NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Ian Rapoport - When a player doesn't do a long-term deal by the mid-July deadline, the only option is a 1-year deal. But the two sides can negotiate that 1-year franchise tag into a 1-year new contract. It's very rare. But that's what happened here. Smart on all sides.

 

So dumb. If he wanted to be in camp so bad he should’ve just signed the tag, $10M guaranteed upon signing regardless of how he plays or whether he gets hurt.

 

Nick Bosa is not expected to practice without a new deal



49ers training camp is set to get underway without defensive end Nick Bosa.

Bosa is in the market for a new contract as he heads into the final year of his rookie pact and General Manager John Lynch called talks about an extension a “little more complex” during a Tuesday press conference. Lynch said that he doesn’t expect Bosa to report to camp on time and head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he would be surprised if Bosa does any practice work until a new contract is in place.

“I have not seen Nick,” Lynch said. “I would expect he’s not here to start off. We’re working. We’re having really good communication . . . We’re working diligently to try to come to an agreement. I think the challenge is you’re talking about a real special player. You’re talking about one of the better players in the league. You could argue that could simplify things, but I think at times it’s just finding that sweet spot.”

Players who don’t report to camp while under contract are subject to daily fines, but the 49ers could treat Bosa’s absence as an excused one as they try to hammer out an agreement in the coming days.

PFT

 

Vikings say Justin Jefferson contract talks are ongoing

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson still has two seasons left on his five-year rookie contract, but he could be getting a big new deal soon.

Minnesota General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said today that discussions with Jefferson’s agents about a new contract are “ongoing.”

Adofo-Mensah said he’ll have more contract negotiations with Jefferson’s team but indicated that they’re not in a rush to get a deal done.

The 23-year-old Jefferson led the NFL in catches and receiving yards last season and surely wants to be the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Absent a new deal, Jefferson would make a salary of $2.4 million this year and $19.7 million next year before becoming a free agent in 2025.

PFT

 

Saints expect Michael Thomas to fully participate in practice

There was optimism all spring about wide receiver Michael Thomas being ready to go for Saints training camp and nothing changed during the team’s pre-camp break.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said at a Tuesday press conference that Thomas is ready to do everything when the team hits the practice field on Wednesday.

“Our expectation is that Mike will be a full participant,” Allen said. “I think, if I’m not mistaken, that’s what Mike said he was going to do when he left out of here in the spring. Generally when Mike sets his mind to something, he gets it done.”

Thomas missed nine games in 2020 and the entire 2021 season with ankle injuries before returning to play three games last year. A toe injury knocked him out for the rest of the season and the Saints are hoping that Thomas’ injury luck has finally improved.

PFT

 

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney undergoes knee surgery, status for Week 1 in doubt

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is already dealing with an injury early in training camp -- one that could put Week 1 in jeopardy.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Tuesday that Toney underwent surgery that day to clean up cartilage in his knee, per The Athletic. Reid added that "there's a chance" that Toney would be available for the regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the Lions, according to ESPN.com.

Toney tweaked his knee (the same knee he previously had a procedure on this offseason) on Sunday.

A first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2021, Toney's first two seasons in the NFL have been injury-plagued, including multiple hamstring issues. He played in 10 games as a rookie. Last season, he participated in just two games for Big Blue before being traded to Kansas City. Toney missed three games with the Chiefs due to injury.

The wideout has shown big-play ability when on the field, including a touchdown and massive punt return in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win over Philadelphia in February.

After losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, the Chiefs entered camp expecting significant improvement from Toney. The wideout owns a WR1 skill set, particularly if he improves his route running, but has been unable to stay consistently healthy.

Toney needing a procedure early in camp is an ominous sign for the season, but the hope is he's ready for Week 1.

With Toney on the shelf for the time being, K.C. will plow forward with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Richie James, Rashee Rice, and Justyn Ross atop the depth chart. Toney's absence could open the door for youngsters like Ross and Rice to earn more snaps coming out of camp.

NFL.com

 

I’d like to see the full language of the contract, but it’s hard to find a reason to disagree.

 

He still gets the $10.1M guaranteed, he just added another million in incentives.

I don’t see what’s so dumb, if they make the playoffs, he gets a 10% raise on the year… and did he miss any training camp? I don’t think he did.

 

Pay the man and lock him up Kwesi-Adofo-Mensah no time to be messing around

 

Will he ever be what he was in 2019? I doubt it. But he could still be a factor. But he had better get thru the season without a major injury or it's off to the NFL scrap heap for hm.

 

Joey Porter Jr signed his Rookie Contract, will be at camp tomorrow

Report: Steelers Sign 2nd-Round Pick CB Joey Porter Jr. To Four-Year Deal - Steelers Depot

 

Close to $10M/year, first 3 fully guaranteed and nearly $4M in signing bonus. Not too shabby.

 

The only thing that might be considered dumb, in my opinion, was just 2 weeks ago, he allegedly was offered $13M after wanting $16M. He (Barkley) denied that, but League sources say differently, so its believe who you wanna believe I guess.

 

Trevon Diggs agrees to five-year extension with Cowboys

According to multiple reports, cornerback Trevon Diggs has agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension with the Cowboys. The deal is reportedly worth $97 million with incentives available that could push the total value to $104 million and it includes a $21.25 million signing bonus.

Diggs was the 51st overall pick of the 2020 draft and he was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the league in interceptions in 2021. He has 169 tackles, 17 interceptions, two interception returns for touchdowns, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery over his entire career.

There has also been talk about extensions for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott, so Martin isn’t the only other contractual issue on the radar in Dallas.

PFT

 

Kinda wish he was a Vikings cause I believe he would have brought some much needed toughness to the Vikings secondary

 

It's under the offer the Giants had on the table, and he didn't get language that keeps them from tagging him again.

He took less money, didn't get the additional years he wanted and set himself up to be in the same position next season.

This is not a win for Barkley.

 

Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones missed a chance to squeeze the Giants

When it comes to the big-picture struggles inherent to the running back position, solutions are elusive. The best way to effect short-term change comes from the ability and willingness of individual players to create and utilize real leverage.

That does not mean faking injuries. But it does mean players and agents working together to put maximum pressure on management.

This year, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and Giants running back Saquon Barkley missed a prime opportunity to put the team over a barrel. They could have, and should have, locked arms and told the Giants that neither would be signing a long-term deal and that the Giants would have to apply the franchise tag to one and let the other one hit the open market — unless both got the long-term deals they wanted.

Instead, the Giants played one against the other, initially trying to sign Barkley with the intent of tagging Jones. When Barkley didn’t accept $13 million per year with $26 million fully guaranteed, Jones got his $40 million per year deal and Barkley got tagged.

Barkley’s camp then spent the next four-plus months trying to get the pre-tag offer back on the table, before reluctantly accepting a one-year package worth up to $11 million.

If Barkley and Jones were represented by the same firm, the both-or-neither option could have worked, getting Jones his $40 million per year contract and securing for Barkley something in the range of $15 million or $16 million. With the two players represented by different firms, the best strategy for creating leverage required the kind of cooperation in which agents from competing firms simply aren’t accustomed to engaging.

This specific dynamic doesn’t arise very often. It happened for the Giants because they had exercised the fifth-year option on Barkley, a 2018 first-round pick, and not on Jones, a first-rounder in 2019. The point is this — all players and agents need to be wired to take full advantage of situations like this when they arise.

In a system where so much is rigged against the players, players and agents need to be ready, willing, and able to turn the tables whenever, wherever, and however they can.

PFT

 

Once the deadline passed, none of that mattered... At this point, he got what he could. The franchise tag paid him $10.09M guaranteed, split over 17 game checks. The new deal gives him $10.1, with $2M up front and the rest spread over those 17 checks, as well as another $1M if they make the playoffs. That's a win at this point.

As for the Giants offer, one it's all rumor... but from what is being reported, it would be an average of $13M per year, with only $19.5M in guarantees.. So, with that in mind, he should HOPE to get franchise tagged again as his guarantee money over two years would then become $23M over two years, instead of the $19.5 over what ever length the contract was. No one knows the structure of the offer. It could have been a 4 year deal with the first year getting $6M salary, the second year with $8M in salary and it build on that over the following two years that they Giants could have voided... $19.5M in guarantees is NOTHING for a long term deal. It's a worthless contract. Two years of franchise tag is worth more.

At $13M per year, you are looking at a 4 year deal worth $52M, or a 3 year deal at $39M

Take Nick Chubb's contract as an example as it sounds pretty similar to what the Giants offered...

Contract 3 years $36.6M, average $12.2M per year, with Guarantees $20.862M

Signing Bonus - $15,862,381, spread out over 4 years since it was an extension and not a day 1 new contract.
Year 1 of the new deal - $1,213,059 salary (fully guaranteed)
Year 2 of the new deal - $10,850,000 salary ($2,866,941 guaranteed)
Year 3 of the new deal - $11,775,000 salary, $425,000 per game roster bonus ($0 guaranteed)

Now, with THAT structure, do you still think Barkley would have been better off taking the contract and "longer term" than the one he signed for this year.

Now the Browns have already committed to year 2 of this deal (2023), so his new money will be the $20.862M + the remainder of his non-guaranteed salary of $7,983,059... but they didn't have to. 2024 money has no guarantees whatsoever, just like a second tag is not guaranteed for Barkley next year.

Long story short, imho, Barkley is in a better position with the current contract he signed than either the bogus "long term" deal or the salary tag alone...

Just my view on it...

 

This states that the guaranteed money was $19.5M... Just goes to show, an article is going to show numbers that more resemble the message they are trying to get across. We don't know what the actual numbers are....

For the record, my linked story was two days AFTER the information you are talking about..So, it's possible it's more accurate, but not absolute by any means.