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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/23

May 15th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first of this year’s spring leagues to debut, the XFL’s third effort, finished its season Saturday. XFL players are now free to sign NFL contracts, and several agreed to terms Monday. Here are those agreements, along with the other transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: T BJ Wilson

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: RB Tyreik McAllister, RB Jacques Patrick
  • Waived: WR Dallas Daniels, DB Darrious Gaines, TE Kris Leach, RB Emanuel Wilson

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

After seeing the pandemic nix its second effort in 2020, the XFL concluded its season Saturday. The Broncos signed the league’s second-leading rusher, in Patrick, while the Browns and Cowboys offered Barqoo contracts, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Barqoo, who played for the Jaguars in 2020 and XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year, opted for the Steelers’ offer. Patrick, whom the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes passed a Broncos physical Monday, finished with 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He joins XFL passing leader Ben DiNucci as a Broncos May addition.

Seeing time for the St. Louis BattleHawks, Jones-Smith played in three games apiece with Raiders and Ravens, respectively, from 2020-21. Thompson will join the Dolphins after a spring tour of duty with the Seattle Sea Dragons, while fellow XFL alum Brewer played in two games for the Bills last year. Heflin played five games for the Packers in 2021; the new Saint spent the XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks.

The Raiders gave Johnson a reserve/futures deal in January. The young wideout collected a ring with the 2020 Buccaneers and totaled 360 receiving yards for Tampa Bay’s 2021 iteration. While the Texans claimed him on waivers ahead of last season, he played in just two games with the team.

Jackson suited up for national championship-winning Georgia last season. The new Titans wideout finished with 514 receiving yards in 2020 and totaled 320 for last season’s Bulldogs edition. A Division II Quincy alum, Wilson received an East-West Shrine Bowl invite but tore an Achilles tendon late last season.

Buccaneers Announce 19-Man UDFA Class

May 14th, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Ely Allen

After selecting eight rookies in the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers added 19 undrafted rookie free agents. Here is the list:

Brown was an absolute animal for the Division-II Rams this season, piling up 1,864 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns as well as 589 receiving yards for five touchdowns on 56 receptions. He and Tucker, who scored 23 rushing touchdowns in the last two years for the Orange, are the only rookie additions to a Tampa Bay running backs room that’s looking for someone to take over.

With only six receivers on the roster following the draft, the Buccaneers added several here. Miller caught 12 touchdowns last year for the Paladins as an FCS All-American. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

On the offensive line, Haggard and O’Neal join as true left tackles with each starting over 20 games at their respective institutions. Dzansi provides some unique versatility having played all the guard and tackle spots on both the left and right sides of the ball for the Hokies. Murray provides some versatility, as well, having experience at both guard and center.

Banks provides some young depth at inside linebacker after having led the Volunteer defense in tackles last season. Bouyer-Randle and Mbanasor, both former Texas Tech transfers, provide some well-rounded depth at the outside linebacker spots. At safety, Merriweather was a second-team All-American after a stellar senior year with the Hawkeyes.

The Buccaneers also added some potential competition for long snapper Zach Triner, the team’s starter at the position for the past four years. Deckers served as the Blue Devils long snapper as a grad transfer after four years at UMass. He’ll battle with Triner for a starting job this summer.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/23

May 14th, 2023 at 5:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves to wrap up the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: CB LJ Davis

Ray is making a long-awaited return to the NFL. When he finished out his rookie contract with the Broncos after the 2018 season and failed to make the Ravens roster for the next year, Ray was away from professional football for about a year and a half. After a long hiatus, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The Bills will give Ray a chance to return to the NFL, reuniting him with Von Miller from their days in Denver.

Ray saw early success in Denver, racking up 12.0 sacks in his first two years. But after earning a starting job in 2017, Ray suffered a season-ending wrist injury after only eight games. In 2018, another wrist surgery would force him to miss five more games. His injury problems did not leave him in Canada, as a torn bicep would force him to miss the Argonauts’ Grey Cup victory. He’ll hope to stay healthy in his NFL return.

Bucs GM Jason Licht On Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke

May 10th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Rory Parks

MAY 10: Lending more to the notion Wirfs will be on the move, Bucs offensive line coach Joe Gilbert said (via Stroud) the left side of the team’s line looks fairly set with the All-Pro on the blind side and free agency pickup Matt Feiler at left guard. After three strong seasons at right tackle, Wirfs appears on the cusp of playing a more lucrative position as a big payday nears.

MAY 7: The Buccaneers have contemplated moving right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who has earned two Pro Bowls bids and one First Team All-Pro selection in his three years in the NFL, to the left side of the line. After the Bucs failed to acquire a left tackle in last month’s draft, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times wrote that Wirfs will officially be moving to LT.

GM Jason Licht, however, says that a final decision on Wirfs’ position has not been made just yet. On a recent appearance on 95.3 WDAE, Licht said, “Now we’re still going to remain fluid here in the offseason. We’re going to see how it goes. We certainly feel very comfortable with a person like Tristan, with his skillset and his athleticism and size and intelligence and all that, that [his transition to left tackle] is gonna be pretty seamless, but that hasn’t completely been etched in stone yet” (h/t JoeBucsFan.com).

Licht’s comments notwithstanding, it would seem that Wirfs, as Stroud indicated, is indeed ticketed for the blind side. At this stage of the offseason, the free agent left tackle options are generally uninspiring and include the likes of Eric Fisher (who did not play a snap in 2022), Jason Peters (who turned 41 in January), and Taylor Lewan (who has suffered two ACL tears in the past three years). Unless Wirfs sustains an injury or proves completely incapable of making the transition to LT, those players likely would not represent an upgrade.

Of course, assuming Wirfs does fill the void created when longtime left tackle Donovan Smith was released in March, someone will need to replace Wirfs at right tackle. Per Stroud, the first crack at that position will go to Luke Goedeke, a 2022 second-round choice. In his rookie season, Goedeke — who worked as a right tackle in college — spent the majority of his time at left guard and largely struggled.

The hope is that moving Goedeke back to RT will make him look more like a second-round draftee. He did line up at right tackle for last year’s regular season finale, and he looked much more comfortable there than he did as an interior blocker.

“We are excited about how Luke did for us at (right) tackle there at the end of the year — it’s his natural position,” Licht said.

It is unclear whether Licht made an effort to trade up from his No. 19 selection to land an OT. The Steelers moved up four spots from their No. 18 slot to nab Georgia LT Broderick Jones, and Licht passed on Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison when the Bucs were on the clock. While the Bucs did pick up North Dakota State tackle Cody Mauch on Day 2, Mauch will be converted to guard.

At present, Tampa Bay’s starting OL, from left to right, appears to be Wirfs, Nick Leverett, Ryan Jensen, Mauch, and Goedeke. That unit will be tasked with clearing more space for what was the league’s worst rushing attack in 2022 and affording presumptive QB1 Baker Mayfield sufficient time to throw.

Wirfs is already under club control through 2024 since Licht made the easy decision to exercise his fifth-year option. But if the Iowa product performs as well at left tackle as he has on the right side, his future earning power will get a significant boost.

Buccaneers Aiming To Add Running Back

May 9th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off a season in which they ranked last in rushing, the Buccaneers did not bolster their backfield in the draft. Rachaad White remains on track to be Tampa Bay’s starter.

The Bucs are aiming to add a veteran to their backfield equation, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who indicated during a recent SportsCenter appearance (h/t Bleacher Report’s Erin Walsh) the team is seeking “an RB2” to work behind White. A 2022 third-round pick, White totaled 481 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) last season and minimized Leonard Fournette‘s role as the campaign progressed. The Bucs still 76.9 yards per game.

Tampa Bay released Fournette, a mutual separation, despite signing the former top-five pick to a three-year deal worth $21MM in 2022. Fournette remains unsigned. The Bucs were mentioned as an Ezekiel Elliott suitor in March; Elliott remains unsigned. While Fowler mentioned Elliott as a candidate to fill this role, a Cowboys return also remains on the table. That said, the Bucs did hire ex-Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete this offseason. Peete worked with Elliott from 2020-22.

Chase Edmonds signed with the Bucs in March, coming over after the Broncos released their 2022 trade acquisition. But the team does not appear confident in the ex-Cardinal as its locked-in backup. Beyond Elliott and Fournette, the most obvious free agent to fit this job description is Kareem Hunt, a former rushing champion who spent three-plus seasons as Nick Chubb‘s top backup. Mark Ingram is also available, and the two-stint Saint is hoping to play a 13th NFL season.

If the Bucs ventured into the trade market, Dalvin Cook becomes an obvious name to monitor. The Vikings are open to trading their six-year starter, having re-signed backup Alexander Mattison. Cook is due a $10.4MM base salary, which would be a tough sell for a Bucs team that spent much of the offseason clearing cap space. The Bucs would need to make payroll adjustments with any backfield addition, considering they sit last in cap space (barely $600K) as of Tuesday. Going into his age-28 season, Cook would also be a clear candidate to start for his next team.

Bengals and Titans trade rumors — involving Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry, respectively — have died down, and they never took off after Austin Ekeler requested to be moved. Few teams are in the market for this position, but the Bucs appear prepared to make a move fairly soon.

2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 2 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2020 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement and performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
  • Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the third-20th highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position.

With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:

  1. QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($29.5MM): Exercised
  2. DE Chase Young, Commanders ($17.45MM): Declined
  3. CB Jeff Okudah, Falcons* ($11.51MM): N/A
  4. T Andrew Thomas, Giants ($14.18MM): Exercised
  5. QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins ($23.2MM): Exercised
  6. QB Justin Herbert, Chargers ($29.5MM): Exercised
  7. DT Derrick Brown, Panthers ($11.67MM): Exercised 
  8. LB Isaiah Simmons, Cardinals ($12.72MM): Declined
  9. CB C.J. Henderson, Jaguars** ($11.51MM): Declined
  10. T Jedrick Wills, Browns ($14.18MM): Exercised
  11. T Mekhi Becton, Jets ($12.57MM): Declined
  12. WR Henry Ruggs, Raiders: N/A
  13. T Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers ($18.24MM): Exercised
  14. DT Javon Kinlaw, 49ers ($10.46MM): Declined
  15. WR Jerry Jeudy, Broncos ($14.12MM): Exercised
  16. CB AJ Terrell, Falcons ($12.34MM): Exercised
  17. WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($17.99MM): Exercised
  18. OL Austin Jackson, Dolphins ($14.18MM): Declined
  19. CB Damon Arnette, Raiders: N/A
  20. DE K’Lavon Chaisson, Jaguars ($12.14MM): Declined
  21. WR Jalen Reagor, Vikings*** ($12.99MM): To decline
  22. WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings ($19.74MM): Exercised
  23. LB Kenneth Murray, Chargers ($11.73MM): Declined
  24. G Cesar Ruiz, Saints ($14.18MM): Declined
  25. WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($14.12MM): Exercised
  26. QB Jordan Love, Packers ($20.27MM): Extended through 2024
  27. LB Jordyn Brooks, Seahawks ($12.72MM): Declined
  28. LB Patrick Queen, Ravens ($12.72MM): Declined
  29. T Isaiah Wilson, Titans: N/A
  30. CB Noah Igbinoghene, Dolphins ($11.51MM): Declined
  31. CB Jeff Gladney, Vikings: N/A
  32. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs ($5.46MM): To decline

* = Lions traded Okudah on April 11, 2023
** = Jaguars traded Henderson on Sept. 27, 2021
*** = Eagles traded Reagor on August 31, 2022

2023 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 29th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:

Arizona Cardinals

Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)

Atlanta Falcons

Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)

Baltimore Ravens

Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)

Buffalo Bills

Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)

Carolina Panthers

Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)

Chicago Bears

Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)

Cincinnati Bengals

Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)

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Packers Send No. 48 To Buccaneers

April 28th, 2023 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

Minutes after sending No. 45 to the Lions, the Packers are moving down again. They are sending No. 48 to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay will send Nos. 50 and 179 to Green Bay for the right to move up.

With the pick, the Buccaneers took North Dakota State guard Cody Mauch. The Bucs experienced steady trouble at guard last year, after losing Alex Cappa in free agency and ex-small-school find Ali Marpet to retirement. Injuries gripped the Bucs, who have since traded Shaq Mason to the Texans.

Tampa Bay now has Mauch and Matt Feiler in the interior O-line mix. The team signed Feiler late in free agency. Mauch finished his career at the Division I-FCS power as a two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree. This marks the second straight year in which Tampa Bay has chosen a second-round guard. The team added Luke Goedeke in Round 2 last year.

Mauch originally arrived in Fargo as a lean tight end at 6-foot-5, 221 pounds. The Bison worked their magic, bulking him up to 6-foot-6 and 303 pounds as they molded him into an NFL-ready offensive tackle. His final form at NDSU was a team captain and FCS offensive lineman of the year. He heads to Tampa Bay to compete for a starting job in a new-look offense.

RB Giovani Bernard Announces Retirement

April 28th, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

After 10 seasons, Giovani Bernard will leave the game. The former Bengals and Buccaneers running back announced Friday he is retiring (Twitter link).

Bernard, 31, wraps his career with two Bucs seasons and eight Bengals campaigns. The North Carolina product, who arrived in Cincinnati as part of the 2011 Carson Palmer trade, signed with Tampa Bay during the 2021 offseason. While his Bucs stint did not produce too much playing time, Bernard was a Bengals staple for most of the past decade.

The Bengals used Bernard as a dual-threat option. He complemented the likes of Jeremy Hill and Joe Mixon for most of his Cincinnati career. Bernard ranks in the top 10 in both rushing yards (3,697) and yards from scrimmage (6,564) in franchise history. Only James Brooks totaled more receiving yards among backs in Bengals history. Bernard finished his career with 36 touchdowns. One of those scores — a 35-yard TD in Miami during his rookie season — doubled as one of the more impressive efforts in recent memory.

When the Bengals traded Palmer at the 2011 deadline, they obtained a 2012 first-rounder and a 2013 second. Dre Kirkpatrick became the first of those choices, Bernard the second. Cincinnati chose the ex-Tar Heel 37th overall in 2013, making him the first running back off the board in that draft. The shifty back soon helped the team to three more playoff appearances during the Marvin Lewis– and Andy Dalton-fronted stretch in the early 2010s.

The 5-foot-9 back ripped off three straight seasons of 1,000-plus scrimmage yards over his first three years. This production earned him a nice payday. The Bengals gave Bernard a three-year, $15.5MM deal before the 2016 season began. At the time, the deal placed Bernard in the top 10 among running backs for average annual value. Despite tearing an ACL during his first season on that contract, Bernard later signed a third Bengals deal — a two-year, $9.7MM pact — in September 2019.

Mixon became Cincinnati’s primary back in 2017, but Bernard still played a role for the next four seasons. As they rearmed their roster around Joe Burrow‘s rookie contract in 2021, the Bengals cut bait on the final year of Bernard’s deal. Bernard joined the Bucs, who were chasing another Super Bowl title. Tampa Bay allocated much of its 2021 resources to bringing back every key player from the 2020 championship team. Bernard became a mid-offseason outside addition for the eventual NFC South champs, but injuries limited him in Tampa.

Bernard, who also received interest from the 49ers and Seahawks in 2021, totaled just 41 touches as a Buccaneer. He suffered an MCL injury in 2021 and, after re-signing in 2022, battled ankle and calf trouble. Although the Bengals sought a Bernard pay cut before releasing him, the 10-year NFLer made more than $27MM over the course of his career.

Buccaneers Take DT Calijah Kancey At No. 19

April 27th, 2023 at 9:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers now have same major question marks at quarterback, but the front office is using its first-round selection on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay has selected Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Kancey made headlines by not taking pre-draft visits, injecting some mystery into his potential landing spot. The Bucs swooped in with their first-round pick, passing on Will Levis and Hendon Hooker to bolster their interior defensive line. Tampa Bay is planning a Baker Mayfield–Kyle Trask competition. Although Levis remains on the board entering Round 2, the Bucs going with Kancey at No. 19 points to its two veteran quarterbacks going head-to-head for the right to replace Tom Brady.

Kancey’s measurables, 40-yard dash time (4.67 seconds) and alma mater have led to probably unfair comparisons, as Aaron Donald is also a short defensive tackle from Pitt. That comparison sets the bar extraordinarily high, but Kancey did total 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-1 interior pass rusher will be expected to contribute early for the Bucs, who used a second-round pick on Logan Hall last year.

The Bucs have not re-signed Akiem Hicks or William Gholston up front, but the team needed to work its way down from a $50MM-plus cap deficit, as Brady’s void-years bill came due. Tampa Bay still managed to find a way to bring back Lavonte David and Jamel Dean, and Kancey will fill in up front alongside Hall and Vita Vea, the latter of whom annually making things a bit easier for three-techniques.

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