Steelers, DT Larry Ogunjobi Agree To Deal
Larry Ogunjobi is now one team short of the AFC North cycle. The former Browns and Bengals defensive tackle met with the Steelers on Tuesday, and the visit produced an agreement.
The sixth-year veteran agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This addition comes not long after longtime Steelers defensive line starter Stephon Tuitt announced his retirement. The Steelers have since announced the signing.
For Ogunjobi, this represents an end to his lengthy free agency stay. The veteran starter reached an agreement to join the Bears earlier this offseason, but an issue with his physical nixed the deal. Ogunjobi, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Raiders, then spent the next three months looking for another gig.
The Jets also hosted Ogunjobi as well, but the Steelers will make him part of their post-Tuitt equation. Pittsburgh used Chris Wormley extensively in place of Tuitt last season, one the stalwart D-lineman missed all of due to an injury and the mourning of his brother’s recent death. The Steelers struggled to stop the run, ranking last in that department in 2021. They have now added Ogunjobi and third-round D-lineman DeMarvin Leal this offseason, though Tuitt walking away before his 30th birthday could still sting.
This Pittsburgh agreement almost certainly is far off the pact Ogunjobi had in place with Chicago (three years, $40.5MM). On that end, this offseason represents a major blow for the 28-year-old defender. The former Browns third-round pick entered free agency for the first time when the salary cap plummeted due to the pandemic and saw a lingering injury harpoon a lucrative contract a year later. That will make Ogunjobi’s Steelers work pivotal for his future earning potential. There is a real possibility Ogunjobi will never see a better offer than the one the Bears made in March, but the Charlotte alum will benefit from playing opposite perennial Pro Bowler Cam Heyward this season.
Playing on a line featuring Trey Hendrickson last year, Ogunjobi recorded a career-high seven sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Ogunjobi, who spent the first four seasons of his career on primarily Myles Garrett-led lines, registered 5.5 sacks in both the 2018 and ’19 seasons. The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks five years running, and they secured the services of a solid supporting-cast talent for their 2022 iteration.
Commanders Sign Second-Round DT Phidarian Mathis, Fourth-Round S Percy Butler
The Commanders have come to terms with two defensive draftees. Both second-round defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and fourth-round safety Percy Butler agreed to terms on their four-year rookie contracts Tuesday. This concludes the Commanders’ draft signings for 2022.
Washington’s decision to select Mathis 47th overall not only floods its interior defensive line with ex-Nick Saban charges, but it inserts uncertainty into Daron Payne‘s future in the nation’s capital.
Mathis is just one year younger than Payne, at 24, despite coming into the league four years later. But he is now signed through 2025, joining Jonathan Allen as Washington DTs inked to long-term deals. Payne is going into a contract year. While Washington has made no secret of its desire to extend Terry McLaurin, Payne extension matters have been much quieter.
Mathis enjoyed a breakout senior year at Alabama, registering nine sacks. Although the 312-pound D-tackle also played a key role for the 2020 national championship Crimson Tide edition, Mathis upped his stock considerably last season. Mathis could mix in as a backup this season, for a Washington team that lost Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle this offseason, but Payne’s contract status will play a major role in his future.
Butler came off the board in the 113th spot. He joins a Commanders team that released veteran safety Landon Collins. The team still has starter Kamren Curl and brought back Bobby McCain in free agency, however. A Louisiana product, Butler figures to provide depth as a rookie.
Here is the 2022 Washington draft class:
Round 1: No. 16 (from Colts through Eagles and Saints) Jahan Dotson, WR (Penn State) (signed)
Round 2: No. 47 (from Colts) Phidarian Mathis, DT (Alabama) (signed)
Round 3: No. 98 (from Saints) Brian Robinson, RB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4: No. 113 Percy Butler, S (Louisiana) (signed)
Round 5: No. 144 (from Panthers through Jaguars): Sam Howell, QB (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 5: N0. 149 (from Panthers) Cole Turner, TE (Nevada) (signed)
Round 7: No. 230 Chris Paul, OG (Tulsa) (signed)
Round 7: No. 240 (from Eagles through Colts) Christian Holmes, CB (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Rob Gronkowski Intends To Retire
Linked to a possible Buccaneers agreement ahead of training camp, Rob Gronkowski had said another retirement was a true consideration. The future Hall of Fame tight end is following through on that, telling NFL reporter Jordan Schultz he is retiring after 11 seasons (Twitter link). Gronkowski subsequently announced his decision (via Instagram).
Gronkowski, 33, played a key role on the past two Bucs teams, re-emerging from a 2019 retirement to join Tom Brady in relocating to Tampa. His exit will leave the Bucs shorthanded at tight end. O.J. Howard joined the Bills in March. Gronk, who secured a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team before his Bucs stint began, will leave the game as one of his era’s defining players.
“I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field,” Gronkowski said. “The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.
“From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all.”
The Bucs learned of Gronk’s decision last week, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. This transaction will lead to a $5MM 2022 dead-money charge. Gronkowski has resumed his career after this sort of announcement before, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he would not be surprised if his client answered a call from Brady to return during the season (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). For now, however, Gronk retirement No. 2 is upon us.
Barely two weeks ago, the Bucs were confident they could convince Gronkowski to return for another season — one that could end up being Brady’s true finale. But the soon-to-be 45-year-old quarterback will once again soldier on without his top NFL sidekick. Gronk’s 2019 exit resulted in Brady having a down season, his Patriots finale. While the Bucs have positioned the legendary (and recently unretired) QB better in terms of weaponry than the Pats did in the late 2010s, Tampa Bay relied on Gronk at points during its Brady-fueled ascent over the past two seasons.
A four-time first-team All-Pro, Gronk will be a surefire candidate for first-ballot Canton induction in 2027 — assuming he does not again unretire. He added 13 more touchdown receptions to his career ledger, which stands at 92 (third-most by a tight end). His 17 touchdowns in 2011 remain the single-season tight end record. That showing prompted the Pats to give their breakout star a six-year, $54MM extension in 2012. That deal ended up covering his entire New England career and became an issue for both Gronk and the tight end market as a whole.
In terms of playoff scoring, Gronk is on his own tier between Jerry Rice and the field. The former Pats and Bucs pass catcher’s 15 postseason touchdown catches lead all non-Rice performers by at least three. Gronk has scored two touchdowns in multiple Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LV as a Buccaneer, and came through with a pivotal deep grab to help the Patriots secure their sixth championship three seasons ago.
Gronk will fall short of the career totals amassed by the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates, but for sheer dominance, he rivals not only any tight end to play the game but just about any pass catcher. The 2010 second-round pick’s emergence helped Brady remain a top-tier quarterback into his 40s. The 6-foot-6 cog posted four 1,000-yard seasons, collected four Super Bowl rings and won Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2014. Despite Gronk’s shorter career compared to some of his positional peers, the Arizona alum’s 32 100-yard games are the most by a tight end in NFL history.
Injuries, however, plagued the gregarious superstar for most of his career. Gronk suffered a high ankle sprain in the 2011 AFC championship game, limiting him for Super Bowl XLVI, and missed time due to a fractured forearm in 2012. After remaining relatively healthy from 2014-15, following a 2013 ACL tear, Gronkowski sustained a herniated disk that knocked him out for much of the 2016 season. He missed part of the 2017 AFC title game due to a concussion and was hobbled during the ’18 campaign. Upon returning from the 2019 sabbatical — one that involved extensive WWE work — Gronk surprisingly did not miss a game for the 2020 Bucs. But he missed five games due to a rib injury last season.
That string of 2010s injuries knocked the then-Patriots dynamo off his perch as the game’s unquestioned top tight end, but he proved effective in spurts in 2018 and with the Bucs, who suddenly feature a glaring void on offense. Tampa Bay still has Cameron Brate returning. After seeing Howard and Gronkowski eclipse his profile for years, Brate — a ninth-year Buccaneer who posted 500-plus-yard seasons back in 2016 and ’17 — could return as a starter. The Bucs also drafted Day 3 tight ends Cade Otton (Round 4) and Ko Kieft (Round 6) this year. If the Bucs want another vet to replace Gronkowski, Eric Ebron, Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook and Kyle Rudolph are free agents.
A year after the Bucs went into a season with two All-Decade-teamers (Gronkowski and Antonio Brown) supplementing Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Brate stands to again be an important player ahead of his age-31 campaign. Tampa Bay was hellbent on continuity in 2021, retaining its entire Super Bowl core. This year, the team is set to be without Gronkowski, Brown, Bruce Arians, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ali Marpet, Alex Cappa and Jordan Whitehead.
Bears Place OL Dakota Dozier On IR
Dakota Dozier will not play for the Bears this season. The former full-season Vikings starter signed with the Bears this year, but the team placed the veteran offensive lineman on IR on Tuesday.
While eight players can return from IR per team this year, that only applies if they are carried through to the 53-man roster on final cutdown day later this summer. Any player who lands on IR before that date cannot play for that team this season. Dozier’s only path to suiting up in 2022 will be via an injury settlement that leads him off Chicago’s IR list, assuming the ninth-year blocker will be healthy enough to play this season.
The Bears gave Dozier a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum in late March and did not include any fully guaranteed money in the pact. Dozier, 31, appeared to be a depth piece in Chicago, but Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) he did see some first-team reps at right guard during the Bears’ offseason program. Cody Whitehair and Sam Mustipher are positioned as Chicago’s guard starters. The team also used three Day 3 picks on interior O-linemen in this year’s draft, but Dozier would have represented a swingman candidate.
A former Jets fourth-round pick, Dozier has started 27 career games. Many of them came with the Vikings in 2020. Dozier started all 16 Minnesota games that year. Last season, he played in six contests as a Vikings backup. Dozier previously served in that role with the Jets, playing out his rookie deal in 2018 and catching on with the Vikes.
To replace Dozier on their 90-man offseason roster, the Bears signed defensive back Jayson Stanley. A UDFA out of Georgia, Stanley has played eight regular-season games — all with the 2020 Seahawks.
Seahawks To Re-Sign DT Bryan Mone
Bryan Mone will remain in Seattle for the next three years, and is set to receive a significant raise. The defensive tackle is signing a two-year, $12MM extension, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). The deal includes a $1.5MM signing bonus, and can reach a maximum value of $13.8MM. 
The 26-year-old has been with the Seahawks since 2019. He was cut from the 53-man roster in September during his rookie season, but immediately brought back on the team’s practice squad. He made just four appearances that season, but showed enough in his limited opportunities to remain in the fold for the following two years.
In 2020, the Michigan alum played 10 games, once again in a rotational role. He was tendered as an ERFA, keeping him in place for another year. This past season, he set a new personal high in snaps, and registered the first five starts of his career. He totalled 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks, making it an easy decision for the Seahawks to tender him once again this past April.
That decision locks in the former UDFA to a salary of $965K this season. This extension will keep him on the books through 2024, however, at a substantially higher rate. Seattle will be counting on his continued career ascension as he takes on a larger workload. It also represents the second straight year in which Seattle has signed an interior d-linemen to an extension before they played out the upcoming season on a tender, doing so in 2021 with Poona Ford.
Mone will remain in Seattle through its transition to a 3-4 base defense starting this year. As an appropriate scheme fit at nose tackle, he will look to take another step forward in production, knowing he is under contract for the intermediate future.
Chiefs CB Deandre Baker Signs ERFA Tender
The Chiefs have another member of their secondary officially in the fold. Cornerback Deandre Baker has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). 
The 24-year-old was originally a first round pick of the Giants in 2019. He started 15 of 16 games, but struggled in coverage, totalling 61 tackles and eight pass breakups. Expectations were high for a step forward the following year, but the end of his rookie season was his last action in New York.
Baker faced armed robbery charges for an incident in May 2020, which were later dropped. By that time, though, the Giants had cut ties with him, so the Georgia product was free to join any team as a free agent. He quickly did so, signing onto the Chiefs’ practice squad. He has been in Kansas City ever since.
Baker made just two appearances during the remainder of that 2020 campaign, but he did enough to earn a spot on the roster for this past season. He took on a larger workload than his first year with the Chiefs, but still started just one of the eight games he played in. By signing his tender, he is now in line to continue operating in a rotational capacity.
The Chiefs drafted Trent McDuffie in the first round of this year’s draft, adding a starting-caliber piece to their CB room. He will pair with L’Jarius Sneed at the top of the depth chart, along with Rashad Fenton as another key contributor. Baker will be in competition for a spot at the backend of the roster as he looks to further extend his second act in the NFL.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/17/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: QB Kurt Benkert
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Scottie Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Chris Lammons, WR Aaron Parker
- Waived: CB Luq Barcoo
- Waived (injury-designation): WR Matthew Sexton
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Darryl Williams
New York Giants
- Received two-game suspension: LB Justin Hilliard
Benkert spent the 2021 season with the Packers, after three years with the Falcons. He was signed just over one year ago to provide insurance with the future of Aaron Rodgers in doubt, and Jordan Love as the only other signal-caller on the roster. He made one regular season appearance, but with Rodgers now signed to an extension and Love still under contract for at least two more years, the team is less in need of the 26-year-old this year.
Hilliard’s ban comes as a result of PED usage (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). The former UDFA tweeted an explanation, stating that he mistakenly took the wrong prescription medication, and that he will not appeal the suspension. The Ohio State alum played in two games with the Giants last season, logging 15 special teams snaps. This news will weaken what was already, as Schwartz notes, his tenuous grip on a 53-man roster spot.
Ravens Sign DE Steven Means
Just two days after hosting him as a tryout, the Ravens are indeed adding a veteran to their pass-rushing group. The team announced on Friday that they have signed defensive end Steven Means. 
The 31-year-old spent one season with the Ravens in 2014. He stayed on the team’s practice squad for all but one game, and was waived before the start of the 2015 campaign. That led him to Philadelphia, already the third team in his career after he was drafted by the Buccaneers. He carved out enough of a role with the Eagles to earn an extended stay with the team, but he remained primarily a special teamer with them.
That began to change in Atlanta, his most recent home. He registered the first four starts of his career with the Falcons in 2018, not surprisingly setting a new career-best in tackles along the way. His workload continued to rise in each of the past two seasons; after playing 332 total defensive snaps entering the 2020 campaign, he saw the field for 1,335 plays across 2021 and 2022.
That increased usage came after an Achilles injury cost the former fifth-rounder the entire 2019 campaign. His return to health earned him significant playing time, although he has yet to record more than three sacks in a season. In Baltimore, he will likely take on a rotational role within the team’s edge group which, if Tyus Bowser is unable to start the season, will include a number of much less experienced players.
This deal lessens the chances of the Ravens landing free agent pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who visited the team recently, and could affect the future of Justin Houston, on whom the team used the UFA tender. In any event, Baltimore has a familiar face to add to its front seven.
Eagles Sign S Jaquiski Tartt
Turning the page at safety from its Rodney McLeod–Malcolm Jenkins era this offseason, with McLeod following Jenkins out the door, the Eagles entered the week with some questions on their defensive back line. They added a veteran to help answer those Friday.
The team announced an agreement with former 49ers starter Jaquiski Tartt. It’s a one-year deal. Tartt will join veteran Anthony Harris as the most accomplished safeties on Philadelphia’s roster.
Tartt, 30, continued to battle back from injuries to remain a 49ers starter. He spent three games on IR last season but started 17 of the team’s 20 contests (counting San Francisco’s three playoff tilts). Although Tartt’s NFC championship interception muff will not soon be forgotten, given the conclusion of that game, he has been one of the league’s longer-tenured safety starters. Since coming into the NFL as a 2015 second-round pick, Tartt has started 64 games.
Injuries have prevented the Division I-FCS product from making more lineup appearances. A broken arm sidelined Tartt in 2017 — a nine-game season — while a shoulder malady limited him to eight games in 2018. Rib trouble cost Tartt four games during the 49ers’ Super Bowl LIV-qualifying season, though Tartt was on the field for the team’s playoff run. A turf toe bout ended his 2020 campaign after just seven games. That lingered into the 49ers’ training camp last year, when he began it on the active/PUP list. But Tartt is coming off a relatively healthy year, save for a three-game IR stint due to a knee contusion.
Tartt scored a two-year, $13MM extension in April 2018 but re-signed with the 49ers on a league-minimum deal last year. It is likely Tartt’s Eagles deal comes in closer to the latter accord. The 49ers were not expected to re-sign him. With Philadelphia, Tartt will have a chance to start opposite Harris. The Eagles were prepared to give Marcus Epps a clear path toward that job, and while the two-year Philly spot starter might still move into the lineup full-time, Tartt represents experienced competition for that post.
Lions Sign DE Josh Paschal, Wrap Draft Class
The Lions made a clear effort to upgrade at defensive end in the draft. The second of those pass rushers added is now under contract, wrapping up the draft pick-signing portion of Detroit’s offseason.
Second-round pick Josh Paschal signed his four-year rookie contract Friday. This comes weeks after the Lions inked Aidan Hutchinson to his four-year pact (feat. the fifth-year option).
As the No. 46 overall pick, Paschal will be in line to see a hefty portion of his rookie deal guaranteed. Every first-round pick thus far has received a fully guaranteed deal, with a handful to start the second round receiving three years fully guaranteed. No. 44 overall pick John Metchie received two years fully guaranteed and 56% of his third-year salary locked in at signing. Paschal’s camp likely pushed for a similar setup.
A Kentucky product, Paschal did not put up big sack numbers in the SEC. He registered 13 in five seasons with the Wildcats, topping out at five last year. The 268-pound performer did post 15 tackles for loss last year and has contributed as an inside pass rusher as well. Paschal and Hutchinson join a Lions defensive line housing pass rushers Michael Brockers, Romeo and Julian Okwara. The Lions, who cut Trey Flowers after three seasons, will certainly lean on Hutchinson this season. How much Paschal contributes remains to be seen.
Here is the Lions’ 2022 draft class:
Round 1: No. 2 Aidan Hutchinson, DE (Michigan) (signed)
Round 1: No. 12 (from Vikings) Jameson Williams, WR (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2: No. 46 (from Vikings) Josh Paschal, DE (Kentucky) (signed)
Round 3: No. 97 Kerby Joseph, S (Illinois) (signed)
Round 5: No. 177 James Mitchell, TE (Virginia Tech) (signed)
Round 6: No. 188 (from Seahawks through Jaguars and Eagles) Malcolm Rodriguez, LB (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 217 James Houston, DE (Jackson State) (signed)
Round 7: No. 237 (from Saints through Eagles) Chase Lucas, CB (Arizona State) (signed)