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2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 29th, 2021 at 4:47pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL teams have until May 3 to officially pick up their options on 2018 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. In a change from years past, fifth-year option seasons are fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement, and specific performance metrics:

  • 2-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
  • 1-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
  • Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
    • 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
    • 75%+ average across all three seasons
    • 50%+ in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-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:

Updated 4-30-21, 4:24pm CT

  1. QB Baker Mayfield, Browns: Exercised ($18.858MM)
  2. RB Saquon Barkley, Giants: Exercised ($7.217MM)
  3. QB Sam Darnold, Panthers (via Jets): Pending ($18.858MM)
  4. CB Denzel Ward, Browns — Exercised ($13.294MM)
  5. LB Bradley Chubb, Broncos — Pending ($12.716MM)
  6. G Quenton Nelson, Colts — Pending ($13.754MM)
  7. QB Josh Allen, Bills: Pending ($23.106MM)
  8. LB Roquan Smith, Bears: Exercised ($9.735MM)
  9. OT Mike McGlinchey, 49ers: Exercised ($10.88MM)
  10. QB Josh Rosen, Cardinals: N/A
  11. S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers (via Dolphins): Exercised ($10.612MM)
  12. DT Vita Vea, Buccaneers: Exercised ($7.638MM)
  13. DT Daron Payne, Washington — Exercised ($8.529MM)
  14. DE Marcus Davenport, Saints: Exercised ($9.553MM)
  15. OT Kolton Miller, Raiders — N/A (extension)
  16. LB Tremaine Edmunds, Bills: Pending ($12.716MM)
  17. S Derwin James, Chargers: Exercised ($9.052MM)
  18. CB Jaire Alexander, Packers: Exercised ($13.294MM)
  19. LB Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys: Pending ($9.145MM)
  20. C Frank Ragnow, Lions: Exercised ($12.657MM)
  21. C Billy Price, Bengals: Declined ($10.413MM)
  22. LB Rashaan Evans, Titans: Pending ($9.735MM)
  23. OT Isaiah Wynn, Patriots: Pending ($10.413 MM)
  24. WR D.J. Moore, Panthers: Exercised ($11.116MM)
  25. TE Hayden Hurst, Falcons (via Ravens): Pending ($5.428MM)
  26. WR Calvin Ridley, Falcons: Pending ($11.116MM)
  27. RB Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: Pending ($4.523MM)
  28. S Terrell Edmunds, Steelers: Pending ($6.753MM)
  29. DT Taven Bryan, Jaguars: Pending ($7.638MM)
  30. CB Mike Hughes, Vikings: Pending ($12.643MM)
  31. RB Sony Michel, Patriots: Pending ($4.523MM)
  32. QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Exercised ($23.106MM)

2021 NFL Draft: Team By Team

April 29th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! Soon, picks will soon be swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. But, before the trading frenzy starts, here’s a look at the draft picks owned by each team:

[RELATED: 2021 NFL Draft Order By Round]

Arizona Cardinals – Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders)

Atlanta Falcons — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 4 overall
Round 2: No. 35
Round 3: No. 68
Round 4: No. 108
Round 5: Nos. 148, 182, 183
Round 6: Nos. 187, 219

Baltimore Ravens – Picks: 10

Round 1: Nos. 27, 31 (from Chiefs) overall
Round 2: No. 58
Round 3: Nos. 94 (from Chiefs), 104
Round 4: Nos. 131, 136 (from Chiefs)
Round 5: Nos. 171, 184
Round 6: No. 210

Buffalo Bills — Picks: 7

Round 1: No. 30 overall
Round 2: No. 61
Round 3: No. 93
Round 5: Nos. 161 (from Raiders), 174
Round 6: No. 213
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers)

Carolina Panthers — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 8 overall
Round 2: No. 39
Round 3: No. 73
Round 4: No. 113
Round 5: No. 151
Round 6: Nos. 191 (from Broncos), 193, 222

Chicago Bears — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 52
Round 3: No. 83
Round 5: No. 164
Round 6: Nos. 204, 208 (from Seahawks through Dolphins), 221, 228

Cincinnati Bengals — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 5 overall
Round 2: No. 38
Round 3: No. 69
Round 4: No. 111
Round 5: No. 149
Round 6: No. 190
Round 7: Nos. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans), 235 (from Lions through Seahawks)

Read more

Saints Looking To Move Up In First Round?

April 28th, 2021 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints are motivated to add a cornerback in the draft, and the team would consider moving up in the first round to get it done. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is “weighing a potential move up” in the first round. Yahoo’s Charles Robinson previously reported that the organization was looking to move up for Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley (via The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode on Twitter).

[RELATED: Saints HC Sean Payton Says Team Has To Add Cornerback]

The Saints probably won’t be willing to give up the ammo it’d take to trade up for cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn, so it’d make sense to switch focus to Farley. Robinson notes that the Saints, who are picking at No. 28, believe they may need to jump the Titans at No. 22 if they want to select the Virginia Tech product. For what it’s worth, agent Drew Rosenhaus previously insisted that his client will be taken somewhere in the top 20, so the Saints may need to jump close to 10 spots if they want the cornerback.

Farley hasn’t seen the field since 2019 thanks to a pair of surgeries, but his surgeon told clubs that the player should be cleared prior to training camp in late July. Even though Rosenhaus’ estimation should be taken with a grain of salt, that’s excellent news for Farley in advance of Thursday night. While Farley’s stock already took a small hit after sitting out the 2020 campaign, he saw another slide after irritating a joint at the base of his spine. There was some speculation that he could fall all the way to the second round, but recent reports point to him going in the first.

Originally a quarterback in high school, Farley committed to the Hokies in 2017 as a wide receiver. After an ACL tear wiped out his true freshman season, he was asked to change positions again — this time, he moved to cornerback. By 2019, he was a star for Virginia Tech, racking up four interceptions and 12 passes defensed en route to First-Team All-ACC honors. He also allowed a completion rate of less than 50% on passes thrown in his direction.

Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1

April 23rd, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.

As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/21

April 22nd, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Dallas Cowboys

Tennessee Titans

The first two defensive players the Titans took flyers on, Hector and Bello, both spent a little bit of time in Philadelphia with new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Jones started three games for the Vikings last year.

Titans Meet With LB B.J. Goodson

April 8th, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

A full-time Browns starter last season, B.J. Goodson is looking for a new team. The former Giants draft pick made a visit Thursday, meeting with the Titans, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

The five-year veteran linebacker is coming off his most productive season. In 14 Cleveland games (all starts), Goodson registered 91 tackles and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded Goodson as a top-25 off-ball ‘backer. Goodson tested positive for COVID-19 near the end of the regular season but returned to play in both Browns playoff games, when added 16 more stops.

This bounce-back effort came after the Giants shipped him to the Packers in 2019. While Goodson has played for three teams over the past three years, he has been a regular for most of his career. The Clemson product is a 43-game NFL starter.

Tennessee re-signed Jayon Brown this offseason and has Rashaan Evans entrenched alongside him. Goodson joining the Titans would represent a slight step back, but the team struggled in nearly all defensive facets last season and could certainly use a proven veteran for depth purposes.

Titans To Hire Jim Schwartz

April 6th, 2021 at 8:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Schwartz said in January he planned to take the 2021 season off, but the five-year Eagles defensive coordinator appears to have backtracked on that pledge.

The former Titans DC plans to return to Tennessee, according to Brent Dougherty of 104.5 The Zone and TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick (Twitter links). Schwartz has an extensive history with the Titans, having worked in multiple positions with the franchise since it rebranded under the Titans moniker in 1999.

Schwartz’s initial Titans gig launched him onto the head coaching radar. He worked as Tennessee’s DC from 2001-08 and was with the franchise for 10 years prior to accepting the Lions’ HC job in 2009. Schwartz was a Titans defensive assistant on their 1999 Super Bowl staff and served as the team’s linebackers coach in 2000. That defense ranked first overall, leading to Schwartz’s promotion to DC in ’01.

Following Dean Pees‘ latest retirement, the Titans went without a true defensive coordinator last year. The results were not good. Tennessee ranked as one of the worst third-down defenses in modern NFL history and ranked 28th in total defense. The Titans, who offered Pees a role on their 2021 staff, promoted 2020 defensive play-caller Shane Bowen to DC. It looks like he will have some notable help next season.

As Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website writes, Schwartz will serve as a resource to Bowen and the rest of the team’s defensive staff. Head coach Mike Vrabel said, “We are excited to add Jim to our staff. He has a deep level of football knowledge and has overseen a great deal of success on the defensive side of the ball, so it is always good to add a quality coach to our staff. This role will provide our defensive staff with Jim’s experience and perspective in the staff meetings and on the practice field.”

The Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning defense ranked fourth under Schwartz, and the Fletcher Cox-anchored unit ranked in the top 10 against the run from 2017-19. Just about everything fell off track in Philly last year, but Schwartz has a history of coaxing production. The 54-year-old assistant has popped up occasionally on the HC carousel but has been a defensive play-caller since the Lions fired him in 2014.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/21

March 30th, 2021 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

Contract Details: Rhodes, Johnson, Abdullah, Roberts, Moreau

March 28th, 2021 at 6:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Let’s catch up on the latest batch of financial terms from recent free agent deals:

  • Colts CB Xavier Rhodes: One-year, $4.77MM. $3.75MM fully guaranteed salary, $1.02MM in per game active roster bonuses. $1.75MM in additional playing time, interception, and Pro Bowl incentives, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). This was originally reported as a one-year, $6.5MM pact, but it looks like that’ll only be the case if he hits those incentives.
  • Titans CB Kevin Johnson: One-year, $2.25MM. $2MM guaranteed, with a $1MM salary and $1MM signing bonus. $250K in per game active roster bonuses, via Wilson on Twitter. We didn’t have any word on compensation initially, and it turns out Tennessee got the former first-rounder for a pretty reasonable price.
  • Vikings RB Ameer Abdullah: One-year, $990K. Non-guaranteed. Via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter. Terms of the deal weren’t previously reported, but the Vikings got the former second-rounder back for a non-guaranteed vet minimum contract.
  • Dolphins LB Elandon Roberts: One-year, $1.995MM. $1.345MM salary, $650K signing bonus, plus $750K in incentives available, via Field Yates of ESPN on Twitter. We also didn’t have any terms for Roberts, and he ended up getting some decent money to return to Miami.
  • Falcons CB Fabian Moreau: One-year, $1.127MM. $987.5K guaranteed. $137.5K signing bonus, $990K salary ($850K guaranteed), via Wilson on Twitter. Finishing things up with one more cornerback we were missing terms on. Moreau, a part-time starter for Washington the past few years, got just above the minimum, although it’s almost entirely guaranteed at least.
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