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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/22/20

July 22nd, 2020 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest draft pick signings. With rookies set to report to teams’ training camps this week, teams are busy on this front.

  • The Vikings were the busiest team in the draft, making 15 picks this year. They have been active signing them Wednesday. Beyond first-rounder Justin Jefferson, Minnesota has agreed to terms with second-round tackle Ezra Cleveland, fourth-round linebacker Troy Dye, fourth-round defensive tackle James Lynch and seventh-round offensive lineman Kyle Hinton. Cleveland, rumored as a possible late-first-round selection, will be groomed to become a near-future starter for the Vikings.
  • The Broncos began signing some of their picks, most notably getting third-rounders Michael Ojemudia and McTelvin Agim under contract. A cornerback, Ojemudia is set to compete for a starting job opposite A.J. Bouye; Agim profiles as D-line depth behind established starters this season. Denver also signed fourth-round tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, a Mizzou alum set to rejoin his former quarterback (Drew Lock) in the Mile High City. The Broncos also reached an agreement with seventh-round outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka.
  • Despite having T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree under contract, the Steelers used a third-round pick on outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. The Charlotte alum agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal. Highsmith recorded 15 sacks at the mid-major program last season.
  • Packers third-round pick Josiah Deguara also agreed on his four-year rookie contract. Green Bay eschewed its wide receiver need throughout the draft, using Day 2 to add a running back (A.J. Dillon) and Deguara, who profiles as a tight end/fullback. The Cincinnati product surpassed 900 yards between his final two college seasons, totaling 12 touchdown grabs in that span.
  • Tennessee third-round running back Darrynton Evans signed his rookie deal as well. Evans looks set to replace Dion Lewis as the Titans‘ Derrick Henry change-of-pace back. The Appalachian State alum rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He added five receiving TDs.
  • The Giants used first- and third-round picks on tackles. The latter selection, UConn’s Matt Peart, agreed to the terms of his rookie deal Wednesday. Peart profiles as a developmental lineman, working behind expected starters Nate Solder and Andrew Thomas. He stands to join Cameron Fleming as depth for Big Blue.
  • Washington has agreed to terms with third-round running back/wideout Antonio Gibson, fourth-round receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden and fifth-round center Keith Ismael. Gibson and Gandy-Golden figure to be key parts of a Washington offense that is limited, beyond Terry McLaurin, in the passing game. Gibson totaled 1,104 yards from scrimmage at Memphis last season, while Gandy-Golden caught 20 touchdown passes in two years at Liberty.
  • Fourth-round Cowboys pick Reggie Robinson agreed to terms as well. The Tulsa cornerback joins a Cowboys team that lost Byron Jones in free agency. Dallas was active in an effort to replace the Pro Bowler, drafting Trevon Diggs in Round 2 and signing Daryl Worley.
  • Sixth-round Chargers safety Alohi Gilman, a Notre Dame alum, signed his Chargers contract Wednesday. Gillman joins a deep Bolts safety corps.
  • The Buccaneers drafted two running backs this year. On Wednesday, they agreed to terms with the second of those picks — seventh-rounder Raymond Calais. In addition to his work as a running back at Louisiana, Calais was a four-year kick returner for the Rajin’ Cajuns.

Michael Bennett Retires From NFL

July 21st, 2020 at 9:23am CST by Zachary Links

Michael Bennett is calling it a career. After eleven years in the NFL, the longtime Seahawks defensive end announced his retirement on Instagram. 

“Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth — the opportunity to reimagine my purpose,” Bennett wrote. “I would like to thank my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much for me to succeed. I’m looking forward to supporting them the same way they have me these past 11 years. I have never been more at peace in my life.”

Bennett, 34, went undrafted in 2009 after an up-and-down tenure at Texas A&M. His first deal technically came with the Seahawks, but he didn’t make the final cut, so he moved on to the Buccaneers. In 2013, he returned to Seattle as a free agent, and that’s where he really came into his own. The ’13 Seahawks won the Super Bowl and boasted the league’s best D, thanks in large part to Bennett. With the Seahawks, Bennett went on to rack up three straight Pro Bowl appearances and 39 total sacks across five seasons.

Bennett spent time with the Eagles, Cowboys, and Patriots across the last two seasons and was still solidly productive – he had 15.5 sacks between 2018 and 2019. Still, Bennett was mulling retirement even before the pandemic, and quarantining with the family reminded him of everything he had missed off of the field. With that, Bennett is walking away from the game with 359 tackles, 69.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and a Super Bowl ring.

Bucs To Sign Rookies Tyler Johnson, Khalil Davis

July 20th, 2020 at 11:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are chipping away at their rookie class. Sixth-round defensive tackle Khalil Davis has agreed to terms, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Meanwhile, fifth-round wide receiver Tyler Johnson has formally inked his deal, per an announcement from his agency (via Twitter).

The Bucs sent several scouts to the 2020 Outback Bowl between Minnesota and Auburn. At that game, they watched Johnson turn in the best game of his collegiate career – 12 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly, that left an impression. With the No. 161 overall pick, they snagged Johnson to help round out their WR group. This summer, he’ll look to carve out his spot on the depth chart behind stars Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Davis, meanwhile, figures to support starting nose tackle Vita Vea. Even though he was a late pick, the Bucs are high on Davis’ skillset – at 308 pounds, he managed to run the 40-yard-dash at 4.75 seconds, good for sixth among all defensive linemen at the combine.

Here’s the full rundown of the Bucs’ class, via PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft tracker:

1-13: Tristan Wirfs, T (Iowa)
2-45: Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Minnesota)
3-76: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB (Vanderbilt)
5-161: Tyler Johnson, WR (Minnesota): Signed
6-194: Khalil Davis, DT (Nebraska): Signed
7-241: Chapelle Russell, OLB (Temple)
7-245: Raymond Calais, RB (LSU)

NFC Notes: Barrett, Gregory, Washington

July 14th, 2020 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers look to be one of the many teams set to carry a franchise tag number on their payroll this season. Shaquil Barrett and the Bucs were believed to be far apart on terms over the weekend, and the breakout pass rusher expects to play this season on the tag.

“I would love to get a deal done. I know they would love to get a deal done. But just the situation of the world right now is making it hard to get a deal done,” Barrett said during an NFL Network appearance (via NFL.com). “So if we get one done, I’m going to be happy. But if not, I’m still happy to be down here for another year and potentially to get a deal done in the future once we do figure out how the season’s going to go and how next year possibly will be.

“I still have some hope for it, but I’m more optimistic for the one-year to get done over a long-term deal.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has clouded the NFL financial picture. Although some teams have come to extension agreements, most franchises have held off. Of the 15 players who received the franchise tag this year, only one (Chris Jones) has reached an extension agreement. With Barrett upping his single-season sack career high from 5.5 to a Bucs-record 19.5, he profiled as a possible “prove it” player. It looks like the sides will huddle up again after the season.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • After firing multiple front office execs last week, Washington added some staffers. The team will hire Eric Stokes as its director of pro scouting, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Washington is also adding longtime scout Don Warren to be its assistant director of pro personnel, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Both will come to Washington after years with Carolina, following Ron Rivera in that regard. For Warren, this will be a reunion. He won three Super Bowls with Washington as a tight end and previously served as a scout with the franchise from 2005-09.
  • The Cowboys refuse to give up on Randy Gregory. Despite the Cowboys losing hope he will be reinstated in time for this season, they would like to have the suspended defensive end back in a non-playing capacity for the time being, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. Gregory has been suspended four times since entering the league. He has not played since the 2018 season.
  • The Saints should be expected to sign a tackle at some point before the season, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes (subscription required). New Orleans has entrenched starters Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk and added ex-Ravens starter/swingman James Hurst this offseason. But the Saints have been proponents of O-line fortification, so it would not be especially surprising to see them further bolster the group. That said, Hurst and interior lineman Nick Easton qualify as solid backups.
  • Perhaps following the Saints’ lead, the Cardinals had former CFL quarterback Chris Streveler sit in on their special teams meetings during the virtual offseason period, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes. While the Cardinals communicated to the Grey Cup-winning quarterback he will not change positions upon moving south, a Taysom Hill-type role may be how Streveler makes the team. Brett Hundley and former UDFA Drew Anderson are the other QBs on Arizona’s roster.

Poll: How Many Tagged Players Will Land Extensions?

July 14th, 2020 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day away from the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, the NFL finally saw a player from this year’s group do so. The Chiefs’ Chris Jones extension represents the outlier move thus far. Discounting Jones’ deal, how many more tagged players will sign by the 3pm CT deadline Wednesday?

The 14 remaining tagged players reside in limbo for various reasons — from uncertainties about their career trajectories to the pandemic clouding the NFL’s financial future. There could be plenty of players going through the 2020 season on guaranteed one-year deals, which would both table key negotiations for several months and add to the 2021 free agent market.

Here is how everything looks with the tagged group as of Tuesday afternoon:

Already Signed Tag

*Received transition tag (vs. franchise tag)

Hasn’t Signed Tag, Won’t Hold Out

Hasn’t Signed Tag, Threatening Holdout

More players were tagged this year than in 2018 and ’19 combined. This represents the largest contingent of tagged performers since 2012, when 19 were tagged. That also came in an era when of salary cap stagnancy. After steady cap growth since 2014, the league’s best hope may be for the 2021 cap to plateau. The coronavirus has threatened to keep fans out of stadiums, with limited capacity being the likely best-case scenario. That will cost the league upwards of $3 billion, and the NFL-NFLPA talks about how to manage this have transpired for several weeks without a resolution.

But deadlines, per the cliche, incite action. Will this year be the exception? Are teams willing to carry big tag salaries on their books? Or will they prefer that to signing off on long-term extensions before the cap reality clears up? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Of the 14 players still attached to tags, how many will sign extensions?
1-2 44.57% (238 votes)
3-5 36.33% (194 votes)
4-7 13.30% (71 votes)
More than 8 5.81% (31 votes)
Total Votes: 534

Shaquil Barrett To Sign Franchise Tender, File Grievance

July 10th, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Five days away from the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, Shaquil Barrett notified the Buccaneers he plans to sign his tender, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This news comes with a catch, however. The Pro Bowl pass rusher will file a grievance to be tagged as a defensive end rather than a linebacker, Schefter adds. The defensive end tag comes in at $17.8MM; the linebacker price is $15.8MM. The Buccaneers use a 3-4 scheme that aligns Barrett at outside linebacker.

Regarding the chances of Barrett landing a long-term deal with the Bucs by the Wednesday deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the sides are not close on terms (Twitter link). The Bucs are still pursing a Barrett extension, however, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. This will be a busy stretch for much of the league, ahead of the July 15 deadline. Fifteen teams used their franchise or transition tags; none of those have reached extension agreements.

Considering Barrett emerged from four-year Broncos role player to the NFL’s leading sacker, in a season in which he smashed Warren Sapp‘s 20-year-old Bucs single-season record, the gap in value makes sense. Prior to Barrett’s 19.5 sacks last season, his previous single-season high was 5.5.

Barrett, 27, signing his tender ties him to a Bucs team that has received a bit more hype this offseason. In addition to Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady addition, the team brought back Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh after tagging Barrett. A year after he signed for just $4MM, Barrett will be locked into at least a $15.8MM salary for 2020.

Grievances or grievance threats are common for pass rushers, with the tag system not categorizing edge defenders equally. Players who play as 3-4 outside linebackers are grouped with off-ball ‘backers, dragging the tender price down, while defensive ends reside in their own category.

It is possible the Bucs could reach a compromise with their breakout edge presence. The Texans and Ravens each agreed to meet in the middle, settling on numbers in between the linebacker and D-end tags with Jadeveon Clowney and Matt Judon, respectively. The Ravens agreed to pay Judon $16.8MM this season.

Status Of All 15 Tagged Players Prior to July 15 Extension Deadline

July 6th, 2020 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The clock is ticking for tagged players to sign extensions with their teams, per the league calendar.

July 15: At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2020 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.

With less than nine days remaining until the deadline, let’s take a look at where each of the 15 tagged players stand.

Already Signed Tag

*Received transition tag (vs. franchise tag)

Haven’t Signed Tag, Won’t Hold Out

Haven’t Signed Tag, Threatening Hold Out

Jason Pierre-Paul Undergoes Surgery

July 1st, 2020 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Pierre-Paul will be on the mend for a bit. The Buccaneers edge defender underwent knee surgery recently, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

This was an arthroscopic procedure, and while it may sideline JPP for the start of Bucs training camp — should camps begin later this month as scheduled — he should be expected to recover in around a month.

The 31-year-old edge rusher has dealt with extensive injury trouble but has persisted to play 10 NFL seasons. He managed to rebound from the 2015 fireworks accident, which left permanent damage to his right hand, to record 15.5 sacks between the 2016-17 seasons. Despite playing just 10 games last season due to a fractured neck sustained in May 2019, JPP returned to post 8.5 sacks. He has 21 in two Tampa Bay slates.

The Bucs re-signed Pierre-Paul in March, giving him a two-year, $25MM deal to return alongside the franchise-tagged Shaquil Barrett. Tampa Bay is scheduled to begin camp July 28.

Buccaneers Remain Out On Antonio Brown?

June 30th, 2020 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some Antonio Brown-to-Tampa Bay rumblings resurfaced Tuesday morning, but Bruce Arians‘ March stance on his former charge may still stand.

The Buccaneers remain uninterested in adding the former perennial All-Pro wideout, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. With Tampa Bay arming for an all-in window behind Tom Brady for two years, Brown would certainly make sense from a football perspective and give the Bucs a historically loaded pass-catching corps.

The move would be risky, though, and Arians said months ago the team would not pursue Brown. Despite Arians having coached Brown in Pittsburgh, he is not interested in a reunion. Nothing has changed on this front, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.

Brown remains under NFL investigation for multiple incidents — including two alleged acts of sexual misconduct — and is expected to face a suspension this season. Given the superstar receiver’s volatile run over the past 1 1/2 years, teams will be hesitant to give him another chance immediately. But Brown’s talent points to him receiving at least one more opportunity at some point.

The soon-to-be 32-year-old weapon has been linked to the Ravens and Seahawks, though Baltimore is believed to also be uninterested in adding Brown to its pass-catching stable. Russell Wilson is believed to have lobbied for the mercurial talent at multiple junctures.

The Bucs already employ Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and scant precedent exists for a tight end trio as deep as Tampa’s Rob Gronkowski–O.J. Howard–Cameron Brate group. But Brady was believed to be against the Patriots cutting Brown last year and has been rumored to support the Bucs bringing him in. For now, however, that does not appear to be a front-burner matter for the team.

Buccaneers Open To Antonio Brown?

June 30th, 2020 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

In March, we heard that new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wants to reunite with Antonio Brown. Meanwhile, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said that a Brown signing is “not going to happen.” Here in June, the Bucs are starting to open up to the idea of adding AB, according to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (Twitter link via Barstool Sports’ Pat McAfee).

[RELATED: Bucs’ Shaq Barrett Will Sign By July 15]

From a football perspective, it would be a huge win for the Buccaneers. With Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin at wide receiver, they’d be impossible to guard for opposing defenses.

“Yeah, it’s not going to happen,” Arians said earlier this year. “It’s just not going to happen. There’s no room and probably not enough money. But it’s just not going to happen. It’s not a fit here.”

When pressed on whether he’d consider Brown on a minimum salary deal, Arians again demurred.

“No. I just know him and it’s not a fit in our locker room.”

Brown’s status with the league office remains under review, so it’s not a given that he’ll be cleared to play in 2020. Beyond that, there’s the matter of Brown’s fit in the locker room, as Arians noted. Even before all of the ugly accusations and disturbing social media videos, Brown clashed with coaches and teammates in Pittsburgh and Oakland.

Brady, meanwhile, is likely rooting for a change of heart in the front office.

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