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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/29/24

By | at May 29, 2024 7:36 pm

Today’s only draft pick signing:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McMillan may have failed to reach the team-leading reception and touchdown numbers of his redshirt sophomore season in 2023, but he made a big enough impression to solidify himself as a third-round pick even after missing four games as a redshirt junior. McMillan broke out in 2022 with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he watched top-10 pick Rome Odunze and second-round selection Ja’Lynn Polk take the lead on the Huskies’ road to a berth in the College Football Playoff Championship. Now will get the opportunity in Tampa Bay to compete for a WR3 spot behind usual suspects Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

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Buccaneers’ K.J. Britt In Lead For Three-Down LB Role

By | at May 29, 2024 9:25 am

Although the Buccaneers’ extensive offseason retention effort makes receiving contributions from rookie-contract players pivotal this year, it would not have cost the team too much to authorize a second Devin White deal. The former first-round pick fetched a one-year, $4MM accord from the Eagles.

For base value, White’s contract matches Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 Bucs agreement. The 2023 offseason brought a trade request from the former top-five pick, who sought an extension near the top of the market. Like Mayfield, White did not build momentum in a fifth-year option season. The inconsistent linebacker will attempt to bounce back in Philadelphia, as the Bucs aim to give his job to the player who pushed him late last season.

K.J. Britt is the lead candidate to play alongside Lavonte David this season, Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith writes. Todd Bowles views the 2021 fifth-round pick as a clear option to fill the role White held for much of his first five seasons. As Britt (four career starts) enters a contract year, he will have the chance to establish himself as a dependable starter.

“Obviously, he can play all three downs but we have so many packages and guys to move around,” Bowles said. “It’s a little early to determine who will be on what [package]. In one week he could be, in one week he may not be. It depends on who we’re playing and what we have available. But he’s ready to play all three downs.

“I love the maturity. He’s grasping the mental part of the game and becoming a leader of that defense along with Lavonte and [Antoine Winfield Jr.] and Vita [Vea]. We’re kind of happy where he’s progressing right now.”

Britt logged his first career starts last season, and while he saw extended time down the stretch and began to cut into White’s playing time, the Auburn alum played just 252 defensive snaps in 2023 (after logging a combined 73 from 2021-22). Britt’s third NFL season included 29 tackles, though he closed the campaign with a 12-tackle performance in Tampa Bay’s divisional-round loss to Detroit. The Bucs used Britt as a starter in both playoff games, and he out-snapped White by a considerable margin (59-14) in the team’s Lions rematch.

The Bucs re-signed Mayfield, David and Mike Evans and extended Winfield at a DB-record number. They have Tristan Wirfs in position to command an NFL-record tackle contract as well. With Mayfield no longer tied to that “prove it” deal, the team will need low-cost starters to step up. Britt, whose starter starter stretch began as a White foot injury — which became a talking point due to an injury reporting storyline — shut him down for three weeks. Rumors about White losing his job to Britt, however, emerged. And the former Pro Bowler entered free agency to little fanfare in March.

SirVocea Dennis, a 2023 fifth-rounder, logged the fourth-most snaps among Bucs LBs last season (104). He would profile as the top challenger, with the team not adding a veteran or a replacement via the draft. With the Bucs cutting the cord on the first player they drafted in Bowles’ tenure with the team, they will first see if Britt proves capable of being David’s latest ILB sidekick. Britt proving worthy of that role in 2024 will set him up for an extended look come 2025 — should the Bucs let him reach free agency.

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The Biggest Wide Receiver Contract In Each Team’s History

By | at May 22, 2024 9:55 pm

Most NFL teams have authorized a big-ticket (by today’s standards) deal for a wide receiver. Ranked by guaranteed money and excluding rookie contracts and accords acquired via trade, here is the most lucrative WR deal in each franchise’s history.

Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald‘s seven-year, $113MM extension (August 2011) holds the Cardinals standard for total value, but Hopkins’ pact checks in higher in terms of guarantees and AAV.

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

In total, Michael Crabtree‘s 2018 deal (worth $21MM) and Derrick Mason‘s 2005 agreement ($20MM) surpass Beckham’s. But the 2023 Baltimore rental’s guarantee came in higher.

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have featured three higher-paid receivers on their roster since Landry’s contract, but both Odell Beckham Jr. and Amari Cooper arrived via trade and played on contracts designed by other teams. Jerry Jeudy‘s AAV ($17.5MM) on his 2024 extension also outpaces Landry’s, though the recent trade pickup’s total guarantee falls short here.

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton‘s 2025 extension carries a higher AAV ($23MM) but included a lower guarantee

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

DeAndre Hopkins‘ 2017 re-up included more in total value but a lower AAV and guarantee

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Tyreek Hill‘s 2022 extension tops his ex-teammate for AAV ($30MM), but it came in just south for guarantees ($72.2MM)

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

Chris Godwin‘s 2025 deal beats Evans’ for at-signing guarantees ($44MM); his 2022 deal did as well. Godwin’s 2025 deal also tops Evans’ in AAV ($22MM). The all-time Bucs receiving leader’s 2024 agreement, however, leads the way in total guarantees.

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

McLaurin’s August 2025 extension eclipses his previous pact in AAV and fully guaranteed money ($44.65MM), but his first Washington payday remains the team’s standard for guaranteed money

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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/22/24

By | at May 22, 2024 8:01 pm

Today’s draft pick signings:

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A knee injury limited Smith to only one game during his first season at Georgia, and the former West Virginia standout saw a part-time role in 2022. However, the defensive back put himself firmly on the NFL radar with a strong 2023 campaign where he finished with 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four interceptions. The rookie is currently penciled in as Tampa Bay’s starting nickelback.

Johnson finished his four-year career with the Nittany Lions having hauled in 77 catches for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns. With Darren Waller still flirting with retirement, the rookie tight end could end up seeing a role in New York in 2024. Johnson will be competing with the likes of Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, and Lawrence Cager for playing time.

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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/24

By | at May 22, 2024 7:22 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Earnest Brown was a fifth-round pick by the Rams back in 2021. He collected 14 tackles in 12 games through his first two seasons in Los Angeles, but he didn’t get into a single game with the big-league club during the 2023 campaign. He wasn’t retained via a futures contract this offseason, allowing him to catch on with the 49ers. He was waived by San Francisco earlier this month.

He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Patrick Laird, who spent the past two seasons on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. The former UDFA previously got into 37 games for the Dolphins between 2019 and 2021, collecting 533 yards from scrimmage. The Buccaneers added a pair of undrafted running backs in D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson, so the team may prefer to opt for a rookie on the taxi squad.

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NFC South Front Office Updates: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

By | at May 21, 2024 9:36 pm

The changes to NFL front offices continue in the recent aftermath of the NFL draft. For example, the Buccaneers announced a number of promotions in the scouting department recently, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.

Sean Conley is set to begin a new role as assistant pro director after previously serving as a pro scout. A former recruiting assistant for Northwestern at the collegiate level, Conley has been in Tampa Bay for the last six seasons, serving the last three as a pro scout.

Donovan Cotton joins Conley as assistant pro director. Cotton has been with the Buccaneers for 10 years, spending the last nine seasons as an area scout. He originally broke into the league as a training camp scouting intern for the Packers before working a full-season player personnel internship in Seattle.

Lastly, Zach Smith will go from the NFS/combine scout role he earned two years ago to a college scout. Smith is entering his seventh year with the team.

Here are a few other front office staff updates in the NFC South:

  • The Falcons continue to respect the work done by Michael Ross. After starting in Atlanta as an intern in 2008, Ross has gradually risen through the ranks of the team’s scouting department. According to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, his most recent promotion grants him the title of assistant director of college scouting.
  • Finally, the Panthers are bringing on a new hire to their scouting department in Colton Chapple, per Stratton. Chapple hasn’t worked in the NFL for the past two years, working in private business during that time, but prior to his absence, he worked nine years in the Browns’ scouting department.
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T Tristan Wirfs, Bucs Not Close On Extension

By | at May 21, 2024 1:31 pm

With the Antoine Winfield Jr. extension taken care of, one crucial financial priority remains for the Buccaneers this offseason. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs is in line for a new deal of his own, and that has driven his decision to remain away from the team at this point.

The latter is absent from OTAs, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. A number of players seeking new deals have followed suit to begin the week, and Wirfs certainly has a case to command a lucrative new deal. The three-time Pro Bowler has been present for other offseason workouts, head coach Todd Bowles confirmed (via Greg Auman of Fox Sports). It would come as no surprise, though, if Wirfs were to remain absent until a deal is struck.

On that note, Fowler adds team and player are not close to an agreement. Wirfs began his career at right tackle, but the decision to move on from Donovan Smith last offseason paved the way for a move to the blindside. The Iowa product excelled at his new position in 2023, upping his market value. Wirfs is set to collect $18.24MM this year on his fifth-year option, but the top of the tackle market is far more valuable.

Bucs GM Jason Licht said in March the team and Wirfs’ camp had engaged in discussions. At the time, the standout tackle did not loom as the team’s top priority. Those comments came as the Bucs were attempting to re-sign Winfield, Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David. Each of those deals coming to fruition vaulted Wirfs in the Bucs’ extension queue.

Three years after an offseason in which the Bucs brought their entire starting lineup from Super Bowl LV back for a title defense, the team has rivaled that retention effort by re-signing Winfield, Mayfield, David and Mike Evans. Wirfs being under contract for 2024 gives the team time, but the 2020 first-rounder stands to loom as a high priority given his performance through four seasons.

Tampa Bay moving Wirfs to the left side stands to help his market, but the Lions making right tackle Penei Sewell the NFL’s highest-paid O-lineman will impact Wirfs’ market as well. Wirfs, 25, has three Pro Bowls on his resume — including one at LT — along with first- and second-team All-Pro nods. Sewell is now tied to a $28MM-per-year contract, while Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM-AAV pact leads all LTs. Sewell also received $85MM guaranteed in total, topping all tackles in that category as well.

Holding exclusive negotiating rights with Wirfs until March 2025, the Bucs would have the franchise tag to deploy if talks stalled ahead of free agency. Past and present Bucs retention efforts, however, would present pretty good odds this situation will lead to an extension at some point.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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Buccaneers, S Antoine Winfield Jr. Agree To Record-Setting Extension

By | at May 14, 2024 9:05 am

MAY 14: Winfield’s deal is not backloaded, nor does it include any void years (as many modern NFL pacts do). He will receive $24MM this season, followed by $21MM next year; both figures are fully guaranteed, per Schefter. $20MM of the 2024 compensation is a bonus, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds. The $45MM locked in represents far more than what he would have earned playing on consecutive franchise tags ($37.65MM).

Winfield will see nearly identical compensation in 2026 and ’27 ($19.5MM, then $19.6MM). A $1.5MM roster bonus is in place for the latter year, by which point he will have cashed in considerably on the strong play to open his career.

MAY 13: As the Buccaneers hoped would take place, Antoine Winfield Jr. has agreed to a long-term extension. The All-Pro safety has a four-year, $84.1MM deal in place, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since confirmed the news.

This pact – which will see Winfield earn $45MM fully guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network – represents the largest contract ever given out to a defensive back of any kind. This marks the first time in NFL history that a safety (rather than a corner) holds the title of the league’s highest-paid DB.

The 2024 offseason included a number of key priorities for Tampa Bay with respect to keeping as many core players in the fold as possible. Hammering out extensions for quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Mike Evans allowed the team to use the franchise tag on Winfield. That was of course seen as a placeholder to allow for further negotiations on a long-term pact carrying a much larger AAV than the $17.12MM Winfield was originally due to earn this season. His 2024 cap hit will drop to roughly $7MM, per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman.

The 25-year-old’s deal averages $21.03MM per season, making this the first safety accord to eclipse the $20MM-per-year mark. As expected, Winfield has surpassed the likes of Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick and 2024 signee Xavier McKinney atop the pecking order at his position. Three corners (Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward and Jalen Ramsey) are at or above $20MM per season, but today’s move marks a victory for Winfield as the new standard for a position group which has generally been undervalued this offseason.

A number of veteran safeties were released in the build-up to free agency, and well after the draft many of them are still unsigned. Winfield’s age and production had him positioned to earn a massive raise, however. The former second-rounder led the NFL with six forced fumbles in 2023, adding six sacks, three interceptions and 122 tackles. He is set to remain a massive part of Tampa Bay’s defense for years to come.

Secondary moves have been a common thread for the Buccaneers recently, with fellow safety Jordan Whitehead being brought back in free agency. Tampa Bay – a team which traded away cornerback Carlton Davis – also drafted Tykee Smith in the third round, and he has experience on the backend. The latter is expected to compete for the starting slot corner role, however, something which would make for an intriguing trio alongside Winfield and Whitehead.

Of the 2024 franchise tag recipients, only Bengals wideout Tee Higgins remains unattached to a multi-year deal. He has a standing trade request amidst a lack of progress on contract negotiations with Cincinnati. For the Buccaneers, meanwhile, one major piece of business remains with respect to retaining top contributors for the long haul. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs (who is a candidate to join Winfield in topping his position’s market) is in need of an extension since he is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2024. Buccaneers GM Jason Licht is confident a Wirfs deal can be worked out, and doing so would complete a very busy offseason.

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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/24

By | at May 13, 2024 6:40 pm

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

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

By | at May 13, 2024 8:57 am

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.

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