Latest On Bucs C Ryan Jensen
The top two quarterbacks on the Buccaneers’ depth chart, Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, are currently splitting first-team reps in training camp. Without Tom Brady in the picture, expectations are very different in Tampa this season, though whichever QB wins the starting job will at least have a Pro Bowl center snapping them the ball.
Ryan Jensen, who earned Pro Bowl acclaim in 2021, suffered a major knee injury in last year’s training camp, and it was later revealed that he sustained full tears of his MCL and PCL and a partial tear of his ACL, along with meniscus damage. Although he considered retirement — he had taken out a $5MM insurance policy in the event of a career-ending injury — a stem cell treatement in Antigua allowed him to continue his playing career.
He was also able to avoid surgery, and despite missing all of the regular season in 2022, he returned to play every snap of the Bucs’ playoff loss to the Cowboys in January. However, as detailed by ESPN’s Jenna Laine, Jensen was not at full strength in that game; after all, his original projected return date was September 2023. Luckily, he did not sustain any further knee damage, and he indicated that he is now fully healthy.
“I’m feeling good. Ligaments are healthy and healed and I’m just ready to keep rolling,” Jensen said. “It’s somewhat no different than when you get a surgery done on it. All those ligaments scar in and thicken up and get strength again. … The biggest thing for me is just going to work — going to work every day and attacking something that you’re passionate about.”
Jensen, 32, is an active participant in practice, though he does not take part in every practice period and receives full days off as he and the club endeavor to maintain strength and stability in his knee. If the Bucs are to remain competitive in 2023, which many are viewing as a transition year and not a year in which the playoffs are a realistic goal, they will need to keep Jensen healthy.
Tristan Wirfs is shifting from right tackle to left tackle, free agent acquisition Matt Feiler is penciled in at left guard, rookie Cody Mauch is set to start at right guard, and 2022 second-rounder Luke Goedeke is at the top of the RT depth chart despite playing only 55 snaps there last season. As such, Jensen will be anchoring the O-line in more ways than one, and Tampa Bay hopes that his return will bolster a running game that was the worst in the league in 2022 while keeping Mayfield and/or Trask upright long enough to take advantage of the team’s still-considerable receiving talent.
Jensen is under contract through 2024 thanks to the three-year deal he signed last March, when the Bucs were gearing up for another championship push with Brady at the helm.
Buccaneers QBs Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask Splitting First-Team Reps
The Buccaneers are continuing the evaluation process of their quarterback competition, one which has not been met with much fanfare considering the pedigree of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask compared to predecessor Tom Brady. Both of the candidates are receiving considerable looks with the first-team offense. 
Tamp Bay is alternating Mayfield and Trask with the starters and backups during practice, as noted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Head coach Todd Bowles has, understandably, not been in a hurry to name a starter during the offseason with plenty of time remaining for one signal-caller to outperform the other. Trask said that he feels “the most ready” he has been to date in his NFL career, one which started in 2021 but has seen him attempt only nine regular season passes.
The former second-rounder has been pegged as the underdog in the competition so far, with Mayfield holding a substantial edge in experience and familiarity with the type of scheme being implemented by new offensive coordinator Dave Canales. A strong recent showing from Trask with respect to ball security, however, has helped him gain ground, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports.
A plan for how the pair will be used in preseason has yet to be sorted out, but exhibition games will obviously go a long way in determining whether Mayfield or Trask will get the nod for Week 1. The former acknowledged that earning a starting gig is nothing new to him, having had to supplant an incumbent at both the college and NFL levels. The Heisman winner and former No. 1 pick has not seen his pro career go according to plan, though, giving him signficant impetus to succeed with his fourth NFL team.
Mayfield signed a one-year, $4MM deal to compete for the starting gig after seeing his Panthers tenure flame out and serving as a Rams fill-in to close out the 2022 season. Winning the top job and delivering an encouraging performance would boost the 28-year-old’s value either on a new Tampa contract or on the open market next offseason. Plenty is yet to be determined ahead of the Buccaneers’ preseason opener next week, however.
“It’s been tight and that’s a good thing,” Bowles said of the competition, via Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. “Obviously, you want players to compete for a spot. You don’t want anybody getting their spot. You want to earn your spot year to year. Both guys are having healthy competition. We’re just looking forward to the game.”
With neither passer standing out above the other so far, the situation in Tampa Bay will be worth watching through August. Considering the equal opportunities being given to each, a final decision on a regular season starter should not be expected for several weeks.
DB Rumors: Elam, Panthers, Bolts, Bucs
The Bills have hoped to plug Kaiir Elam into their starting lineup opposite Tre’Davious White, but the 2022 first-rounder remains in a position battle. Elam is battling 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford and veteran Dane Jackson for the boundary job opposite White, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Elam played 477 defensive snaps as a rookie, but even as White did not debut until Thanksgiving, the younger Buffalo Round 1 corner only started six games. Benford started five of the nine he played, while Jackson led Bills corners with 14 first-string appearances in 2022. The Bills would clearly prefer Elam seize the role, but for now, the Washington product has not distinguished himself as a surefire starter.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:
- Asante Samuel Jr. resides in a similar boat, needing to fend off a lower-profile challenger. Thus far, it appears Samuel has fallen behind Ja’Sir Taylor for the Chargers‘ slot cornerback role. As it appeared in June, Taylor looks to be the favorite to open the season as the Bolts’ slot player, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Samuel’s shaky run defense has concerned the Bolts, per Popper, with Taylor — a 2022 sixth-round pick — seeing time ahead of the second-generation pro as an outside corner last year due to tackling ability. With primary 2022 slot defender Bryce Callahan unsigned, Taylor and Samuel are battling for the position. Despite Samuel’s experience (27 starts) and draft pedigree (Round 2), he may well open the season as the top backup behind a Taylor-J.C. Jackson–Michael Davis trio. Having Samuel as a depth piece would certainly benefit the Chargers, with Jackson attempting to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
- The Panthers have played without first-round pick Jaycee Horn for extended stretches, and the 2021 top-10 pick spent time rehabbing another injury this offseason. Horn did not say how he injured his foot this spring, but he is 100% early in Panthers camp. Ditto Donte Jackson, who missed eight games last season due to an Achilles tear. Both starting corners have received full clearance, GM Scott Fitterer said recently.
- Although the Buccaneers have re-signed Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean in free agency over the past two years, they let Sean Murphy-Bunting leave in March. Murphy-Bunting, who had spent time in the slot in Tampa Bay, left for Tennessee. The Bucs are holding an expansive slot competition in training camp. Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes, Christian Izien and Anthony Chesley are all vying for the gig, Todd Bowles said (via Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix and Scott Smith). Delaney and Chesley have both bounced around the league, while Hayes and Izien are rookies. Some of these players will not end up on the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but it is interesting to see a five-man competition for this role. A 2022 fifth-round pick who played 277 defensive snaps last year, McCollum may have the lead here. Bowles expects the second-year cover man to play a big role in the nickel spot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
Bucs Eyeing Antoine Winfield Jr. Extension
Tristan Wirfs resides as the Buccaneers’ top extension candidate from the 2020 draft, but the rookie class that played a key role in the team winning a second championship includes another such priority.
A new deal for Antoine Winfield Jr. is on the Bucs’ radar as well, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. While Wirfs is tied to Tampa Bay through 2024 via the fifth-year option, Winfield is going into a contract year.
[RELATED: Bucs Restructure Winfield’s Rookie Deal]
Winfield, who will turn 25 later this month, is one of the NFL’s best young safeties. Pro Football Focus has graded the second-generation NFL DB as a top-10 safety in each of the past two seasons. As the Bucs’ offense cratered last year, its defense submitted respectable numbers (13th in points allowed, ninth in yards, 13th in DVOA). Winfield represented a big reason for the unit staying afloat, and he is now extension-eligible.
The top of the safety market ballooned toward $20MM per year last summer, with Minkah Fitzpatrick and then Derwin James topping Jamal Adams‘ record-setting AAV. James’ $19MM average leads the way. Winfield may not be a candidate to top James, but he should certainly be in the mix to land an extension near the top tier.
The Falcons just gave Jessie Bates a four-year, $64MM accord; that sits fourth at the position. Granted, that came on the open market, and other safeties did not do nearly as well in free agency this year. But at 25, Winfield should be going into his prime. That should make this a costly payment for a Bucs team that already has a number of pricey deals on defense — from Carlton Davis to Jamel Dean to Vita Vea to Shaquil Barrett. Reporting to training camp months after requesting a trade, Devin White sits in limbo entering his fifth-year option season.
Tampa Bay has managed to lock down its cornerstone defensive backs at manageable rates in recent years. Davis and Dean hit free agency, but neither cornerback secured a deal north of $15MM per year. Despite being more than $50MM over the cap at one point this winter, the Bucs re-signed Dean on a four-year, $52MM deal. Davis agreed to terms on a three-year, $44.5MM accord in March 2022.
With Tom Brady‘s void money coming off the books after this year and no franchise-QB salary on the Bucs’ books, money should be available for a player like Winfield, whom Fowler adds could be a candidate to be extended before the season starts. That would be a different approach compared to how the Bucs played it with Davis and Dean. But Winfield appears a priority for a team that, despite Brady’s retirement, still has several Super Bowl LV starters under contract.
Injury Notes: Zylstra, Cowboys, Giants, Kancey
Shane Zylstra will likely miss the upcoming season thanks to a knee injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions tight end suffered a “serious and significant” knee injury that will keep him off the field for six months.
Rapoport notes that Zylstra is set to undergo more tests “but there isn’t a lot of optimism.” As Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweets, the tight end suffered the injury while taking a “low shot” during a red zone drill.
Zylstra emerged as one of Jared Goff‘s favorite red zone targets in 2022. The tight end finished the season with only 11 catches for 60 yards, but four of those receptions were touchdowns. The Minnesota State product had another three catches during his rookie campaign.
Fortunately for Detroit, the team has some depth at tight end. The organization used a second-round pick on Sam LaPorta, and the rookie is expected to slide right into the starting lineup. The team is also rostering the likes of Brock Wright, James Mitchell, and Derrick Deese.
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- A bruised toe has kept Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs off the practice field, Mike McCarthy told reporters (via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Twitter). The injury isn’t serious, and it sounds like the coaching staff is simply playing it safe with the star defender. Elsewhere in Dallas, tight end Luke Schoonmaker revealed that he’s dealing with a partial tear of his plantar fascia (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). The rookie said the injury is more challenging to deal with than a complete tear, but the player is still hopeful he’ll be able to return to the practice field in a week or two.
- It sounds like Giants backup offensive lineman J.C. Hassenauer is set to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season, if not the entire campaign. Coach Brian Daboll told reporters that Hassenauer injured his triceps and will require surgery (via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News on Twitter). The lineman is expected to be sidelined “long term.” Second-round rookie John Michael Schmitz is expected to lead the depth chart, but Hassenauer’s injury could open opportunities for Jack Anderson and Shane Lemieux.
- There was a scare at Buccaneers practice today when first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was carted off the field with a leg injury. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that an MRI showed nothing serious, but the Buccaneers may still take it easy on the rookie so he’s ready to go for the start of the season. Per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the Buccaneers organization had been thrilled with Kancey’s preparation for his first professional season. “He’s adapting to the scheme mentally, and then he was adding his physical part to it,” coach Todd Bowles said (via Laine). “He’s putting it together quicker than normal rookies do. So hopefully it’s not that bad and he can get back.”
- Texans fullback Troy Hairston was carted off the field today with an undisclosed injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston (via Twitter). The former edge rusher went undrafted out of Central Michigan last year but caught on with the Texans. He changed positions to fullback and beat out Andy Janovich for the starting gig, resulting in Hairston getting into 16 games for the Texans last season.
Buccaneers Re-Sign DL William Gholston
JULY 25: The deal, which is now official, will see Gholston’s 2023 cap hit decrease from what it was already scheduled to be (Twitter link via Auman). The veteran was set to account for $2.4MM on the team’s cap as a result of the void year which existed on last season’s contract. While the Buccaneers are still dealing with more than $70MM in dead money from other contracts, Gholston will represent a lesser financial burden while continuing his Tampa career.
JULY 24: Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and defensive lineman William Gholston being a Buccaneer. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay has officially agreed to terms to bring Gholston back for his 11th season with the team. 
The veteran lineman, who turns 32 years old next week, is set to return to Tampa Bay on his fourth NFL contract. Ever since being drafted as a fourth-round pick back in 2013, Gholston has been a solid defensive stalwart for the Buccaneers. He started as a rotational player, earning starts here and there, before eventually earning a starting role for a solid year or two.
The always strong but never remarkable Gholston has since yo-yoed back and forth between a rotational starter and a sub off the bench. In his ten years with the team, Gholston has started 87 of 153 appearances out of 162 possible games. He doesn’t miss much time due to injury (his last missed game was in November 2017), and he contributes both on defense and on special teams.
Even in the latest, most recent years, Gholston has continually received a top-three snap share on the defensive line. With the departure of Rakeem Nunez-Roches to the Giants, Gholston would have been set up for another large share alongside Vita Vea and Logan Hall, with first-round pick Calijah Kancey likely factoring in, as well. The free agent addition of Greg Gaines might not be enough to replace the production of Nunez-Roches, but it should be enough for the team to not require too much of Gholston in his 11th season.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers had every intention of re-signing Gholston earlier in the offseason, but the higher priority was to settle the team’s rookie contracts to see where the salary cap would be. With Tampa Bay concluding their rookie signings today, Gholston gets his new contract.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/23
In a very busy day for the NFL in transactions, here are some of the minor moves that may have slipped through the cracks:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
- Placed on PUP: WR Rashod Bateman
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Darrynton Evans, TE Jace Sternberger
Chicago Bears
- Activated from PUP: WR Chase Claypool
- Signed: WR Isaiah Ford, LB Buddy Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on PUP: TE Mitchell Wilcox (after being re-signed)
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Waived: LB Ian Swenson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DE Isaac Rochell
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Bobby Evans, G Jack Snyder, TE Colin Thompson
- Placed on NFI: G Chris Reed
- Placed on PUP: OLB Andre Carter II
- Waived from NFI: WR Malik Knowles
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Diego Fagot, WR Jalen Hurd
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
- Waived: WR Dre Miller, WR Makai Polk
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Jeremy Banks
The Ravens signed Ott after working out a trio of long snappers that also included Ryan Langan and Shane Griffin. The former Pro Bowler for the Seahawks won the tryout and is expected to be the replacement for Baltimore’s usual long snapper Nick Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his offseason training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Also, the breath of relief for Bateman is short-lived as, a day after being activated from the reserve/did not report list, Baltimore has placed the young receiver on the PUP list.
On a more positive note, a day after the Bears placed Claypool on the PUP list, he has been removed from it. He’ll now be eligible to participate in training camp starting this Wednesday. Tomlinson returns to Houston after being released back in May. He’ll get another chance to work in the tight ends room that includes Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan.
Buccaneers Ink Round 2 OL Cody Mauch, Wrap Up Rookie Deals
Tampa Bay has continued the recent trend of teams completing the signing of their 2023 draft classes. Buccaneers senior writer/editor Scott Smith released today that the team had inked their last remaining unsigned rookie, North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch.
The second-round signings have been sticky for most teams after the Panthers included some hefty guarantees in the rookie contract of 39th overall pick Jonathan Mingo. While the details of Mauch’s contract have yet to be revealed, it could continue a trend of strong rookie deals that we’ve been seeing for second-round picks since the Mingo-signing.
Tampa Bay traded up two spots in order to secure Mauch back in April. After losing Alex Cappa to free agency and Ali Marpet to retirement, the Buccaneers struggled to find consistency on the interior of the offensive line throughout the 2022 season. Injuries didn’t help the situation, but the team lost another asset after trading Shaq Mason to the Texans.
Enter Mauch, who originally arrived in Fargo as a lean tight end at 6-foot-5, 221 pounds. The Bison were able to bulk the young man up to 6-foot-6, 303, helping to mold him into an NFL-ready lineman. As a team captain in his final collegiate season, Mauch earned FCS offensive lineman of the year honors. He impressed scouts with his outstanding mobility, fierce handwork, and sheer competitiveness.
He excelled at the Division I-FCS level as an offensive tackle but lacks the ideal length to be a clearcut starter on the outside in the NFL. He absolutely deserves a look at tackle, with Donovan Smith‘s departure for Kansas City, but at the very least, Mauch could be an immediate contributor on the interior offensive line. He could push Robert Hainsey or Nick Leverett for a starting spot at guard and can give Luke Goedeke a run for the open starting tackle spot in 2023.
After the (second) retirement of Tom Brady, the Buccaneers are entering a bit of a rebuild, and this draft class is the start of that process. Here is Tampa Bay’s full 2023 draft class:
Round 1, No. 19: Calijah Kancey, DT (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 2, No. 48 (from Lions through Packers): Cody Mauch, G (North Dakota State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 82: Yaya Diaby, DE (Louisville) (signed)
Round 5, No. 153: SirVocea Dennis, LB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 5, No. 171 (from Rams): Payne Durham, TE (Purdue) (signed)
Round 6, No. 181 (from Colts): Josh Hayes, CB (Kansas State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 191 (from Packers through Rams, Texans and Eagles): Trey Palmer, WR (Nebraska) (signed)
Round 6, No. 196: Jose Ramirez, OLB (Eastern Michigan) (signed)
2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team
Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.
Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
- Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
- Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
- Houston Texans: $31.72MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
- New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
- Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
- Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
- New York Giants: $22.74MM
- New England Patriots: $21.82MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
- Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
- Cleveland Browns: $16MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
- Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
- Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
- New York Jets: $7.95MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
- Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $593K
No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.
Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.
Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.
The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.
The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.
While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.
Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense
While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:
- Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
- T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
- Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
- Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
- Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
- Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
- Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
- C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
- Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
- Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
- Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
- Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
- Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
- Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
- Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
- Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
- Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
- Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
- Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
- Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
- Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
- DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
- Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
- DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
- Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM
The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.
As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.
Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.
Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.
New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.
The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.