Bills Agree To Restructured Deal With S Jordan Poyer
A new deal for Jordan Poyer has long been a talking point for the Bills this offseason. One has not yet been finalized, but the All-Pro safety could nevertheless see increased compensation this season. 
The Bills have agreed to a re-worked contract with Poyer, which will increase his total money available to be earned via incentives from $500K to $2MM (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said, “Jordan appreciates this goodwill gesture by the Bills as we continue to work for a contract extension.”
The 31-year-old has one season remaining on his current pact, and is due $6.7MM. That figure falls well short of what many other safeties of his caliber are making, especially after the position’s market shot upwards this offseason. That, and the fact that Poyer’s 2022 cap hit is over $10.7MM made it little surprise when he approached the team regarding a new deal which could be mutually beneficial.
Poyer has grown from a seventh-round pick to one of the league’s top safeties over the course of his Bills tenure. He failed to reach the 100-tackle mark last season for the first time in three years, but still filled the stat sheet with 93 stops, three sacks, five interceptions and nine pass breakups. He got off to a productive start during the team’s season opener, recording an interception.
His availability was in doubt for Thursday’s game, but a 97% snap share showed that Poyer has recovered from the hyperextended elbow which could have kept him sidelined. He, along with Micah Hyde, will play a major role in the Bills’ defensive success, especially while All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White is unavailable. Even if he is unable to land a new pact, Poyer could play his way into a more lucrative 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/22
Today’s minor moves leading up to Week 1:
Chicago Bears
- Released with injury settlement: WR Tajae Sharpe
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Herb Miller
Green Bay Packers
- Waived with injury settlement: DT Akial Byers, S Innis Gaines
Houston Texans
- Released: RB Royce Freeman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released with injury settlement: WR Greg Ward
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived with injury settlement: DT Elijah Ponder
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: DB Elijah Molden, LB Chance Campbell
The Texans had recently re-signed Freeman after he failed to make the initial 53-man roster. Houston will move forward with rookie Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead, and Dare Ogunbowale at running back.
Ward has been with the Eagles on-and-off since signing with the team after going undrafted in 2017. His first two seasons consisted mostly of time on the practice squad. The former University of Houston quarterback then took a hiatus from the NFL to sign with the Alliance of American Football. When the AAF suspended operations, Ward re-joined the Eagles. He had a bit of a breakout year in 2020, catching 53 passes for 419 yards and six touchdowns, but took a bit of a backseat in Philadelphia’s offense last season.
Miller was called up as a response to Browns cornerback Greedy Williams being placed on injured reserve today. Miller will slot in behind Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson, and A.J. Green as the secondary faces off against their former teammate Baker Mayfield in Week 1.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Taylor Bertolet
- Released: TE Josh Babicz
Chicago Bears
- Released: LB Sam Kamara
Detroit Lions
- Signed: K Dominik Eberle
- Placed on practice squad/injured: K Aldrick Rosas
Browns Place CB Greedy Williams On IR
Greedy Williams continues to have injury troubles in his relatively brief NFL career. Per a team announcement, the Browns have placed him on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. 
Williams has been dealing with a hamstring injury, the latest in a long line of ailments which have defined his career. The 2019 second-rounder (whose availability concerns coming out of college hurt his draft stock) played in 12 games as a rookie, but a shoulder injury ultimately cost him the entire 2020 campaign.
Williams bounced back last season, suiting up for 16 contests (with eight starts). He made 41 tackles, adding a pair of interceptions and 10 pass deflections despite seeing a reduced workload. The LSU alum was expected to once again take on a starting role in 2022 as part of Cleveland’s top CB trio alongside Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome.
Instead, the Browns will now turn to third-round rookie Martin Emerson as a first-teamer. The Mississippi State product was the Browns’ top pick in April, but only recorded one interception in his three years in college. Expectations will be tempered for him, but Ward and Newsome have proven themselves to be high-end contributors in the secondary.
Williams, meanwhile, will play (at best) another shortened schedule as he enters a contract year. His level of play last season in terms of not only ball production but coverage statistics showcased his talent and draft pedigree, but any lengthy absence would certainly hinder his free agent market.
Cardinals, DE Markus Golden Agree To Extension
The Cardinals lost their top pass rusher in free agency this spring, but they will have their new No. 1 at the position on the books for two more years. Markus Golden is signing a one-year extension with a maximum value of $6.5MM (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). 
The 31-year-old returned to Arizona last season on a two-year, $9MM deal. With this extension, he will now remain until at least 2023. Last season, Golden put up 11 sacks, his first time reaching double-digits since 2019 when he was a member of the Giants.
Golden spent less than two seasons in the Big Apple, as his 10-sack campaign to begin his New York tenure was followed by the team applying the rarely-used UFA tender on him. He remained there for the beginning of the 2020 season, but was traded back to Arizona midway through the campaign.
With Chandler Jones having signed with the Raiders in free agency, Golden now has the opportunity to operate as the top edge rusher on the Cardinals. His 35 pressures last season were the second most of his career, and Arizona is clearly investing in that total either remaining consistent or increasing over the next two years with Jones no longer in the picture.
Golden was due a non-guaranteed base salary of $2MM this season, so this extension could be aimed at providing him with a raise in the immediate future. There are likely to be incentives as part of the agreement as well. In any case, the Cardinals have cost certainty with another key player in the final days of an offseason filled with notable re-signings.
LB Tahir Whitehead To Retire
Tahir Whitehead is ending his NFL career where it began. The veteran linebacker is set to retire as a member of the Lions, reports Justin Rodgers of the Detroit News (Twitter link). 
Whitehead was a fifth-round pick of the Lions in 2012. It took until his third year with the team to play his first defensive snap, but he had established himself as a full-time starter by the time he departed Detroit. Overall, he started 54 of 93 contests in the Motor City, eclipsing the 100-tackle mark in 2016 and 2017.
The following offseason, Whitehead signed a three-year, $19MM deal with the Raiders. He remained a productive starter there, playing every defensive snap in 2018 and racking up 234 tackles between his two seasons. His tenure in Oakland was cut short by one year, however, as he was released in 2020 amidst struggles in pass coverage.
That led to a pair of one-year stints for the 32-year-old. The first came in Carolina, where Whitehead saw a major reduction in workload. Logging a snap share under 50% for the first time in seven years, he still made 51 tackles, adding an interception and fumble recovery. Last season with the Cardinals, though, he was limited to just three games of special teams duty as a member of Arizona’s practice squad.
Overall, Whitehead will hang up his cleats with just over $26MM in career earnings. The TCU alum totaled 685 tackles and three sacks over his 10 years spent in the NFL, many of the best of which coming in Detroit, making his ceremonial return to the team a logical move.
Titans, S Amani Hooker Agree To Extension
One of the Titans’ ascending defenders has landed a new deal just before the regular season kicks off. Safety Amani Hooker has agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth $33MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the deal includes $19.5MM guaranteed, and a $10MM signing bonus. 
The team has confirmed the deal, which will keep Hooker on the books through 2026. A fourth-round pick of the Titans in 2019, he has taken on a larger role with each passing season over the course of his three years in the league. In 2021, he cemented his status as a full-time starter.
The 24-year-old was limited to 12 games last season due to a groin injury, but he still totaled 62 tackles, one interception and improved coverage statistics from the previous year. He and Kevin Byard have become an effective tandem on the backend of the Titans’ defense, leading to reports that Tennessee was prioritizing an extension for Hooker this offseason.
At $11MM per year on average, this deal will place Hooker in the top 15 at the safety position, one which has seen a number of massive deals this summer. Chief among those have been the record-breaking extensions given to Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick, but other players such as Arizona’s Jalen Thompson have benefitted as well.
Given this new contract, and the pact Byard is playing on (which averages $14.1MM per season), the Titans will have one of the league’s more expensive safety tandems for at least the short-term future. If Hooker continues his growth over the length of the deal, however, the investment could prove worthwhile as the Titans look to remain AFC contenders.
Contract Details: Watt, Rams, Texans
With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:
- T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
- Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
- Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
- O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
- Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: C Ross Pierschbacher
- Released: OT Darrin Paulo
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE/LB Derick Roberson
- Placed on IR: OT Cedric Ogbuehi
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Roy Mbaeteka
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LS Carson Tinker
- Released: S Scott Nelson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/22
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR: LB Dorian Etheridge
Green Bay Packers
- Released from IR: S Shawn Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed (off Giants practice squad): G Wyatt Davis
- Released from IR: S Isaiah Pryor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR: DT Kobe Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Released from IR: RB Josh Johnson