Tag: re-signed

Bobby Wagner already ‘positive influence’ since returning to Seahawks

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has noticed the impact linebacker Bobby Wagner has already had on the team since re-signing with Seattle.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had a lot to say about the upcoming 2023 NFL draft last week during his press conference, but he also took a moment to talk about the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner to the roster and just what type of impact he’s had on the team already.

“It’s really cool, it’s really exciting to have him back,” Carroll told reporters from the VMAC. “He’s really fired up to be here and be part of it and reconnect. You can see him, he’s got new eyes looking at us because he’s been through another experience. I think his appreciation for the time he spent and the things that we’ve done and all, it’s kind of come forward.”

Wagner was originally selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Utah State. He spent 10 seasons in Seattle before signing with Rams as a free agent last year. Wagner’s new contract with the Seahawks sent the 12s into a frenzy this offseason.

Carroll noticed the energy immediately.

“He’s been really good,” Carroll said. “Every time he pops in — he pops in like he always did. He’s been around a lot. So when he does it again, it gives everybody a lift.

“He’s a really positive influence.”

2023 NFL draft: The consensus big board top 75 prospects

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Chiefs to re-sign TE Blake Bell on one-year deal

The Belldozer is back with the #Chiefs for 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs are re-signing another of their own free agents.

According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs are set to re-sign TE Blake Bell on a one-year deal. This move will help Kansas City retain virtually every player from their 2022 tight end room.

Bell enters his fourth season in Kansas City. He first joined the team in 2019 for the Super Bowl LIV run before leaving to play in Dallas for a year. He returned to Kansas City for both the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons.

The veteran tight end began the 2022 NFL season on injured reserve after he suffered a hip flexor injury during the preseason tilt with the Chicago Bears. He was eventually designated to return, but he had a fairly limited role outside of his Week 17 touchdown. When Jody Fortson returned from injured reserve during the playoffs, he promptly supplanted Bell in the active lineup.

That said, Bell certainly has a role in Kansas City. He’s been the player that they’ve used in lieu of Patrick Mahomes on QB sneaks. He remains one of the Chiefs’ best blocking tight ends as well.

With an increase in usage of 12 and 13 personnel last season, it’s not a surprise to see Bell back on what likely amounts to a veteran minimum deal. He’ll prove to be valuable depth during the course of the off-season and perhaps during the 2023 NFL season as well.

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Seahawks GM John Schneider on Drew Lock deal: ‘He knows how much we love him’

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider sang the praises of backup quarterback Drew Lock after signing him to a new one-year deal.

The Seattle Seahawks locked up their backup quarterback on Thursday, signing Drew Lock to a one-year, $4 million deal, worth up to $7.5 million with incentives.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider broke the news during his weekly radio hit on Seattle Sport 710 am.

“Drew Lock, man, let’s go,” Schneider said “He’s coming back. What an awesome guy. Everything he’s been through – last year we talked about it a bunch. Coming here, competing with Geno (Smith), getting COVID, really bad timing for him. Game 2 was going to be his game against Chicago, then he got really sick, then he still didn’t have his legs against Dallas.

“So I’m just really excited. Really happy for him.”

Lock and Smith competed all last offseason for the Seahawks’ starting job, with Smith emerging as the winner. The process was more friendly than adversarial.

“Both those guys were awesome with pushing each other and then the support that they showed,” Schneider explained. “Geno’s scrimmage and Drew’s scrimmage (in training camp), Drew had a little bit more success that day – I forget exactly how it happened – but Geno was amazing afterwards. He’s like, ‘Hey, look, you know, I’m here for Drew, and if he’s the guy, I’m here to support him.’”

 

“And obviously Drew treated Geno the same way and was great all throughout the season and competing,” Schneider continued. “He knows how much we love him, he knows how important it was, and both their exit interviews (after last season) were great.”

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Vikings re-sign TE Ben Ellefson hours after deciding not to tender him

Ellefson is set to enter his third season as a member of the #Vikings’ offense after re-signing with the team on Wednesday

The Minnesota Vikings made a shrewd financial decision on Wednesday when they re-signed tight end Ben Ellefson after opting not to tender him as a restricted free agent earlier in the day.

The details of Ellefson’s contract are not yet known, though their decision to let him become an unrestricted free agent before re-signing him is an indication that the deal will be for less than the minimum tender amount of $2.6 million.

Ellefson has been with the Vikings since 2021, though he has only played sparingly in his two seasons with the team. Originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 annual selection meeting, Ellefson is a native of Hawley, Minnesota, and played collegiately at North Dakota State University.

He should prove to be valuable depth for the Vikings in 2023, and should he continue developing in the team’s offense, could see more significant playing time if the team doesn’t invest further at the tight end position.

Vikings agree to terms with kicker Greg Joseph on one-year deal

The Vikings elected to re-sign kicker Greg Joseph to a one-year deal on Tuesday

The Minnesota Vikings re-signed kicker Greg Joseph to a one-year $2 million contract that will keep him in purple and gold through the end of the 2023 season. More than $1.5 million of his new contract is fully guaranteed, and with incentives, he can make up to $2.5 million next season.

Joseph initially signed with the team in 2021, and had a fantastic first season with the Vikings, nailing 33 of his 38 three-point attempts and 36 of 40 extra points, but he took a noticeable step back last year. His future with the team remained uncertain until news of his latest contract broke on Tuesday night.

Converting on less than 80 percent of his three-point attempts in 2022, he only managed to hit four field goals of 50 or more yards in 10 total attempts and missed six point after tries.

Despite the considerable dropoff, it seems that Minnesota saw considerable value in keeping continuity in its special teams unit. Though several recognizable names at the position hit the market when free agency opened on Monday, the only kicker to change teams thus far has been former Los Angeles Ram Matt Gay, who signed a massive four-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Joseph is a known commodity for the Vikings, and his position is likely secure for the 2023 season with this signing, which is almost entirely guaranteed.

Dwayne Washington re-signs with Saints, as expected

As expected, RB Dwayne Washington re-signed with New Orleans Saints, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

After being released by the New Orleans Saints earlier this week, running back Dwayne Washington said that he would not be gone for long. He was right. Per Thursday’s update to the NFL transaction wire, the sixth-year veteran has re-signed with New Orleans.

2022 will be Washington’s fifth season with the Saints, after he spent his first two years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. He’s been a core special teamer throughout his time with the team but has pushed for a larger offensive role this offseason. Washington, along with Tony Jones Jr., Devine Ozigbo, Malcolm Brown and Abram Smith were a part of the hotly contested running back battle this offseason. It’ll be Washington and Jones backing up Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II.

Washington has appeared in 71 career games totaling 554 rushing yards but scoring only one total touchdown. He’ll look to add to those numbers this year after an impressive opening preseason game. He’s told New Orleans media that he’s playing with more confidence than ever before, and the Saints are giving him the opportunity he’s earned to make good on it.

So why did the Saints release Washington in the first place? They needed both left tackle Trevor Penning and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach to spend at least one day on the initial 53-man roster before being sent to injured reserve in order to give them a shot at returning later this year, so briefly cutting Washington opened the space needed to carry both injured players for a day. As a vested veteran, Washington wasn’t eligible for waivers and could safely take on free agent status before quickly re-upping with the team. Procedural moves like this are common before the regular season starts, but it only happens when there’s plenty of trust between the player and the team.

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Chiefs to re-sign DT Derrick Nnadi in free agency

The #Chiefs are re-signing former 2018 third-round draft pick Derrick Nnadi per his agency.

The Kansas City Chiefs are re-signing a former draft pick in free agency.

As announced by his agency, SportsTrust Advisors, Derrick Nnadi is set to re-sign with the Chiefs. A former 2018 third-round draft pick out of Florida State, Nnadi has spent the last four seasons as the primary run-stuffing defensive tackle in Kansas City. He’s appeared in 75 games (incl. playoffs) over those four seasons, starting a total of 60 games for the team.

In 2021, Nnadi is coming off of one of his better seasons as a professional, recording 38 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hits. He’s set to re-sign with the Chiefs on a one-year deal.

Bringing Nnadi back helps shore up the defensive interior for the team, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Kansas City won’t need to prioritize adding another defensive tackle in free agency or the draft to be able to fill this particular need.

It’ll be interesting to see exactly how much Nnadi signed for. The nose tackle market was one of the more active and expensive markets early on in the free agency period, with several players landing multi-year deals early on in the free agency process.

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Chiefs to re-sign OL Andrew Wylie on one-year deal

The #Chiefs are bringing back OL Andrew Wylie on a one-year deal according to reports.

The Kansas City Chiefs are retaining another one of their own.

As first reported by PFF’s Ari Meirov, the Chiefs are set to re-sign offensive lineman Andrew Wylie on a one-year fully-guaranteed deal worth $2.5 million. The Athletic’s Nate Taylor also confirmed the report.

An undrafted free agent out of Eastern Michigan in 2017, Wylie has been a key depth piece for Kansas City in recent years. He started 42 games for the Chiefs over the past four seasons, playing right guard, left guard and most recently right tackle.

Developing…

Seahawks re-sign backup quarterback Geno Smith to the roster

The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed backup quarterback Geno Smith to the roster.

The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed backup quarterback Geno Smith to the roster. The team’s public relations department tweeted the news Thursday afternoon.

Smith originally entered the league via the 2013 NFL draft, when he was selected in the second round by the Jets out of West Virginia. Smith spent four seasons with the Jets before moving over to the Giants and then the Chargers for one-year stints.

He joined the Seahawks in 2019 and beat out Paxton Lynch to back up Russell Wilson, a position he has held ever since.

Smith has only appeared in one game for Seattle – completing four of five passes attempted for 33 yards against the Jets last year.

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Carlos Dunlap hopes to pick up where team left off heading into 2021

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap hopes to pick up where the team left off heading into the 2021 season.

The Seattle Seahawks were able to re-sign defensive end Carlos Dunlap back to the roster this year and the veteran already has plans for the new season . . .  he wants to pick right back up where the Seahawks left off.

“I think the team’s motivated,” Dunlap told 710 ESPN Seattle’ Danny and Gallant show last week. “We all know we fell short and the main reason why was on us. We didn’t perform when it was time to perform, so we got sent home. Coming in with that experience and having the experience to be with the team for the whole season I think is going to help me long-term. It’ll make things easier.”

And now with the pressure of having to re-negotiate a new contract no longer on his back, Dunlap can focus on the future and the season ahead.

“I feel like we can continue to build on where we left because things were just starting to click for us going into the playoffs,” he said.

“I want to pick up where we left off.”

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