The Official 2024 NFL Regular Season Discussion Thread

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Sources: Baltimore Ravens re-sign DE Calais Campbell to 2-year, $12.5M contract​

ESPN

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell is returning to the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year deal, the team announced Saturday.

Campbell's contract is worth $12.5 million but could be as much as $16.5 million with incentives, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Campbell, 35, decided to return for his 15th NFL season after briefly contemplating retirement, saying he still has a desire to play after watching the Los Angeles Rams celebrate their championship. He now will get to finish his career in Baltimore after spending the past two seasons there and will try to get that elusive Super Bowl ring.

Over the past two days, the Ravens addressed two areas of need while bolstering their leadership on defense, bringing back middle linebacker Josh Bynes on Friday and then keeping Campbell on Saturday.

Ravens Lamar Jackson and Tony Jefferson II took to Twitter to share their reactions to Campbell's return.


A six-time Pro Bowler, Campbell has long been known for his ability to get to the quarterback. But he was more of a run-stopper than a pass-rush force in his two seasons with Baltimore, where he managed 4.5 sacks, including 1.5 last season.

Durability has been a problem for Campbell with the Ravens. After his streak of 98 straight starts ended, Campbell missed six of his past 25 games with Baltimore.

He is one of four NFL defenders since 2000 to record at least 700 tackles and 85 sacks. Among all active players, his 93.5 career sacks rank 10th and his 773 career tackles are 12th.

Campbell is still in search of that first Super Bowl championship after six trips to the playoffs. He played nine seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, who selected him in the second round of the 2008 draft, and three with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being traded to the Ravens in March 2020 for a fifth-round pick.
 
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Aaron Rodgers' finally got himself a wide receiver, other than Allan Lazard, to throw the ball to since Davante Adams left for the Raiders:

Green Bay Packers sign veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins​

ESPN

The Green Bay Packers are finally adding to their receiver room by signing veteran Sammy Watkins.

The team announced the deal on Thursday but didn't reveal terms. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Watkins' contract is for one year and worth up to $4 million.

The Packers have lost three of their top receivers this offseason, headed by All-Pro Davante Adams in a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders. They also lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Chiefs) and Equanimeous St. Brown (Bears) in free agency.

The Packers' top remaining receivers are Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers.

They haven't used a first-round pick on a receiver since 2002 (Javon Walker) but have two picks in each of the first two rounds after the Adams trade, putting them in position to address that spot high in the draft.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur coached Watkins with the Rams in 2017, and Packers receivers coach Jason Vrable was in Buffalo when the Bills drafted him fourth overall in 2014.

Watkins, 28, has had difficulty staying healthy throughout his career.

He continued to struggle with injuries in his only season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021, finishing with career lows in receptions (27) and receiving yards (394).

He has missed 30 games over the past seven seasons, and he hasn't played a full season since his 2014 rookie season.

He made two of the biggest catches of the season for Baltimore, setting up winning scores against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, but Watkins had no catches -- and just three targets -- in his final four games as he fell behind Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay on the depth chart.

In his eight-year career, Watkins has totaled 348 receptions for 5,059 yards receiving and 34 touchdown catches for the Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Ravens.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.
 
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I missed this yesterday, but Derek Carr's extended his contract with the Raiders:

Derek Carr agrees to 3-year, $121.5 million extension with Las Vegas Raiders, source confirms​

ESPN

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr signed a multiyear contract extension Wednesday.

The Raiders did not disclose terms of the deal, but a source confirmed to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Carr agreed to a three-year, $121.5 million extension that includes a no-trade clause and runs through the 2025 season.

Carr also mentioned Wednesday that he will be with the Raiders for "four more" years and said he would have understood had the new regime of general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels wanted "somebody new" at quarterback.

"But the fact that they keep believing in me and watching the tape and saying, 'Wow, we want you to be here for some more years or some more time,' that means more to me, way more to me than any of the other stuff it has to do with," Carr said. "It was very clear to me how they felt about me from day one."

Carr, 31, is scheduled to make $19.87 million in base salary in 2022. He signed a five-year, $125 million extension in 2017 that was, at the time, the richest contract in NFL history. His new money average per year of $40.5 million (for the extension only) ranks fifth among NFL quarterbacks.

NFL Network first reported the terms of Carr's extension Wednesday.

"Derek Carr has been the leader of this franchise for a long time and we are thrilled to continue that relationship moving forward," McDaniels said in a statement released by the team. "He has been a great example of someone who always puts the team first and we appreciate his desire to keep doing that while leading on and off the field. It is clear how much Derek cares about this organization, his teammates and winning. I look forward to the opportunity to work with him this season and beyond."

Carr reiterated Wednesday that he only wanted to be a Raider and was "crazy enough" and willing to play out the final year of his deal in 2022.

"I told my agent, 'I'm either going to be a Raider, or I'm going to be playing golf. I don't want to play anywhere else,'" he said. "That's how much this place means to me.

"I hope people can hear my heart on that -- that I was dead serious when I [said] that. I had one year left on my contract; if it was one year, it was going to be one year. Thankfully it will be four more. Hopefully we can build on that, I can finish and just do what I set out to do nine years ago, and that was to win a championship."

Carr is coming off a season with a career-best 4,804 passing yards and had 23 touchdowns, a career-worst 14 interceptions and 40 sacks, the second-highest total of his eight-year career. The Raiders went 10-7 and played in the postseason for the second time since 2002 despite a turbulent season marked by the resignation of coach Jon Gruden, the arrest of receiver Henry Ruggs III and the release of cornerback Damon Arnette.

Las Vegas lost in the wild-card round at the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals 26-19 as Carr threw a fourth-and-goal interception in front of the goal line with 12 seconds remaining.

Carr, the Raiders' second-round draft pick in 2014, from Fresno State, holds franchise records in passing yards (31,700), TD passes (193) and game-winning drives (30). Carr's 57 wins ranks third in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Ken Stabler (69) and Daryle Lamonica (62), and his 70 losses is the most.

It has been a busy offseason for the Raiders as Carr will reunite with former college teammate Davante Adams, acquired in a March trade with the Green Bay Packers that saw Las Vegas send its first- and second-round picks in this year's draft to Green Bay and sign the star receiver to a five-year, $141.25 million deal.

The Raiders also signed four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Chandler Jones to a three-year, $52.5 million free-agent contract to join Pro Bowl defensive MVP Maxx Crosby, who was inked to a four-year, $94 million extension before free agency began.

Carr said his extension was structured to allow for the signings of Adams, Jones and "hopefully Hunter [Renfrow] and Foster [Moreau] and those guys can stay here." He later mentioned Darren Waller, as well.

"I went through a heartbreak the last time I signed my contract -- my best friend left [Khalil Mack]," he said. "And I didn't want that to ever happen again."

Carr is the longest-tenured quarterback in the AFC West, which also features 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, third-year rising star Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers and Super Bowl XLVIII champ Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos after they picked him up in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
 
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The Colts add stud cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the team:

Indianapolis Colts signing CB Stephon Gilmore to two-year, $23M contract, source says​

ESPN

The Indianapolis Colts are giving cornerback Stephon Gilmore a two-year, $23 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Gilmore becomes the second veteran addition to the Colts' secondary this week, after Indianapolis signed safety Rodney McLeod on Thursday.

Cornerback was a position of need for the Colts after they traded starter Rock Ya-Sin to the Las Vegas Raiders for pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue and did not re-sign starter Xavier Rhodes.

The Colts have reshaped their defense after the departure of coordinator Matt Eberflus, who is now the head coach in Chicago, and hired Gus Bradley as his replacement.

Indianapolis' defense now features the five-time Pro Bowler Gilmore, Ngakoue and DeForest Buckner on the line, linebacker Darius Leonard, and one of the league's best slot corners in Kenny Moore. All five of those players have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl in their careers.

Gilmore played the 2021 season with the Carolina Panthers, who traded a 2023 third-round pick to the New England Patriots in October to get him. The Panthers added the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year in hopes that he could replace first-round pick Jaycee Horn, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 at the Houston Texans.

Gilmore, 31, was on the physically unable to perform list when he arrived in Carolina, still recovering from offseason surgery on a torn quad and not eligible to return until Week 6. He was activated in Week 8 and played the final eight games, starting three. He had an interception in his Carolina debut at Atlanta to preserve a 19-13 victory then followed that with another in his home debut against New England. After the season, he was added to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.

He said after the trade that he did not appreciate the way New England handled his quad injury, suffered in Week 15 of the 2020 season.

Gilmore, who grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, had told ESPN before a late-season game at Buffalo that he would like to return to Carolina. The Panthers liked the veteran leadership brought to a young Carolina secondary. Complicating the issue was 2018 second-round pick Donte Jackson, 26, who re-signed with the Panthers on a three-year deal last month.

The 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Bills, Gilmore has 27 interceptions and 116 passes defended in 10 seasons.

ESPN's Mike Wells and David Newton contributed to this report.

And this...

Agreement reached to nullify $518K sale for Tom Brady's 'final' touchdown ball​

ESPN

The $518,000 sale of the game ball used in the now-unretired Tom Brady's "final" touchdown pass has been voided by mutual agreement between buyer, consigner and auction house, according to Lelands Auctions on Thursday.

Due to the unique nature of Brady's decision to return 40 days after he first announced his retirement in late January -- and less than 24 hours after the auction closed, no less -- no money was exchanged, so the agreement was simply nullified, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

"We wanted to do the right thing here," said Mike Heffner, president and partner at Lelands, adding that while the original buyer has pulled out, the ball's consigner still plans to sell it privately through Lelands.

"It's the most unique situation that we'll probably ever encounter in our lifetimes -- at least when it comes to sports memorabilia. We're still not to the end of the book yet; we've written a chapter."

Even after the seven-time Super Bowl champion's return to the Buccaneers and the resulting drop in the ball's value, Heffner says multiple prospective buyers still reached out to buy it.

"It's still an incredible piece of history," Heffner said. "Any Brady touchdown ball is."

It took a month to officially announce the voided sale because all parties involved were waiting to see if Brady would stay unretired. According to Lelands, after both buyer and consigner were reached, that delay was due to wanting to confirm Brady's status.

"All parties were waiting to see how it played out," Heffner said. "Tom Brady, let's face it, is kind of unpredictable these days. Until he throws that first touchdown pass in September, this ball is still the record."
 

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Denzel Ward's now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

Agent: Cleveland Browns make Denzel Ward NFL's top-paid CB with five-year, $100.5 million extension​

ESPN

The Cleveland Browns are signing Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward to a five-year, $100.5 million contract extension that includes $71.25 million guaranteed, Tory Dandy of CAA Sports, who negotiated the contract, told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

At age 24, Ward is now the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. The $20.1 million average annual salary puts him ahead of Jalen Ramsey, who had been the highest-paid cornerback at $20 million per season on the deal he signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.

Ramsey congratulated Ward on his new deal, tweeting: "I been waiting on somebody else to touch that 100 club & you DEFINITELY DESERVE IT @denzelward ... congrats."

Ward is now under contract with the Browns for six more years, through the 2027 season. He is under contract for $13.294 million this season after the Browns exercised the fifth-year option on his contract last year.

The Browns selected Ward fourth overall in 2018, the same draft the team selected quarterback Baker Mayfield No. 1 overall. Ward got a second contract from the Browns, but Mayfield and the franchise are headed for a separation after Cleveland traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million extension.

The Browns have spent $340.5 million in guaranteed money on all contracts this offseason, the most in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That includes extensions, not only the money given to free agents, and $301.25 million of that total was given to Watson and Ward.

Ward tweeted thanks to the Browns "for continuing to to believe in the home grown kid and allowing me to represent this organization and city of Cleveland where I'm from." He also thanked Dandy for the work he put in to finalize the deal.





Ward has been selected to two Pro Bowls in his first four seasons -- his rookie year in 2018 and in 2021.

He has 10 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, and 50 passes defended in 52 games.
 

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:plotting: Howie get it done! Give the Niners the 15th Pick in the 1st Round and a 3rd and a Pick for next Year. Let's get it done!
 
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yjr final mock draft

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Chicago Bears agree to release quarterback Nick Foles after two seasons​

ESPN

The Chicago Bears have agreed to release quarterback Nick Foles, the team confirmed Saturday night.

The Bears originally acquired Foles two seasons ago in a trade with Jacksonville for a fourth-round draft pick.

After starting seven games in 2020, the Super Bowl LII MVP logged only one start last season. He carried a $10.67 million salary-cap hit in 2022.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles confirmed in March that the team had been trying to trade Foles after adding veteran backup Trevor Siemian in free agency.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin contributed to this story.
 

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I mean Trevor Siemian is levels below Nick Foles in my opinion and if you went to the guy to ask him to restructure his Contract pretty sure he might of done it. Foles was dealt a bad hand with them they had nothing on Offense and their Defense wasn't given them any help to having easier fields to play on. He was 2-0 vs Brady though so if doesn't get a call by someone and retires dude won a SB for us and will never need to spend a Dollar in Philly if he shows up.
 
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Chicago Bears agree to release quarterback Nick Foles after two seasons​

Crazy thing is if there’s an injury to a starter, he’ll get called before anyone calls for Baker Mayfield. He just has to stay patient
 
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