HEADLINES

Commanders Release K Brandon McManus Amid Lawsuit

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

9:58pm: In what will be the final McManus update of the night, Mike Florio of NBC Sports provided some insight into the kicker’s compensation as a result of his release. According to Florio, McManus had already been paid half of the $1.5MM signing bonus on his one-year, $3.6MM contract. The remaining $750K of the signing bonus was due to be paid “on or before June 7,” which is this upcoming Friday.

The Commanders could opt not to pay McManus under some argument — Florio suggests that they could argue that McManus should’ve disclosed the potential civil claims before the team signed him — and take the kicker to arbitration. While under arbitration, Washington would still hold the cap charge for the unpaid money. If the team is successful in arbitration, though, they would get cap relief and would not be required to pay the remainder of the signing bonus.

8:37pm: Quick on the draw, McManus’ representation, Brett Gallaway, has released another statement on the release of his client, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. After a quick cordiality, Gallaway maintained his client’s innocence, reiterating “that the allegations against Brandon are and remain absolutely false and importantly, are contradicted by indisputable evidence and the accusers’ own prior inconsistent statements and omissions.”

Gallaway also expresses disappointment in the team’s decision to terminate McManus’ contract before the kicker had a chance to defend himself against the allegations of sexual assault. Regardless, McManus and Gallaway will continue to advocate for his innocence and work to return the 32-year-old to the NFL.

6:52pm: The Commanders signed veteran kicker Brandon McManus three months ago expecting him to provide them with an upgrade at the position in 2024. Last week saw the former Jaguars kicker named in a sexual assault lawsuit of which he vehemently denied the allegations. The Commanders are apparently not taking any chances, though, announcing that they have released McManus today.

Washington allowed Joey Slye to walk in free agency after just over two years with the team. During his time with the team, Slye missed 10 of 66 field goal attempts and eight of 73 extra point attempts. McManus hasn’t seen much more success in the last two years, missing 15 of 58 field goal attempts in the past two seasons, but he has at least been more consistent on extra points and has much more experience than the 28-year-old Slye.

Last week, though, McManus and his former team were both named in a lawsuit made by anonymous plaintiffs accusing McManus of rubbing himself and grinding against them and offering them cash to drink with and dance inappropriately for him and accusing Jacksonville of facilitating this behavior by failure to supervise. Both women worked as flight attendants at the time of the incident but have since been removed from the flight crew that works with the team’s trips.

McManus’ representation released a statement later that day, saying that the allegations were “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false and that they were “part of a campaign to defame and disparage the 32-year-old kicker. Both the Jaguars and Commanders released statements of their own. Both franchises acknowledged the allegations and their severity and claimed to be looking into the matter further.

Jacksonville’s statement emphasized that they “insist on an organization built by people who represent (their) community and game with the highest character and class.” Since then, the team, namely head coach Doug Pederson, has pleaded ignorance. Pederson made claims that he was disappointed to hear about the lawsuit when it first became public, and that typical flights for the team are more in the realm of a business trip.

Washington’s statement claimed that they take allegations of this nature very seriously and had been in communication with the league office and McManus’ representation. The team’s responsibility to take allegations of this nature very seriously is perhaps underlined by the allegations made in 2020 aimed at their former owner Dan Snyder, who reportedly sexually harassed and discriminated against former employees including office workers and cheerleaders.

There’s an argument to be made that no new information was made available to the Commanders and that the team frankly refused to put up with any more bad press of that nature. McManus and the Jaguars still have lawsuits that will need to play out, but the Commanders had an opportunity to cut ties with the situation and get their name out of the press surrounding it, and they’ve effectively done just that.

That’s just speculation, but the reality of the situation now sees McManus in need of a job, though that will likely be the lower of his two current priorities. A similar situation saw former Bills punter Matt Araiza leave the NFL after being accused in participating in a gang rape. His accuser eventually agreed to drop the lawsuit (in exchange for Araiza dropping a lawsuit accusing defamation), and the former sixth-round draft pick has joined the Chiefs two months later. If McManus gets through the litigation unscathed and clean, he’ll then be tasked with reestablishing his spot in the NFL. If not, though, we may have seen the end of the road for the veteran kicker.

As for Washington, they will open up phase III of organized team activities tomorrow, and after cutting McManus, they currently don’t have a kicker on the roster. Randy Bullock is one of few veteran free agent kickers available after appearing in only six games for the Giants last year. There are likely a number of undrafted college kickers who would be available to sign, as well. Whatever the move, the Commanders need to add a leg to their locker room quickly.

11 Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Early June no longer means a mid-offseason update to the free agent market, as teams can designate players as post-June 1 cuts months in advance of that date. But June 2 does bring an annually important date in terms of finances. This year, 11 teams will see their cap-space figures expand thanks to post-June 1 release designations. One other club — the Broncos — used a post-June 1 designation, but they will not save any money from the historic Russell Wilson release.

Teams are permitted to designate two players as post-June 1 cuts ahead of that date. This designation spreads a player’s dead money hit over two years as opposed to a 2024-only blow. Courtesy of Spotrac, here are the savings this year’s teams to make post-June 1 designations will receive:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Broncos’ overall Wilson cap hit, even with the quarterback’s $1.21MM Steelers salary factoring into the equation, will more than double any other single-player dead money number in NFL history. The now-Sean Payton-led Broncos, after a failed effort to move Wilson’s guarantee vesting date beyond 2024, will take their medicine for bailing 18 months after authorizing a five-year, $245MM extension. Denver will absorb the lion’s share of the dead money this year, taking on $53MM. The team will not receive the cap credit from Wilson’s Steelers deal until 2025, per Spotrac.

Annually making exhaustive efforts to move under the cap, the Saints will be hit with more than $30MM in total dead cap from the Thomas and Winston contracts. Redesigning both in 2023, the Saints will take on $8.9MM in 2024 dead money on Thomas and $3.4MM on the Winston pact. Mickey Loomis‘ operation is once again at the bottom of the NFL in future cap space, being projected to come in more than $84MM over the 2025 cap.

Baltimore structured Beckham’s one-year, $15MM contract to void, and the team will take on more than $10MM in total dead money on it. The bulk of that will come in 2025; the post-June 1 cut will produce $2.8MM in 2024 dead cap this year.

Jets Unlikely To Cut WR Allen Lazard, Could Extend CB Michael Carter II

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ely Allen

We saw reports a couple weeks ago that the Jets would be open to trading away wide receiver Allen Lazard. One thing that’s become more than clear, though, is that New York won’t likely be cutting him anytime soon, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The former undrafted free agent out of Iowa State signed a big four-year, $44MM contract to follow his quarterback from Green Bay to New York last year. After said quarterback was lost for the year, Lazard went on to put up his worst season since his rookie year. After seeing Lazard step up in 2022 as the Packers’ WR1 following Davante Adams‘ departure, the Jets were hoping Lazard would bring similar success returning to the WR2 role behind Garrett Wilson. While Lazard did just perform as the team’s WR2, he severely underperformed, catching 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown while getting outgained by running back Breece Hall and tight end Tyler Conklin.

One may shrug off that lack of production due to Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury, but that excuse doesn’t lessen the impact of Lazard’s contract. With Lazard holding a $12.18MM cap hit in 2024, the Jets can hardly afford for the 28-year-old to repeat last year’s disappointment. Unfortunately, though, with his entire $10MM salary in 2024 already guaranteed, they can’t afford to release him, either. That’s why the team is okay trading him. At this point, trading him would only cost them $2.18MM in dead money while saving them $10MM in cap space; cutting Lazard would cost them all $12.18MM from the salary and prorated signing bonus, leaving the entire amount on their salary cap.

The team also acquired veteran free agent Mike Williams and drafted Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley in the third round of this year’s draft. Both players are currently projected to be above Lazard on the depth chart, making it far more difficult for Lazard to improve on his situation and production. Without the ability to release him, trading away the veteran wideout may be the only way to keep Lazard from eating up $10MM of cap space while spending the season as an off-the-bench role player in 2024.

On the other side of the ball, the Jets are showing a lot of interest in extending nickelback Michael Carter II. With higher-profile players like Sauce Gardner, C.J. Mosley, Quinnen Williams, and Jermaine Johnson getting most of the attention, Carter has quietly emerged as one of the top players at his position. Though Pro Football Focus doesn’t grade nickel cornerbacks separately from outside cornerbacks, Carter still ranked just nine spots behind Gardner as the 12th-best cornerback in the NFL. This was only a slight improvement over his placement at 19th in his sophomore campaign.

Now heading into the final year of his rookie deal, the Jets would prefer to get ahead of what could be yet another bout with unrestricted free agency next offseason. A few complications will stand in the way, though. The outside cornerback opposite Gardner, D.J. Reed, also graded out highly per PFF, slotting in at 19th last year, giving New York three cornerbacks in the top-20 in 2023. Reed is also entering a contract year, and Gardner will be eligible for a new contract the following year and will likely draw record-breaking numbers. The team also recently signed Isaiah Oliver who has been one of the league’s better slot cornerbacks in recent years. Although he is reportedly moving to the safeties room in New York, Oliver could slide back into his original position should the team opt not to pay Carter.

The league’s highest-paid nickelback is currently Taron Johnson on the Bills who is under a three-year, $33MM deal. That contract is identical in length and total value to Reed’s expiring deal, and after his top-20 performance in 2023, Reed may push that price up with a successful 2024 campaign. Throw in fact that Gardner’s future contract could push $23 or $24MM per year, and it’s going to be nearly impossible for the Jets to hold on to all three.

New York has some decisions to make in its cornerbacks room. Extending Carter may well be the cheapest of the three deals, but doing so may mark the end of Reed’s time with the Jets. With Gardner the clear, No. 1 priority, New York may be facing a decision of extending only one of either Carter or Reed.

Chiefs DT Isaiah Buggs Facing Animal Cruelty Charges

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Rory Parks

Chiefs defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs turned himself in to Tuscaloosa (Al.) police on Thursday after two arrest warrants for misdemeanor animal cruelty were issued for him, as detailed by Ryan Phillips of Patch.com. A subsequent ESPN report noted that Buggs was released on $600 bond and will be required to appear in court on June 13.

Court documents allege that two dogs, a pitbull and Rottweiler mix, were found by animal control at a home rented by Buggs. The animals were described as “malnourished, emaciated and neglected” and were allegedly left on a screened-in back porch surrounded by feces and without access to food or water. The pitbull was ultimately euthanized at a local animal shelter after becoming increasingly aggressive and failing heartworm treatment, and the Rottweiler mix — which tested positive for Parvo and weighed a dangerously-low 52 pounds when it arrived at the shelter — is still in the shelter’s care pending a court determination as to whether Buggs should be allowed to own it or any other animals.

According to witnesses, Buggs had recently vacated the residence where the animals were found, and Phillips writes that the player’s lease was subsequently terminated due to his rent arrearage. Phillips adds that Buggs faces other charges stemming from his allegedly pushing a police officer during an April arrest and allegedly pointing a gun at a woman outside of his business.

That business — Buggs owns the nearby Kings Hookah Lounge — is at the root of Buggs’ legal issues, according to his agent, Trey Robinson. In the wake of the animal cruelty warrants, Robinson argued that local police are engaged in a “subversive campaign” to force Buggs to close the hookah lounge, and that authorities offered to drop the earlier charges — which were not initially made public — in exchange for the voluntary surrender of Buggs’ business license (the full statement can be found here, courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

Phillips, meanwhile, reports that Buggs does not have a business license at all, and that the lounge has been cited for operating without a license, overcrowding, and failure to pay city taxes. With respect to the dogs, Robinson said, “under no circumstance does Mr. Buggs condone the mistreatment of any animal. The dogs at issue did not belong to him, and he was unaware they remained at the property in question.”

Buggs, 27, was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2019 draft and landed a one-year deal with the Lions prior to the 2022 season. He wound up appearing in all 17 of Detroit’s games that year, including a career-high 13 starts. While his efforts earned him a two-year contract worth up to $6MM last March, he did not make it through the first year of that pact. He was waived in January and subsequently caught on with the Chiefs’ taxi squad in advance of KC’s playoff run. He did not see any postseason work, though the Chiefs retained him via a reserve/futures deal in February.

Buggs declined to speak to a reporter after leaving the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Thursday, and a Chiefs spokesperson said the club was aware of the situation but also declined comment.

NFL Front Office Updates: Pats, Bills, Bucs

June 2nd, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Teams around the league continue to make adjustments here and there to their front office and scouting staffs. One such team is the Patriots, who are operating under new leadership at the top of the front office with Bill Belichick departed.

New England is reportedly parting ways with pro scout Joe Anile, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Anile joined the Patriots after five years in the Jaguars’ front office. He only spent one year as a pro scout in Jacksonville before leaving for the same role in New England.

Anile is the nephew of longtime NFL scout and front office executive Dom Anile, who rose to the rank of assistant general manager of the Colts back in the mid-2000’s.

Here are a couple of other front office updates from around the league, starting with a rival of the Anile’s former team:

  • The Bills will see football analyst Evan Weiss depart, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Weiss will be departing the NFL ranks of football analytics in favor of a job at FanDuel, presumably doing a bit of the same work. The Northwestern grad had been with Buffalo since joining the team as an intern in 2018.
  • Lastly, the Buccaneers are bringing on a new hire in Jeremiah Bogan, according to a post from Bogan’s account on X. Bogan’s announcement revealed that he will be hired on as a scouting assistant. He joins Tampa Bay’s scouting department after spending the last four months as director of player personnel and NFL liaison at UConn. Prior to that, he spent the 2023 season as assistant director of player personnel at LSU while also serving as a national scout for the East/West Shrine Bowl.

5 Key Stories: 5/26/24 – 6/2/24

June 2nd, 2024 at 4:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

With OTAs continuing around the NFL, teams and players have plenty of opportunities to discuss contract maters. In a number of cases, that has seen agreements on new deals reached. In case you missed any of the top stories from the past week, here is a quick recap:

  • Dolphins Extend Waddle: With his fifth-year option having been picked up, Jaylen Waddle was already tied to the Dolphins through 2025. As the team hoped, though, an agreement was reached on a long-term pact. Miami’s young 1,000-yard wideout secured a four-year, $87.5MM deal. The extension includes $76MM guaranteed, with plenty of base compensation locked in at signing and shortly thereafter. The 25-year-old has proven to work well in tandem with Tyreek Hill, and he now sits fourth in the NFL in terms of receiver AAV. Waddle profiles as a focal point on offense for years to come despite Hill’s presence. In the wake of further upward movement at the top of the position’s market, meanwhile, the latter is angling for a new Dolphins deal of his own.
  • Collins Lands Texans Extension: Shortly before the Waddle deal, Nico Collins inked a Texans extension also making him one of the league’s top earners amongst receivers. Following a breakout season in 2023, he signed a three-year accord with a base value of $72.5MM. The former third-rounder is part of an offense which features Tank Dell and offseason trade acquisition Stefon Diggs, meaning there will considerable competition for targets in 2024. Still, Collins, 25, will be expected to produce after he posted 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns during C.J. Stroud’s debut season. With the latter on his rookie deal for the coming years, the Texans have acted aggressively with respect to investments at the offensive skill positions, and Collins represents a key figure in that effort.
  • Love Set To Approach Top Of Market With Packers Deal? The Packers entered 2023 with Jordan Love at the helm despite his inexperience. The former first-rounder put forth a strong showing in the latter half of the campaign, though, helping his market value on a long-term deal. Love is reportedly expected to land a Packers extension near the top of the quarterback market, which would entail an annual average value of more than $50MM. The 25-year-old is under contract for 2024 as a result of the bridge deal which replaced his fifth-year option, but the $11MM it calls for falls well short of what he will be earning on his next pact. Green Bay’s offense (filled with a young skill position corps) will hinge on Love’s development for years to come if the team can reach its stated goal of working out a lucrative agreement.
  • 49ers Extend Jennings: The 49ers’ receiver room received some short-term clarity with Jauan Jennings signing a two-year deal worth up to $15.4MM. The pact – which includes $10.5MM guaranteed – takes the place of his 2024 RFA tender and ensures he will remain in San Francisco to continue his role as the team’s No. 3 receiver. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have frequently been mentioned in trade speculation this offseason, although the team appears content to retain both wideouts for at least one more year. Jennings, 26, has proven to be a consistent complementary option in the passing game while serving as a strong run blocker during his time in the Bay Area. That will continue on a cost-effective basis compared to what Aiyuk and Samuel will require if they are to be retained beyond 2024.
  • Watt Also Considering Steelers For Comeback: After spending the past season as a broadcaster, J.J Watt led it be known he would be willing to play for the Texans in 2024. Such a development would see the future Hall of Fame defensive end reunite with former teammate DeMeco Ryans, Houston’s head coach. Watt is also open to returning to the field with the Steelers, though. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year did not play in Pittsburgh before his retirement, but a deal sending him there would allow him to play with his brother T.J. Watt. The latter has a DPOY award of his own and he is under contract as the focal point of the Steelers’ edge rush for two more seasons. The elder Watt, 35, has made it clear a return is possible just for the coming season and only if injuries force Houston or Pittsburgh into an unwanted roster position. Still, the potential for a comeback makes for an interesting storyline.

Lions Not Planning WR Addition; Team Eyeing Increased Role For RB Jahmyr Gibbs

June 2nd, 2024 at 3:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ offense will have three pillars (quarterback Jared Goff, right tackle Penei Sewell and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown) in place for years to come given the respective extensions. The latter is the team’s clear-cut leading wideout, but the depth behind him has changed this offseason.

Detroit saw Josh Reynolds depart in free agency when he joined the Broncos. That decision came in spite of the Lions’ efforts to retain him, and it leaves the team without a key role player from last season. St. Brown and 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams will be counted on in the passing game, as will tight end Sam LaPorta (who enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign last year). Outside additions to augment that trio should not be expected.

Rather, the Lions are positioned to rely on internal options with respect to replaying Reynolds’ production. The veteran posted 608 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, drawing 64 targets (the second-highest figure of his career) along the way. The team could turn to the likes of Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones or Tre’Quan Smith to take on a complementary role in lieu of a free agent signing or trade acquisition.

“It might be someone that didn’t have as much production last year, say an Antoine Green or a Peoples-Jones or some of the guys that we had on the scout team,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said on the subject (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Or it could be some of the other guys… So, that’s what we’re trying to find out here this springtime and in training camp is not just who the guys are that we’ll hang our hats on, but also how we distribute those carries and those targets as the season goes.”

Johnson helped the Lions rank third in total offense and fifth in scoring last season. Expectations will be high for the unit to repeat that success, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs figures to have a prominent role in that regard. The first of Detroit’s two Day 1 selections in 2023 had a strong rookie campaign both on the ground and in the air, racking up 1,261 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns.

As Birkett notes in a separate piece, the Lions are aiming for Gibbs to take on an expanded role in the pass-catching department in 2024. The Alabama product made 52 catches last season, but his 316 yards ranked only sixth on the team. Developing further as a route-runner could allow him to be used in spots other than the backfield, something which would in turn provide Detroit with a improved secondary option in the passing game.

NFL Nearing Conclusion In Falcons, Eagles Tampering Investigations

June 2nd, 2024 at 1:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

NFL investigations are ongoing into potential tampering by the Falcons and Eagles this offseason related to their Kirk Cousins and Saquon Barkley additions. A final outcome could be coming shortly.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a conclusion in both cases is “likely to come this week.” A similar report emerged close to the start of this year’s draft, but that was quickly met by a formal league announcement stating the investigations would continue. Any draft penalties levied against Atlanta or Philadelphia will therefore affect the 2025 draft.

Schefter’s latest update confirms that of the two teams, the Falcons are believed to have committed a “more significant” tampering violation. As a result, they are positioned to receive a harsher penalty than the Eagles if any league discipline is deemed necessary. The NFL has docked teams draft capital in the past following investigations into inappropriate free agent communications.

The Falcons worked out an agreement with Cousins (four years, $180MM) on March 12, and he has said publicly he spoke with the team’s trainer during the legal tampering period which immediately precedes free agency. Cousins also admitted to offering his recruiting services for Atlanta to sign wideout Darnell Mooney. He did end up inking a Falcons deal, but communication originating from Cousins before his own pact was official would constitute another violation.

In the Eagles’ case, league attention stems from remarks made by Penn State coach James Franklin about direct communication between Barkley and general manager Howie Roseman. Such talks are prohibited during the legal tampering window for players (such as Barkley) who do not represent themselves. The Eagles have denied any wrongdoing, but they could be subject to fines or the loss of draft capital.

The same is true for the Falcons, although owner Arthur Blank has likewise stated he does not believe any violations occurred. Both players will still play for their respective new teams in 2024 and beyond regardless of what happens regarding potential discipline. It will nevertheless be interesting to see if a final decision is made in the coming days.

Ravens Hope OLB David Ojabo Will Be Cleared By Training Camp

June 2nd, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens allowed Jadeveon Clowney, who recorded 9.5 sacks in 2023, to depart in free agency, and they have not added a veteran replacement. Additionally, Baltimore did not select a pass rusher until the third round of this year’s draft (Adisa Isaac), so the club will be counting on several young, internal options to step up as it seeks to replicate its league-leading sack production (60 total sacks) from last season.

One such youngster is David Ojabo. The Ravens selected Ojabo in the second round of the 2022 draft, taking a chance on a player with first-round talent whose stock fell because of an Achilles tear he suffered during Michigan’s pro day that year. Since the Ravens knew beforehand that Ojabo would essentially have to redshirt his rookie year, the fact that he appeared in only two games that season did not set off any alarm bells.

Unfortunately, he sustained what was originally described as a knee/ankle injury in the club’s Week 3 loss to the Colts in 2023, and he was later diagnosed with a partially-torn ACL.The four snaps he tooks in that Week 3 contest would be his last action of the 2023 campaign.

In March of this year, head coach John Harbaugh said that Ojabo is healthy and predicted a breakout season for the 24-year-old defender. That may well be the case, but as Matt Ryan of the team’s official website writes, Ojabo has been limited in Baltimore’s offseason work and will not be a full participant in the upcoming mandatory minicamp.

“His timeline, I believe, is somewhere in training camp,” Harbaugh said. “It won’t be minicamp, but it’s at some point in time once we get back for training camp.”

Like Clowney, Kyle Van Noy was a late signing who enjoyed unexpected success in Baltimore’s Mike Macdonald-coordinated defense in 2023, and he was rewarded with a new two-year accord in April. He is now the unquestioned veteran leader of an edge rush group that has plenty of promise in the form of Ojabo, Isaac, and 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh, but little by way of proven production. Of course, the pressure that Justin Madubuike can generate from the interior of the D-line helps to ease the burden of the edge defenders to some degree, though a quality third professional season from Ojabo would obviously be a major boost to the team’s 2024 fortunes and the player’s future earning power.

Baltimore did get a little creative with Ojabo’s roster spot this year, designating the Nigerian-born ‘backer as an international player who qualifies for a roster exemption. That move gives the Ravens the right to carry one more player than they would otherwise be allowed to have.

Latest On Jets’ Haason Reddick

June 2nd, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Rory Parks

One of the newest members of the Jets’ roster, edge defender Haason Reddick, has not been present for the club’s two OTA sessions that have been open to the media, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com observes. Presumably, Reddick has not participated in any of New York’s six OTAs to date.

Of course, those sessions are voluntary, though players often stay away in order to drive home the point that they are seeking a new contract. That could certainly be the case with Reddick, who was acquired via trade with the Eagles earlier this year and who is entering the final season of the three-year, $45MM contract he signed with Philadelphia in March 2022.

Reddick’s $14.5MM base salary for the upcoming campaign is non-guaranteed, and while he made it clear that he did not request a trade from the Eagles and hoped to remain with the club, the fact that he is underpaid relative to his market value and will be the beneficiary of a lucrative new deal in the near future certainly drove GM Howie Roseman‘s decision to move the accomplished sack artist.

Obviously, extension talks between Reddick and Philadelphia were unsuccessful. And while it was speculated that Reddick and the Jets would discuss a new contract upon his arrival, Cimini says that if negotiations have indeed taken place, nothing to that effect has been made public.

At his introductory press conference in April, Reddick suggested he would be amenable to a multi-year accord with Gang Green but would also be willing to play out the 2024 season and hit the open market next year. One way or another, the Jets will be counting on him to spearhead their pass-rushing contingent, particularly since their 2023 sack leader, Bryce Huff, defected to (coincidentally) the Eagles in free agency.

If Reddick does maintain the level of production he has established over his past few seasons — he has averaged over 12.5 sacks per year from 2020-23 — he will certainly be in line for a monster payday in 2025 (if he does not get one before then). There are currently 12 edge rushers with contracts featuring average annual values of at least $20MM, and Reddick’s production and record of durability give him a strong case to join that group. Whether he elects to skip the remainder of OTAs and/or any portion of mandatory minicamp or training camp as part of that endeavor remains to be seen.

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