Tag: 2022 NFL free agency

Josh Reynolds ‘would love my future to be here’, but what would that cost the Lions?

WR Josh Reynolds “would love my future to be here in Detroit”, but what would that cost the Lions?

Josh Reynolds has been a real boon to the Detroit Lions lineup since joining the team in Week 11. The veteran wideout has caught 16 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the last four games.

Many expected Reynolds to be a Lions target before the midseason acquisition, given his history with Detroit GM Brad Holmes from their time together with the Los Angeles Rams. But Reynolds opted to roll with the Tennessee Titans instead as a free agent.

That did not work well at all. Fortunately the Lions pounced once the Titans ended the failed experiment, and it’s been a happily ever after storyline since. Reynolds hopes to keep that status into next year.

The wideout sat down with Lions play-by-play radio announcer Dan Miller for FOX2 in Detroit and made that clear.

“I would love my future to be here with Detroit,” Reynolds said earnestly. “Man, being able to just kind of continue to grow with this team and help this organization win. I mean, it don’t get no better.”

So what would it take to keep Reynolds in Detroit? He’ll be a free agent once again this offseason.

Last year he earned a one-year, $1.75 million deal as a free agent. That deal came after Reynolds, who turned 26 in February, caught 52 passes for 618 yards and two TDs for the Rams in 2020.

Based on his four-game pace in Detroit, Reynolds would eclipse all those numbers in a full season. His Lions stats extrapolate similarly to what Kendrick Bourne produced in San Francisco before signing a three-year, $15 million contract with the Patriots. Keelan Cole turned a 55-catch, five-TD season with the Jaguars in 2020 into a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Jets in the same offseason.

Other recent comparable production and contracts from wideouts include Rashard Higgins in Cleveland, Danny Amendola with the Texans and Albert Wilson with the Dolphins, though all of those players were older than Reynolds at the time of signing.

Taking Reynolds at his word, with the knowledge that he now better understands the need for a good fit, it’s conceivable he settles for a slightly below-market deal. That would put his next contract (hopefully in Detroit) in the range of 2 years and $6.5 million. If he finishes strong, bump that up to $7 million, or a 3-year, $11 million deal with more (if not all) guaranteed money.

The Lions can absolutely afford that figure to bring Reynolds back. Presuming Jared Goff, who has perked up since Reynolds’ arrival, returns as the quarterback for at least the beginning of 2022, that’s a prudent deal for everyone involved.

[lawrence-related id=71173]

2022 NFL offseason: Important dates for the Eagles

2022 #NFL offseason: Important dates for the #Philadelphia #Eagles

The NFL is currently racing towards the playoffs, but it’s never too early for the league to start looking towards 2022.

Whether it be free agency, the draft, or offseason practice schedules, the NFL keeps a running schedule on a year-to-year basis, and the 2022 schedule was just released.

Here are some of the most important dates.

Texans are projected to have 15th-highest salary cap space in 2022

The Houston Texans are expected to have the 15th-highest salary cap space in the NFL with over $39.5 million.

The NFL is expected to increase the salary cap to a maximum of $208.2 million for 2022. Any increase to cap is good news for the Houston Texans, who need all of the resources available through free agency and the draft to build a competitive roster.

According to Over the Cap, the Texans are expected to have $39,534,319 in salary cap space. Of their effective cap space, which takes into account a full 51-man roster, Houston could have $17,740,997, representing the 18th-most cap space in the league.

The only contract extension the Texans have executed is with Tremon Smith, who was signed to a one-year, $1.6 million extension on Dec. 4.

General manager Nick Caserio told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] Tuesday that the club is having conversations about other possible extensions.

“We’re going to be very flexible, we’re going to be very open-minded, and we’re going to try to identify players that we would like to have here next season,” said Caserio. “And there has to be some mutual interest on the opposing end. So, we’ve had a lot of good feedback, we’ve had a lot of good discussions. I’d say Tremon is the one agreement that has been able to come to fruition.

“There might be some others that over the course of the rest of the season we might be able to reach an agreement. And if we don’t, we’ll deal with it in the offseason.”

Texans GM Nick Caserio hints more contract extensions could come

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio indicated to Sports Radio 610 that more contract extensions could manifest by the end of the season.

The Houston Texans scored their first in-season contract extension of the Nick Caserio era when they signed defensive back Tremon Smith to a one-year, $1.6 million deal on Dec. 4.

Caserio joined “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] Tuesday and went through the process of how the team will approach the possibility of giving out more contract extensions through the end of the regular season.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Caserio said. “We’ve had discussions with various players, multitude of players, I would say throughout the season. So, there is never a timing element on this. Some players are more inclined, some players and agents are more inclined to have those discussions during the season. As you get a little bit closer toward the end of the season, some players and agents are kind of inclined to let the season play out.”

The first-year Texans general manager stressed that agents will be doing their own market research, and that communication is key, no matter the time of year.

“We’re going to have conversations with those players after the season,” said Caserio. “They’re going to know what direction we’re going to go, what our level of interest is. Some players will get to free agency and we’ll continue to talk to those players in free agency. Some players we’ll have a chance to sign before the free agent period starts. So, we’re going to be very flexible, we’re going to be very open-minded, and we’re going to try to identify players that we would like to have here next season. And there has to be some mutual interest on the opposing end.”

Caserio says the team has “had a lot of good feedback” and that more extensions like the one with Smith could happen over the final five weeks of the season.

Said Caserio: “There might be some others that over the course of the rest of the season we might be able to reach an agreement. And if we don’t, we’ll deal with it in the offseason.”

The Texans face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 at NRG Stadium. Currently, with a 2-10 record, the Texans are projected to have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

How the NFL’s expected $208M salary cap will impact the Eagles in 2022

How the NFL’s expected $208M salary cap will impact the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022

The Eagles had to shuffle some things around to get under the 2021 salary cap, but 2022 has the potential to be a monster offseason for GM, Howie Roseman.

On Monday, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport confirmed that the salary cap will rise to $208 million this spring.

The league and NFLPA previously set the salary cap for the 2021 season at $182.5 million but agreed back in May to raise the floor in 2022, and again in 2023.

With the Carson Wentz dead money and several other huge deals coming off the books, here’s how the Eagles will be impacted by the record number.

10 players from PFF’s list of the top-50 2022 free agents who should interest the Eagles

2022 free agency: 10 players from #PFF’s top 50 list who should interest the Philadelphia #Eagles

NFL free agency is just around the corner and even as the Eagles chase a playoff spot, it’s never too early for a look ahead to potential targets.

The Eagles will have three first-round picks in the 2022 draft process, and you can argue that Howie Roseman should use all three picks on defensive players.

Philadelphia will have plenty of cap space as well and that could make for a very action-packed spring full of deals and transactions. PFF recently released their top-50 free agent’s list, and we’ve highlighted 10 players that Howie Roseman should target.

Will the Texans’ roster inconsistencies affect S Justin Reid in free agency?

The Houston Texans roster inconsistencies may affect safety Justin Reid when he decides where to go in 2022 free agency.

HOUSTON — For a team that has seen a significant amount of turnover since 2018, Justin Reid has been the definition of consistency for the Houston Texans. When healthy, Reid has started 48 out of 52 career games at safety after the Texans selected the Stanford prodigy in the third-round (68th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

But with the team sitting at 1-8 on the season amid his pending free agency this offseason, the final eight games of the 2021 campaign could be a swan song for Reid when the Texans return from their bye.

“That’s going to come whenever the offseason comes,” Reid said. “We’ve still got nine weeks left. I’m going to tackle the nine weeks. Those conversations are going to be had in February, and we’re just going to have to figure it out then.”

Following the Texans’ 17-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Reid described the season as a roller coaster. With the loss at Hard Rock Stadium, the Texans have now dropped eight consecutive games and possessed a 5-20 record dating back to Reid’s third season with the team in 2020.

During Reid’s first two seasons in Houston, the Texans held a 21-11 record with back-to-back playoff appearances.

Reid attributed the continuous personnel changes to the roster as a significant reason behind the Texans’ struggles this season. He says it’s difficult for players — including himself — to find a groove while on the field with changes to the lineup every week.

Although he acknowledges that change is a part of the NFL business, it appears that the never-ending revolving cycle is starting to become tedious to Reid.

Prior to the start of the season, Reid said he has never had the same starting partner in the backfield in the four seasons he has been a Texan. Through the first nine games of this season, Reid has started alongside Lonnie Johnson Jr., Eric Murray and A.J. Moore.

“This is the first time we’ve had all these guys play together on the same team, so a lot of it is chemistry-related,” Reid said Monday. “Guys moving around on the rotation on the starting lineup, too. It has kind of slowed down the chemistry a bit, too. That’s just part of the growth process of us building a new team.”

It is unknown whether or not Reid and the organization have had extension talks, but the 24-year-old safety will become an unrestricted free agent in March.

If negotiations stall, the Texans can place the franchise tag on Reid. But it may take a massive pay raise to keep an unsettled Reid in Houston beyond the 2021 season.

“I think we are still just trying to find the right formula to put the right guys out there and the right combination to go out and put the best product on the field, and see if we can score touchdowns on offense and stop touchdowns on defense,” he said.

“I just play my role – whatever they ask me to do what part, free safety, strong safety. Whatever that is, I’m up for it to help the team get to our ultimate goal of winning and that’s what I do. I focus on my part.”