Chargers Sign OLB Kyler Fackrell
Kyler Fackrell will make his way to a third team in three seasons. The veteran edge defender signed with the Chargers on Wednesday.
Formerly a four-year Packer, Fackrell played the 2020 season with the Giants. He started nine games and recorded four sacks and a pick-six with Big Blue, but he will head west ahead of his sixth NFL season.
A third-round Packers pick in 2016, Fackrell mostly served as a rotational rusher in Green Bay. However, he did record a career-high 10.5 sacks despite playing the off-the-bench role in 2018. That season, which did include seven starts, helped lead Fackrell to New York. He signed a one-year, $4.6MM deal with the Giants in 2020. While the 29-year-old defender spent some time on IR last season due to a calf injury, he returned for Week 17 and played 12 games with New York.
The Chargers have some questions at their edge spots. The five-year Joey Bosa–Melvin Ingram partnership may be disbanding, with Ingram taking free agency visits. Ingram was a Charger for nine seasons but played out his contract last season, which came after the former first-round pick attempted to secure a new deal. With Bosa signed to a defender-record $27MM-AAV pact, the Chargers are unlikely to pay up at the other edge-rushing spot.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Christian Kirk
- Promoted: DL Stacy McGee, LB Terrance Smith, CB Jace Whittaker
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Chris Rowland, WR Devin Gray, TE Jared Pinkney
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Nate Brooks, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft; Kroft contracted the coronavirus
- Promoted: TE Nate Becker, CB Dane Jackson, DE Mike Love, RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Aaron Monteiro, QB Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones, DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Winston Rose
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
- Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DB Steven Parker
- Promoted: DT Walter Palmore, T William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: WR K.J. Hamler
- Promoted: LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DT Danny Shelton
- Promoted: C Evan Brown, DT Albert Huggins, S Bobby Price
- Waived: DL Frank Herron
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: David Bakhtiari (story)
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, DL Brian Price
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Greg Mancz, WR Steven Mitchell
- Placed on IR: OL Brent Qvale
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Ibraheim Campbell, T Jared Veldheer
- Activated from IR: TE Noah Togiai
- Waived: WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Collin Johnson
- Promoted: WR Terry Godwin, OL Tre’vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Jeff Heath
- Promoted: LB James Onwualu, OL Erik Magnuson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DB John Brannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: QB Bryce Perkins
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley, WR Marcus Kemp, QB Reid Sinnett
- Waived: FB Chandler Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, DE Eddie Yarbrough
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, CB Michael Jackson, LB Cassh Maluia, OL Ross Reynolds, CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, S D.J. Swearinger, RB Dwayne Washington; Murray and Washington are close contacts of COVID-positive Alvin Kamara (story)
- Promoted: LB Andrew Dowell, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Grant Haley, LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, RB Tony Jones Jr., WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell, CB Madre Harper
- Promoted: P Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: FB Elijhaa Penny
- Waived: QB/WR Joe Webb
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: G Greg Van Roten
- Waived: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, DE Joe Ostman, T Prince Tega Wanogho
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Eric Ebron, LB Cassius Marsh
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain, T Anthony Coyle, TE Kevin Rader, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: G Tom Compton
- Promoted: DT Josiah Coatney, WR Jordan Matthews, K Tristan Vizcaino, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Flowers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damarious Randall, T Brandon Shell
- Promoted: G Alex Boone, RB Alex Collins, WR Penny Hart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, K Sam Sloman
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman
Giants Place LB Kyler Fackrell On IR
The Giants might be without quarterback Daniel Jones for a little bit, and it turns out Jones wasn’t the only significant player to go down during their win over the Bengals. The team has placed linebacker Kyler Fackrell on injured reserve with a calf injury, they announced Tuesday.
That means Fackrell will need to miss at least the next three games as the Giants make their push for the NFC East title. He’s played a big role in New York’s revitalized defense, appearing in all 11 games while starting eight and playing over 76 percent of the defensive snaps. He has three sacks on the year, tied for second-most on the team behind only Leonard Williams. The Utah State product landed a one-year, $4.6MM deal from Big Blue this offseason.
He entered the league as a third-round pick of the Packers in 2016, and was mostly quiet his first couple of years. He came out of nowhere in 2018 to have a breakout season and rack up 10.5 sacks, although he came back down to earth in 2019 with only one.
In addition to his three sacks this year, he also has 31 tackles, a forced fumble, two passes defended, and an interception which he returned for a touchdown. This is a big loss moving forward for a team with little margin for error.
Contract Details: Lawson, Trufant, Shelton, Witten,
Kyler Fackrell (Giants), One year, $4.6MM, $3.5MM guaranteed, base salary 2020: $2.6MM, $2MM roster bonus, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
Antonio Hamilton (Chiefs), One year, $1.047MM, $887.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910k ($750k guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Shaq Lawson (Dolphins), Three years, $30MM, $21MM guaranteed, $4MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $6.4MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $7.9MM (fully guaranteed), 2022: $8.9MM; $2.5MM fully guaranteed roster bonus in 2020, $100k workout bonus in 2020-2021, potential $2MM in annual incentives, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
John Miller (Panthers), One year, $4MM, $2MM guaranteed, $2MM signing bonus; salary 2020: $1.79MM; $160k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Danny Shelton (Lions), Two years, $8MM, $4MM guaranteed, $2.5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $1.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $4MM, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
Desmond Trufant (Lions), Two years, $20MM, $14MM guaranteed, $5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $4.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $9.5MM ($4.5MM guaranteed for injury at signing); $500k in annual per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jihad Ward (Ravens), One year, $1.047MM, $637.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910,000 ($500,000 guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jaylen Watkins (Texans), Two years, $3MM, $300k guaranteed, $300k guaranteed; salaries 2020: $1.1MM, 2021: $1.4MM; 200k first-game roster bonus in 2020, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Jason Witten (Raiders), One year, $4MM, $3.5MM guaranteed; salary 2020: $3.5MM (fully guaranteed); $500k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Giants To Sign LB Kyler Fackrell
The Giants’ revamping of their defense continues. New York is signing former Packers linebacker Kyler Fackrell to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
He’ll get $4.6MM for the 2020 season. The Giants have been so active that this is actually the second former Green Bay linebacker that they’ve signed, after they recently gave Blake Martinez three years and $30MM. They also signed cornerback James Bradberry to a huge three-year, $45MM pact. Fackrell is obviously a lesser name, but it’s still a notable signing. New York’s aggressiveness on this side of the ball isn’t a surprise given how disappointing their defense was last year.
They’re entering a new era of football with Joe Judge, and the team is going to look a lot different in 2020. Fackrell was drafted in the third-round by the Packers back in 2016. He didn’t play a ton as a rookie but his role grew slowly, and he busted onto the scene in 2018. That year he came out of nowhere to rack up 10.5 sacks while starting seven games.
He took a big step back this past season with only one sack while playing about 40 percent of the defensive snaps, but his flashes of potential were enough for the Giants to take a low-risk flyer.
2019 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $2MM in 2019. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2019 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
Bears: RB Jordan Howard, LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Bengals: LB Nick Vigil
Broncos: G Connor McGovern, S Will Parks, S Justin Simmons
Browns: S Derrick Kindred, LB Joe Schobert
Buccaneers: G Caleb Benenoch, DE Carl Nassib, CB Ryan Smith
Chargers: LB Jatavis Brown
Chiefs: CB Kendall Fuller, WR Tyreek Hill, S Eric Murray, WR Demarcus Robinson
Colts: QB Jacoby Brissett, T Joe Haeg
Cowboys: CB Anthony Brown, DT Maliek Collins, QB Dak Prescott
Dolphins: RB Kenyan Drake
Eagles: CB Jalen Mills, T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Falcons: LB De’Vondre Campbell, TE Austin Hooper, G Wes Schweitzer
Jaguars: DE Yannick Ngakoue
Jets: LB Jordan Jenkins, CB Rashard Robinson, T Brandon Shell
Lions: C Graham Glasgow
Packers: LB Kyler Fackrell, DE Dean Lowry, LB Blake Martinez, LB Antonio Morrison
Patriots: G Joe Thuney, LB Elandon Roberts
Rams: G Austin Blythe, TE Tyler Higbee
Ravens: DE Matt Judon, OL Alex Lewis, CB Tavon Young
Saints: DT David Onyemata
Steelers: DT Javon Hargrave
Texans: DT D.J. Reader
Titans: S Kevin Byard, WR Tajae Sharpe
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Pick Signings: Packers, Panthers, Browns
News on draft pick signings continues to trickle in, so after pass along word of several draftees inking their rookie contracts earlier today, we’ve got a few more updates to round up. Let’s dive in…
- The Packers have signed third-round linebacker Kyler Fackrell, the team announced today in a press release. Green Bay has now secured all but one of its seven draft picks, with only first-round defensive tackle Kenny Clark still unsigned.
- The Panthers have also signed each of their draft picks except for their first-rounder, having formally locked up fifth-round cornerback Zack Sanchez today, per David Newton of ESPN.com. Sanchez, the 141st overall pick in the draft, is in line for a four-year contract worth $2.612MM, with a signing bonus of about $272K, according to Over the Cap’s data.
- The Browns begin getting their draftees under team control today by signing fifth-round wideout Jordan Payton and seventh-round linebacker Scooby Wright to their rookie deals, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. Cleveland still has plenty of business left to conduct — the team drafted 14 players, so 12 remain unsigned.
- For the full breakdown of which draft picks have signed and which haven’t, check out our complete list.
Pauline’s Latest: Browns, Top 5, Alexander, Bears
The Browns are shopping the No. 2 pick, but if they aren’t able to move it, they could end up selecting Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil and then trading nine-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas, several general managers have told Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. If Tunsil to Cleveland happens, those GMs expect Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey to land with the Chargers at No. 3, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz to become the newest member of the Cowboys at No. 4, and UCLA linebacker Myles Jack to go fifth to the Jaguars.
Here are more early round draft rumors from Pauline:
- Despite possessing first-round-caliber talent, Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander could drop to the second round because of his attitude. Some of Alexander’s Clemson coaches have given him unfavorable reviews to inquiring NFL teams, and clubs are weighing whether he’d be worth a first-rounder as a result.
- The Bears, who hold the 11th pick, are giving serious consideration to Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed.
- Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa is a possibility for both the Colts and Saints in the first round. Indy could turn to Correa at No. 18 if Georgia’s Leonard Floyd is off the board and it deems Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence as too risky. The Saints, meanwhile, might move down from 12th to grab Correa.
- Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell could head to the Jets in the second round if they don’t grab an LB with their first selection.
AFC Draft Updates: Bills, Lynch, Jags, Broncos
Most NFL teams have at least one representative in attendance at the pro day for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch on Wednesday, but the Bills got a closer look at the young signal-caller on Tuesday night, according to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, who reports that Buffalo took Lynch out for dinner (Twitter link via Mike Rodak).
The Bills have a quarterback they like in Tyrod Taylor, but Taylor has just one year remaining on his contract with the team, and an extension is not believed to be close, so it will be interesting to see if Buffalo nabs a QB early in this year’s draft. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman is in Memphis to check out Lynch.
Let’s round up a few more draft updates from across the AFC…
- We can add Alabama center Ryan Kelly, Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, and Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the extensive list of pre-draft visitors meeting with the Jaguars today, according to tweets from John Oehser of Jaguars.com and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- The Broncos remain in the market for running back help, and are hosting Utah RB Devontae Booker for a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- According to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), Akron outside linebacker Jatavis Brown, Michigan State cornerback Arjen Colquhoun, and Baylor offensive lineman Blake Muir recently met with the Chiefs, who are hosting UTSA defensive tackle Brian Price for a visit today.
- UCLA offensive tackle Caleb Benenoch, Florida safety Keanu Neal, Boise State safety Darian Thompson, and Temple cornerback Tavon Young are in Pittsburgh today to visit the Steelers, per Bob Labriola (Twitter link).
- The Jets met extensively with Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell, a potential second-round pick, on Tuesday, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net, who tweets that Fackrell would fit a “big need” for Gang Green.