HEADLINES

Tua Tagovailoa Has Missed Most Dolphins Offseason Workouts

May 17th, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins begin their organized team activities next week, and that will mark an important (but voluntary) next step in the team’s offseason program. Given the actions of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in recent weeks, it remains to be seen if he will be present.

The extension-eligible passer has been away from Miami for the “large majority” of the team’s offseason work to date, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. The Dolphins’ program began one month ago, and Tagovailoa has been seen with the team at times (with his most recent documented participation coming on April 19). The 26-year-old has been a full participant at OTAs and other voluntary workouts in previous offseasons.

Tagovailoa is under contract through 2024, as he is set to play on his fifth-year option. That has him on track to earn $23.17MM, a much lower figure than the one which a multi-year extension will carry. Talks on a monster deal are ongoing, but Jones unsurprisingly confirms Tagovailoa’s absence is believed to be tied to the fact he does not yet have a pact in hand.

The top of the quarterback market surged past $50MM per year last offseason, with four ascending passers (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) securing mega-deals which will kick in after their rookie contracts. Jared Goff became the latest signal-caller to secure a massive payday, with the Lions agreeing to a $53MM-per-year deal. Notably, however, that represents Goff’s third NFL contract.

Tagovailoa is three years younger than Goff, though the former’s career has of course featured a number of injury concerns. The 2023 campaign – the fourth of his career – marked the first one in which Tagovailoa played in every game. The former No. 5 pick committed to improving his durability last offseason, and his efforts on that front paid off. Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards while setting career highs in completion percentage (69.3%) and touchdowns passes (29).

Those figures earned the Alabama product a Pro Bowl nod for the first time. They also helped his market value and his chances of landing a long-term Miami investment. As of March, the team did not see an extension as a pressing matter, though, and the Dolphins have certainly been active on a number of other fronts this offseason. The team has made several agent additions along the defensive line following Christian Wilkins‘ departure, and both wideout Jaylen Waddle and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips have had their 2025 fifth-year options picked up.

Each member of the latter pair profiles as a top extension candidate, and safety Jevon Holland (who is entering the final year of his rookie contract) is also in the team’s long-term plans. The franchise tag could be an option for Holland or Tagovailoa next year, but only if negotiations stall out over a long period of time. It will be interesting to see if Tagovailoa is present for OTAs next week, though an absence would only open the door to financial penalties if it extended into mandatory minicamp in June or training camp the following month.

Owners Concerned About Tom Brady Conflict Of Interest In Raiders Ownership Role

May 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the news lately for his much-discussed roast and a mention of a possible in-season comeback, Tom Brady is months away from beginning his career as a play-by-play analyst. The legendary quarterback will cover the Cowboys-Browns matchup for FOX in Week 1.

While some doubt about Brady following through with his broadcasting deal existed, we are moving close to a rare setup in which the NFL’s most famous player calls games for a network. This gig will allow Brady access to team facilities during the lead-up to games. Hans Schroeder, CEO of NFL media, said (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) no limitations regarding which games Brady can or cannot cover are in place.

The subject of limitations pertaining to Brady’s new role has come up due to his ongoing quest to become a part-owner of the Raiders. In May 2023, Brady agreed to purchase a stake of Mark Davis‘ franchise. The agreement, however, is still not official. Although concerns about the stake price Davis set for Brady have been resolved, the conflict-of-interest issue remains. With Brady now firmly on track to start his analyst career this season, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske reports some in the ownership ranks have expressed issues with him receiving access to team practices and facilities for his FOX role.

Should Brady ultimately be approved as a Raiders minority owner, teams will naturally be leery about sharing information with him while he is representing FOX. This would put questions to either the NFL or certain teams about limiting the future Hall of Famer’s access ahead of broadcasting assignments. The issue of a universal Brady policy taking effect or if his access will be determined on a team-by-team basis has come up, Maske adds.

The prospect of Brady’s status changing if he is approved as a Raiders part-owner does appear to be in play. Schroeder left this door open by qualifying the NFL’s no-limitations stance re: Brady by saying (via Maske), “Right now, Tom’s not an owner of the Raiders.” If the 46-year-old QB-turned-announcer is approved, this will make for an interesting chapter in NFL broadcasting history.

A February report indicated Brady’s path to becoming a Raiders part-owner was clearing up, but during the latest round of meetings in late March, no discussions about a vote on this matter are believed to have taken place. No Brady ownership talk occurred at the December owners meetings, either. Brady’s ownership route remains on hold, but it is not closed off yet. Brady said last year he plans to plav a “very passive” role as a minority owner, though a November report pointed to him being involved in the Raiders’ HC and GM hiring process. This job at FOX — one Brady delayed for a year in an effort to better prepare himself following his second retirement as a player — continues to generate understandable concerns among teams.

Brady, who co-owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces with Davis, did see an effort to become a player/owner with the Dolphins nixed — to the point the team lost first- and third-round picks and saw its owner suspended — and the NFL may soon need to make another decision on a dual role involving the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB.

Chiefs OL Wanya Morris, Chukwuebuka Godrick Arrested

May 17th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chiefs’ rocky offseason following their second consecutive Super Bowl season continues today as Adam Teicher of ESPN reports that second-year offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were both arrested Thursday night. Following arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, Morris and Godrick were booked into jail and released Friday morning on bond.

Neither lineman played much of a role in Kansas City’s 2023 title. Godrick joined the team as a part of the league’s International Player Pathway Program last year out of Nigeria but failed to make an in-game appearance during the season as a member of the practice squad. He had been granted an international roster exemption for the 2024 season.

Morris actually played some significant snaps as a rookie third-round pick, starting four games near the end of the season as an injury replacement for Donovan Smith. Coming into the 2024 season, Morris was being challenged to compete with second-round rookie draft pick Kingsley Suamataia for the starting left tackle job opposite Jawaan Taylor following the departure of Smith in free agency. If Morris’ arrest leads to any league discipline, consider it a leg up for the rookie out of BYU.

This news comes most unwelcome for a team in Kansas City that has seen their breakout rookie receiver Rashee Rice face a slew of legal trouble in the offseason. As the team was already bracing for a suspension for Rice following eight felony charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in late-March, Rice upped the ante by becoming the focus of an investigation for an alleged assault at a nightclub in Dallas.

The NFL will allow the legal process to take its course before ultimately coming to a decision on league punishment for the three players. The league has recently laxed its position on punishments for positive marijuana tests, but illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs is still prohibited in the NFL, and marijuana possession remains illegal in Kansas (where the two were arrested).

AFC Staff Updates: Bills, Patriots, Browns

May 17th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

In the weeks following the 2024 NFL Draft, a number of teams have made changes to their player personnel staff and scouting departments. The Bills, for example, recently announced six updates to a scouting staff that should look fairly different in the coming season.

One of the updates we had seen reported days earlier by Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, who reported that long-time Cardinals area scout Darius Vinnett would be accepting a similar role in Buffalo. Vinnett had been in Arizona for 11 years and had won the Rod Graves College Scouting Award, given at the conclusion of the draft to the Cardinals’ best scout, in 2022. The team also added Vince Magri as a pro scout after having served most recently as the assistant general manager of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.

The rest of the moves were promotions to staffers already in place. Matt Bazirgan, formerly the Bills’ senior personnel executive, has been named director of college scouting. Asil Mulbah, whose pro scout position was filled by Magri, has been promoted to assistant director of pro scouting. Keith Jennings joins Vinnett as an area scout after previously working as the team’s BLESTO scout. Lastly, R.J. Webb, previously a pro scout, will now serve as a college scout and will take up Jennings’ former role as BLESTO scout.

Here are a few other scouting updates from around the AFC:

  • After establishing Eliot Wolf as the pinnacle of their personnel structure the Patriots have made a number of alterations to their staff. According to Stratton, pro scouting director Steve Cargile and area scout Taylor Redd will not be returning for the 2024 NFL season. Cargile had been with New England since 2011, while Redd had been around since 2018, meaning both were around for the team’s most recent Super Bowl victory. Replacing Redd will be new area scout Casey Belongia, previously of the Jaguars. Belongia started his career as an equipment manager for the Packers, residing in Green Bay at the same time as Wolf.
  • Lastly, the Browns are bringing Josh Lucas back to the game as their Mid-Atlantic area scout, per Stratton. Lucas had spent the past two years away from the game of football after serving as the Bears director of player personnel. Prior to his time in Chicago, Lucas had been an area scout for the Saints for 10 years and an intern in Jacksonville.

Seahawks Finish Draft Pick Signings

May 17th, 2024 at 8:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks have completed the signing of their rookie class, according to reports from Seahawks senior reporter John Boyle. The team had already signed six of their draft picks and 16 undrafted free agents. Now, with these final two contracts getting inked, Seattle can move on to other offseason activities.

Third-round offensive guard Christian Haynes was the first to sign this morning. In his six years at UConn, Haynes was a four-year starter for the Huskies, redshirting his first season in 2018 and seeing his 2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19. He played exclusively at right guard in Connecticut, which sets him up perfectly for a position battle as a rookie.

Between tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, both of whom were acquired in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks have a recent history of rookies starting on the offensive line. Last year’s rookie fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford was another such example, starting 10 games at right guard in 2023, but Haynes will have the opportunity to push Bradford for the job this summer.

Sixth-round offensive tackle Michael Jerrell isn’t likely to get the same opportunities. Cross and Lucas are firmly entrenched as Seattle’s starters, but Jerrell, a small-school lineman with quickness, length, and toughness, projects as an intriguing developmental piece in the NFL.

This concludes the Seahawks’ eight-man draft class. The eight players are:

  • Round 1, No. 16: Byron Murphy (DT, Texas) (signed)
  • Round 3, No. 81 (from Saints through Broncos): Christian Haynes (G, UConn)
  • Round 4, No. 118: Tyrice Knight (LB, UTEP) (signed)
  • Round 4, No. 121 (from Dolphins through Broncos): AJ Barner (TE, Michigan) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 136 (from Panthers through Browns and Broncos): Nehemiah Pritchett (CB, Auburn) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 179 (from Commanders): Sataoa Laumea (G, Utah) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 192: DJ James (CB, Auburn) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers through Broncos): Michael Jerrell (T, Findlay)

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/24

May 17th, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s rookie draft pick signings as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

Bullock joins a talented group in Houston and will have a chance to learn behind a veteran in Jimmie Ward before eventually having a chance to earn the starting job.

Trice becomes the third pass rusher selected in the first three rounds by the Falcons in as many years. With Arnold Ebiketie and Zach Harrison showing limited production in short samples, Atlanta will hope for a more immediate impact from Trice.

49ers Eyed T Roger Rosengarten In Second Round?

May 17th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers appear all but set to go into a second season with Colton McKivitz as their starting right tackle. The team has signed recent Titans stopgap RT Chris Hubbard, but no clear threat to McKivitz appears on the team’s roster.

That could certainly have changed, in the view of several, had the Ravens not addressed their tackle need in Round 2. Forty-two picks after Pittsburgh selected Troy Fautanu, Baltimore chose the Washington Huskies’ other tackle starter, Roger Rosengarten. In the view of many around the league, the 49ers were preparing to draft Rosengarten with their No. 63 overall selection, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes.

Playing opposite Fautanu for last season’s Division I-FBS runner-up, Rosengarten graded as the No. 62 overall player in the view of ESPN’s Scouts Inc. That certainly makes his No. 62 landing spot rather interesting. The Ravens having traded away two-year right tackle starter Morgan Moses made them a clear candidate to target this position in the early rounds. The 49ers have a short-term option in McKivitz, but it appears they were strongly considering bringing in a higher-upside option in Round 2.

San Francisco ended up with Florida State cornerback Renardo Green in the second round, trading down one spot (via the Chiefs) after Rosengarten went off the board. The team will hope Green can fill its multiyear need in the slot. Green also joins a 49ers team with its top two corners — Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir — going into contract years. For the time being, the defending NFC champions have viable pieces at corner and right tackle. But McKivitz’s first year replacing Mike McGlinchey produced some hiccups.

Pro Football Focus charged Trent Williams with allowing zero sacks last season; the advanced metrics website tagged McKivitz with nine allowed. PFF ranked McKivitz, who previously operated as a swingman during the latter part of McGlinchey’s five-year starter run, 47th at the position last season. The 49ers still extended their current RT, authorizing a one-year, $5.85MM bump early this offseason. The deal, however, does not guarantee McKivitz anything beyond 2024.

San Francisco is operating with a Williams-led line that features four modest contracts around that $23MM-per-year deal. McKivitz, 27, is signed through the 2025 season. With Williams going into his age-36 season, tackle looms as a key 49ers need beyond 2024.

Rosengarten worked as Washington’s right tackle for the past two seasons. That role carried additional importance due to Michael Penix Jr., a transfer pickup in 2022, being left-handed. The eventual second-rounder earned back-to-back Pac-12 honorable mentions for his performance in the role. The Ravens, who memorably traded Orlando Brown Jr. after using him as a multiyear RT, will see if he can become a long-term answer after Moses served as a bridge. The 49ers appear prepared to use 2024 to further gauge McKivitz’s prospects of filling this post long term.

Chiefs To Cut RB La’Mical Perine

May 17th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs spent more than a year developing running back La’Mical Perine, adding the former Jets draftee in January 2023 and using him at points last season. The team is now moving on from the reserve RB.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champions opted to cut the former fourth-round pick Friday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. This will create some questions regarding how the Chiefs will fill out their backfield behind their regulars.

Perine’s only notable work with the Chiefs came during a Week 18 matchup with the Chargers, one that featured the AFC West champs resting several starters due to having locked in a No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. Perine received 21 carries, totaling 76 yards, in that matchup. He was active for the Chiefs’ three AFC playoff games, playing a special teams role. The Chiefs did not dress Perine for Super Bowl LVIII, having activated Jerick McKinnon ahead of that game.

Kansas City has not gone through with its usual post-draft McKinnon agreement; the 10-year veteran remains a free agent. The team also did not draft a running back this year. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, however, is back with the team. Despite failing to live up to his first-round draft slot, the 5-foot-7 back re-signed and will be expected to reprise his recent role as an Isiah Pacheco backup.

Perine, 26, spent the first two years of his career with the Jets before short stints with the Eagles and Dolphins. The Chiefs signed Perine to a futures deal in February 2023 and brought him back after leaving him off their initial 53-man roster last summer. Unless the Chiefs circle back to the Florida alum once again, it is unclear who will be their RB3 in 2024. Ex-Cardinals cog Keaontay Ingram, UDFA Deneric Prince, rugby convert Louis Rees-Zammit and rookie UDFAs Carson Steele (UCLA) and Emani Bailey (TCU) round out Kansas City’s RB corps.

Latest On Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb

May 17th, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Like a number of other players around the league, CeeDee Lamb is currently away from his team with a new deal forthcoming. The Cowboys’ record-breaking wideout is on track to miss OTAs with no extension in hand.

Lamb is set to earn $17.99MM in 2024 while playing on his fifth-year option. A multi-year pact will check in at a much larger price tag, as he is one of a few wideouts expected to reach the $30MM-per-year mark on an extension. The 25-year-old, along with Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) could each reach that plateau at any time this offseason.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons are also in line for monster deals in the near future, though, and Dallas’ cap outlook will change dramatically regardless of how their financial futures are handled. With respect to Prescott and Lamb (who, unlike Parsons, are pending free agents), owner Jerry Jones has endorsed a patient approach while evaluating other teams’ investments around the league.

Presuming that remains the case, Lamb will likely proceed without a deal for the time being. Indeed, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News writes the expectation remains an agreement will be worked out this offseason, although one may not be finalized until the summer. It was not until July or August that many of the Cowboys’ top contractual situations were dealt with last offseason.

Extensions for the likes of cornerback Trevon Diggs, safety Malik Hooker and right tackle Terence Steele all came about last summer. That was also the time at which a restructure was worked out with right guard Zack Martin, ending his training camp holdout. All parties will no doubt look to avoid a repeat of that situation in Lamb’s case, but pressure will likely not ramp up on Dallas if and until he skips out on mandatory minicamp in June and/or training camp one month later.

“It doesn’t matter right now,” Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer said of Lamb’s absence during voluntary workouts (via Gehlken). “CeeDee’s a pro. He’s going to know what to do. I know Dak and the guys have some communication with him. We know he’s taking care of business, and when he gets back here, we’ll certainly be able to find ways to get him the ball.”

Lamb led the NFL in receptions last season (135), posting 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those career-high numbers put him the Cowboys’ record books and upped his market value on an extension. Tyreek Hill‘s standout Dolphins accord – which carries a $30MM AAV based in part on a backloaded final season of non-guaranteed money – has recently been surpassed by Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown‘s deals with the Lions and Eagles, respectively. Whether or not Lamb joins them atop the WR market (and the process by which he gets there) will remain a key Cowboys storyline.

Wanya Morris, Kingsley Suamataia To Compete For Chiefs’ Starting LT Role

May 17th, 2024 at 12:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

When healthy, Donovan Smith handled left tackle duties last season for the Chiefs. The longtime Buccaneers blindside protector was not re-signed this offseason, though, setting the stage for a training camp competition to replace him.

Wanya Morris logged four starts during his rookie season when Smith was sidelined through injury. The third-rounder surrendered a pair of sacks and 27 pressures when on the field, per PFF, resulting in a 55.6 overall grade. Morris is the top option amongst returnees to take on a starting role, but Kansas City’s second player selected in last month’s draft will also have the opportunity to win the job.

The Chiefs traded up one spot late in the second round to draft Kingsley Suamataia. One of a comparatively small number of true juniors in the 2024 class, Suamataia transferred from Oregon to BYU in 2022 and he took on first-team duties with the Cougars during both of his seasons with the team. The 6-4, 326-pounder played at right tackle in 2022 before switching to the blindside last season. His level of play will provide Morris with an intriguing competitor for a first-team role.

“In the middle of the season he got an opportunity there [with] some good, some bad,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said when speaking about the latter (via ESPN’s Adam Teicher). “If you look at his body of work last year, I think on one end you’re happy that he was able to come in at the pro level and be competitive. It wasn’t perfect but it also was solid play that I think is a good foundation to build and grow on.

“He’s got to come in here and win that position [and] I think it’s our job to go out there and find competition for that left tackle spot. I think that there’s a lot of promise in there and there’s a lot of ability, but certainly I think it’s our job to bring in some competition there and make him earn that and work for it.”

Kansas City signed Jawaan Taylor in free agency last offseason. His four-year, $80MM deal seemed to position him for left tackle duties, but Smith’s arrival left him at his familiar right tackle spot. The fact that Morris and Suamataia will be battling for the first-team blindside role confirms Taylor will remain on the right side for 2024 and beyond, if things go according to plan for the two-time defending champions up front.

Kansas City is already set at left guard (Joe Thuney), center (Creed Humphrey) and right guard (Trey Smith) along the interior in addition to Taylor remaining the right tackle starter. The competition between Morris and Suamataia – which, of course, will not truly begin until padded practices take place in training camp – to complete the unit will be a notable storyline for the team this summer.

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