Rashad Fenton

Cardinals Place CB Rashad Fenton On IR

Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis recently indicated the team’s cornerback situation is unresolved beyond Marco Wilson‘s spot. One of the top contenders to start alongside the third-year veteran is no longer part of the equation.

The Cardinals placed Rashad Fenton on IR on Monday. The team also moved running back Stevie Scott off its 90-man roster, waiving the recently added performer.

[RELATED: Cardinals Place RB Marlon Mack On IR]

Fenton played a starting role for the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs last season, lining up as a first-stringer in five games for the eventual champions. But the Chiefs traded Fenton to the Falcons just before last year’s trade deadline. That move did not lead to much work for the four-year veteran, who played in just two games with Atlanta. The low-profile contract year led to Fenton accepting a one-year, $1.23MM contract from the Cardinals, who guaranteed him just $76K.

Arizona cannot bring Fenton off IR; players who return from their teams’ IR lists must be carried over to the 53-man roster. Such status was automatic for Fenton over the past four years. The former Kansas City sixth-round pick logged a 49% defensive snap share in 2020 and a 60% rate in 2021. Prior to being dealt, Fenton was on the field for 92% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays last season.

Fenton, 26, has spent time both as a slot defender and boundary cover man. But his bounce-back effort is currently on hold. It is unclear if this injury will keep him out for all of 2023 or if an injury settlement, which would allow for a belated return, will be in the cards.

With Fenton out of the picture, the Cardinals still have a few notable options at corner. They re-signed Antonio Hamilton to a low-cost contract and used third- and sixth-round picks on the position, drafting Garrett Williams in Round 3 and Kei’Trel Clark in Round 6. Williams remains on Arizona’s active/NFI list as a result of the ACL tear that ended his Syracuse career in October 2022. Clark has received first-team reps during camp.

The Cards, who also added ex-Vikings corner Kris Boyd, may have fewer snaps available for its corners this season. They are planning to use a number of three-safety looks that feature Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson and now-full-time safety Isaiah Simmons.

NFL Contract Details: Woods, Fenton, Gaines, Jones, Mills

Here are some details on more deals signed around the NFL recently:

  • Jalen Mills, CB (Patriots): One year, $3.75MM. The new contract, according to Doug Kyed of AtoZ Sports, has a guaranteed amount of $2.25MM consisting of a $1.25MM signing bonus and $1MM of Mills’s base salary (worth a total of $1.75MM). Mills had taken a $3.5MM pay cut in order to stay with the team, but New England provided him with $3.6MM of potential incentives based on playing time. Mills can earn $600,000 for each of these thresholds of defensive snap count percentages: 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90. The deal also includes a per game active roster bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000.
  • Greg Gaines, DT (Buccaneers): One year, $3.5MM. We reported a bit about the defensive tackle’s guaranteed deal worth a potential maximum of $4MM. Greg Auman of FOX Sports has added the detail that the contract has four void years to help spread out Gaines’s cap hit.
  • Rashad Fenton, CB (Cardinals): One year, $1.23MM. The contract, according to Balzer, has a guaranteed amount of $76,250 composed solely of the signing bonus. Fenton’s base salary is worth $1.08MM. He can earn an additional $76,250 as a roster bonus if he’s active for the team’s Week 1 matchup.
  • Josh Woods, LB (Cardinals): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Howard Balzer of PHNX, has a guaranteed amount of $777,500 consisting of a $152,500 signing bonus and $625,000 of Woods’s base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM).
  • Sidney Jones IV, CB (Bengals): One year, $1.13MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, is for the veteran league minimum. Jones can make an additional $50,000 in a roster bonus if he’s active in the team’s Week 1 matchup.

Cardinals Sign CB Rashad Fenton

The Cardinals have made the first outside addition to their cornerback room so far in free agency. The team announced on Thursday that they have signed Rashad Fenton to a one-year deal.

The 26-year-old was a member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl winning team during his rookie season in 2019, though he played a minor role that year. His workload took a notable jump in each of the next two campaigns, though, and he established himself as a key contributor to Kansas City’s secondary. That set him up for a full-time starting role for the first time this past season.

Fenton logged a 92% snap share in 2022 with the Chiefs, continuing the career ascension of the former sixth-round pick. Kansas City ended up trading him to the Falcons at the deadline, however, which led to a change in role. Fenton saw his workload drop considerably in his brief stint in Atlanta, an unwanted development compared to the possibility of remaining with the Chiefs for what ended up being another championship campaign.

In any event, the South Carolina product will now join a third NFL team, and once again have the possibility of playing as a starter. The Cardinals already had a relatively thin CB room entering the offseason, one in which top cover man Byron Murphy signed with the Vikings. That left a notable vacancy in the team’s secondary, one which Fenton will now seek to at least partially fill.

The Cardinals ranked 24th in the league in terms of passing yards allowed last season (230 per game), and registered just 11 interceptions. While Fenton is unlikely to make much of an impact in the latter department, his coverage statistics from earlier in his career suggest he could be an effective addition. He took a notable step back with respect to completion percentage and passer rating allowed in 2022 after serving as a full-time starter, but he has proved to be a quality option with a smaller workload. He will look to carve out a role in his new home, as Arizona seeks to take a step forward defensively in 2023.

Chiefs To Trade CB Rashad Fenton To Falcons

One more trade has been reported just before today’s deadline. The Chiefs have dealt cornerback Rashad Fenton to the Falcons (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that Atlanta is sending a conditional seventh-round pick in return.

[RELATED: Falcons Send Calvin Ridley To Jaguars]

Fenton had taken on larger workload with each passing season during his first three years with the Chiefs. That continued early this year, as he saw a snap share above 90% during Weeks 2 through 5. His spot in the starting lineup has since been usurped, however, making him a logical trade candidate. The Chiefs will save $1.4MM as a result of the move.

The Chiefs invested heavily at the CB position during this year’s draft, including first-rounder Trent McDuffie. As Yates notes, the effectiveness of Kansas City’s youth movement made Fenton more expendable. Set to hit free agency in March for the first time in his career, he will have the opportunity to see significant playing time once again. Kansas City will move forward with the likes of Joshua Williams and L’Jarius Sneed at the top of the depth chart, with McDuffie set to return from IR.

Atlanta, meanwhile, is certainly set at the position in terms of having a No. 1 corner. That distinction belongs to A.J. Terrell, but Fenton will now, at a minimum, provide depth behind fellow starters Darren Hall and Isaiah Oliver. If he shows the form of his previous Chiefs campaigns, he could land himself a new deal in Atlanta come the offseason.

The 4-4 Falcons find themselves atop the underwhelming NFC South, despite ranking last in the league in passing yards surrendered (over 306 per game, on average). A move to shore up the secondary therefore comes as little surprise, as they look to return to the postseason while the Chiefs now have some financial breathing space.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/22

Today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Placed on IR: DL Bryce Rodgers

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

  • Released via injury settlement: WR John Hurst

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Chris Glaser
  • Released: DE Hamilcar Rashed and OL Parker Ferguson

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Perry’s interesting post-draft NFL journey continues. Initially slated to join the Eagles as a UDFA, he ended up signing with the Jaguars days later. Then, in July, he was waived (with an injury designation) to make room for Sloter’s addition. Perry has obviously recovered, as the two have now swapped placed once more.

Fenton was one of four Chiefs placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp. That came as little surprise at the time, but his return to practice will be a welcomed sight in Kansas City’s secondary. NFL Network’s James Palmer tweets that Fenton’s preseason availability remains a question mark, but that he is still expected to be fully recovered in time for the regular season.

Jackson was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft at a position which has been in flux throughout the offseason in New Orleans. The 24-year-old had a highly productive final season in particular at Appalachian State, posting 119 tackles, 20 TFLs and six sacks. He will now have to wait until 2023 to carve out a depth role in the middle of the Saints’ defense.

Chiefs Place Four Players On PUP List

The Chiefs are the latest team set to begin training camp with a few noticeable absentees. The team has placed four players on the active/PUP list, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (Twitter link). 

The lone defender on the list is cornerback Rashad Fenton. In May, it was reported that the 25-year-old wasn’t a lock to be healthy by the start of camp. He is rehabbing a shoulder injury which required offseason surgery, and kept him out of spring workouts. He is likely to be slated at No. 3 on Kansas City’s depth chart at the position, which has seen plenty of turnover this offseason. His steady growth in playing time and effectiveness could make him not only an important piece in the team’s secondary upon his return, but a priority for the Chiefs from a financial standpoint.

On the offensive line, right tackle Lucas Niang is another unsurprising inclusion. He suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in January, marking the latest example of availability concerns associated with the former third-rounder. A 2020 opt-out, Niang has played just 12 total games two years into his NFL career, including nine starts. He was replaced when out of the lineup last season by veteran Andrew Wylie, who was brought back on a one-year deal in free agency. The two will compete for the starting role upon Niang’s return. Backup linemen Prince Tega Wanogho is also among the players placed on the list.

Finally, the Chiefs will have to wait for the training camp debut of perhaps the most notable UDFA of the 2022 draft class. Wide receiver Justyn Ross recently underwent foot surgery, as noted by Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. The former Clemson star was widely thought of as a surefire first-rounder before multiple neck injuries derailed his junior campaign and led to many teams taking him off their draft boards altogether. Health will always be a concern with Ross, but there will be a role available to him in Kansas City’ re-vamped WR room.

Of course, any of these players can be activated at any time – something the Chiefs will be anticipating with the potential starters in particular.

Extension Candidate: Rashad Fenton

The Chiefs made some outside moves to address their secondary this offseason, but they may not want to overlook the players they have in the building. An underrated move the Chiefs should be looking at this summer is an early extension of cornerback Rashad Fenton. 

Kansas City was forced to make some moves after losing cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Charvarius Ward in free agency. The Chiefs used three of their draft picks this year on cornerbacks, including a first-round pick on the University of Washington’s Trent McDuffie, and even traded away a 2023 seventh-round pick for former-Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. McDuffie is slotted to start opposite third-year cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who started all 15 games he appeared in last season. Fenton is likely the third cornerback on the depth chart with DeAndre Baker, who was drafted 171 picks before Fenton in the 2019 NFL Draft, slotting in at fourth.

Even though Fenton isn’t expected to start on a weekly basis for Kansas City next season, there is a good amount of evidence to suggest that extending him before his contract year would be extremely beneficial for the Chiefs. Not only has Fenton shouldered more and more responsibility with playing time over each of his three seasons, earning more starts and defensive snaps each year, but he’s also moved around the field over the years.

As a rookie, Fenton played mostly in the slot, earning one pick and four passes defensed, as well as a forced fumble and a quarterback hit. In his second season, Fenton split his time between the slot and the outside while making three starts. He totaled one interception, seven passes defensed, and added a tackle for loss, as well. Last season, he played 80% of his snaps on the outside during his eight starts, according to Pro Football Focus, leading to seven more passes defensed, one forced fumble, and a career-high 49 total tackles.

Not only has he displayed the ability to handle the increased responsibility of playing time, but his movement around the secondary provides an extremely valuable versatility, showing he can play in any cornerback role that he’s asked to play in. Another factor that could benefit Kansas City is Fenton’s draft position in the sixth round. According to a data study done by Zach Drapkin at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), late-round draft picks are historically underpaid on their second contracts. Not that the Chiefs would intentionally short their players, but utilizing precedent could help the Chiefs extend Fenton at a bargain-price.

When trying to gauge the range of what an extension might look like for Fenton, there are a few examples that we can look at. Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox has been an intermittent starter in Philadelphia over the years in the slot and recently signed a three-year, $22.5MM contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5MM. Patriots nickel cornerback Jonathan Jones signed a three-year, $21MM contract in 2019. Neither Maddox nor Jones were drafted highly with Maddox being a fourth-round pick and Jones signing with New England as an undrafted free agent, initially.

Another fourth-round pick that recently signed a new extension was Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, who signed a three-year, $24MM deal last October. I like this comparison because, like Fenton, Johnson’s role on the field increased incrementally each year until last year he served as a full-time starter. It wouldn’t be the Chiefs’ ideal scenario, but, if McDuffie isn’t quite ready to start Week 1 for whatever reason, I believe they’d be fully confident in trotting Fenton out there to start opposite Sneed.

Essentially, most of the deals on these later-round draft picks are for three years and they’ve risen over the last few years from an AAV of $7MM to $8MM per year. Based on the constant inflation of NFL salaries and depending on how much loyalty the Chiefs want to show Fenton, I would predict that an extension for Fenton might have an AAV of anywhere from $8MM-$9MM. A three-year, $26MM contract would be a more-than-generous offer that would still land Kansas City an affordable, dependable, and versatile young cornerback. With Sneed and McDuffie on rookie deals, this would extend the time frame of having the three young cornerbacks on relatively affordable contracts at least through the 2023 season.

Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton Uncertain For Training Camp

The Chiefs have been busy adding cornerbacks recently, and for good reason. According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher (on Twitter), cornerback Rashad Fenton continues to rehab a shoulder injury.

Fenton is unlikely to participate in OTAs. The Chiefs are hoping the defensive back will be good to go for training camp, but it doesn’t sound like that’s any guarantee. It’s uncertain when Fenton originally suffered the injury. The 25-year-old missed a pair of playoff games with a back injury, but it doesn’t sound like that’s related to his current ailment. Fortunately, it sounds like the cornerback already went under the knife, so now it’s just a matter of overcoming rehab for him to return to the field.

Fenton was a sixth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019. He’s taken on a larger role during each of his three seasons in the NFL, culminating in a 2021 campaign where he collected 49 tackles and seven passes defended in 14 games (eight starts).

The Chiefs ended up using three of their 10 draft picks on cornerbacks, including the No. 21 pick on Washington’s Trent McDuffie. The organization also drafted Fayetteville St. cornerback Joshua Williams (fourth round, No. 135) and Washington St. defensive back Jaylen Watson (seventh round, No. 243). The team also recently acquired cornerback Lonnie Johnson in a trade with the Texans.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/21/21

Once again, we’ve had a busy day of moves on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Here are the players who were placed on the list or activated off of it today:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene (remains on IR)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team