Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Agree On Extension

August 26th, 2024 at 1:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

At long last, the Cowboys have a deal done with one of their contract-year cogs. The team has reached an agreement with CeeDee Lamb, ending his holdout.

Dallas is giving Lamb a four-year, $136MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. This gives Lamb a $34MM AAV, which puts him between Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. The fifth-year Dallas standout is now the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver. Lamb will earn $100MM guaranteed on this deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This gives him considerable separation from Brown in terms of wideout guarantees.

This comes after a Monday report indicated the Cowboys had again upped their offer. Dallas had come in with a deal worth just less than $33MM per year. Lamb’s camp moved the team to this $34MM-AAV point, doing well to capitalize on the 2020 first-rounder’s monster season and the salary cap’s recent spike. The NFL now has five $30MM-per-year receivers, with the market moving many times over after the ceiling did not budge in 2023.

Lamb emerged on the Cowboys’ extension radar last year, but the team followed the Vikings in waiting. Jefferson created a gap between himself and the field with his four-year, $140MM pact, and he set the Lamb market in the process. The Eagles had given Brown a three-year, $96MM deal in April, and Jefferson one-upped that. The Cowboys were understandably hesitant to give Lamb a deal that make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, and a report soon indicated the Oklahoma alum was not mandating that. Though, he came awfully close on this deal — one that puts Dallas in a new guarantee sector regarding a non-QB payment.

The Cowboys came into camp with one of the more complex contract quandaries in recent NFL history. Dak Prescott remains unsigned, and Micah Parsons fully expects to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when his payday comes. The Cowboys may well table that to 2025, a prospect Parsons sounded fine with when he addressed the matter earlier this summer. This offseason represented Lamb’s window to cash in, and the Cowboys have their top weapon signed through the 2028 season.

In terms of guarantees, the Cowboys are in uncharted waters for a non-Prescott contract. Their previous WR guarantee high came in at $60MM — Amari Cooper‘s 2020 deal. The Eagles guaranteed Brown $84MM, and the Cowboys have signed off on Lamb bridging the gap to Jefferson’s record-smashing $110MM number.

It will be interesting to see how this contract is structured, as the Cowboys have escaped making good on a guarantee for a receiver in the recent past. But the team bent on its usual term-length preference by agreeing to a four-year Lamb re-up. The Cowboys generally prefer five- or six-year extensions, but the receiver market is flooded with high-end deals for three or four years. This undoubtedly factored into Lamb’s talks.

The Cowboys fully guaranteed Cooper $40MM and escaped needing to pay him the additional $20MM by trading him to the Browns in 2022. Lamb’s future contract factored into that decision, and while the Cowboys have seen the Cooper trade hurt their receiver situation as a whole, their 2020 first-rounder has dominated with Cooper in Cleveland. Lamb, 25, posted 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 and then dropped a record-setting Cowboys showing. He led the NFL with 135 receptions last season, totaling 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in that banner campaign. It is difficult for a receiver to make a better case for a long-term payment, and Lamb’s camp took care of him months later.

Lamb broke Michael Irvin‘s single-season franchise reception record by 24 and eclipsed the Hall of Famer’s yardage record by 146. These new standards, of course, came in a 17-game season during an era that features higher pass-game usage and friendlier rules for offenses. But Lamb still submitted a statement season to prove worthy of a top-market extension. This now shines a brighter light on Prescott.

More to come.

Buccaneers To Release WR Sterling Shepard

August 26th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sterling Shepard‘s reunion with Baker Mayfield is on hold. The Buccaneers are releasing the veteran wide receiver, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This is unlikely to be the end of the line for the injury-prone wide receiver, however.

As a vested veteran, Shepard will pass straight to free agency. The Bucs have an emergency role in mind for the longtime Giant, with Rapoport adding the team is holding a practice squad spot. Shepard, who played with Mayfield at Oklahoma, could join the team’s P-squad Wednesday.

Shepard, 31, signed with the Bucs in June, doing so after his 2023 Giants season featured few opportunities. The Giants brought Shepard back after another major injury — an Achilles tear sustained midway through the 2022 season — but used him as a backup. Even that overstates how much Shepard played in his eighth Giants season. Shepard logged just 142 offensive snaps in 15 games last season, catching 10 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Tampa Bay will run back its Mike Evans–Chris Godwin tandem for an eighth season, re-signing the perennial 1,000-yard receiver just before free agency. The team also returns 2023 draftee Trey Palmer and used a third-round pick on Washington’s Jalen McMillan. Shepard will join Rakim Jarrett in being left off the 53-man roster; the second-year receiver is expected to be placed on IR to open the year.

Formerly an Odell Beckham Jr. sidekick in New York, Shepard received an extension and logged several more seasons after the team traded the once-dynamic wideout. Shepard has not topped 700 receiving yards in a season since 2018, though he did reach 656 in 2020. The veteran slot player teamed with Mayfield in 2015 at Oklahoma and was in communication with his former college quarterback this offseason, leading to this Bucs agreement.

Shepard will soon be tied to a lower-cost deal with Tampa Bay, should he want to accept a deal to join a P-squad. This would be a first for the former second-round pick, but given his injury history (35 missed games since 2019), a Tampa taxi squad stay might be his only option to remain in the NFL.

Titans LB Chance Campbell Suffers Torn ACL

August 26th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chance Campbell had his preseason end prematurely on Sunday, and he will now be sidelined for the campaign as well. The third-year linebacker suffered an ACL tear, head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday.

Campbell was drafted in the sixth round in 2022, but his first regular season action came last season. He made four appearances in 2023, playing only five defensive snaps. Most of his usage came on special teams, and his injury will deal a blow to Tennessee’s third phase units.

The 24-year-old was in the mix for a roster spot with the Titans, a team which lost Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency. That departure was followed by the signing of Kenneth Murray, who will be counted on to occupy a starting role with his new team. Tennessee also has Luke Gifford, Jack Gibbens, JoJo Domann along with rookies Cedric Gray and James Williams in the fold at the LB spot.

Campbell has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and his limited usage to date would make it no surprise if he were to find himself as a free agent either after being released in the near future or being let go next offseason. His market value would not be high in any case, but for the time being his attention will turn to rehab. With nearly $23MM in cap space, the Titans certainly have the room needed to make a linebacker addition if one is deemed necessary.

NFLPA Nixes Emergency Third QB Rule

August 26th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s emergency third quarterback rule will still exist this season, but not in the form the league intended. The NFLPA will block the updated rule from taking effect, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

This offseason’s update was set to allow teams an unlimited number of practice squad elevations for a third quarterback, effectively giving clubs a player they could continue to stash on the practice squad before moving him up to gameday rosters without using waivers. The union will stand in the way of this. Doing so at this juncture certainly stands to affect teams’ roster decisions, as clubs have until 3pm CT Tuesday to set 53-man rosters.

Since the 2020 CBA revamped the practice squad, clubs have three elevations per player at their disposals. That means a practice squad player can be elevated to a gameday roster up to three times; this allows teams to get around the waiver process for a bit. The NFL sought to have an emergency third quarterback be eligible for elevation throughout the season. This would have given teams flexibility regarding QB depth charts.

Instead, the union is seeking to prevent teams from stashing QBs on practice squads throughout a season, Pelissero adds. The rule will revert to its 2023 form, which came about because of the developments in the 2022 NFC championship game. The NFL reintroduced the emergency QB rule during the 2023 offseason, after the 49ers saw their two dressed QBs — Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson — each suffer injuries.

The rule’s 2023 form stipulated teams could designate their emergency passer 90 minutes before kickoff. Teams must have their QB3 on their 55-man gameday roster, meaning the Saturday-afternoon deadline for transactions during game weeks will likely involve some quarterback moves. Though, teams now must be more strategic in how they set up their depth charts, as they must factor waivers into the equation once again.

After a player is elevated three times, he must be signed to the active roster. Teams would then need to cut their QB3s in order to move them back to practice squads, injecting risk for clubs aiming to carry just two QBs on their active rosters during the regular season.

Clubs may now be more open to carrying three quarterbacks on their active rosters, which would affect depth at other positions. The union understandably wants to see reserve QBs potentially have upward mobility elsewhere, via waivers, rather than be trapped as a third-stringer on teams who have designated them as the emergency option.

Cowboys Increase Offer To WR CeeDee Lamb

August 26th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys have a number of key roster decisions to make over the coming days, but the status of CeeDee Lamb is another situation to monitor. The All-Pro receiver’s holdout continues, but Dallas has made an upgraded offer.

The Cowboys’ latest submission carries an annual average value above $33MM, Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS.com reports. That marks a notable update from the latest offer, one which fell short of that mark. Still, it is another sign of traction being gained as Dallas looks to bring Lamb into the fold in time for Week 1.

As Hill adds, the newest offer is also four years in length. The Cowboys have traditionally favored longer term on monster extensions, but four years has become the preferred length for many high-profile players when they agree to second contracts. Lamb is attached to his fifth-year option for this season, so an extension of that length would keep him in place though 2028. Working out an agreement would take care of one of the Cowboys’ major contract situations.

Dak Prescott is a pending free agent, though he is set to begin the season with his contract as is. The 2023 MVP runner-up is open to negotiating in the fall, and that may be necessary given the limited time remaining between now and Week 1. $60MM per season could be the price point needed to keep Prescott on the books long term, but in any event cost certainty with respect to Lamb will be key as Dallas navigates negotiations with Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons.

Justin Jefferson took the receiver market to new heights with a $35MM-per-year Vikings pact. A.J. Brown (Eagles) sits second in AAV at the position, but signs have long pointed to a Lamb accord splitting the pair. The 25-year-old skipped OTAs and minicamp before electing to remain away from the team during training camp. The latter decision has led to daily fines, but Dallas will have the option of waiving those once a deal is in place. A final agreement could be coming soon if this upgraded offer sparks positive negotiations.

Lions To Place CB Emmanuel Moseley On IR

August 26th, 2024 at 11:11am CST by Sam Robinson

Emmanuel Moseley sustained a major injury in a third straight year. The veteran cornerback, who suffered ACL tears in 2022 and ’23, went down with a torn pectoral muscle early in Lions training camp. But his season is not yet over.

The Lions look to be planning to try out the NFL’s new IR wrinkle. They are placing Moseley on IR, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds this transaction is aimed at the injury-prone cover man being eligible to return later this year. This would mean Detroit is planning to make Moseley an IR-return player, which the league is now allowing before roster-cutdown day.

In prior years, a team placing a player on IR before setting its initial 53-man roster meant that player was out of the picture for the season. IR-return players had needed to be carried through to 53-man rosters before being placed on IR. The league is now allowing teams to move up to two players to IR before the season. If the Lions designate Moseley an IR-return player immediately, he will count toward the team’s eight-activation limit whether he returns this season or not.

Detroit saw C.J. Gardner-Johnson return from a torn pec last year. Gardner-Johnson went down in Week 2 and made it back off IR by Week 18. That said, Moseley missed almost all of last season and has two major knee surgeries on his NFL medical sheet. It would then be interesting to see the Lions use one of their IR activations on him so early, but the team has shown some faith in the former 49ers starter by signing him in back-to-back offseasons.

The Lions did, however, made significant adjustments at corner this offseason. They traded for Carlton Davis, signed Amik Robertson and used first- and second-round picks on Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. The team also re-signed Kindle Vildor, though he is not a lock to make the roster Tuesday. It took CJGJ roughly 3 1/2 months to recover from his pec tear. That timetable would leave make Moseley a candidate to return by late November, though that should not be considered a firm recovery period.

Moseley, 28, played only two defensive snaps last season. Part of the Lions’ 2023 CB overhaul, the 33-game starter was tied to a one-year, $6MM deal at that point. Following his second ACL tear, Moseley still commanded a $1MM guarantee. He is tied to a $2.88MM salary.

The Lions are also planning to move guard Christian Mahogany to the reserve/NFI list, Schefter adds. The Lions drafted Mahogany in the sixth round this year. The Boston College product is dealing with an undisclosed illness. Mahogany would be eligible to return after four games.

Seahawks To Acquire OLB Trevis Gipson From Jaguars

August 26th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Adam La Rose

10:59am: It will cost the Seahawks a sixth-round pick to pry Gipson from the Jaguars, according to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. It is not a conditional choice, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, so the Jags will receive a Day 3 selection regardless of how Gipson performs this season.

Nwosu suffered a knee injury in Seattle’s preseason finale. While the team awaits word on its highest-paid edge rusher, Gipson comes in as a hired gun.

8:21am: Already involved on the trade front in recent days, the Seahawks are adding Trevis Gipson. The fifth-year edge rusher is being acquired via trade from the Jaguars, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Jacksonville will receive a late-round pick in return.

Gipson began his career with the Bears, making 19 starts amongst his 40 appearances with the team. He racked up seven sacks in 2021 despite only logging a 49% snap share, and his workload increased the following year. That season only saw him post three sacks, but his pressure total (18) remained on par with his 2021 production. Last summer, Gipson was among the Bears’ final roster cuts.

The 27-year-old quickly landed a deal with the Titans, but his workload with the team (15% defensive snap share) in eight games was surprisingly low. He attempted to remain in the AFC South by signing a Jaguars pact in free agency, but before his regular season debut he finds himself on the move. Jacksonville will move forward with an edge contingent led by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, while Gipson will aim to carve out a rotational role in Seattle.

The Seahawks traded away Darrell Taylor last week, sending the pending free agent to the Bears. That deal left the team short on depth behind Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, but Gipson could prove to be a valued part-time contributor. The latter’s starting experience could also be useful if Seattle is struck by injuries along the edge.

The Taylor trade freed up cap space for Seattle, and Gipson will prove to be a more cost-effective option. The Tulsa product signed for $1.13MM on his Jaguars pact, carrying a cap hit of equal value. Jacksonville already paid out a $43K signing bonus, but Seattle will pick up the remainder of his outstanding compensation, including a $100K roster bonus. A strong showing in the Emerald City could help his market value on an extended Seahawks tenure tenure or a deal sending him to another new team in the spring.

Browns DT Mike Hall Expected To Land On Commissioner’s Exempt List

August 26th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

The disturbing allegations against Browns rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall are expected to lead him off the team’s roster for an undetermined period. The NFL is expected to place Hall on the commissioner’s exempt list, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports.

Hall was arrested earlier this month after an alleged domestic violence incident. The exempt list amounts to paid leave while cases are adjudicated. This will remove the team’s second-round pick from the equation for the foreseeable future.

The NFL does not use the exempt list often, but it is not too surprising the league plans to shelve Hall. The Ohio State product allegedly engaged in a violent confrontation with his fiancée which, per a police report, included him pointing a handgun at the woman’s head and saying, “I will f—ing end it all. I don’t care.”

This did not deter the Browns from using Hall in their second and third preseason games, which occurred after the arrest. Teams do not commonly suspend players for involvement in domestic violence incidents, waiting for the league to do so. The NFL will indeed intervene here, changing Cleveland’s defensive tackle depth chart.

Chosen 54th overall, Hall returned to his hometown as a long-term DT hopeful for the Browns. Cleveland went through training camp with Dalvin Tomlinson rehabbing an injury. While Tomlinson is coming back to practice this week, Hall’s NFL future is cloudy. His legal proceedings will take precedence, and the NFL will prevent the Browns from deploying him again while this matter plays out.

49ers To Release RB Matt Breida

August 26th, 2024 at 10:22am CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Breida‘s second 49ers stint will not see him make the 53-man roster. The veteran running back is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Breida began his career in San Francisco, averaging five yards per carry and scoring 10 total touchdowns from 2017-19. That spell was followed by one-year stints in Miami and Buffalo where he logged a special teams workload in addition to backup offensive duties. The former UDFA spent the past two seasons with the Giants before returning to the Bay Area as a free agent earlier this month.

That signing came as fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo was dealing with a hamstring injury. Today’s move is a positive sign Guerendo is in better shape from a health perspective, though, and he will be one of many backup options available to the 49ers at the start of the campaign. Christian McCaffrey is set atop the depth chart, and the likes of Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason are also in place as depth.

Breida, 29, has never logged more than 153 carries in a season, and that figure dates back to 2018. He has nevertheless proven himself to be a solid depth contributor in several backfields, so he could draw interest in free agency. On the other hand, a number of players at all positions will available over the coming days, and several running backs with a notable track record will no doubt be let go.

As a vested veteran, Breida will not need to hit the waiver wire upon being let go. That will give him a slight head start on finding a new team, but it would come as a surprise if teams showed immediate interest before sorting out their own depth charts this week. Of course, the Georgia Southern alum will be a candidate for the practice squad if San Francisco elects to keep him in the fold and no outside suitors offer him a 53-man roster spot in the next few days.

Browns To Activate Jack Conklin, Greg Newsome; Jedrick Wills Activation Expected

August 26th, 2024 at 10:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Slow-playing Nick Chubb‘s recovery as expected, the Browns will give the Pro Bowl running back’s collection of backups some help to start the season. Jack Conklin is coming off the team’s active/PUP list Monday, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Jedrick Wills is expected to follow soon after.

Conklin will practice Tuesday, per Kevin Stefanski, while Wills is not yet ready. The Browns needed to activate both tackles to avoid each beginning the season on the reserve/PUP list, which would have knocked both out for at least four games to open the season. Each has been rehabbing knee injuries. Conklin suffered ACL and MCL tears in Week 1 of last season; Wills underwent MCL surgery late last year.

Cleveland is also not planning to have Greg Newsome on the NFI list to start the season, while Stefanski said (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Dalvin Tomlinson will join the recovering cornerback at practice Tuesday. Stefanski added (via TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi) Nyheim Hines is not yet off Cleveland’s active/NFI list but could practice later this week. It seems the Browns are also preparing to move Hines, who is still on the mend from the ACL tear sustained in a jet-ski accident last year, off an injured list in an effort to have him return during the season’s first four weeks.

The Browns finished last season without their top three tackles, with Dawand Jones suffering a major injury as well. Cleveland’s would-be swing tackle did not start camp on the PUP list, representing a rare positive injury development for the AFC North team. Conklin had hoped to return by training camp, but he did not come particularly close. Nevertheless, he will be an option for Week 1. Conklin should probably be expected to line up at his usual right tackle spot, with Stefanski (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) stopping short of indicating he would be an option at LT while Wills completes his recovery.

Conklin coming back after his second ACL tear gives the Browns a boost, but Wills needing this much time to return from an MCL issue is obviously a concern. The Browns have used Wills and Conklin as their LT-RT combo since 2020. Wills enters a crucial season, as his rookie contract expires after the 2024 campaign. These issues all come as Deshaun Watson completed a recovery from a shoulder surgery, which kept him off the field during preseason play.

Additionally, Stefanski said Jordan Hicks will return to practice Tuesday. The recent free agency acquisition missed most of this month with an undisclosed injury. Teams do not need to disclose injuries until game week, but the veteran linebacker has a decent chance of debuting for his new team in Week 1.

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