Contract Details: Patriots, Moseley, Golden, Bills, Hyde
Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:
- LB Matt Judon, Patriots: $18MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $11MM (2022), $11MM (2023), $9.5MM (2024). Up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses, $500K All-Pro incentive between 2022 and 2024. Via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
- TE Jonnu Smith, Patriots: $15MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $9MM (2022), $10MM (2023), $11MM (2024). Up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. Via Yates on Twitter.
- CB Emmanuel Moseley, 49ers: $500K per-game active roster bonus in 2022. Up to $750K play-time base salary escalator in 2022. Via Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter.
- LB Markus Golden, Cardinals: two years, $5MM, $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021, guaranteed), $2MM (2022). Up to $250K in annual per-game roster bonuses, up to $2MM in annual sack incentives. Via Wilson on Twitter.
- OT Daryl Williams, Bills: $13.75MM guaranteed, $5.4MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $6.725MM (2022), $5.475MM (2023). $3MM roster bonus in 2021, $1.25MM roster bonus in 2023. Per-game roster bonuses: $250K (2021), $300K (2022-2023). $100K annual workout bonuses. $2.2MM in additional annual incentives. Via Yates on Twitter.
- RB Carlos Hyde, Jaguars: Two years, $4.5MM. $1.25MM base salary in 2021 is fully guaranteed. $900K signing bonus. Via TheMMQB’s Albert Breer on Twitter.
Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin Reverts Back To 49ers
If you’re a fan of weird NFL transactions, you’ll like this one. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Eagles wideout Marquise Goodwin has reverted back to the 49ers, per the terms of the trade the teams completed last year.
However, it doesn’t sound like the veteran receiver’s second stint in San Francisco is going to last all that long. Yates notes that Goodwin is unlikely to fit into the 49ers’ plans at wide receiver, opining that this is merely “a procedural move.”
Following four seasons in Buffalo, Goodwin joined the 49ers back in 2017. He proceeded to have a breakout campaign for his new squad, hauling in 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns. However, the receiver didn’t come close to matching that production between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, compiling 605 yards from scrimmage and five scores in 20 games (14 starts).
Goodwin was dealt to the Eagles last April in a deal that saw the 49ers and Eagles swap sixth-round picks. The 30-year-old ultimately declared as an opt-out for the 2020 season, and his tenure in Philly ends without him taking the field for his new squad.
Bears To Sign Andy Dalton
Another one of the quarterback dominos has fallen. Andy Dalton will be signing with the Bears, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s a one-year deal worth $10MM that carries an additional $3MM in incentives, Schefter reports. We heard earlier this morning that the Bears were interested, and they were able to get something done. Chicago had been “circling” for a few days and the 49ers also had interest in his services, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. San Francisco’s interest is eyebrow-raising, and Dalton’s presence would’ve put some heat on Jimmy Garoppolo.
Understandably, Dalton opted to go with the team where he has a clearer path to starting duties. Financially, it’s very similar to the deal Ryan Fitzpatrick signed with Washington last night, which was also for one year and $10MM + incentives. Jameis Winston‘s new deal with the Saints is worth “up to” $12MM, so this appears to be where the bar has been set for quasi-starters with teams who have uncertain futures under center.
Mitchell Trubisky is a free agent and not expected to return to the Bears. Nick Foles is still on the roster, but Dalton can likely be penciled in as the starter for now. That being said, the commitment to him isn’t too large, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Chicago opted to still draft a rookie early or try to pull off a miracle trade. As of a couple weeks ago they were apparently all-in on a pursuit of Russell Wilson.
It’s unclear if this signing will alter those plans at all. Dalton was the Bengals’ starter from 2011-19, and had some real success, making the Pro Bowl three times and leading them to the playoffs in five straight seasons at one point. He was allowed to walk as Cincy entered a rebuild, and ended up in Dallas as a backup last year. After Dak Prescott‘s season-ending injury, he took over under center.
In 11 games and nine starts for the Cowboys, he finished with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions while averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but he was in a tough situation.
There’s also a lot of familiarity here, as Bill Lazor is the Bears’ new offensive coordinator. Lazor was Dalton’s QBs coach and then OC for a few years in Cincinnati. Assuming Dalton is the starter, he’ll be tasked with saving the jobs of head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace, both of whom are on very thin ice entering 2021.
NFL Contract Details: Bolts, Griffin, Broncos
With the tampering period in full swing, here are some of the latest contract details to emerge:
- Chargers C Corey Linsley: Five years, $62.5MM. $26MM guaranteed, $13MM signing bonus. Linsley is due $26MM through 2022, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Linsley’s 2021 base salary ($4MM) is fully guaranteed. His 2022 base salary ($9MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing; it becomes fully guaranteed if he is on the Bolts’ roster on Day 2 of the 2022 league year, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Jaguars CB Shaquill Griffin: Three years, $40MM. $23.5MM fully guaranteed, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. $12MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1MM, $11.5MM and $11.5MM. Griffin is due a $1MM roster bonus in 2023, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
- Lions DE Romeo Okwara: Three years, $39MM. $14MM signing bonus, $20MM fully guaranteed. Another $5MM will be guaranteed by next March, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
- Broncos DL Shelby Harris: Three years, $27MM. $9MM signing bonus. Harris’ $1MM 2021 base salary and $5.5MM of his $7.5MM 2022 base are guaranteed, Wilson tweets.
- Patriots DB Jalen Mills: Four years, $24MM. $2.5MM signing bonus, $3MM base salary in 2021, $4.5MM in ’22. Williams will have $3.5MM of his 2022 base salary fully guaranteed, Breer tweets.
- Panthers OL Cameron Erving: Two years, $10MM. This contract includes base salaries of $990K and $2.01MM, with Wilson tweeting a March 2022 roster bonus of $2.5MM is guaranteed.
- 49ers CB Jason Verrett: One year, $5.5MM. $2MM signing bonus, $2.5MM base salary, $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. Another $1MM is available via incentives, Yates tweets.
49ers Agree To New Deal With Dee Ford
The 49ers are making the pass-rush a priority. Shortly after signing Samson Ebukam away from the Rams, San Francisco has agreed to terms on a new deal to keep Dee Ford in the fold, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
The restructured contract is a two-year pact worth $24MM, he reports. Ford had previously been under a five-year, $85MM deal that he signed with the team when they traded for him almost exactly two years ago, and he wasn’t going to stick at that price. The 49ers gave up a second-round pick to get Ford away from the Chiefs and sign him to that contract, and the move has been somewhat of a disaster.
In his first season with the team, he was banged up but still had 6.5 sacks in 11 games. The 49ers shopped him around this time last year, but didn’t find any takers. Then injuries completely tanked his 2020 season, and he played in only one game.
This led to a lot of uncertainty about his status, and he now has a lot to prove. It now feels like ages since he had 13 sacks with Kansas City in 2018. If Ford can get healthy, Ebukam can contribute, and Nick Bosa returns to pre-ACL tear form, the 49ers’ pass-rush is going to be dramatically improved from last season.
49ers To Sign Samson Ebukam
The 49ers are poaching away a young player from a division rival. San Francisco has agreed to terms on a deal with former Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam, sources tell Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’s a two year pact worth $12MM that can be worth up to $13.5MM with incentives, Pelissero writes. A 2017 fourth-round pick, Ebukam has shown plenty of flashes although he’s never been able to have a full-time role in the Rams’ often loaded defensive front. This past year he started 14 games, but only played around 35 percent of the defensive snaps in a rotational role.
Even still, he managed to finish with 4.5 sacks, so it easily could’ve been double digits had he been playing every down. He’s also been durable, appearing in all 16 games in all four of his pro seasons.
The Eastern Washington product is still only 25, so this is a nice upside signing for a 49ers team that saw their pass-rushers get decimated by injuries this past year. Fortunately they’ll have Nick Bosa back in 2021, which should make Ebukam’s job easier just like playing next to Aaron Donald did.
49ers Re-Sign Jason Verrett
The 49ers are locking up another one of their high profile free agents. San Francisco has agreed to terms to re-sign cornerback Jason Verrett, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $5.5MM that has “significant upside” for more, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapoport later tweeted that it’ll be $6.5MM if he makes the Pro Bowl, and also noted that he turned down a multi-year offer from another team in order to bet on himself again. Given Verrett’s lengthy injury history, it makes sense that San Francisco was looking to do a one-year deal.
Verrett was one of the best stories in the NFL last season, as he was finally able to stay healthy after a brutal run of bad injury luck the previous handful of years. A first-round pick of the Chargers back in 2014, Verrett initially looked like a star in the making and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. Then a torn ACL limited him to four games in 2016. Then another knee injury limited him to only one game in 2017.
A torn Achilles sidelined him for the entire 2018 season, and because of an ankle injury he only played in one game with the 49ers in 2019. Despite only appearing in six games across four seasons from 2016-19, the 49ers brought him back last year and it paid off.
Verrett started 13 games last season, racking up seven passes defended and two interceptions. He played very well, and should be back as a starter in 2021. He’ll be especially important for Kyle Shanahan’s defense with Richard Sherman set to depart in free agency.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/21
Teams have until Wednesday to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Non-Tendered:
- 49ers: QB Nick Mullens
ERFAs
Non-Tendered:
- .
Tendered:
- .
49ers Re-Sign Kyle Juszczyk
UPDATE, 8:35pm: It’s now official. Juszczyk has signed a five-year extension with the 49ers worth an impressive $27MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapsheet notes the contract is signed, so it’s a done deal. The pact comes with $10MM guaranteed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
8:33am: About three weeks ago, we heard that the 49ers were making a push to re-sign fullback Kyle Juszczyk in advance of free agency. With the legal tampering period set to kick off tomorrow, it appears that San Francisco may have struck an accord just in time.
Late last night, Niners GM John Lynch posted the following tweet, which certainly makes it sound as if Juszczyk will be back: “I’m thirsty. Niners fans, you want some ‘Juice?'” Presumably, Lynch does not plan on bringing in O.J. Simpson in an advisory role, so that would seem to indicate that he was referring to a Juszczyk re-up.
In Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s first offseason running the 49ers, they signed the former Ravens blocker to a four-year, $21MM deal. That 2017 pact still resides on its own tier at the fullback position, with only two other FBs — Derek Watt and C.J. Ham — earning more than $2MM in average annual salary.
Of course, Juszczyk is more than just a blocking fullback. While he is hardy the focal point of Shanahan’s offense, he is a useful and versatile weapon, having compiled 102 catches for 1,080 yards and 35 carries for 132 yards over the past four seasons. He has nine total touchdowns during that time, and he has earned four consecutive Pro Bowl nods for his efforts.
Because there are still no obvious comps, it could be that Juszczyk’s second contract with the 49ers will look much like his first one. But in any event, Lynch will have around $30MM in cap space heading into free agency, so he will have some ability to sign a quality FA or two and perhaps retain LT Trent Williams.
Latest On Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo
The financial details of the Patriots’ new deal with Cam Newton make it clear that New England is leaving its options open with respect to the quarterback position, and the Jimmy Garoppolo rumblings continue to persist. In a recent appearance on the PFT PM podcast, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston said a New England-Garoppolo reunion remains a possibility even after the Newton re-up (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Of course, the 49ers would need to make Garoppolo available via trade, and that situation is a little murky. San Francisco GM John Lynch said last month that he had no doubt Garoppolo would be his starting QB in 2021, but just a few days later, a report surfaced indicating that Jimmy G was still on the trade block.
According to Florio, the Niners continue to seek an upgrade, and if they find one, obviously Garoppolo would stand to be dealt. Though he would need to waive his no-trade clause, that probably wouldn’t be a problem if San Francisco brings in, or is planning to bring in, a player that could pose a threat to his starting job.
As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com points out, getting a legitimate quarterback under contract was key for the Patriots with free agency opening this week. Although there are plenty who believe Newton is simply not a viable starter anymore, he is still a beloved figure among players, and the Pats — who have among the most salary cap space in the league — figure to be active players in the market. The club has been connected to some of the top receivers and tight ends available, and those players would probably not even consider Foxborough if Jarrett Stidham was the only passer on the roster. So while the Newton deal doesn’t assure him of anything, it needed to be done.
For his part, Newton expects to take a major step forward in 2021 if given the opportunity. He recently posted a hype video to Instagram promising a return to form next season, and depending on how things shake out in free agency and the draft, he just might get that chance. If nothing else, the fact that the Pats brought him back suggests that the team believes he could look more like his old self with a better complement of weapons surrounding him.