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Will Dissly

Chargers, TE Will Dissly Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having already added Gus Edwards on offense, the Chargers will make another multi-year investment in the opening period of free agency. Tight end Will Dissly has agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal including $10MM fully guaranteed, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

A former fourth-round pick, Dissly previously spent his entire career in Seattle. The tight end earned a name for himself thanks to his blocking ability. The veteran has always graded as an above-average blocker, including this past season when Pro Football Focus ranked him as the best pass blocker and third-best run blocker at his position.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Dissly has been a complete zero on offense. The tight end has averaged 24 catches per season over the past four years, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 34 receptions for 349 yards and three scores. He finished this past season with 17 catches for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Gerald Everett is a free agent, leaving a hole atop the Chargers depth chart. There’s a chance that Dissly is only part of Jim Harbaugh‘s solution at the position, and the Chargers could look to continue adding to the position via free agency or the draft. The team is also rostering Donald Parham Jr. and Stone Smartt.

Seahawks To Release TE Will Dissly

March 5th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks’ new coaching staff is parting ways with a few Pete Carroll-era cogs Tuesday. After the team released its two highly paid safeties — Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs — word emerged the club is also moving on from one of its tight ends.

Will Dissly will be released as well, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The move will save the Seahawks $6.97MM in cap space. Signed to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2022, Dissly was due to make $6.49MM in base salary next season.

Seattle has effectively cleared the decks at tight end. With Dissly gone, the team has to fill out this position group. Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are days away from free agency; both players played out their rookie contracts in 2023.

Dissly played out his rookie deal in Seattle back in 2021, but despite a pattern of injury trouble during that time, the Seahawks still re-signed him in March 2022. Dissly, 27, seemed a bit surprised when he received that offer — which came as the Broncos (who had just acquired ex-Dissly QB Russell Wilson) pursued him as well — but he rewarded the Seahawks by avoiding major injuries on his second contract.

Valuing Dissly’s blocking, the Seahawks gave him $10.34MM fully guaranteed. He ended up receiving more than that on this contract, playing two years on the pact. But Mike Macdonald and OC Ryan Grubb are moving in a different direction. While Dissly played at the University of Washington, his college run came well before Grubb became the Huskies’ OC.

Fant led the way in terms of TE production over the past two seasons in Seattle, but Dissly made an auxiliary contribution to Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year award by catching 34 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. He finished that season on IR but returned to play 16 games in 2023. Last season, Dissly’s numbers dropped; he totaled 17 receptions for 172 yards. Dissly, who missed 24 games over his first four seasons, only missed three contests over the past two. Dissly also should command some interest on the open market; Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s third-best run-blocking tight end last season.

NFC West Notes: Rams, Hopkins, Seahawks

January 18th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off disappointing seasons, the Cardinals and Rams may be looking to make high-profile cost cuts. DeAndre Hopkins and Jalen Ramsey may well be available in trades, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora noting deals involving the two former All-Pros will come down to “when” and they are moved and not “if.” Both Ramsey and Hopkins have already been traded, each moving from the AFC South to the NFC West — Ramsey in 2019 and Hopkins in 2020. Although Ramsey required two first-round picks to be pried from Jacksonville, La Canfora adds neither player should be expected to bring in the kind of haul fans would anticipate.

Both talents are signed to lucrative extensions. Ramsey’s five-year, $100MM deal (which set the cornerback market in 2020) runs through 2025. Hopkins’ $27.25MM contract runs through 2024. Ramsey, 28, should be expected to command more in a trade compared to Hopkins, 30. Coming off a suspension- and injury-limited 2022, latter has been rumored to be a possible trade chip. Several teams called the Cardinals on Hopkins at the deadline. Ramsey, however, has been a dependable piece in L.A. His exit would leave the Rams vulnerable at corner, considering they have rotated low-cost pieces around Ramsey at the position for years.

A Ramsey trade before June 1 is not especially palatable for the Rams, who are again projected to enter the offseason over the cap. Dealing the All-Pro talent after that date, however, would save the team $17MM. The Rams having not restructured Ramsey’s deal makes a trade something to monitor, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes (subscription required). Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • This season’s Rams staff did not particularly appeal to Sean McVay by season’s end, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Upon returning, McVay is expected to make staff changes. This may have been behind the Rams’ call to allow their position coaches to interview for other jobs without the threat of blocking the meeting. Whatever the reason, the Rams’ staff should look different in 2023. McVay also likely has a bit of regret of not taking a major TV job last year, per King, who adds no top-level gig was on the table for the six-year Rams HC this year.
  • The Rams will attempt to extend one of their UFA-to-be D-line starters (A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines), Rodrigue adds, but probably will not keep both. A former sixth-round pick who has started for the past two seasons, Gaines appears likelier — per Rodrigue — to be the team’s higher priority. Robinson’s expected market value could price out the Rams, who have Aaron Donald making a cool $10MM more than any other interior D-lineman.
  • Jamal Adams, who suffered a torn quad tendon in Week 1, remains without a timetable, Pete Carroll said this week. Jordyn Brooks‘ ACL surgery is scheduled for Friday. The late-season ACL tear will make top Seahawks tackler a candidate to begin next season on the PUP list. Surgery could be in the cards for tight end Will Dissly, but he will first attempt to rehab his knee injury without a procedure (Twitter links via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).
  • Despite issues in the first season under DC Clint Hurtt, the Seahawks are planning neither staff changes nor a move back to a 4-3 defense, Carroll said. Seattle, which brought in Hurtt and ex-Bears DC Sean Desai to install a Vic Fangio-style scheme, finished outside the top 20 in yards, points and DVOA this season.
  • The second-team All-Pro nod 49ers special-teamer George Odum received will increase his 2023 base salary by $250K, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Odum, who signed with the 49ers in 2022 after a Colts tenure, will also collect a $250K incentive for the All-Pro nod. Odum led the league with 21 special teams tackles. Attached to a three-year deal worth $5.7MM, Odum has become one of the NFL’s best special-teamers. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2020.

Seahawks Place TE Will Dissly On IR

December 27th, 2022 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

After staying healthy for most of the past two seasons, Will Dissly will see another injury likely end his season. The Seahawks placed the veteran tight end on IR due to a knee injury.

Dissly, who suffered major injuries during his first two NFL seasons, went down against the Chiefs on Saturday with what Pete Carroll is calling a contusion. More tests appear on tap, however. Unless the Seahawks make an unlikely voyage to the NFC championship game, Dissly will be ineligible to return this season.

Although his season is likely wrapped after 15 games, Dissly both displayed durability (15 games played) and provided considerable aid to Geno Smith‘s unexpected Pro Bowl campaign. Dissly established new career-high marks in receptions (34) and receiving yards (349), adding three touchdowns. Valued for his run-blocking ability, Dissly (60% snap rate) also played a prominent role in Ken Walker‘s rookie-year emergence.

The Seahawks re-signed Dissly on a somewhat surprising three-year, $24MM pact in March. Dissly was uncertain as to what his market would bring, but Denver and Tampa Bay also showed interest in adding him. Instead, Dissly teamed with ex-Broncos tight end Noah Fant to help Seattle’s cause post-Russell Wilson.

Dissly’s deal includes $10.3MM fully guaranteed but nearly $6MM more in injury guarantees, so it will be interesting to see if his latest setback is a significant one. The University of Washington product went down with a torn patella tendon in 2018 and was lost for much of the 2019 season after an Achilles tear. Dissly rebounded to make his way toward that nice contract in the ensuing two seasons, playing in 31 of a possible 33 games.

In addition to the Dissly transaction, the Seahawks claimed defensive lineman Isaiah Mack off waivers from the Ravens. A fourth-year former UDFA, Mack spent the past two seasons with Baltimore. Seattle also signed cornerback Xavier Crawford off its practice squad, waived D-tackle Daviyon Nixon and added corner Steven Parker to its taxi squad.

TE Rumors: Dissly, Texans, Sample, Giants

August 5th, 2022 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks‘ Will Dissly contract — a three-year, $24MM deal featuring nearly $16MM in total guarantees — surprised most, but the injury-prone tight end indeed generated interest outside of Seattle. The Broncos and Buccaneers were two of Dissly’s other suitors, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, who detailed the former fourth-round pick’s path to that $8MM-per-year contract. Dissly, who experienced early-career injuries and put up light receiving statistics in his two healthy years (45 receptions, 482 yards since 2020), was both concerned about his free agency value and wondering if he would need to wait a bit into free agency for teams to take care of higher-priority players, Jude adds. But Dissly struck a deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period, re-signing with a Seahawks team that had acquired Noah Fant days earlier.

A reunion with Russell Wilson in Denver was on the table, per Jude, who notes another offer Dissly received was “in the ballpark” of what Seattle proposed. At least six teams expressed interest as well, though it sounds like the Broncos were the Seahawks’ top competitor here. But the team, valuing Dissly as a blocker, made the Washington alum a priority. The Broncos drafted Greg Dulcich in Round 3 a month later.

Here is the latest from the tight end scene:

  • With C.J. Uzomah out of the picture, Drew Sample‘s Bengals role figures to expand a bit. But the defending AFC champions will be without Sample for a bit. Sample suffered a knee injury recently, and although Zac Taylor said the fourth-year pass catcher will likely be out multiple weeks, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. Sample may be dealing with an MCL sprain, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Bengals have Sample, a former second-round pick in a contract year, and signed former first-rounder Hayden Hurst to replace Uzomah.
  • The Texans did not generate much from their tight end spot last season; Jordan Akins‘ 214 receiving yards led the position group. The team let Akins sign with the Giants in free agency and did not add a notable replacement. Lovie Smith‘s squad is planning to open the season with veteran Pharaoh Brown as the starter here, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Brown, who re-signed with the Texans this offseason on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, caught 23 passes for just 171 yards last season. The Texans have 2021 fifth-round pick Brevin Jordan and used a fifth-rounder this year on Teagan Quitoriano. Both young players will defer to Brown, a sixth-year presence, to start the season.
  • In addition to Akins, the Giants have Ricky Seals-Jones and fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger — already a starter candidate — at tight end. Rookie UDFAs Jeremiah Hall and Andre Miller have each gotten fullback snaps with the first-team offense during training camp, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan (subscription required). This marks a notable shift for Miller, a wide receiver at Division I-FCS Maine. Post-Evan Engram, this remains one of the NFL’s most uncertain tight end groups.

Seahawks TEs Poised For More Prominent Role?

July 9th, 2022 at 3:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks will have a much different look on offense in 2022 in the absence of Russell Wilson. While the team does still have two accomplished pass-catchers on the perimeter, the tight end group could be in line for a more featured role in 2022. 

ESPN’s Brady Henderson cites that unit – rather than any one member of it – as Seattle’s offensive breakout candidate. The team’s TE usage generally ranked mid-pack at best during Wilson’s tenure at the helm, with the exception of Jimmy Graham‘s three-year stint in the Emerald City. With either Drew Lock or Geno Smith under center for at least the immediate future, though, more targets could be funnelled toward the middle of the field.

The primary beneficiary of such an offensive shift would be Noah Fant. Part of the package Seattle received from Denver in the Wilson trade, the 24-year-old has flashed potential during his first three seasons in the NFL, but fallen short of expectations given his draft stock. The No. 20 pick in his class (which, as Henderson notes, took him off the board right before Seattle would have selected him), Fant acknowledged the possibility for greater production after the trade.

“I’m kind of stuck at that high-600 [yards] ceiling, and I’ve got to break through that” he said. “I think I have every opportunity to do that in Seattle, and I’m excited to get to work to do that.”

More attention on the TE position could also see Will Dissly playing a more prominent role. The former fourth-rounder has put up consistent number during his four years with the Seahawks, earning him a three-year, $24MM deal in free agency to remain with the team. His blocking ability will always give him a path to playing time in the team’s run-heavy offense, but even a slight uptick in targets could lead to positive results for the offense. The same could be true of 2020 draftee Colby Parkinson, whom head coach Pete Carroll spoke highly of as part of his general optimism surrounding the group.

“We’ve got a lot of flexibility with these guys, and they’re going to be a big part of what we’re doing,” he said. It remains to be seen how the unit will mesh with a new QB and wideouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, but a large workload could be in store.

Contract Details: Crosby, Gregory, Campbell, Conner, Jensen, Dissly, Glowinski

March 15th, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from the latest agreed-upon contracts around the league:

  • Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): Four years, $94MM. The Raiders gave Crosby a $13MM signing bonus and have fully guaranteed his 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($3.5MM, $10MM), Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Crosby’s 2024 base ($19MM) will become fully guaranteed in 2023. Crosby’s 2025 and ’26 salaries ($21MM apiece) are nonguaranteed. There are $200K-per-year incentives included for All-Pro nods as well.
  • Randy Gregory, OLB (Broncos): Five years, $70MM. Denver is giving Gregory a $10MM signing bonus and has the pass rusher attached to $4MM and $14MM base salaries in 2022 and ’23, respectively, per Brad Spielberger and Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (on Twitter). Both years are fully guaranteed, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Gregory’s deal includes $1MM roster bonuses in 2025 and ’26.
  • De’Vondre Campbell, LB (Packers): Five years, $50MM. Green Bay is giving Campbell a $15MM signing bonus and has backloaded the base salaries. Campbell’s first two salaries check in at $1.1MM and $1.45MM, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. They spike to just north of $7MM by 2024. A $3MM roster bonus is also due on Day 3 of the 2023 league year, with a $2.9MM roster bonus due at the same point on the 2024 calendar.
  • Ryan Jensen, C (Buccaneers): Three years, $39MM. Jensen will see $23MM fully guaranteed, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. His 2022 breakdown goes $1.5MM base salary and $12.5MM roster bonus. $9MM of Jensen’s $12.5MM 2023 base salary is fully guaranteed, and the other $3.5MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2023 league year.
  • Will Dissly, TE (Seahawks): Three years, $24MM (max value). The deal includes a $9.3MM signing bonus but is light on guaranteed salary. Dissly’s $1MM 2022 salary is fully guaranteed, while Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets the 2023 base ($5.64MM) is guaranteed for injury. The injury-prone tight end’s 2024 base ($6.49MM) is nonguaranteed.
  • James Conner, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $21MM. Conner’s deal includes $13.5MM guaranteed, per Kyed and Spielberger (on Twitter). Conner’s 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($1.75MM and $5.75MM) are fully guaranteed.
  • Mark Glowinski, G (Giants): Three years, $18.3MM. The Giants included a $4.5MM signing bonus, and Glowinski will have cap figures of $3.35MM (2022), $7.75MM (2023) and $7.2MM (’24). Glowinski is due a $1MM roster bonus in 2023 (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan).

Seahawks To Re-Sign Will Dissly

March 14th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Seattle continues to take care of its own. The team is re-signing tight end Will Dissly on a three-year deal worth $24MM (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

[RELATED: Seahawks To Re-Sign Quandre Diggs]

The 25-year-old was a fourth round pick of the Seahawks in 2018. He has since established himself as a consistent secondary option in the team’s offense. His best season came in 2019, when he posted 23 catches for 262 yards and four touchdowns. This past year, he put up very similar numbers (21 receptions, 231 yards, one touchdown).

The $8MM per-year average is notably less than what the franchise tag was valued at for this season, though Dissly was never thought to be a tag candidate. Still, it is a significant raise compared to his rookie contract earnings.

While there are certainly questions surrounding the quarterback spot in Seattle, the team’s corps of pass-catchers remains intact. Alongside Dissly, receivers Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are each under contract. Rather than marking the beginning of a full-blown rebuild, then, the trade of Russell Wilson and release of Bobby Wagner appear to have signalled a reset of the franchise.

With this move – along with the earlier investments made in keeping other key pieces of the team, most notably Quandre Diggs – Seattle may yet be able to stay competitive in the NFC West, assuming an accomplished quarterback can be brought in.

Cardinals, TE Zach Ertz Closing In On Deal

March 13th, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After acquiring tight end Zach Ertz in a trade with the Eagles in mid-October of last year, the Cardinals are finalizing a new multi-year deal for the nine-year veteran, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The three-year deal is set to keep the 31-year-old among the top-10 highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. 

Ertz is a three-time Pro Bowler who set the NFL-record for single-season receptions for a tight end in 2018 with 116 catches, which trailed only Saints’ receiver Michael Thomas for the league lead among all pass-catchers. Ertz was consistently productive in Philadelphia, recording five-straight seasons with at least 800 receiving yards.

After taking a back seat role to the Eagles’ younger tight end Dallas Goedert, the Cardinals made the move to acquire Ertz and watched him thrive in the new system. Ertz’s 11 games in Arizona in 2021 showed far more production than the 11 games he played in Philadelphia the year prior. With wide receivers Christian Kirk and A.J. Green set to hit the free agent market this week, locking down their tight end was a must.

The three-year deal will be worth $31.65MM with a guaranteed amount of $17.5MM. The annual average value of $10.55MM ranks 10th among NFL tight ends, just below David Njoku, Mike Gesicki, and Dalton Schultz, who got franchise tagged for $10.93MM. With this deal Ertz is now off the crowded tight end market, along with the three who were tagged. Remaining options for those looking for tight ends are C.J. Uzomah, Robert Tonyan, Evan Engram, and Will Dissly.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/22/21

December 22nd, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances (including Christian McCaffrey and Travis Etienne), players activated from the list remain on IR:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on list: T Le’Raven Clark

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

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