Smith got a two-year deal from Denver that can max out at $5.5MM, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). Smith got a $1.4MM signing bonus to join the Broncos, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (via Twitter). After finishing last in kicker return average in 2022, the Broncos should get a bump from Smith, who averaged 23.9 yards on his 40 kickoff returns for Houston over the past two years.
The 2022 offseason has seen the departure of the Packers’ top two wide receivers. Their absence naturally places a heavier burden on the team’s tight ends to produce more in 2022 than they did last season.
Much of the unit’s expectations will, of course, fall on Robert Tonyan. The 28-year-old is in line to once again serve as Green Bay’s top TE, after the team elected not to draft one in the spring. He emerged as a key part of their passing attack in 2020; that season, he totalled 52 catches for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns, which tied him for the league lead in majors at the position.
The 2021 campaign was a much different story, however. A torn ACL ended his season in October, leaving him with only 204 receiving yards, and severely limiting the Packers’ overall production at the position. He re-signed with the team on a one-year deal this offseason, though, meaning he once again enters a new campaign with significant expectations.
However, it remains to be seen if he will have recovered from the injury in time for the fall. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes that Tonyan spent all of the team’s OTAs and minicamp rehabbing his knee (subscription required). At this point, it “remains unclear” if he will be available by the start of the regular season. His absence extending into 2022 would shift attention primarily to the team’s other, less experienced options at the position.
That includes Josiah Deguara. The 2020 third-rounder missed nearly all of his rookie season due to injury, and started only two contests last year. He was nevertheless the team’s most productive TE, with 245 yards and a pair of scores. If Tonyan is unable to see the field early this season, Deguara (along with fellow 2020 draftee Tyler Davisand veteran Marcedes Lewis) will shoulder a larger workload, especially in the absence of All-Pro wideout Davante Adams.
“It’s not an elephant in the room, but Davante’s gone,” Deguara said, via Mike Spofford of the team’s website. “All the balls that he got were much deserved, so there’s opportunity for guys to step up, and I’m going to try to be one of those guys.” The degree to which the TE room contributes this season could go a long way in determining Green Bay’s success.
Some big names at wideout appear on this list, and the Jags also released former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett earlier Tuesday. Cooper is a former All-Pro kick returner who has held regular return gigs since that 2017 breakout. The fifth-year role player was the Cardinals’ primary return man in 2019 and filled the same role with the Panthers last season. Like Dorsett, Treadwell arrived as a first-round pick. But the former Vikings draftee has not been able to find steady footing in the league.
Jacksonville drafted Williams in the 2019 third round — two rounds after younger brother Quinnen went to the Jets — but the young linebacker did not start a game in 2020. Luton did, but the Oregon State product did not profile as a steady backup option. The Jags are going with Meyer-era investments Trevor Lawrenceand C.J. Beathard at QB. The Wilson move comes after the veteran safety operated as a Jags back-line starter for the past two seasons.
The Jaguars officially signed sixth-round tight end Tyler Davis on Friday night, per the league’s official transactions wire. Even with Davis in the fold, the Jaguars still have lots of paperwork ahead of them. The Jaguars have signed only two players in their 12-man draft class, as shown in PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft tracker.
Davis began his collegiate career as a quarterback at Connecticut. He finished his college days as a tight end at Georgia Tech, where he tallied 17 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown last year. Across all four seasons, Davis recorded 64 receptions for 648 yards and eight TDs.
Davis impressed at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds at his pro day. At the combine, only Albert Okwuegbunam posted a faster time (4.49 seconds) and he went much earlier on Day 3 (Broncos; fourth round, No. 118 overall). Well-regarded by coaches as a natural leader, Davis will push to make the Jags’ roster as a supporting cast member behind Tyler Eifert.
Foster played for Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll at the University of Alabama, so Daboll is already familiar with what he provides. He wasn’t a major contributor in college, but he did have 14 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown last year. Foster impressed evaluators at the combine with a 4.41 second 40-yard-dash and his build gives the Bills some hope that he can stick at the next level.
Phillips, on the other hand, was a big performer in college. At Virginia Tech, he caught 147 passes in his final two seasons for nearly 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.
Earlier this week, Vikings offensive lineman Phil Loadholtannounced his retirement from football. While Loadholt cited his health as the driving factor in his decision, Mike Florio of PFT wonders if the veteran’s recent pay cut was an even greater motivation to walk away from the sport. This spring, the Vikings pushed Loadholt to amend his ~$5.5MM base salary to a $2MM base for 2016 with up to $3.5MM in incentives. Ultimately, Loadholt may have opted for early retirement rather than playing for a reduced salary this season.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
Or, maybe Loadholt did retire because of injuries. The lineman had a setback two weeks ago while working out in Houston, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) hears. The leg issue, which was unrelated to his troublesome Achilles tendon, would have sidelined him during training camp.
Former Miami wide receiver Tyler Davis and former Green Bay wide receiver Larry Pinkard both worked out for the Lions earlier this week, along with quarterbackJimmy Clausen, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein tweets. However, after the Lions addedAnquan Boldin on Wednesday, it’s not clear if there is still a spot available for Pinkard or Davis.
