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Thomas Morstead

Jets To Re-Sign P Thomas Morstead

March 13th, 2024 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Turning 38 last week, Thomas Morstead still showed the Jets enough to command a multiyear contract. Following through on an effort to re-sign Morstead, the team is giving him a deal through 2025.

Morstead’s two-year contract will be worth more than $5MM, according to The33rdTeam.com’s Ari Meirov. Morstead joined the Jets last year, doing so after a season with the Dolphins. The Jets have now re-signed both Morstead and Greg Zuerlein. The veteran kicker also received a two-year deal.

The 15-year veteran averaged 48.8 yards per punt last season — the second-most of his career — and that came on a rather large number of punts, as the Jets’ offense ran into some memorable struggles. Morstead’s 99 boots led the NFL, coming after he only punted 61 times in 17 Dolphins games. This represents the former Super Bowl winner’s second Jets stint, as the team used him in seven games during the 2021 season.

Morstead replaced Braden Mann as the Jets’ punter, though the team has not run into the turnover it has at kicker. Zuerlein stopped a run of several seasons with new kickers. He and Morstead are each tied to deals that will take them into their late 30s. Morstead, who earned second-team All-Pro acclaim with the Saints back in 2012, is now under contract through his age-39 season.

Jets Prefer Alijah Vera-Tucker At G; Team Wants To Re-Sign Greg Zuerlein, Thomas Morstead

March 6th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s free agency and draft outcomes may dictate where the Jets place Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has shuttled between guard and right tackle over the past two seasons. But the team does have a preference for the former first-round pick.

As injuries have piled up over the past two seasons, the Jets have opted to kick Vera-Tucker to right tackle. Not long after each move, a season-ending injury occurred. Joe Douglas praised Vera-Tucker’s versatility and noted it is a resource the team can use as it assembles its 2024 roster, but the team still wants the 2021 draftee to master one job.

Despite the Jets expressing interest in keeping Vera-Tucker at right tackle on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini points to an internal preference of the USC product returning to guard and staying there. The Jets have three starting spots to fill up front. If Vera-Tucker is moved back to guard, that mission will include two new tackles. Mekhi Becton is not expected to be re-signed.

Vera-Tucker has played fewer than 400 career snaps at RT, being moved because of injuries at tackle in the past two seasons. He suffered a torn triceps in 2022 and a torn Achilles last year; both injuries occurred in Denver. The Jets, who recently released Laken Tomlinson, will need AVT to remain upright as they break in a new O-line configuration following years of waiting on Becton to stay healthy.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ roster, they want to bring back both their 2023 specialists. The team would like to re-sign Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead, Cimini adds. Zuerlein has been the Jets’ kicker for the past two seasons; he played out another one-year deal (worth $2.6MM) in 2023. Morstead came over on a one-year deal as well, rejoining the Jets after a season with the Dolphins.

After being a Cowboys cut in 2022, Zuerlein has settled in with the Jets. The former Rams specialist turned in his best season since an All-Pro 2017 campaign, making 35 of 38 field goal tries. The strong-legged kicker out of the Division II ranks is now a 12-year veteran who is now 36, but the Jets are interested in an all-late-30s ST corps. Morstead will turn 38 later this week.

The Jets are also interested in retaining Jordan Whitehead, but Cimini offers that the two-year safety starter does not qualify as a high priority. A six-year veteran, Whitehead is only going into his age-27 season. The former Buccaneers Super Bowl starter intercepted four passes and broke up nine more last season; he has six picks as a Jet. With Kyle Dugger and Antoine Winfield Jr. off the market, players like Whitehead stand to be a bit more appealing. The former Bucs fourth-rounder played out a two-year, $14.5MM deal.

Zuerlein and Morstead will certainly be much cheaper to retain, but if the Jets let Whitehead walk, they will need to fill a starting role. Tony Adams, who usurped Adrian Amos for the other starting role last year, remains under contract. Ashtyn Davis and Chuck Clark, a 2023 trade acquisition who missed the season due to injury, are also due for free agency.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

August 30th, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Placed on IR:

Miami Dolphins

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Signed: 

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Placed on IR:

Jets Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have been in the limelight all offseason, and some of their lesser-known players have earned attention following the team’s participation in HBO’s Hard Knocks. The team had to move on from many of those unheralded players today, as the organization reduced their roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Zonovan Knight made a name for himself as an UDFA in 2022. The running back was thrust into the Jets starting lineup, and he ultimately started four of his seven appearances. The RB finished the season with 400 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 98 touches. With Dalvin Cook added to a deep RBs depth chart, Knight seemed like a long shot to make the final roster.

Tim Boyle has bounced around the NFL a bit, but his only starting experience came with the Lions in 2021. The quarterback spent the 2022 campaign in Chicago, completing two of his eight pass attempts. It was uncertain if the Jets would keep three QBs on the roster, but the team appears content with just Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson at the position.

Contract Details: Hughes, Hollins, Anderson, Scott, Johnson, Evans, Morstead, Ham

April 1st, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Ely Allen

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

  • C.J. Ham, FB (Vikings): Two years, $8.65MM. The extension, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has a guaranteed amount of $4.4MM composed of a $2.3MM signing bonus, Ham’s 2023 base salary of $1.1MM, and $1MM of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $2.4MM. The 2025 base salary is worth $2.55MM. Ham is set to earn $100,000 workout bonuses in each year of the newly extended deal.
  • Mike Hughes, CB (Falcons): Two years, $7MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $3.24MM consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus, Hughes’s first year base salary of $1.08MM, and his 2023 roster bonus of $660,000. The second year base salary is worth $2.57MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $35,000 for a potential season total of $595,000.
  • Trenton Scott, G (Commanders): Two years, $3.02MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $655,000 consisting of a $305,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Scott’s first year base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The second year base salary is worth $1.13MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $15,000 for a potential season total of $255,000. Scott can earn an additional $500,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
  • Justin Evans, S (Eagles): One year, $1.59MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 composed of a $250,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Evans’ base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $15,294 for a potential season total of $260,000. Evans can earn an additional $1.25MM through incentives based on playing time and a Pro Bowl selection.
  • Henry Anderson, DE (Panthers): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $152,500 consisting of Anderson’s signing bonus. His base salary is worth $1.17MM.
  • Thomas Morstead, P (Jets): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $1.09MM consisting of a $152,500 signing bonus and $940,000 of Morstead’s base salary (worth a total of $1.17MM).
  • Justin Hollins, OLB (Packers): One year, $1.28MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $155,000 consisting of Hollins’s signing bonus. The base salary is worth $1.08MM. The deal includes a workout bonus of $45,000, and Hollins can earn an additional $350,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
  • Ty Johnson, RB (Jets): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $250,000 consisting of a $75,000 signing bonus and $175,000 of Johnson’s base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). Johnson can earn a $77,500 roster bonus if he’s active in New York’s Week 1 matchup.

Jets To Sign P Thomas Morstead; Team Shopping P Braden Mann

March 17th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:55pm: What a punter day this is turning out to be. The Jets are now shopping Mann in trades, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Trade discussions have taken place. No punter trades occurred last year, but two — involving Corey Bojorquez and Ryan Santoso — took place in 2021. One involved a pick-swap with a sixth-round return; the other sent back a seventh-rounder. The Jets would save just more than $1MM by cutting Mann.

2:35pm: The Jets will give Thomas Morstead a chance to play a 15th NFL season. They have agreed to a deal with the veteran punter, per said veteran punter (on Twitter).

Best known for his lengthy Saints tenure, Morstead was with the Jets in 2021. The team added him in September of that year but cut him two months later. Robert Saleh‘s squad is circling back to the 37-year-old specialist, who spent last season with the Dolphins, punting in all 18 of Miami’s games.

Initially brought in as a Braden Mann injury fill-in two seasons ago, Morstead again joins a Jets team with Mann on the roster. The former sixth-round pick is going into a contract year. Mann averaged a career-high 46.9 yards per punt in 2022 and played a career-most 27 punts inside the 20-yard line, ranking 17th and 12th in these respective categories. Morstead dropped 28 punts inside the 20 and averaged 46.4 per boot.

If the Jets are keen on having a punting competition, Morstead will bring 14 years’ experience and one Pro Bowl (2012) to that matchup. Morstead spent 12 seasons with the Saints before moving from New York to Atlanta to Miami over the past two years. He also placed 46% of his punts inside the 20, while Mann finished his third season at 33% in that category. Mann is only tied to a $1.1MM cap number in 2023.

Dolphins To Sign P Thomas Morstead

April 8th, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed punter Thomas Morstead, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). This comes just 48 hours after the veteran’s audition in South Beach.

Morstead made his name with the Saints, enjoying a 12-year run that included a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. However, the 36-year-old was dropped in the middle of the Saints’ numbers crunch.

Morstead first entered the league as a 2009 fifth-round draft pick. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. His He caught on with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann eventually designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed in New York and he was cut.

The veteran averaged 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016. His spent the second half of the season with the Falcons, where he averaged 46.1 yards on his 22 punts.

The accomplished punter is now in line to replace Michael Palardy, who is out of contract.

Dolphins Work Out P Thomas Morstead

April 6th, 2022 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins are still seeking a punter, and they’ve turned their focus to a former Saints mainstay. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the team worked out punter Thomas Morstead today.

Morstead, 36, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. His 12-year stint with the organization included a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. Morstead was released in the middle of the Saints’ 2021 numbers crunch.

He caught on with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann eventually designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed in New York and he was cut. The veteran averaged 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016. His spent the second half of the season with the Falcons, where he averaged 46.1 yards on his 22 punts.

Michael Palardy was the Dolphins punter in 2021, but the veteran remains unsigned.

Falcons Sign P Thomas Morstead

November 23rd, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Thomas Morstead has found his next gig. The Falcons announced that they’ve signed the veteran punter. Morstead also confirmed the signing on Twitter.

There’s a chance Falcons punter Dustin Colquitt is forced to miss Sunday’s game due to COVID-19 protocols. Morstead would be a temporary fill-in, and there’s a good chance he’ll earn his walking papers once Colquitt is back in the lineup.

Morstead, 35, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. This year, the Saints were more than $100MM over the cap, so he was released in the middle of their numbers crunch. Morstead landed with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed and he was cut.

The veteran missed only two games in his 12 Saints seasons and punted in all seven of his Jets contests, bringing his career total to 197 appearances. Morstead was averaging 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016.

Jets To Release P Thomas Morstead

November 8th, 2021 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets will release punter Thomas Morstead today, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). As a post-deadline cut, Morstead will be available on the waiver wire for the league’s other 31 teams.

Morstead, 35, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. This year, the Saints were more than $100MM over the cap, so he was released in the middle of their numbers crunch.

Morstead landed with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann designated for return, Morstead’s services are no longer needed.

The veteran missed only two games in his 12 Saints seasons and punted in all seven of his Jets contests, bringing his career total to 197 appearances.

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