Category: Dawgs In The NFL

Former Georgia Bulldogs OL receives big performance-based bonus

Former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer received one of the NFL’s biggest performance-based pay bonuses for his 2023 season

Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer has quickly found a role for himself in the NFL. Through two years in the NFL, Salyer has already started 31 games for the Chargers.

In his second season with Los Angeles, Salyer played in 99% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps. Salyer primarily played right guard from the Chargers after playing left tackle a year ago.

Salyer received the NFL’s ninth-highest performance-based bonus. The NFL’s performance-based bonus system is designed to reward players that are paid less than most other NFL players, but still play a ton of snaps. Last season, Salyer received over $840,000 in performance-based bonuses. Salyer had a base salary of $870,000 in 2023 and a $43,982 signing bonus, so his performance-based bonus nearly doubled his pay.

Salyer played college football at the University of Georgia and was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The Chargers got an absolute steal in Salyer.

Salyer started at left tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs throughout the 2020 and 2021 college football seasons. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman allowed only two hurries and no sacks during his final season with Georgia.

Salyer won’t be an NFL free agent until 2026, so the Chargers have him on a bargain contract for a couple more seasons.

Falcons release former Georgia Bulldogs OL

Atlanta Falcons release former Georgia Bulldogs and Cedar Grove offensive guard after two years

The Atlanta Falcons released former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Justin Shaffer. Shaffer spent the past two seasons on the Falcons’ practice squad, but never appeared in a regular-season game for Atlanta.

As a free agent, Shaffer is eligible to sign with another team’s practice squad or to their active roster.

Atlanta drafted Shaffer in the sixth-round with the 190th pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Shaffer’s selection marked the first time in 11 years the Falcons had drafted a Georgia Bulldog. The Falcons also drafted tight end John FitzPatrick in 2022. FitzPatrick remains on the Falcons’ roster along with former Georgia Bulldogs tight end Charlie Woerner, who recently signed a free agent deal with the Falcons.

During the 2021 college football season, Shaffer started at left guard in all 15 of Georgia’s games and he was named to the AP and coaches’ All-SEC second teams. A 6-foot-4, 330-pound guard is still looking to establish himself with regular playing time in the NFL.

Stetson Bennett to participate in offseason workouts with the Rams

The Rams are expecting former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett to be present for offseason workouts.

The Los Angeles Rams and general manager Les Snead expect former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett to participate in offseason workouts with the team. Bennett the 2023 NFL regular season after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in September. The Rams have not provided a reason for Bennett’s absence.

Now, he will have another opportunity to return to action with the team this offseason. Several days ago, the Rams signed former Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who projects to be Matthew Stafford’s back-up.

Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was expected to be the Rams’ back-up quarterback in 2023, but things did not go as planned in his rookie season. Bennett has been training in Dallas, Texas, could still be the Rams’ No. 3 quarterback this fall. It would be surprising to see him push Jimmy Garoppolo for the back-up role, but Bennett has been able to overcome some remarkable odds throughout his football career.

The Rams finished the 2023 regular season with a 10-7 record before falling to the Detroit Lions in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.

Mel Kiper Jr. projects three former Bulldogs in first round of latest mock draft

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has projected three Georgia Bulldogs to be selected in the opening round of the 2024 NFL draft.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has released his third mock draft of this offseason, and he has projected three former Georgia Bulldogs to be drafted in the opening round.

Kiper has tight end Brock Bowers as the first Bulldog off the board, projecting him No. 10 overall to the New York Jets. Bowers, a three-time All-American at Georgia, would provide a versatile weapon for the Jets’ offense and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Next up is tackle Amarius Mims, who Kiper projects to go 30th overall to the Baltimore Ravens. Mims would provide an instant replacement for veteran tackle Morgan Moses, who the Ravens traded to the Jets this offseason.

Finally, Kiper concludes his mock draft by projecting former Georgia turned Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will be selected by the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs with the 32nd pick. Mitchell could be a day one starter for a Chiefs receiving corps in desperate need of an upgrade from last season.

The NFL draft will begin on Thursday, April 25. Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey and cornerback Kamari Lassiter are also projected to be early picks in the draft.

Rams sign back-up QB, creating cloud over Stetson Bennett’s future

The Los Angeles Rams have signed a back-up quarterback to Matthew Stafford, creating further questions about Stetson Bennett’s future with the team

The Los Angeles Rams have signed former Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, per the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Garoppolo is a veteran NFL quarterback that has started 63 games in his 10-year NFL career. Garoppolo projects to be Matthew Stafford’s back-up this fall. Rams head coach Sean McVay is adamant that Stafford will be his starter as long as he is healthy.

Garoppolo’s addition adds further questions to Los Angeles’ future with former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was expected to be the Rams’ back-up quarterback in 2023, but things did not go as planned.

The Rams placed Bennett on the reserve/non-football injury list in September. Rams coach Sean McVay’s most recent update on Bennett does not provide many answers to what Bennett’s future will be with the NFC West team.

“Yeah, I think the first thing is you connect with him, which we’ll do at the appropriate time. You figure out, where are you at and is this something that we feel like is best for him and for our football team to bring him back into this ecosystem?” McVay said. Bennett has been away from Los Angeles since September after making the Rams’ roster following Bennett’s mixed-bag performance in the preseason.

McVay continued, “Those will be conversations that we will have. I think once we have a better idea of what we’ll do with that, then that’ll give clarity.”

Los Angeles’ addition of Jimmy Garoppolo should not come as a shock. McVay had previously noted, “We don’t have a backup quarterback that’s on this roster. We’ll see what that looks like in terms of how that affects Stetson and the draft or free agency.”

Ultimately, Los Angeles chose to address the position in free agency. You can’t rule out the Rams from drafting a young, developmental quarterback as Matthew Stafford is 36 years old. The Rams finished the 2023 regular season with a 10-7 record before falling to the Detroit Lions in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.

Former Georgia Bulldog Leonard Floyd signs with the 49ers

Leonard Floyd is headed back to the West Coast after signing with San Francisco. Details here…

Former Georgia Bulldog Leonard Floyd is headed to back to the West Coast after signing with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. His new two-year deal is worth $20 million, per NFL Network.

“San Fran!!!!! Im giving you my best yet,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Floyd, 31, spent last season with the Buffalo Bills after three seasons with the L.A. Rams, including a win in Super Bowl LVI. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the No. 9 overall pick in 2016 and spent four seasons in Chicago before his move to the Rams.

Floyd is coming off one of his best NFL seasons, tying a career-best with 10.5 sacks. He started 16 regular season games and served as one of the leaders of the defensive line group in Buffalo.

Floyd played four years at Georgia from 2012-2015. He is currently the Bulldogs’ eighth all-time sack leader (22.5). The Eastman, Ga., native earned second-team All-SEC honors as a senior in 2015.

Floyd will join former Bulldogs Chris Conley and Robert Beal Jr.  in San Francisco. Former Georgia tight end Charlie Woerner, who spent the last three seasons with the 49ers, signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

Atlanta Falcons to sign former Georgia Bulldogs TE

The Atlanta Falcons have signed a former Georgia Bulldogs standout to pair with star tight end Kyle Pitts

The Atlanta Falcons have signed former Georgia Bulldogs tight end Charlie Woerner to a three-year, $12 million contract. Woerner is primarily a blocking tight end. He most recently helped the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC championship and make the Super Bowl.

Woerner’s signing was hardly the Falcons’ biggest splash of the day. Atlanta signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year contract. Cousins should help improve the Atlanta offense and will get players such as Charlie Woerner more involved.

Woerner will serve as Atlanta’s top blocking tight end, while Kyle Pitts will remain the Falcons’ No. 1 receiving tight end option. The 49ers drafted Woerner in the sixth-round of the 2020 NFL draft.

It is nice to see another Georgia Bulldog come home to play for the Atlanta Falcons. Woerner has carved out a nice role for himself in the NFL despite putting up just three receptions for 32 yards in 2023. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end is a product of Rabun County High School. Woerner’s signing can’t become official until March 13.

D’Andre Swift to sign massive three-year deal with the Chicago Bears

Former Georgia Bulldogs, Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift plans to sign a three-year deal with the Chicago Bears

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift plans to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago Bears when free agents are officially allowed to sign on March 13. Swift’s deal includes $15.3 million guaranteed. Swift, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, accumulated a career-high 1,049 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

D’Andre Swift is a big addition for the Chicago Bears. Swift is an elusive runner and solid pass catcher that has averaged 353 receiving yards per year in his four season NFL career. The Detroit Lions originally drafted Swift in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Swift played the first three seasons of his NFL career with Detroit before the Lions traded him to the Eagles.

The 5-foot-9, 215-pound running back will play against the Lions twice per season in the NFC North. Swift, who is only 25 years old, is likely to be paired with the presumed No. 1 pick of the NFL draft in USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears should be a fun offense to watch in 2024.

Ranking UGA players set to become NFL free agents by 2023 earnings

Ranking the 13 Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL that are scheduled to become free agents by their earnings from last season

Georgia Bulldogs made an impact in the NFL from start to finish. The NFL season ended with wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. scoring a game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 58. Now, Hardman Jr. and 12 other former Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to become NFL free agents.

NFL free agency begins on March 11. Players can begin officially signing with NFL teams on March 13. Hardman Jr., D’Andre Swift, and Leonard Floyd highlight a lengthy list of Dawgs in the NFL that are scheduled to become free agents.

One of Kirby Smart and Georgia’s top recruiting pitches is the success of former Bulldogs in the NFL.

What Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to become NFL free agents? We rank all 13 former Bulldogs slated to become free agents based on much they earned in 2023 (earnings data is per Spotrac).

Pair of Georgia Bulldogs ranked among the best NFL free agents

Two Georgia Bulldogs are expected to be among the best players available when NFL free agency begins on March 11

Former Georgia Bulldogs outside linebacker Leonard Floyd ranks as the No. 70 NFL free agent available. Floyd, who spent this past season with the Buffalo Bills, is primarily a pass rush specialist. He is productive and is a good player to have when trying to hunt down mobile quarterbacks.

“It was mystifying that it took most of last offseason for Floyd to land a job, and then he finished the 2023 campaign with 10.5 sacks as a rotational player. Same as he ever was,” said NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal.

Former Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, a former Georgia standout, is considered the No. 72 NFL free agent on the market. Swift accumulated 1,049 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season. This is a deep free agent class at the running back position, but Swift can still be a major contributor for any NFL team.

“Swift showed with the Eagles in 2023 to be a tougher power runner with more durability than he ever was in Detroit,” said Rosenthal.

Swift and Floyd are among the 13 Georgia Bulldogs that are scheduled to become free agents. NFL free agency starts on March 11. Players can begin officially signing with NFL teams on March 13.