HEADLINES

Shaq Lawson

Contract Details: James, Lawson, Muse

April 23rd, 2023 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are a few details on contracts that have been signed in the last several weeks:

  • Richie James, WR (Chiefs): One year. $1.08MM (veteran minimum for a player with four to six years of service time). $400K guaranteed, including $152.5K signing bonus. Despite a career year in 2022 as part of the Giants’ depleted WR corps, James had to settle for a veteran minimum accord (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).
  • Shaq Lawson, DE (Bills): One year. $1.165MM (veteran minimum for a player with seven or more years of service time). $300K guaranteed, including $152.5K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson). Lawson was unable to parlay his increased role in the second half of the 2022 season — which included two playoff starts — into anything more than a veteran minimum deal.
  • Tanner Muse, LB (Steelers): One year. $1.01MM (veteran minimum for a player with three years of service time). Twitter link via Wilson. Muse worked primarily on special teams for the Seahawks in 2022, but he saw the first defensive snaps of his career towards the end of the season and will look to carve out a rotational/ST role for Pittsburgh. Seattle non-tendered him in March.

Bills To Re-Sign DE Shaq Lawson

April 10th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shaq Lawson‘s second stint with the Bills has earned him an extended stay in Buffalo. The veteran defensive end is re-signing on a one-year deal, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Lawson, 28, began his career with the Bills, spending four productive if uninspiring seasons with the team. He notched a career-high 6.5 sacks in the final year of his rookie contract, which helped earn him a three-year, $30MM deal with the Dolphins in 2020. That pact could have provided the opportunity for continued career ascension, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.

The former first-rounder spent only one season in Miami, and was dealt to the Texans. Before having played in Houston, however, Lawson was traded back into the AFC East and joined the Jets in 2021. While logging a significant workload, he managed only a single sack in New York, leading to his release before season’s end. That move left his future uncertain, but a return to his original home proved to be an effective move.

Lawson inked a one-year contract last March to head back to Buffalo, where he spent much of the season in a rotational role. After the season-ending injury suffered by Von Miller, however, Lawson stepped took on a larger workload. He ended up starting six regular season games, along with both of the Bills’ playoff contests. He managed 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks, numbers which have allowed him to retain his spot as a valued member of the team’s edge rush group.

While Miller continues to recover at the start of the 2023 campaign, Buffalo will look to recent draftees Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and Carlos Basham for much of their pass rushing production. Lawson will look to continue in the role he had to finish out last season, while providing depth at the position for a unit which will be without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier this year. Another season with decent production could earn him yet another Bills pact, or boost his stock for a move elsewhere.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Gesicki, Lawson

August 11th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Jake Bailey signed an extension with the Patriots earlier this month, and we’re now getting details on the punter’s new deal. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter), Bailey earned a four-year pact worth $13.125MM, with $6.275MM of that deal fully guaranteed.

Bailey got a raise on his 2022 salary, jumping from $3.986MM to $4.5MM. The move lowered his cap number, however, reducing it from $4.058MM to $2.025MM. Next year, Bailey’s cap number will increase to $3.415MM before going to $3.79MM in both 2024 and 2025.

“I’m just so happy and blessed I get a few more years here,” Bailey said last week (via the team’s website). “I was just kind of on the phone with my agent and I was like, ‘Alright, that’s it. We’re good with that,’ and it wasn’t like a crazy big moment. But it was fine and a huge milestone in my life and just thankful God put me in this position.”

The 2019 fifth-round pick out of Stanford has spent his entire career in New England, including a 2020 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pro honors.

More notes out of the AFC East…

  • While you should never put too much stock into preseason depth charts, Volin points out on Twitter that the Patriots‘ initial depth chart shows that the team is committing to Trent Brown at left tackle and Isaiah Wynn at right tackle. The two offensive lineman are swapping positions following a 2021 campaign that mostly saw Wynn at LT and Brown at RT.
  • Mike Gesicki leads the Dolphins in receptions since the beginning of the 2019 campaign, but the tight end may find himself as a secondary target for Tua Tagovailoa in 2022. As Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com points out, Gesicki will likely be fourth in line for targets behind wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Cedrick Wilson. As new head coach Mike McDaniel noted, the offense won’t try to force the ball to the tight end, but there will surely be situations where the team is counting on Gesicki to contribute. “It’s something that we’ve talked to the tight ends about at length — it comes in waves,” McDaniel told Beasley. “There have been practices where he’s got seven or eight … he had more targets maybe Practice 7 — it was 7 or 8 — than Tyreek had. It’s just one of those things that you try in the game of football, especially when you are a pass receiver at any position, to really focus on what you can control. You can’t control the defenses. You can’t control the progression. You can’t control the pass rush.”
  • Veteran defensive end Shaq Lawson is back in Buffalo after re-joining the organization this offseason. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic expects Lawson to ultimately make the Bills 53-man roster, but he’s fallen behind the likes of A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham on the depth chart and will likely serve as the team’s fifth defensive end. The 28-year-old started seven games for the Jets in 2021, collecting 23 tackles and one sack.
  • If Tre’Davious White isn’t ready for the start of the regular season, then there’s a good chance the Bills will be starting a rookie cornerback opposite Dane Jackson. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, first-round rookie Kaiir Elam would be a natural choice, but he’s struggled during training camp. As a result, sixth-round rookie Christian Benford could find himself in the starting lineup come Week 1.

Bills To Sign Shaq Lawson

March 17th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Shaq Lawson is back in Buffalo. On Thursday, the edge rusher agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 

[RELATED: Bills To Sign V. Miller]

Lawson, 27, was a first rounder of the Bills back in 2016. He racked up 16.5 sacks during his four-year stay in Buffalo, which wasn’t enough for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. He stayed in the division when he signed with the Dolphins in 2020 on a three-year, $30MM deal. His production was essentially on par with his days in Buffalo, though, and he found himself being traded to the Texans one year later.

Lawson never played in Houston, however, being moved once again later that offseason, this time to the Jets. In New York, he managed just one sack and was let go before the end of the campaign. Over his six years in the NFL, he has established himself as a capable rotational pass rusher, and a return to Buffalo could allow him to get back to his old form.

The Bills, meanwhile, get to bolster their pass rush despite a limited budget. Much of their cap room has been allocated towards Von Miller, who will team with Lawson up front.

Mutual Interest Between Bills, Shaq Lawson For Return

March 9th, 2022 at 12:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills may soon be welcoming back a familiar face. There is “mutual interest” in a return to Buffalo between the team and edge rusher Shaq Lawson according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Bills Release LB A.J. Klein]

Lawson, 27, was a first rounder of the Bills in 2016. He racked up 16.5 sacks during his four-year stay in Buffalo, which wasn’t enough for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. He stayed in the division when he signed with the Dolphins in 2020 on a three-year, $30MM deal. His production was essentially on par with his days in Buffalo, though, and he found himself being traded to the Texans one year later.

Lawson never played in Houston, however, being moved once again later that offseason, this time to the Jets. In New York, he managed just one sack and was let go before the end of the campaign. Over his six years in the NFL, he has established himself as a capable rotational pass rusher, and a reunion in Buffalo could return him to his most productive form.

Fowler notes that “nothing is imminent” as of now, which is understandable given that the Bills are currently projected to be over the cap by roughly $2MM. Still, the team could likely find room to fit in the veteran without much issue. If they do, he would add an experienced presence to one of the AFC’s best rosters.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/22

January 8th, 2022 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jets Cut DE Shaq Lawson

January 8th, 2022 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Added as an 11th-hour replacement for the injured Carl Lawson, Shaq Lawson will not finish the season with the Jets. The Jets are cutting ties with the veteran defensive end.

While Shaq Lawson has not been especially productive this season, he does have extensive experience as a key pass-rushing weapon. Because Lawson is being jettisoned after the trade deadline, he will head to waivers. Should Lawson be claimed, he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs. If no team claims him, however, the sixth-year pass rusher could still play for another team in the postseason as a free agent signing.

The Jets will save $9MM in cap space because of this move. That can be rolled over to their 2022 budget. Gang Green is now projected to possess more than $55MM in 2022 cap space, though many moves will take place between now and when free agency opens in March.

A former Bills and Dolphins starter, Lawson was traded twice this year. The Texans acquired him from the Dolphins, and the rebuilding team sent the veteran edge defender to the Jets late this summer. The former first-round pick has just one sack in 14 games this season. Saturday’s transaction will give Lawson a chance to be with four teams over the past year.

The former Clemson standout registered 6.5 sacks in his 2019 contract year with the Bills, catching the attention of the Dolphins in free agency. Miami signed Lawson to a three-year, $30MM deal in March 2020. The Texans reworked that contract last year. Lawson is signed through 2022; that deal carries an $8.9MM base salary next season.

Texans To Trade Shaq Lawson To Jets

August 29th, 2021 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday, the Texans agreed to trade edge rusher Shaq Lawson to the Jets (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In exchange, New York will send a sixth-round draft pick to Houston. 

Lawson came to Houston earlier this year in the deal that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons.

The Jets will now take on Lawson and the rest of his contract. That means a paltry $1.4M in 2021 plus club control in 2022 with no guaranteed money. So, if Lawson is a bust, the Jets can drop him without penalty. And, if things work out, they can keep him for ’22 for a $8.9MM salary. It’s a savvy move for Joe Douglas & Co. — they gave up very little to fortify their defensive line in the wake of Carl Lawson‘s season-ending Achilles tear.

Lawson might not be a world-beater, but he was probably their best option after losing C. Lawson and Vinny Curry in a short span.

“It’s always easy to play the fictional game of, ‘Let’s go get somebody,’ but the reality is [it’s] few and far between in terms of what’s available,” head coach Robert Saleh said recently. “Now, obviously, Joe and his staff are working relentlessly, always trying to look at the roster and always communicating.”

Lawson has a little over two weeks to cram on his new team’s playbook. The Jets kick off the 2021 season on Sept. 12 when they face the Panthers in Carolina.

Texans Shopping Shaq Lawson, Lonnie Johnson

August 27th, 2021 at 4:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans pass rusher Shaq Lawson and defensive back Lonnie Johnson are being “heavily discussed in league circles as trade candidates,” according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). Both players have started in the past, but neither is currently projected to be first-string for the Texans.

Lawson came to Houston earlier this year in the deal that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons. For now, the Texans have him under club control for another two seasons, thanks to the three-year, $30MM he inked with the ‘Fins last spring.

The Texans selected Johnson, a Kentucky product, in the second round of the 2019 draft. He’s got all the physical tools one could want in a corner or a safety. At 6-2, 213 pounds, he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the Combine. He’s shown flashes of potential with the Texans over the last two years, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet as a pro.

Texans Rework Shaq Lawson’s Deal

April 2nd, 2021 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have converted $7MM of Shaq Lawson‘s contract into a signing bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The move will carve out $5.2MM in breathing room for Houston while adding two voidable years to the edge rusher’s deal.

[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Shaq Lawson To Texans For Benardrick McKinney]

Lawson arrived a couple weeks back in the trade that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He was the second player from Miami’s 2020 front-seven spending spree to be jettisoned in a matter of days, following the release of Kyle Van Noy.

Lawson turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For all intents and purposes, Lawson’s is set to continue on the three-year, $30MM he inked with the ‘Fins last spring. But, thanks to those voidable years, the Texans can kick the can down the road a bit.

For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons. Barring any further changes to his deal, he’s due to make $8.9MM in 2022.

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