ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons added depth at receiver on Thursday by signing free agent Scotty Miller to a one-year contract.
Miller spent the past four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft out of Bowling Green.
He tallied 23 receptions for 185 yards this past season, playing in 15 games with one start while mostly working behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Miller is looking for more playing time with the Falcons, who relied heavily on the run game while enduring their fifth straight losing season.
“It's an opportunity to get on the field and play. In Tampa, that was hard to do. The receiver room was loaded with talent," the 25-year-old Miller said. “I'm really excited to get on the field and show what I can do.”
Drake London, a first-round pick in 2022, is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Falcons. But he didn't have much help at receiver, especially after tight end Kyle Pitts went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Atlanta turned to free agency to bulk up the position, also s igning Mack Hollins to a one-year deal after he set career highs with 57 catches for 690 yards, along with four touchdowns, for the Las Vegas Raiders last season.
While the Falcons could add another receiver in the draft, Hollins and Miller both figure to get plenty of looks.
The 5-foot-9, 174-pound Miller totaled 74 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns in 50 games — including eight starts — with the Buccaneers.
His best season was on Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning team during the 2020 season. Miller caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three TDs in an offense directed by Tom Brady.
After playing three seasons with Brady, perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Miller is looking forward to working with the Falcons' second-year quarterback, Desmond Ridder, who has made only four career starts.
Miller got a chance to watch one of those appearances when the Falcons defeated the Bucs in the regular-season finale last season.
“Obviously, I was fortunate to be able to play with Tom,” Miller said. “But I'm excited to play with a young guy like Desmond. ... I really like what he brings to the table. A lot of energy, the ability to create, to throw the long ball. He can do all the things you need to do."
The undersized Miller is a striking contrast to London and Hollins, who are both listed at 6 foot 4.
But Miller said his speed and quickness help make up for his lack of size. Also, he feels comfortable lining up both in the slot and on the outside.
“I'm willing to do whatever it takes,” he said. “I really feel like I'm a well-rounded player.”
Also Thursday, the Falcons confirmed the re-signing of offensive tackle Kaleb McGary to a $34.5 million, three-year contract.
McGary has played in 63 games, all but one as a starter, since being selected late in the first round of the 2019 draft. He started every game at right tackle last season, joining Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom as cornerstones of the line. All three are now signed to multi-year deals.
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HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter signed a free-agent contract with Las Vegas on Thursday, and the Raiders also re-signed guard Alex Bars.
Carter caught 46 passes for 538 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Los Angeles Chargers. He also averaged 11.7 yards on 29 punt returns and 19.1 yards on 26 kickoff returns. His punt return average was second in the NFL.
Carter also played for Philadelphia in 2018, Houston from 2018-20, Chicago in 2020 and Washington in 2021.
Bars started a career-high 14 games last season for the Raiders. He was with the Bears his three prior seasons.
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ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Calais Campbell on Wednesday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
Campbell, who played the past three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, has agreed to play the 2023 season in Atlanta, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed.
Campbell, who turns 37 on Sept. 1, has 99 career sacks, including 5 1/2 in 2022. Campbell is expected to provide a veteran boost to Atlanta's pass rush, which ranked last in sacks in 2021 and was next to last with 21 last season.
The Ravens released Campbell on March 13 after he announced he would return for his 16th season. The six-time Pro Bowler has played 227 games with Arizona, Jacksonville and Baltimore.
The Falcons have made defense a priority in free agency after hiring defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen from NFC South rival New Orleans.
Atlanta signed former Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates III to a $64 million, four-year contract, linebacker Kaden Elliss to a three-year deal, cornerback Mike Hughe s to a two-year deal and defensive lineman David Onyemata, who played with Elliss in New Orleans, to a three-year deal.
The Falcons also re-signed cornerback Cornell Armstrong and announced that defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, who retired after signing a one-year deal with the team last summer, has been reinstated. Goldman, 29, started 73 of 81 games in six seasons with the Chicago Bears. Goldman could compete for a starting job and provide help in the middle of the line.
Atlanta also has made news at quarterback this offseason, signing former Washington Commanders starter Taylor Heinicke, who announced he would serve as Desmond Ridder's backup. Falcons coach Arthur Smith confirmed to reporters at the NFL owners meetings this week that Ridder, who started four games as a rookie last season, will enter the 2023 season as the starter.
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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams re-signed defensive lineman Marquise Copeland on Monday, temporarily halting their wholesale roster exodus after the team's first losing season in six years.
The Rams didn't announce the terms of the deal for Copeland. Los Angeles didn't tender Copeland as a restricted free agent earlier this month, which means his new deal likely is worth less than that price tag of roughly $3 million.
Copeland spent most of his first 2 1/2 NFL seasons on the Rams' practice squad before joining the active roster in November 2021. He has played in 25 games with nine starts.
He got extensive playing time last season with Aaron Donald sidelined by injury, and he finished with 31 tackles and one sack. Copeland is likely to get extensive playing time again this season with the departure of starter Greg Gaines for Tampa Bay and the probable departure of free-agent starter A'Shawn Robinson.
Copeland is just the second free agent to re-sign this offseason with the Rams, whose roster has been badly depleted while the club attempts to reset its payroll after years of high-profile acquisitions. Offensive lineman Coleman Shelton also re-signed with Los Angeles on a modest deal.
The Rams have lost well over a dozen key contributors to their Super Bowl championship team and last season's 5-12 squad. Los Angeles’ top six defenders by snap count will not return next season for coach Sean McVay.
Jalen Ramsey left in a trade with Miami, while the free-agent departures and releases include starting linebackers Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd, starting safeties Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp, cornerback David Long Jr., starting offensive guard David Edwards, kicker Matt Gay, punter Riley Dixon, kick returner Brandon Powell, long snapper Matthew Orzech and quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Despite the massive roster overhaul, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff told their season ticket holders in a letter that the Rams expect to contend for the NFC West title next season and “make a run” toward the Super Bowl.
“We always knew that there would be a time when we would have to pull back on our typical approach to help continue our sustained run of success,” Demoff wrote, adding that the Rams “have taken all of our salary cap pain in 2023 and project to have more than $60 million in space in 2024."
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PHOENIX (AP) — Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he’s not requiring a first-round pick in a potential trade sending four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets but added he’d want “fair value.”
Gutekunst was asked Monday at the NFL annual meeting if there was any way in which he could feel comfortable trading Rodgers without getting a first-round pick in return.
“Yeah, I think that’s not a necessity,” Gutekunst told reporters. “But at the same time, the value of the player – he’s a premier player, so getting premier picks back for (premier) players is important.”
Gutekunst and Jets general manager Joe Douglas both discussed trade talks involving the 39-year-old Rodgers, who said March 15 during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023.
Rodgers remains under contract with Green Bay but said he wanted the Packers to “do the right thing.”
“There’s been some productive conversations. Obviously, we’re not where we need to be yet. But feel like we’re in a good place.” Douglas said, adding he’s “very optimistic.”
Gutekunst said that “hopefully, we can come to an agreement sooner than later” but indicated he could afford to wait until May or June to make a trade if necessary.
“Yeah, I think so,” Gutekunst said. “Again, there’s not much going on right now. So, again, I think it has to work for both parties and I think we’re both committed to figuring that out. It’s really kind of in their court right now. We’ll kind of see where it goes.”
Gutekunst also said he tried unsuccessfully to speak with Rodgers on multiple occasions this offseason before the quarterback’s representatives told him the four-time MVP was requesting a trade.
Rodgers and Gutekunst met shortly after Green Bay’s season ended with a 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions that snapped the Packers’ string of three straight playoff appearances. Gutekunst said they’d planned to have follow-up conversations.
“Those never transpired,” Gutekunst said. “So there came a time where we had to make some decisions so we went through his representatives to try to talk to him (about) where we were going with our team. And at that point, they informed us that he would like to be traded to the Jets.”
That account conflicts with what Rodgers said during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers said he wished the Packers had told him early in the offseason that they intended to move on from him in the 2023 season. Rodgers said instead that after returning from his isolation retreat last month, he “heard from multiple people that I trust around the league — players mostly –— that there was some shopping going on, that they were interested in actually moving me.”
“The Packers would like to move on,” Rodgers said. “They’ve let me know that in so many words. They’ve let other people know that in direct words.”
Gutekunst said he wanted to have more discussions with Rodgers earlier in the offseason to discuss how the veteran quarterback could fit in the Packers’ future plans.
“(With) our inability to reach him or for him to respond in any way, I think at that point, I had to do my job and kind of reach out and, understanding that a trade could be possible and see who was interested,” Gutekunst said.
A trade of Rodgers would clear the way for 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love to take over as Green Bay’s starting quarterback.
Gutekunst was asked if there’s any scenario in which Rodgers starts another game for the Packers.
“I think right now all options are on the table,” Gutekunst said. “It’s not trending that way, and we’re very hopeful we can facilitate this (trade) and get this accomplished. But he’s come back under certain circumstances before where maybe he wasn’t the happiest with everything that was going on and played very well. So we’ll just kind of see how all of this transpires.
“I think it’s trending hopefully in the right direction for what everybody wants, and we can conclude this hopefully.” ___
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PHOENIX (AP) — Lamar Jackson’s frustration over contract negotiations reached a boiling point when he announced Monday that he has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens.
Staying in Baltimore might be his best and only option.
"We made a decision to go with Lamar Jackson five years ago,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix soon after reporters informed him that Jackson revealed he asked for a trade on March 2. “Why? Because we love him. We love the way he plays. We love his mindset. We love his charisma, his style. The way he is in the locker room. Everything about him, we love him. I love him personally. I love being the coach of the team he’s playing for. That’s what you do. You build a team around your players, and that’s what I’m excited to do.”
If the two sides can’t agree on a long-term deal by July 17, Jackson could play this season on the $32.4 million franchise tag.
The 2019 NFL MVP hasn’t generated any interest in free agency after the Ravens placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on him. Some teams immediately said they wouldn’t pursue Jackson. The Washington Commanders joined that list Monday.
“There are a ton of talented players that could help us that we don’t end up talking to for various reasons, and Lamar falls into that category,” Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew said.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has suggested owners are colluding against Jackson.
“I have never witnessed teams being so quick to publicly announce their lack of interest in an MVP quarterback, who is in his prime and who is also going to get an injury guarantee, regardless of his contract,” Smith wrote on the union’s website. “The fact that right behind Jackson await quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert, who have performed at extremely high levels under their rookie deals.
“A fully guaranteed contact in Jackson’s instance means that all quarterbacks on expiring rookie contracts will (and should anyway) demand them in the next cycle. Make no mistake, what is occurring right now is their effort to block the same cycle that ushered in fully guaranteed contracts in other sports.”
But Jackson’s situation is more complex.
A team that signs him to an offer sheet would lose two first-round picks if Baltimore declined to match the deal. Jackson missed 10 games over the past two seasons because of injuries, so teams could view him as a risk and would prefer building around a young quarterback playing on a rookie contract.
The major sticking point between Jackson and the Ravens is the guaranteed money.
Jackson saw Deshaun Watson get a fully guaranteed $230 million, five-year deal from the Cleveland Browns last season and wants one, too.
Jackson has a point. He’s accomplished more than Watson and doesn’t have the baggage. The Browns gave Watson that deal despite a looming suspension for sexual misconduct only after he said he wasn’t interested in playing for Cleveland.
The Browns couldn’t have persuaded Watson to agree to a trade without promising a fully guaranteed contract, so the hapless franchise made a desperate decision.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti publicly criticized the Browns for doing it and other owners quietly bemoaned the deal.
“I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract. To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others,” Bisciotti said last year.
No team has done it since.
Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray signed lucrative contracts last season with partial guarantees. Derek Carr, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith are other QBs who signed big deals this offseason with partial guarantees.
Kirk Cousins previously got a fully guaranteed deal from the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 but it was only worth $84 million over three years. The Ravens already offered Jackson far more. He said he turned down a $133 million, three-year contract that was fully guaranteed.
Another factor is Jackson is acting as his own agent. That can be tricky in contract negotiations of this magnitude, though Harbaugh made a point to praise Jackson’s negotiating ability.
This is one dispute where both parties have strong arguments. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
PHOENIX (AP) — Dan Snyder's departure from the NFL is moving closer to reality.
A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have formally submitted fully financed bids for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Two people confirmed the bid from Harris. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because details of the bid have not been publicly announced.
The Harris/Rales group includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also has been in the running.
ESPN reported both bids came in at Snyder’s $6 billion asking price. Snyder had yet to accept an offer when the league's finance committee met Monday so his future wasn't openly discussed.
“The information is very little to none in terms of the 31 of us (owners), and probably even the league office right now,” Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said.
That quickly changed in less than 24 hours.
Harris, who owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, brought on Rales, a billionaire who also grew up in Maryland, just outside Washington, earlier this year. Johnson, who has ownership experience with Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and others, later joined the group.
Apostolopoulos is a Toronto native who went to Harvard and is the founder of a private equity venture company.
Three-quarters of the owners would need to approve the sale. A vote could take place at the league meetings in May in Minnesota if Snyder accepts an offer soon, though it's more likely the process will take longer to finalize with both groups involving several owners.
Last fall, with multiple investigations ongoing into the team’s workplace culture and finances, Snyder and his wife Tanya hired a firm to explore selling part or all of the team. That decision came two weeks after Irsay said there was “merit to remove” Snyder, which would take an unprecedented vote of 24 of the other 31 owners.
Selling the team would avoid going down that road, though Snyder has angered some of his colleagues by demanding that owners and the league indemnify him against future legal liability and costs if he sells the team, a person told the AP.
“There would be no reason for us to give any sort of unusual indemnification,” Irsay said.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Snyder’s situation has changed their relationship.
“I think that it’s a little more formal, but I think it’s that way because of the various issues that are involved here,” Jones said. “It’s not ‘lovey-dovey,’ but it’s not really strained in any way.”
Snyder and the team are still under investigation by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, who was retained by the league to look into various aspects of the organization stemming from a congressional review into workplace misconduct that also included a referral to the Federal Trade Commission for potential business improprieties.
A spokesperson declined to comment when asked if Snyder had refused to speak with White, saying it’s a confidential matter between the club and the league.
The sale allows Snyder to avoid speaking to White, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said the findings of White's report will be made public at the conclusion of her investigation. One person said the report will still be released even if Snyder sells the Commanders.
In a statement responding to news of bids being submitted for the Commanders, lawyers for more than 40 former team employees said their clients want an assurance from the league that the report will be released.
Attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz said, “Allowing him to sell the team at what will certainly be a large premium without full accountability for his misconduct would be a travesty of justice.”
Dozens of former employees detailing incidents of sexual harassment from their time with Washington beginning in the summer of 2020 prompted the first league investigation by Beth Wilkinson, which led to a $10 million fine and Snyder stepping away from day-to-day operations for a period of time. A lack of a written report sparked the investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which found Snyder played a role in the organization's toxic workplace culture.
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Whyno reported from Washington.
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The NFL's veteran wide receiver market is a little thinner after Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton declared neither Jerry Jeudy nor Courtland Sutton are on the trade block.
Payton made the comments while speaking to the NFL Network on Sunday, the first day of the league's spring owners meetings in Arizona.
“We're not trading those two players,” Payton said, acknowledging the Broncos have received inquiries about the availability of the wide receivers who combined for 1,801 yards receiving and eight TD receptions in 2022.
“We've received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players,” Payton said. “But we're in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we're void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we're working with.”
The Broncos have just five picks in the NFL draft next month and they own no selections until the third round after parting with premium picks to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson from Seattle last year and Payton from the Saints this winter.
Wilson cost them first- and second-round picks last year and this year and they had to send a first-rounder they acquired from Miami in the Bradley Chubb trade to New Orleans in order to hire Payton.
Jeudy has never lived up to his status as a 2020 first-round pick, mostly because of injuries, although he came on strong at the end of last season, posting big numbers after he was moved to the flanker position.
Sutton, a second-round selection in 2019, hasn't been the same since tearing an ACL in 2020. He has caught just two touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons.
Also, the Broncos' depth at the position took a hit last week when speedster K.J. Hamler, another receiver whose career has been marked by injuries, tore a chest muscle while working out. He's expected to be out up to six months.
Tim Patrick, the Broncos' most productive receiver, is returning from a torn ACL that cost him all of the 2022 season.
Following Hamler's latest injury, the Broncos signed free agent wide receiver Marquez Callaway, a fourth-year pro who played for Payton in New Orleans.
It was also revealed last week that Wilson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the season, but is on track to participate in the team's offseason program next month.
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OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Quarterback Lamar Jackson says he has requested trade from Baltimore Ravens.
Lamar Jackson said Monday he has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens, saying the team “has not been interested in meeting my value."
In a series of tweets, the star quarterback said he requested a trade as of March 2. On March 7, the Ravens put the nonexclusive franchise tag on Jackson and said they were still hopeful they could reach a long-term deal with him.
“As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value,” Jackson said on Twitter. “Any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl.”
Jackson may not need a trade to join a new team. The nonexclusive franchise tag allows him to negotiate with other clubs. However, it also gives Baltimore a chance to match any agreement he makes. The decision to make the trade request public may be an attempt to deter the Ravens from matching another team's offer — or an attempt to spur more interest among other teams by declaring that he wants out of Baltimore.
If Jackson makes a deal with another team and the Ravens don't match, that team would owe Baltimore two first-round draft picks.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh spoke extensively about Jackson on Monday at the league's owners meetings in Phoenix.
“I haven't seen the tweet. That's an ongoing process,” Harbaugh said. “I'm following it very closely, just like everybody else is here, and looking forward to a resolution. I'm excited, thinking about Lamar all the time, thinking about him as our quarterback. We're building our offense around that idea.”
Jackson was the 2019 NFL MVP. His passing and running ability make him one of the game’s biggest stars. At age 25, he already is one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing.
Jackson has been hurt at the end of the past two seasons, and the Ravens haven’t reached the AFC championship game with him. If he remains with Baltimore, he’ll have a new coordinator. The Ravens hired Georgia’s Todd Monken for that position after the end of last season.
Harbaugh said he anticipates Jackson being Baltimore's quarterback at the start of next season.
“You've got to plan for all the contingencies for sure,” Harbaugh said. “But I'm pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. I mean, Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar came back in great shape last year. He's fired up to play. That's the Lamar that I'm looking forward to seeing. Can't wait to get back on the grass and go to work, and I'm confident that's going to happen.”
Harbaugh tried to stay upbeat about the prospects of Jackson's return. If Jackson does come back and play this season on Baltimore's $32.4 million franchise tag, it could certainly be an awkward situation, and the coach will have his work cut out for him trying to soothe any hard feelings.
“Nothing's changed in terms of the relationships, how we feel about Lamar, how we want to build our team," Harbaugh said.
Jackson does not have an agent. In a memo sent to teams last week and obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL management council said a person who is not an NFLPA-certified agent may be contacting clubs and attempting to persuade them to negotiate with Jackson. The memo reminded teams that, under the collective bargaining agreement, if a player is representing himself, an offer sheet can only be negotiated with that player.
Jackson said on Twitter the person in question never tried to negotiate for him.
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report. Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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