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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/24

May 13th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Front offices around the NFL continue to chip away at their draft pick signings. That was no exception today, as a number of teams inked players to rookie contracts:

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

  • OT Matt Goncalves (third round, Pittsburgh)
  • C Tanor Bortolini (fourth round, Wisconsin)

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • EDGE Jalyx Hunt (third round, Houston Christian)
  • RB Will Shipley (fourth round, Clemson)
  • WR Ainias Smith (fourth round, Texas A&M)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs GM Jason Licht: ‘Positive Movement’ On Antoine Winfield Jr. Extension Talks

May 13th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the heavy lifting has already taken place this offseason for the Buccaneers. The team managed to retain both quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Mike Evans on multi-year deals and in doing so clear the way for safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to receive the franchise tag.

The latter is currently set to earn $17.12MM in 2024, but that would only be the case if team and player were not able to hammer out a long-term agreement. Such a pact will carry a much higher price tag, of course, given Winfield’s age (25) and All-Pro status. A report from last month indicated the Buccaneers are optimistic a pact putting him atop the safety market will be worked out, and general manager Jason Licht recently confirmed that sentiment.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Licht said there has been “positive movement” with respect to Winfield extension talks (video link via JC Allen of Bucs Gameday). Plenty of time remains before the mid-July deadline for tagged players to sign long-term deals. If no pact can be worked out before then, Winfield would enter the 2024 campaign as a pending free agent.

The two-time Pro Bowler’s tag ranks him third in the league amongst safeties with respect to annual average compensation. Only Derwin James ($19MM) and Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.25MM) are higher in the pecking order, and Xavier McKinney‘s Packers contract is the lone one signed this offseason which comes close in terms of value. 2024 has seen the safety position devalued, leaving plenty of notable veterans unsigned well after the draft.

Nevertheless, Tampa Bay would be investing in Winfield’s prime years on a multi-year agreement. Working out a lucrative pact would keep a foundational defensive contributor in the fold for years to come, something which will be the case on the other side of the ball if a monster extension with left tackle Tristan Wirfs is worked out. Licht is also confident on that front.

As the Buccaneers seek a fourth straight NFC South title in 2024, Mayfield, Evans and fellow re-signee Lavonte David will all have crucial roles to play. The same will of course be true of Winfield, especially if he has a market-resetting deal in hand by the time the campaign begins. If Licht’s optimism is well placed, an agreement could be hammered out relatively soon.

Contract Details: Brown, Phillips, Highsmith

May 12th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles recently made A.J. Brown the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. We already knew a number of details from that incredible contract, but thanks to Will Laws of Sports Illustrated, we now know of a wild detail with unprecedented consequences.

Laws points out that Brown’s deal includes a void year at the end of the contract that will hold a $53.52MM cap hit. This is actually a common contract technique the Eagles have been employing in recent years that allow them a ton of flexibility financially. Several other players have massive voidable cap hits like Jalen Hurts ($97.55MM), DeVonta Smith ($35.78MM), and others.

This likely doesn’t mean that someday the Eagles will suddenly be committing a triple-digit cap figure to players no longer on their roster. That could only happen if they see every contract through to completion. More likely, Philadelphia will be extremely strategic about how long to hold on to those players, cutting them at times that will allow for ideal cap savings. For instance, starting in 2027, the Eagles will be able to cut Brown and receive more in cap savings than they’ll be losing to dead money.

Here are a few other contract details on recent deals around the NFL:

  • Thanks to the veteran salary benefit, the Buccaneers‘ new deal with defensive end William Gholston will have the minimum $1.21MM base salary that will only count for $1.15MM against the salary cap, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Gholston will also be able to earn an active roster bonus of $167.5K in Week 1.
  • The Texans recently signed linebacker Jacob Phillips to a new contract. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us the deal is for one year and $1.15MM. He’ll receive a base salary of $1.06MM and a signing bonus of $45K. He can earn additional per game active roster bonuses of $2,941 for a potential season-total of $50K.
  • This last bullet is actually details on a restructure that the Steelers pulled off recently with pass rusher Alex Highsmith, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team was able to convert $8.75MM of Highsmith’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year to the end of his four-year deal, $68MM deal. As a result, Pittsburgh clears out $7MM of cap space.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/24

May 12th, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Sunday’s minor transactions to wrap up the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: WR Kaden Davis

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With the conclusion of rookie minicamps, a number of teams have made a few additions from minicamp auditions of undrafted rookie free agents. Sweeney is a rare example of a non-rookie getting a second chance from a minicamp audition. After collapsing on the practice field with the Giants last year due to a “medical event,” Sweeney will attempt a comeback to the NFL in Chicago.

Jones (undrafted out of Arkansas State), Sirmon (undrafted out of Northern Colorado), Chatman (undrafted out of SMU), Hayes (undrafted out of Central Arkansas), and Jefferson (undrafted out of Kentucky) all earned roster spots for the offseason after successful minicamp tryouts. Mosely and Stenberg were waived to make room for Hayes and Jefferson.

Buccaneers Add 16 UDFAs

May 11th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay’s rookie minicamp will feature seven draftees, but also 16 UDFAs. Here is the full list regarding the latter additions:

  • Zack Annexstad, QB (Illinois State)
  • Marcus Banks, S (Mississippi State)
  • Judge Culpepper, DL (Toledo)
  • Xavier Delgado, G (Missouri)
  • Kalen DeLoach, LB (Florida State)
  • Tyrek Funderburk, CB (Appalachian State)
  • Antonio Grier, LB (Arkansas)
  • Daniel Grzesiak, OLB (Cincinnati)
  • Kameron Johnson, WR (Barton College)
  • Avery Jones, G (Auburn)
  • Latreal Jones, WR (Southern Mississippi)
  • Tanner Knue, WR (Eastern Michigan)
  • Chris McDonald, CB (Toledo)
  • Shaun Peterson, OLB (UCF)
  • DJ Williams, RB (Arizona)
  • Rashad Wisdom, S (UTSA)

Culpepper is the son of Brad Culpepper, who played six seasons in Tampa Bay. The younger Culpepper transferred from Penn State to Toledo in 2021. He earned first-team All-MAC honors in 2023, leading the team in sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (10.5). He received $100K in guarantees, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Rocket teammate McDonald has also landed a notable commitment from Tampa Bay. He received $95K in guaranteed money, Wilson reports. McDonald spent his entire college career at Toledo and he racked up 32 pass breakups (including eight in 2023). He earned a third-team All-Conference nod last season, and will look to earn a depth spot in the Bucs’ secondary this summer.

The top of Tampa Bay’s QB depth chart is set given the investment made in Baker Mayfield this offseason. The team also has Kyle Trask and John Wolford in place as backup options, but Annexstad will aim to compete for the QB3 role or a practice squad place as a developmental option. He earned the starting spot during his freshman season at Minnesota, but the campaign was cut short through injury. The 6-3, 220-pounder transferred to Illinois State in 2022 and during his time there he racked up 3,547 passing yards along with a 27:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/24

May 10th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Yesterday’s rush of rookie signings continued today. Here are Friday’s draft pick signings:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • K Will Reichard (sixth round, Alabama)
  • C Michael Jurgens (seventh round, Wake Forest)
  • DT Levi Drake Rodriguez (seventh round, Texas A&M-Commerce)

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • G Mason McCormick (fourth round, South Dakota State)
  • DT Logan Lee (sixth round, Iowa)

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

May 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Patriots hiring Eliot Wolf as their de facto GM after having moved on from Bill Belichick, all five teams in need of a GM have filled their post this offseason. If other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list.

Updated 5-11-24 (4:35pm CT)

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Graham Barton Likely To Be Bucs’ Starting Center; Tykee Smith To Play Nickel CB

May 5th, 2024 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

Unsurprisingly, Buccaneers rookie Graham Barton is expected to become Tampa Bay’s starting center right away, as ESPN’s Jenna Laine writes. Barton, the No. 26 overall pick in last month’s draft, will compete with Robert Hainsey for the job, but given Hainsey’s struggles at the pivot in 2023, it would be surprising if the first-year pro does not beat out his veteran counterpart. Our Ben Levine said as much when the team first turned in the card for Barton.

The Bucs won a Super Bowl with Ryan Jensen snapping to Tom Brady in 2020, and after another quality performance the following season, Jensen earned a three-year, $39MM deal with the club in March 2022. Unfortunately, he suffered a major knee injury during training camp just a few months after the ink dried on his new contract, and although he suited up for the Bucs’ lone playoff game at the end of the 2022 campaign, he never made it back onto the field. He announced his retirement back in February.

Hainsey, a 2021 third-rounder, took over at the pivot in Jensen’s stead over the 2022-23 seasons, and after a solid enough showing in 2022, he struggled mightily last year. Pro Football Focus assigned Hainsey a poor overall grade of 50.2 in 2023, which made him the fifth-worst center in the league among players with enough snaps to qualify. Laine writes that Hainsey himself was responsible for 11 sacks last season, and while PFF was more forgiving in that regard — it charged Hainsey with just four sacks — the advanced metrics site did attribute nine penalties and 27 total pressures to the Notre Dame-produced blocker.

Regardless of the numbers themselves, it is clear that Tampa Bay could do with an upgrade, and head coach Todd Bowles specifically wanted “more beef” in the interior of the O-line. Barton possesses plenty of beef, with a 6-5, 314-pound frame and the type of lower body mass that Hainsey does not have.

Barton, a Duke alum, served as the Blue Devils’ center as a freshman but operated as the team’s left tackle for the remainder of his college career. As such, his transition back to the interior of the line may not be entirely seamless, but both Bowles and GM Jason Licht are intrigued by his size, temperament, and technique.

On the other side of the ball, the Bucs see third-round rookie Tykee Smith as a nickelback, according to Laine. 2023 UDFA Christian Izien held down the fort as the club’s primary slot corner as a rookie, but his play began to slip in the middle of the season. Izien and Smith will compete for the starting nickel gig while also cross-training at safety behind starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead.

NFL Front Office Updates: Panthers, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Raiders

May 4th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Oftentimes, when there are staff and front office changes on NFL teams, a Black Monday-type of exodus can happen following the NFL Draft. With mere months or even weeks between the time of a new staff’s hiring and the draft, it can be advantageous to utilize the scouting and personnel department already in place. Though, after the draft concludes, those same teams may opt to clear house and in their own preferred employees.

The Panthers are one such team, with Joe Person of The Athletic reporting that both director of pro scouting Rob Hanrahan and assistant director of pro scouting Tyler Ramsey have been let go. Hanrahan had been with the team for seven years, while Ramsey had been there for three.

The two weren’t alone as Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com reported the departure of northeast area scout Michael Coe and senior personnel executive Jeff Morrow, as well. New general manager Dan Morgan had forecasted changes after the draft, which we’re seeing now.

Here are some other changes in NFL personnel departments:

  • Stratton also informs us that the Cardinals have parted ways with director of college scouting Josh Scobey. The former Arizona running back had just finished his second year in the role after 12 seasons as a part of the team’s scouting department.
  • The Buccaneers have also moved on from personnel department employees with Stratton reporting that neither veteran scout Mark Ellenz nor assistant director of pro scouting Alex Smith will return in 2024. Smith had been with the team for seven years and was elevated to his most recent position after four seasons as a pro scout.
  • The Raiders are the next team mentioned by Stratton with director of scout development Keith Kidd reportedly being removed from the team’s website.

NFL Workouts: Averett, Jacobs, Harvin, Eason, Ollison

May 4th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Ely Allen

NFL teams often use rookie minicamp as an opportunity to bring in some veterans for workouts. Here are a few such instances of teams who invited some veteran free agents for the weekend:

  • The Steelers invited a former division-rival in cornerback Anthony Averett, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pittsburgh acquired veteran Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson in the trade that sent Diontae Johnson to Carolina, and Jackson is expected to start across from last year’s rookie starter Joey Porter Jr. Behind them, though, the team’s depth chart shows seventh-round rookie selection Ryan Watts and last year’s seventh-round pick Cory Trice as the top backup options. After playing out his rookie contract in Baltimore, Averett played the 2022 season with the Raiders before getting place on injured reserve. He spent a little time with the 49ers in the preseason before getting signed to the Lions’ practice squad. He could provide starting, veteran experience to a young corners group in Pittsburgh.
  • The Jaguars also brought in a veteran cornerback from Detroit, inviting Jerry Jacobs, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Despite coming in as an undrafted free agent, Jacobs started 29 of his 40 game appearances for the Lions. Jacksonville is apparently looking to add some depth to the position after replacing Darious Williams with Ronald Darby as the starter opposite Tyson Campbell.
  • The Buccaneers brought in some competition for their punter of the past two years, Jake Camarda, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Tampa Bay invited former Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III after he was waived by Pittsburgh in February. Harvin isn’t likely to impact the depth chart, though, after Camarda set Tampa Bay’s franchise record for single-season punt average just last year.
  • The Packers invited an extra arm to the rookie minicamp, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, bringing in Jacob Eason. Green Bay just drafted Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt in the seventh round to compete with last year’s fifth-round pick Sean Clifford for the backup job. Alex McGough is also in the room but has yet to make an NFL debut despite being drafted back in 2018. Eason has in-game experience with the Colts and Panthers and could certainly find himself in the running for a roster spot with an impressive performance.
  •  Finally, the Jets brought in veteran running back Qadree Ollison, per Wilson. Ollison’s only NFL touches came over two years ago during his stint with the Falcons, so it’s unlikely that he’ll make an impact on the depth chart in a young running backs room that includes 2022 second-round pick Breece Hall, last year’s fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda, rookie fourth-round pick Braelon Allen, and rookie fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis.
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