and failed to finish a season for the second straight year. The endless extension drama and rumblings of team frustration about Jackson’s failure to return from an ankle injury aside, the team will tag the former MVP.

Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta said last month he had not decided on using the exclusive or non-exclusive tag — the former preventing teams from talking to the QB, the latter opening the door to offer sheets — but a recent report suggested the team is more likely to roll the dice by using the non-exclusive tag. This would allow another team to sign to Jackson, 25, to the fully guaranteed deal he covets (in a transaction that could send two first-round picks Baltimore’s way) but also hit the Ravens with just a $32.4MM cap hit.

With the Browns collecting three first-rounders and change for Deshaun Watson, the Ravens would almost definitely want more than the two-first-rounder haul attached as baseline compensation for franchise tag offer sheets. But an exclusive QB tag is expected to check in beyond $45MM; this would severely restrict the Ravens in free agency.

The Browns’ Watson extension changed the game for the Ravens, creating a potentially unbridgeable guarantee gap. Jackson has long been connected to seeking a deal north of Watson’s $230MM fully guaranteed; the Ravens offered $133MM guaranteed at signing last year. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti spoke out against the Browns giving Watson that money, and tag-and-trade scenarios involving the top quarterback in Ravens history have entered the equation. It will be a fascinating offseason in Baltimore, even after DeCosta and John Harbaugh expressed hope Jackson can be extended.

Likely tag recipients

Orlando Brown Jr., T (Chiefs)

Criticized by some for turning down the Chiefs’ six-year, $139MM extension offer in July 2022, Brown stayed healthy this season and earned another Pro Bowl nod. The mammoth left tackle is 2-for-2 in Pro Bowls as a Chief, and although he is not quite a top-tier blindsider, he would be one of this year’s top free agents if permitted to hit the market. The Super Bowl champions are not expected to let that happen. A second Brown tag would come in at $19.99MM, being 120% of his 2022 salary.

Brown, 26, cited insufficient guarantees in the Chiefs’ July proposal, which contained $38MM guaranteed at signing and $52.25MM guaranteed in total. The total guarantee figure trailed only ex-Ravens teammate Ronnie Stanley among tackles, while the full guarantee would have placed Brown fourth at the position. Brown turning down that proposal brought risk, and some in the Chiefs organization expressed frustration with the talented blocker. But the former Ravens right tackle’s bet on himself still appears to be paying off. This will be a crucial offseason for the Chiefs and Brown. A third tag — 144% of Brown’s 2023 salary — in 2024 would be viewed as untenable, sending him to free agency on the Kirk Cousins/Trumaine Johnson path. That makes July 15 a fairly firm deadline for Brown and the Chiefs.

Josh Jacobs, RB (Raiders)

After Las Vegas’ new regime passed on Jacobs’ fifth-year option, he became the first Raider to win the rushing title since Marcus Allen in 1985. Jacobs led the NFL in touches in 2022 (393) but was never a primary ball-carrier at Alabama; the former first-round pick should still have some tread on his tires. Running back extensions have become popular but divisive in recent years. While Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and (for now) Ezekiel Elliott are attached to deals worth at least $15MM per year, the Raiders can tag Jacobs at just $10.1MM.

Jacobs, 24, has expressed a desire to stay in Nevada, and Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler want to continue this partnership as well. With many quality running backs on track for free agency, new deals could be finalized before the Raiders become serious about Jacobs negotiations. Whether that happens this year or not, the former first-round pick is unlikely to reach the market.

Daron Payne, DT (Commanders)

After early-offseason extension rumblings, the Commanders did not move too far in this direction last year. They re-upped Terry McLaurin and let Payne play out a contract year. But Payne turned 2022 into a platform campaign that stands to make him one of this year’s top free agents. The Commanders are soon to have $26MM in additional cap space, by moving on from Carson Wentz, and the team will likely give strong consideration to keeping Payne off the market. The defensive tackle tag costs $18.94MM. Washington has begun Payne talks, but those are still in the early stages.

Washington has some mouths to feed on its defensive line, with both Montez Sweat and Chase Young now extension-eligible. The team already paid Payne’s Alabama and Washington D-tackle teammate, Jonathan Allen, and drafted another Crimson Tide interior rusher (Phidarian Mathis) in Round 2 last year. Mathis went down in Week 1, and Payne broke through for an 11.5-sack, 18-TFL season. A tag here is not an open-and-shut tag case, but it would be a tough blow for the Commanders to see their sack leader walk. Regrouping with Payne, 25, would make more sense, especially with the team not preparing to spend big at quarterback this offseason.

Tony Pollard, RB (Cowboys)

Seeming likelier by the week, a Pollard tag would keep an emerging playmaker with a light career workload in the fold. The Cowboys are believed to be strongly considering a tag here, even with Ezekiel Elliott‘s bloated contract on the books. Elliott taking less to stay — it would need to be a lot less — has already been floated, opening the door for his better-performing (in recent years, at least) backup to stick around on the $10.1MM number or via an extension.

It would be strange to tag a backup, but Pollard, 25, is essentially a Dallas starter. He matched Elliott with 12 touchdowns in 2022 and smashed his career-high scrimmage yards number with 1,378. Pollard’s 631 career touches rank just 24th among backs since 2019, pointing to a few prime years remaining on the horizon. With Elliott’s cap number near certain to move down from its present $16.7MM place and Pollard not at risk of seeing his fractured fibula affect his 2023 availability, the former fourth-round find should be back in Dallas.

The Giants’ decision

Daniel Jones, QB

Passing on Jones’ fifth-year option — an understandable decision, given Jones’ first three seasons — leads the Giants to one of the more interesting free agency quandaries in recent memory. After making Saquon Barkley a higher priority regarding in-season extension talks, Big Blue’s new regime has come around on Jones. The former No. 6 overall pick piloting the Giants to the divisional round for the first time in 11 years transformed his value from where it was entering the season, and GM Joe Schoen all but assured the fifth-year passer will be back with the team in 2023. Will that be on a long-term deal or via the tag?

If the Giants and Jones, 25, cannot find common ground before March 7, the tag will likely come out. The team encountered this situation with Leonard Williams in 2021 and tagged the trade acquisition for a second time. That preceded a monster extension. The Giants probably should be careful here, with two late-season matchups against a porous Vikings defense boosting Jones’ value — to the $35MM-per-year range. But the team also should be eager to see Jones in Brian Daboll‘s offense and surrounded by better pass catchers.

Saquon Barkley, RB

A Giants team that battled injuries and bad investments at wide receiver relied on Barkley for much of 2022. Losing the two-time Pro Bowler for nothing will bring considerable risk. Jones sitting atop the Giants’ to-do list may be a pivot from the midseason point, when Schoen referenced a Barkley tag. A positional value-based course change could send Barkley to free agency.

The Giants are believed to have offered Barkley a deal in the $12.5MM-per-year neighborhood, and while the former No. 2 overall pick cited his injury history (21 missed games from 2019-21) in saying he is not looking to reset the running back market, Schoen noted the sides’ 2022 negotiation did not come close to a deal. Barkley, 25, is believed to be seeking a contract near McCaffrey’s $16MM-per-year market-setting price. A $14MM-AAV compromise could be in play, but Barkley may also be keen on testing the market.

Tagging Jones at $32.4MM would clog the Giants’ cap ahead of free agency, whereas as a Barkley tag ($10.1MM) would not drain the team’s funds on the same level. Barkley can make a case he is worthy of the McCaffrey-Kamara tier, given his production (when healthy) and versatility — and the salary cap jumping nearly $30MM (to $224.8MM) since those stars’ 2020 extensions were finalized. But the Giants are not yet prepared to go much higher than the $12MM-AAV range — the second tier for running backs. Jones talks not producing a deal would put the Giants to a decision; Barkley could become one of the most talented backs to hit free agency.

While Barkley is a better player, Jones has become the Giants’ top priority. Tagging the quarterback would be far more expensive than cuffing Barkley. A Jones extension/Barkley tag scenario remains the best Giants path, but that can only come to fruition if Jones agrees to terms before March 7.

On tag radar

Jessie Bates, S (Bengals)

With Joe Burrow now extension-eligible, new contractual territory awaits the Bengals. Tee Higgins is also eligible for a new deal, with Germaine Pratt weeks away from free agency. Vonn Bell, a three-year Bengals starter who is also nearing free agency, would be a cheaper alternative at safety to keeping Bates on a second tag. Cincinnati also drafted potential Bates heir apparent Dax Hill in the first round. This all points to the Bengals letting Bates walk — as they did defenders Carl Lawson and William Jackson in 2021 — but the former second-round pick is still one of the league’s top safeties.

The Bengals and Bates never came close on an extension last year; the team’s conservative guarantee policy led to an offer of $16MM guaranteed at signing. While player personnel director Duke Tobin said last summer renegotiations this year will not be off the table, Bates will likely hit the market. The five-year Cincinnati starter, who will turn 26 next week, can be re-tagged at $15.5MM.

Jamel Dean, CB (Buccaneers)

The Bucs tagged Chris Godwin in each of the past two years and prioritized retaining their core players above all else during that span. But, with Tom Brady‘s void-years money hitting the Bucs’ cap in 2023, a Dean tag will be difficult to pull off. The Saints moving from $75MM-plus over the cap in February 2021 to creating room for a Marcus Williams tag, however, shows how teams can go from cap hell to carving out tag space. That said, Brady’s $35.1MM hitting the cap pushes the Bucs past $50MM over the 2023 salary ceiling.

Dean, 26, has been one of the team’s top players. The former third-round pick grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 overall cornerback from 2020-22. This still looks like an unlikely proposition, with the corner tag at $18.14MM, but it should not be considered completely off the table.

Evan Engram, TE (Jaguars)

Tight ends Mike Gesicki, David Njoku and Dalton Schultz received tags in 2022, and the tight end tag again checking in as the third-cheapest ($11.36MM) this year makes the Jaguars keeping Engram off the market a logical step. The former Giants first-round pick broke through on his one-year Jags pact, filling a longstanding void for the franchise. Engram’s 766 receiving yards set a Jacksonville single-season tight end record. With mutual interest believed to exist, a tag as a bridge to a summer extension — ahead of Engram’s age-29 season — is a scenario to watch here.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S (Eagles)

The Eagles traded two Day 3 draft picks for Gardner-Johnson and moved him from corner to safety. After the ex-Saints slot defender led the NFL in interceptions, he will be in line for a payday. New Orleans and Gardner-Johnson, 25, could not come to terms last summer, leading to the trade, but Philadelphia wants to retain the imported DB. The Bengals kept Bates off the market last year with the safety tag, which checks in at $14.46MM this year. Given the volume of defenders the NFC champions have set for free agency, this looks like a longer-odds scenario.

Dre’Mont Jones, DL (Broncos)

Jones’ statistical production would not be in line with a tag. The talented defensive lineman has yet to surpass 6.5 sacks or 11 quarterback hits in a season, but the former third-round pick has offered consistency and earned praise from the front office. Following the Broncos’ decision to trade Bradley Chubb, GM George Paton identified Jones as a player the team wanted to keep. The advanced metrics also view Jones fondly; Pro Football Focus charts the former third-round pick in the top 20 for pressures since 2019. Jones is believed to be a higher priority compared to guard Dalton Risner, a fellow Denver free agent-to-be.

Sean Payton‘s team using a $19MM tag on a non-Pro Bowler would be risky during an offseason in which the draft capital-poor team — thanks to the Payton trade requiring a 2023 first-round pick — faces a key free agency stretch. Jones, 26, sticking around should also depend on whom the Broncos hire as defensive coordinator.

Jordan Poyer, S (Bills)

Buffalo defensive stalwarts Poyer and Tremaine Edmunds are ticketed for free agency, but with the NFL still grouping rush- and non-rush linebackers together under its tag formula, Edmunds is not a realistic tag candidate. The linebacker tag ($20.9MM) trails only the QB price. Poyer, 31, is coming off his first Pro Bowl season and has been one of the Bills’ steadiest players in the Sean McDermott era. Signed during McDermott’s first offseason, Poyer has inked two Bills contracts. He angled for a third, eventually agreeing to an incentive package, and became indispensable during a season in which the Bills lost Micah Hyde to a September neck injury and saw Damar Hamlin face one of the scariest health issues in NFL history in January.

Hamlin aims to return, while Hyde is under contract. But a Bills defense that has seen inconsistency at corner for years could still use Poyer. If the parties cannot strike a deal before March 7, the $14.5MM safety tag may not be too steep here. That said, the Bills may try to avoid a tag and save some free agency dough for Edmunds.

Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks)

A $32.4MM quarterback tag does sound too steep for Smith, his Comeback Player of the Year award notwithstanding. The Seahawks traded Russell Wilson on March 8, 2022; they re-signed Smith to a one-year, $3.5MM deal on April 14. That low-cost, incentive-laden accord effectively illustrated the NFL’s view of the former second-rounder. While Smith’s stunning season upped his value tremendously, it still seems unlikely the franchise tag will come into play. A transition tag — worth $29.5MM and involving no draft compensation — would be a more logical move.

But the top tag has been floated as a Smith-Seattle scenario. The sides have begun negotiations, and Smith’s camp figures to factor the tag salaries into the talks. This process still feels like it will end in a Smith medium-term deal. But after a 30-touchdown pass season that also included an NFL-high 69.8% completion rate, the 32-year-old passer setting a high price as the tag deadline nears would force the team to consider cuffing its starter.

Jaguars Want To Re-Sign TE Evan Engram

January 25th, 2023 at 2:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Evan Engram‘s one-year “prove it” deal ended up benefiting both he and the Jaguars. The former first-round pick provided a significant boost at a position the Jaguars had struggled to staff for many years.

The former Giants draftee caught 73 passes for 766 yards — both career-high marks, with the yardage figure setting a new Jags single-season standard by a tight end — and four touchdowns this season. Engram added 12 catches for 124 yards and a score in the playoffs, setting himself up for a nice payday. Engram said he wants that payday to come from the Jaguars. The team would prefer that arrangement as well.

“Obviously, we would love to have Evan back,” Jags GM Trent Baalke said. “Evan and I visited [Monday], and he went around the building and visited with everybody. I think it’s mutual. Now we got to make it happen. That’s something that we’re going to work on with Evan, and all the other free agents that we have. We have a list of them that we got to mow down one at a time.”

With a new decision-maker in place for a third straight year, the Jags’ 2022 offseason veered toward adding outside talent rather than retaining their own. The team doled out historic free agency dollars to acquire a handful of vets, and that class moved the needle for a previously downtrodden team. Engram was among the names added, but the Ole Miss product’s one-year, $9MM deal did not exactly register on the same level the Christian Kirk or Brandon Scherff pacts did. But Engram will be seeking a raise ahead of his age-29 season.

Engram outperformed all three of last year’s franchise-tagged tight ends — David Njoku, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki — and fulfilled some of the promise he showed as a rookie. Some injury trouble and bleak Giants offensive setups hindered Engram during his rookie contract, but now that he showed value in Doug Pederson‘s offense, targeting second-tier tight end money would make sense. Njoku and Dawson Knox each signed extensions in the $13MM-per-year range during the 2022 offseason; Engram can reasonably pursue a similar accord.

The Jags have Trevor Lawrence‘s rookie deal on their books for at least one more season, but they do now have three veteran receiver contracts on their books. Calvin Ridley‘s fifth-year option ($11.1MM) is now Jacksonville’s responsibility. The team signed Kirk for $18MM per year and Zay Jones at $8MM AAV. After holding considerable cap space going into the 2022 offseason, the Jags are projected to be $13MM-plus over the 2023 cap. The team also has right tackle Jawaan Taylor and edge rusher Arden Key due for free agency. Jacksonville will need to make some adjustments ahead of free agency, and Baalke said fans should not expect a spending spree close to last year’s effort.

The franchise tag will be a tool the Jags can use to keep Engram; it is expected to come in just north of $11MM. Baalke said he would prefer not to bring the tag into play, but the Jags both have a history of using it (most recently with Cam Robinson, twice). They also had struggled for a while to generate much production from the tight end spot. No Jags tight end since 2012 (Marcedes Lewis) came within 200 yards of Engram’s 2022 total. Considering Engram’s impact on Lawrence’s development, it should be expected the team will enter negotiations to retain the 6-foot-3 target soon.

Jaguars TE Evan Engram Open To Re-Signing With Team

December 18th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars signed tight end Evan Engram this offseason as part of a free agency splurge that also saw wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones added to the roster, along with guard Brandon Scherff (among others). Engram, who has enjoyed a productive first season in Duval, is open to a return on a long-term pact, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes.

Engram, 28, was a first-round pick of the Giants back in 2017. New York exercised his fifth-year option to keep him around for 2021, but after the club brought in a new GM (Joe Schoen) and head coach (Brian Daboll) this year, it was unclear whether Engram would be in Big Blue’s plans.

As it turned out, he was not, though it appears he drew considerable interest from other clubs. Multiple teams were reportedly preparing proposals with the idea of utilizing Engram as a slot receiver rather than as a tight end, and he may have had both one-year and multi-year pacts to choose from.

Per DiRocco, Engram only wanted a one-year contract so that he could reestablish his value after a difficult platform year with the Giants, and he felt he a had a good chance to do that in the TE-friendly offense of Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. Buoyed by a monster Week 14 performance in which he posted 11 catches for 162 yards and three scores, Engram now has the fifth-most receiving yards among tight ends in 2022. His current 71.6% catch rate would represent a career-high, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence — who was effusive in his praise of Engram — has a 110.6 rating when throwing to him. The last time Engram’s QBs had a rating anywhere near that high was in 2018, which happened to be Eli Manning’s last full season with the Giants.

Pederson, who has indeed utilized Engram in the slot for a high percentage of his snaps, also believes the Ole Miss product has acquitted himself well as a run blocker (though the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus are less bullish in that regard, assigning Engram a mediocre 54.9 run-blocking grade). Both the head coach and the quarterback, it seems, would be happy to have Engram back in 2023 and beyond.

Of course, the financials will need to work for both sides. Spotrac presently believes Engram could land a two-year, $15MM contract on the open market, but after earning $9MM this year and with another salary cap spike on the horizon, it would not be surprising to see him shoot for a higher AAV, especially since he has shown he can thrive in the slot. The Jags, who have not had many productive pass-catching tight ends in their history, may be willing to overpay a bit to retain Engram.

“I would like to be back,” Engram said. “I’ve grown a lot in this year, on and off the field, and give credit to God for that, for putting the right people in my life, putting me in the right situations, the right place. It’s been a blast.”

Jaguars To Sign TE Evan Engram

March 14th, 2022 at 4:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars continue to add to their offense. Jacksonville is signing tight end Evan Engram, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

It’s a one-year deal worth $9MM, and the contract could be worth up to $10MM with incentives. PFF’s Doug Kyed tweets that the deal contains $8.25MM in guaranteed money, which includes a $3MM signing bonus and $5.25MM base salary. The tight end has $800K worth of reception and receiving yard incentives.

A first-round pick by the Giants in 2018, Engram had an inconsistent five years in New York. After missing 13 combined games between 2018 and 2019, Engram earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after finishing with 63 receptions for 654 yards and one touchdown. However, his numbers took a step back in 2021, with the tight end finishing with 46 receptions for a career-low 408 receiving yards.

Still, those numbers would represent an upgrade at the position for the Jaguars. The team’s top receiving TE in 2021 was Dan Arnold, who finished with 28 receptions for 324 yards. Engram will join a tight ends depth chart that already includes Arnold, James O’Shaughnessy, Chris Manhertz, and Luke Farrell.

However, there’s a chance Engram doesn’t even line up as TE for his new squad. There were recent reports that teams were looking into Engram as a wide receiver, with the player’s combination of speed, agility, and size making him a potential matchup nightmare. We’ll see if that ends up being the case in Jacksonville. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (on Twitter), the Colts, 49ers, and Bills were among the teams to express interest in Engram before he landed in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have been busy adding to their offense this afternoon. After agreeing to a deal with offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, the organization inked receiver Christian Kirk to a lucrative deal.

Cardinals, TE Zach Ertz Closing In On Deal

March 13th, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After acquiring tight end Zach Ertz in a trade with the Eagles in mid-October of last year, the Cardinals are finalizing a new multi-year deal for the nine-year veteran, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The three-year deal is set to keep the 31-year-old among the top-10 highest-paid tight ends in the NFL.

Ertz is a three-time Pro Bowler who set the NFL-record for single-season receptions for a tight end in 2018 with 116 catches, which trailed only Saints’ receiver Michael Thomas for the league lead among all pass-catchers. Ertz was consistently productive in Philadelphia, recording five-straight seasons with at least 800 receiving yards.

After taking a back seat role to the Eagles’ younger tight end Dallas Goedert, the Cardinals made the move to acquire Ertz and watched him thrive in the new system. Ertz’s 11 games in Arizona in 2021 showed far more production than the 11 games he played in Philadelphia the year prior. With wide receivers Christian Kirk and A.J. Green set to hit the free agent market this week, locking down their tight end was a must.

The three-year deal will be worth $31.65MM with a guaranteed amount of $17.5MM. The annual average value of $10.55MM ranks 10th among NFL tight ends, just below David Njoku, Mike Gesicki, and Dalton Schultz, who got franchise tagged for $10.93MM. With this deal Ertz is now off the crowded tight end market, along with the three who were tagged. Remaining options for those looking for tight ends are C.J. Uzomah, Robert Tonyan, Evan Engram, and Will Dissly.

Latest On Giants’ Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram

March 10th, 2022 at 10:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With new management in place and a difficult cap situation to handle, there is sure to be plenty of roster turnover for the Giants in the coming days. Two of the biggest names to watch are Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram, players whom the team have very different levels of interest in keeping.

It was reported last week that the Giants are asking the former to take a significant pay cut as part of the team’s larger cost-cutting agenda. Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports, however, that the 29-year-old won’t accept the financial hit, at least to the degree the team has proposed (subscription required). His salary is currently set to be $8.5MM, but a drop all the way to the $1.1MM veteran minimum is therefore off the table.

Duggan adds that there is “mutual interest” for the former second-rounder to stay in New York, his only home in six seasons spent in the NFL. He reports that the parties “have been trying to find a middle ground” with regard to compensation so he can stay. When healthy, Shepard has been Daniel Jones‘ favorite target, but injury troubles (such as the torn Achilles he is currently rehabbing) have landed the wideout in this situation.

As for Engram, Duggan reiterates the notion that he is headed elsewhere in free agency. Whether teams view him as strictly a tight end, or as someone capable of lining up as a slot receiver will be key to how much his market develops. Duggan notes that he’s heard a wide range of possibilities for the 27-year-old in terms of the value of a new contract, from a short-term deal around $7MM or $8MM, to the longer, more valuable pacts signed by the likes of Jonnu Smith last year. Interestingly, he names the Bills as potentially being “a top suitor for Engram”.

With more work to be done to get under the cap, there are still plenty of moving parts for the Giants to handle. The situations with Shepard and Engram will go a long way to determining the rest of the team’s offseason, and in turn, their long-term roster re-tooling.

Latest On Giants’ Evan Engram

March 9th, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Teams have interest in Giants tight end Evan Engram as a slot WR, in addition to his native tight end position (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). With that, Engram’s market could be shaping up to be even stronger than previously expected.

Engram has plus speed and agility for a tight end, so these teams believe that he’d be a matchup nightmare as a WR3. The Giants, meanwhile, seem to have cooled on the idea of keeping him. The new regime won’t break the bank to retain the former Pro Bowler, which means that he’ll likely be moving on when free agency opens next week.

Engram, a 2017 first-round pick, has had a rocky five years with the Giants. Limited to just 19 games between 2018 and ’19, he turned in a healthy and productive 2020. That year, he played in all 16 games and tallied 63 catches for 654 yards and one touchdown (plus a rushing TD), earning his first Pro Bowl nod. He stayed healthy for the most part last year, though his numbers sagged along with everyone else on the G-Men. Last year, he finished out with 45 catches, a career-low 404 receiving yards, and just three TDs.

Now that Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki have received the franchise tag, Engram profiles as a top-tier TE in this year’s class, along with Rob Gronkowski and Zach Ertz. Unlike those veterans, Engram offers youth and, perhaps, is the only one versatile or willing enough to line up in the slot.

Giants Notes: Jones, Barkley, Engram

March 6th, 2022 at 9:03am CST by Rory Parks

Giants GM Joe Schoen recently told reporters that no decision has been made with respect to QB Daniel Jones‘ fifth-year option for 2023, which must be exercised or declined by May 2. “We haven’t been around him other than a couple weeks,” Schoen said (via Mike Florio of PFT). “Again, we’re going to take our time with the process. We’re going to be around Daniel. We’re going to get the chance to see him throw and work with the guys that we have. … We’re going to be patient with that decision.”

New York is interested in signing free agent passer Mitchell Trubisky and having him compete with Jones for the starting job in 2022. Given that, and given Jones’ struggles over his first three professional seasons, it would be surprising if Schoen were to pick up Jones’ option, which is worth a fully-guaranteed $21.3MM.

Now for more from Big Blue:

When asked about the possibility of trading RB Saquon Barkley, Schoen did not rule it out. However, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes, Schoen would have to be floored to make a deal. Although the Giants are obviously in rebuild mode, they also want to field a competitive team and surround Jones or any other passer with enough talent to fairly evaluate their QB situation. Furthermore, Barkley’s “strong preference” is to stay with New York, and Dunleavy’s sources believe that if the Giants were to trade him now, they shouldn’t expect much more than a fourth-round pick in return.
Before Schoen was hired, it was reported that the Giants were unlikely to break the bank to retain tight end and pending FA Evan Engram. We have not heard anything to suggest otherwise now that Schoen is in charge of personnel, which means that Engram is poised to hit the open market. As Dunleavy tweets, some interested teams are looking to utilize Engram more as a slot receiver and are preparing proposals with that goal in mind.
Georgia DE Travon Walker was one of the biggest winners at the scouting combine, putting on a display that solidified his position as one of the top D-linemen in the class. The fact that he was asked to fill a variety of roles along the Bulldogs’ defensive front limited his sack production, but his athletic traits are hard to beat, and ESPN draftnik Jordan Reid believes Walker might now be a top-five choice (subscription required). Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com suggests that the Giants may consider Walker with their No. 5 or No. 7 overall selections (Twitter link).

Latest On TE Evan Engram’s Future With Giants

January 8th, 2022 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

Assuming Evan Engram is able to generate some interest in free agency this offseason, the tight end’s stint in New York has likely come to an end. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes, the Giants won’t break the bank to retain the former Pro Bowler.

Since being selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, Engram has had an up-and-down five seasons with the Giants. After being limited to only 19 games between 2018 and 2019, he managed to stay healthy in 2020, appearing in 16 games (14 starts) while hauling in 63 receptions for 654 receiving yards en route to a Pro Bowl nod.

The 27-year-old has managed to stay relatively healthy again in 2021, but his numbers have suffered thanks (in part) to inconsistent quarterback play. In 14 games, Engram has 45 catches for a career-low 404 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants were willing to pick up Engram’s fifth-year option for 2021, but they haven’t made any moves on an extension. It seemed pretty clear that the tight end was probably on his way out of the New York when his name surfaced in trade rumors earlier this season. Engram will be part of a free agent tight ends class that also features Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, and vets like Rob Gronkowski and Zach Ertz. Even if Engram isn’t atop the FA list, Vacchiano still opines that the player could command a contract worth $8MM per season. If that’s the case, the Giants won’t match.

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