Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
This is your good friend Tyler Sullivan to help guide you through this week, as it’s the first week of June. Whichever side you fall on, some of the NFL’s biggest stars are getting paid, and the latest bag that’s been handed out has landed in the Bay Area. In addition to watching the rich get richer, we’ll also look at some of the latest updates going on with various teams as they either move through OTAs or promote minicamp.
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Another day, another big contract extension.
This time, it’s Christian McCaffrey, who signed an extension that is resetting the running back market. Jonathan Jones, Chief NFL Insider for CBS SportsMcCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers agreed on a two-year extension worth $38 million. Of course, the All-Pro is no stranger to resetting markets, as he previously held the honor of the NFL’s highest-paid running back after signing a four-year, $64 million deal in 2020 when he was still with the Carolina Panthers, which the Niners picked up when trading for him. Under this new deal, McCaffrey will receive an average annual value of $19 million per year.
“Two years ago, we were thrilled to welcome Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers,” president of football operations and general manager John Lynch said in a statement released by the team with the announcement of the extension. “Since his arrival, he has been everything we thought he would be and more. His versatile skill set is a perfect fit with our offense. His professionalism and work ethic are as exemplary as anything I’ve seen since joining the NFL. We look forward to working with Christian for many years to come.”
McCaffrey is now under team control through the 2027 season.
2. All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk not present at mandatory minicamp
While some players are getting paid, others are still waiting for their deals to come to the negotiating table, resulting in some player holdouts. When the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers both opened mandatory minicamps on Tuesday, they were without some All-Pro wide receivers.
Wideout Brandon Aiyuk on the day the 49ers signed McCaffrey Was not present at Niners minicamp According to NFL Media, he wants a new contract. Aiyuk, a second-team All-Pro in 2023, received a fifth-year option last spring and is set to earn $14.1 million in 2024 before potentially hitting the open market next offseason. San Francisco has publicly expressed a desire to keep Aiyuk, but the two sides are reportedly not close to an extension.
Meanwhile, when Dallas opened minicamp, CeeDee Lamb was named He is missing in action as he eyes a new dealHead coach Mike McCarthy said Lamb is “engaged” but also stressed he is going through a “business decision.”
Like Aiyuk, Lamb is currently scheduled to play the 2024 season under his fifth-year option, which will pay him around $18 million. Given his production and the surge in wide receiver money this offseason, a Lamb extension could net him nearly double that total on average.
Both Lamb and Aiyuk could be fined up to $101,716 for missing minicamp.
3. A burning question for every team in the AFC South
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With offseason workouts getting underway with minicamps before the summer break, we’re scouring each team and identifying a burning question that looms for the franchise heading into the season. Next up is the AFC South, and our own Jordan Dajani was tasked with coming up with a key question for each club.
- Texans: Can DeMeco Ryans and Co. build upon last year’s surprising success? “This offseason, the Texans became the first team in NFL history to have a player with 100-plus receptions come out of a season.Stefon Diggs), over 1,000 rushing yards (Joe Mixon), and more than 10 sacks (daniel hunter And Denico Autry) in the same offseason. With all these additions, are the Texans really going to succeed? Super Bowl Contenders? Or, could they be taking a step back after the unexpected debuts of Ryan and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik? The Texans clearly appear to be on the right track, but you’ve got to go out there and prove it, because now the eyes of the NFL world are on you.”
- Colts: Can Anthony Richardson stay healthy? ,It’s a simple question. Can the Colts’ former No. 4 overall pick stay on the field and become a great player? NFL The star? Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, and only completed one NFL game during his first year healthy. Still, Richardson became one of just four players in NFL history to record three or more passing touchdowns and three or more rushing touchdowns in their first four career games. will richardson Would you rather be a dynamic player like Cam Newton? Or someone who’s always struggling to stay on the field?”
- Jaguars: Did they do enough to improve this offseason? “I’m more worried about the Jags’ offseason than Lawrence as the franchise quarterback. Jacksonville replaced Calvin Ridley with Gabe Davisbut also drafted Brian Thomas Jr..in the first round. Maybe he’ll become a stud – but losing your top receiver is notable.
Defensively, I look to the secondary. There were definitely some changes, but the bigger headlines were probably the Jaguars replacing Darius Williams with Ronald Darby at cornerback, and Rayshawn Jenkins For Darnell Savage At safety – though Savage can play some nickel corner. Has the seventh-worst pass defense in the NFL improved from last year?
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Titans: Can Will Lewis prove he’s a franchise QB? “The table is set for Lewis. Tennessee has added an offensive-minded coach who has worked with several big-name quarterbacks during his career, a new left tackle, a new center and some new special weapons in Ridley, tyler boyd And Tony Pollard Working together DeAndre HopkinsLewis’s first nine NFL starts didn’t put him in the Offensive Rookie of the Year discussion by any means, but he did show several flashes that got fans excited — from his four-touchdown start against the Atlanta FalconsImpossible comeback to win miami dolphins In prime time. Lewis has a legitimate NFL arm, and now appears to have a legitimate supporting cast. How far can Tennessee go in 2024 if Lewis takes the next step in his development?”
To read Jordan’s full article, Click here.
4. Lower-round AFC players who could shine in 2024
On Tuesday, we highlighted CBS Sports draft analyst Chris Trapasso’s list of new players in the NFC who were drafted after Day 1 and who could have significant roles in 2024. Now, it’s the AFC’s turn.
Much like the NFC, where we saw players like Puka Nacua and Sam LaPorta emerge as key players for their teams in Year 1 despite not having first-round status, the AFC also had some young players step up, including Dolphins running back Devon Achen.
Here’s a look at some of the players Trapasso has his eye on.
- Jets WR Malachi Corley (third round, 65th overall selection). At 5 foot 11 inches and 215 pounds, Corley is about the same size as young Rockets back Breece Hall, who weighed 5 foot 11 inches and 217 pounds at his combine. While the aerial portion of the offense will run through Wilson, Corley has the unique skill set to contribute immediately. He doesn’t need to master a lot of routes to get open. Most of his targets will be of the schematic-open variety.
- Steelers LB Peyton Wilson (3rd round, 98th overall selection), The less I say about Wilson in Pittsburgh the better. I ranked Wilson as the No. 1 overall pick in my Player-Team Fits article a few weeks ago, so it would be foolish not to highlight him again. In fact, the second-round center Zach Frazier Would have been a wise pick here, too. Both are without a doubt going to play in Year 1. Wilson might be better. This is an extremely talented athlete who was extremely productive as a blitzer, against the run and in coverage at NC State. He had 13 pass breakups and seven interceptions in his five-year tenure with the Wolfpack. And the Steelers were desperate for steady — and explosive — linebacker play a season ago.
- Colts WR Adonai Mitchell (second round, 52nd overall selection)Despite 40-yard dashes, vertical and broad jumps that ranked above the 88th percentile at his position, Mitchell surprisingly fell out of a stacked receiver class. No one expected him to be selected in the 50s. He was hardly a YAC weapon at Texas, but some believed it was due to the mostly perimeter, chain-moving responsibilities he had with the Longhorns after his time at Georgia. Regardless of whether you like Mitchell on film or his analytics profile, there’s no doubt he’s a size and speed specimen with sub-4.40 speed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds.
If you’d like to see a full list of every NFC rookie on Trapasso’s list, Click here,
5. Reporting from Dallas, Philadelphia and New England
Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Teams are either finishing OTAs or starting minicamps this week, and we’ve covered the ground all across the country. I was in Foxborough, Massachusetts, covering the Patriots’ final OTA session before minicamp began on Monday. Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell was in Frisco, Texas, keeping an eye on the Cowboys and Jeff Kerr was in Philadelphia as the two NFC East clubs began minicamp.
6. Extra point: Tua getting impatient with contract talks
The NFL never slows down, so let’s make sure you get even the tiniest of football-related news.
