2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Out On Nick Fairley; Saints Favorites

March 25th, 2016 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots will drop out of the running for defensive tackle Nick Fairley, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport adds that it’s an indication Fairley is expected to sign with the Saints.

While there’s no official word yet that Fairley and the Saints have a deal in place, New England and New Orleans were reportedly the only two clubs to formally meet with the 28-year-old. The Jets and Eagles had also been viewed as teams with interest in Fairley, who said earlier this week that he was still talking to the Rams as well.

A free agent a year ago, Fairley signed a one-year pact with the Rams, and was a rotational piece on the team’s talented defensive line in 2015, appearing in less than 40% of the defensive snaps. Although he wasn’t a full-time player and his counting stats were modest (29 tackles and 0.5 sacks), the former first-round pick graded out as a top-25 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus.

If the Saints do end up officially landing Fairley, the team will have to make at least one cap-clearing move to accommodate the signing. After the terms of the the club’s agreement with James Laurinaitis were confirmed today, the NFLPA now lists New Orleans as having less than $1MM in cap space, and that count doesn’t include the Saints’ deal with linebacker Craig Robertson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Jets, Fitzpatrick, Chiefs, Pats, Colts

March 25th, 2016 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

When it comes to potentially re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets would like to do a contract containing incentives, but the quarterback’s camp has resisted that idea, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post.

That’s an interesting tidbit, since QB contracts that feature playing-time and performance incentives are often used for backups, not starters. Chase Daniel‘s deal with the Eagles is one such example, and – perhaps not coincidentally – it has been cited as a comparable for the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick. Daniel’s three-year contract has a base value of $21MM, with a max value of $36MM if he ends up starting and hitting incentives.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Paxton Lynch has a Friday meeting lined up with the Chiefs, according to Chris Boyle of The Daytona Beach News-Journal (via Twitter). The Memphis product has met with other teams, including the Cowboys, who plan on getting an additional look at him between now and the draft.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti pointed to pass rushers and cornerbacks as two types of players he’d like to see Baltimore continue to add this offseason, as Garrett Dowling of BaltimoreRavens.com outlines. Speaking specifically about pass rushers, Bisciotti offered: “We have to fill those spots with constant pressure. You need five pass rushers in the rotation.”
The Patriots worked out speedy UCLA receiver Devin Fuller earlier this week, and also have a private workout with University of Houston wideout Demarcus Ayers, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
The signing of cornerback Patrick Robinson won’t necessarily be the last move the Colts make in free agency before the draft, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. As Holder notes, GM Ryan Grigson has said the team will “lay in the weeds,” monitoring the market to see if any ideal opportunities arise.
The Chargers met with former Buffalo tight end Matt Weiser this week, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). The 6’4″, 245-pound athlete had the second most catches (63) of any tight end in the country last year. However, Weiser did not make the cut in Walter Football’s top 15 list of tight ends for the 2016 draft.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Saints Sign James Laurinaitis

March 25th, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Connor J. Byrne

MARCH 25, 9:55am: Laurinaitis’ three-year deal has a base value of $8.5MM, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links). More details on the deal:

Signing bonus: $1.8MM
Workout bonus: $50K annually
Roster bonuses: $250K in 2017 and 2018 (due on third day of respective league years)
Incentives: Up to $500K annually via playing time and team ranking
Annual base salaries $900K (2016), $2.45MM (2017), $2.45MM (2018)
Annual cap hits: $1.55MM (2016), $3.35MM (2017), $3.35MM (2018)

MARCH 17, 3:35pm: The Saints have officially confirmed their agreement with Laurinaitis, announcing that it’s a three-year contract for the veteran linebacker (Twitter link).

MARCH 16, 8:30pm: The Saints and free agent linebacker James Laurinaitis have agreed to a deal, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. Details of the contract aren’t yet available.

After the Rams released Laurinaitis last month, the 29-year-old made two confirmed visits. One was with the Saints, who beat out the other – the NFC South rival Falcons – for his services.

Laurinaitis will add durability and productivity to a Saints defense that ranked 31st in the NFL last season. The ex-Ohio State standout has never missed a game or a start since entering the league in 2009, suiting up 112 consecutive times. He’s also fresh off his seventh 100-tackle campaign in a row and has racked up 16.5 sacks and 10 interceptions during his career.

Laurinaitis added 109 tackles, an interception, a sack and a forced fumble last season, but Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated his performance a below-average 83rd out of 97 qualifying LBs. He graded out especially poorly against the run, which doesn’t seem to bode well for the Saints – who allowed the league’s highest yards-per-carry average last season (4.9).

In New Orleans, Laurinaitis will join a corps of linebackers that was likely to feature Stephone Anthony, Hau’oli Kikaha and Dannell Ellerbe in starting roles. It’s unclear how the addition of Laurinaitis – a middle linebacker who played 99.7 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps last season – will impact Anthony. After the Saints took him in the first round of last year’s draft, Anthony started all 16 of their games, made 112 tackles, forced two fumbles, and added a sack and an interception while manning the middle of their defense.

In addition to Laurinaitis, the Saints inked linebacker Nate Stupar on Wednesday. He’s mainly a contributor on special teams, however. Previously, the Saints made changes to their LB group by releasing David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber in February.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

RGIII Leftovers: Jets, Broncos, Draft, McCown

March 25th, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

With Robert Griffin III now a member of the Browns, the Jets have lost one of their backup plans at quarterback, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. According to Mehta, RGIII would have been an “acceptable fallback choice with upside” for the Jets, who continue to prioritize Ryan Fitzpatrick. With their alternatives dwindling, the Jets should increase their offer to Fitzpatrick and get something done, in Mehta’s view.

Here are a few more reactions to Griffin’s new deal in Cleveland:

Having lost Brock Osweiler to Houston, Broncos GM John Elway briefly considered RGIII as an option in Denver, but after making some phone calls, Elway had concerns about the signal-caller’s character, says Mike Klis of 9NEWS. According to Klis, the team never reached out to Griffin’s camp to express interest.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports suggests the Browns were the only team with legit interest in RGIII, noting that teams in need of a backup like the Cowboys and Chiefs never engaged.
In a slideshow at Cleveland.com, Mary Kay Cabot breaks down five things the Griffin signing means for the Browns, suggesting that the team will likely still draft a quarterback early, and that Josh McCown figures to be a goner.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com echoes the idea that the Browns should still select a quarterback early in the draft, writing that signing Griffin is just the start of the team’s QB search — not the end of it.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the contract signed by the former second overall pick, explaining that the deal suggests the Browns gave him the best chance to start. As Fitzgerald points out, if Griffin thought he could get a starting job somewhere, it might have made more sense to take a one-year, prove-it deal to try to land a bigger contract a year from now — instead, he locked himself into a two-year pact that will be team-friendly if he ends up starting and playing well.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson was extremely impressed with what he saw from Griffin when the QB worked out for the team last week, as Jeff Darlington of NFL.com details. Given Jackson’s reputation for understanding quarterbacks “as well as anyone,” his endorsement helped convince the team to get a deal done.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Draft, Vikings, Washington

March 24th, 2016 at 8:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter likes his group of receivers but he says that he could also add to that group in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes.

“I feel fine about our receiving corps. Obviously, at the top with [Vincent Jackson] and [Mike Evans],” Koetter said. “I’m not a believer that Vincent Jackson is anywhere close to being done. I think both of his injuries were extremely freakish last year. He happened to take a helmet right on the knee in both instances. Vincent is a fast healer. I think Mike is going to have a rebound year if we can call 1,200 yards a bad season.”

Beyond Evans and Jackson, Koetter has young wide receivers Adam Humphries, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, and Kenny Bell plus veterans Louis Murphy and Russell Shepard. Koetter isn’t ruling out adding to that group in the draft, but it’d be a shocker of Tampa Bay went receiver at No. 9 overall.

Here’s a look at the NFC:

Coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t believe that the Vikings have to add a veteran wide receiver before next season, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. “We had a receiver here that was making a lot of money that really didn’t do what we needed to do,” Zimmer said. “So I don’t know that it’s a necessity to go out and sign another wide receiver. We’ve got to get better with the guys we’ve got, and we’ve got to fix other areas that can allow these receivers to be more effective in the games.”
Washington coach Jay Gruden says he’s “very concerned” about the team’s safety depth, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Duke Inenacho and David Bruton are competing for a starting job at strong safety but both players are coming off injuries. Banking on Ihenacho is especially risky as he has missed most of the past two seasons with injuries.
The 49ers worked out Buffalo offensive tackle John Kling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). As previously reporters, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman has also auditioned for the Chargers.

Patriots Sign Nate Washington

March 24th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

7:06pm: It’s a one-year deal for Washington, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).

4:04pm: The Patriots officially announced the deal.

3:43pm: The Patriots are signing veteran free agent receiver Nate Washington, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement between Washington and the Pats aren’t yet known.

Washington, 32, had been one of the more intriguing wideouts still available on the free agent market. While he doesn’t necessarily have the big-name appeal of players like Roddy White, Andre Johnson, or Marques Colston, Washington hasn’t seen his production fall off in recent years, and continues to perform well as a complementary target.

In 2015, his first and only season as a Texan, Washington played in 14 games, grabbing 47 balls for 658 yards and four touchdowns. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), spending a season in Bill O’Brien‘s offense in Houston will likely help Washington make the transition to the Pats, O’Brien’s old team. Reiss adds that the veteran worked out for New England last week.

The Patriots have been active this month adding pass catchers for Tom Brady. In addition to striking a deal with Washington, the team has also signed wideout Chris Hogan and traded for tight end Martellus Bennett. With Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and others already on the roster, it’s looking increasingly like there may not be room for Amendola and his $6.8MM+ cap charge, though that’s just my speculation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills To Sign Leonard Hankerson

March 24th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Leonard Hankerson took to Twitter to announce that he is signing with the Bills. It’s a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Earlier this week, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said that the team was “really close” to inking Hankerson to a new deal. Hankerson, 27, first joined the Bills in late December after they claimed him off waivers from the Patriots. The veteran was only active for one game with the Bills, just as he was only active for one game with the Pats.

Prior to his forgettable walk through the AFC East in 2015, Hankerson appeared in eight games for Atlanta before being waived, compiling 26 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns in that span. Hankerson will look for a rebound year in 2016 with an eye on replicating his production from 2012 with Washington when he caught 38 passes for 543 yards and three touchdowns.

Thanks to the departure of Chris Hogan, Hankerson has a shot at weekly relevance once again. As it stands, he could find a nice role for himself behind top Buffalo receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. Last year’s No. 3 wideout Chris Hogan joined up with the Patriots in free agency this offseason and Percy Harvin is still toying with the idea of retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Treadwell, Bengals, Lawson

March 24th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell says the Bengals, Browns, Bears, and Cowboys have shown interest in him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first-round prospect also identified “New York” as a team with interest, but it’s not clear if that’s in reference to the Jets or Giants. San Francisco, which owns the No. 7 pick in the draft, has been said to have interest in Treadwell.

Here’s the latest news on the 2016 NFL Draft:

Clemson DE Shaq Lawson has (or has had) visits/workouts with the Cowboys and 49ers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). The Jets, Titans, Saints, Panthers, and Browns have also linked up with Lawson, per previous reports. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) opines that Lawson is a top 10 talent.
Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com was on hand for Carson Wentz‘s pro day and he felt that it was “a very good workout, but not a great workout.” Pauline feels that Wentz is usually high off the mark when he misses, forcing receivers to get airborne in order to make a reception. However, Wentz is getting “sensational” marks when it comes to his personal character.
Wentz’s teammate at North Dakota State, offensive lineman Joseph Haeg, is being viewed as a top 100 pick, per Pauline. Haeg is seen mostly as a right tackle or guard, but some feel that he can play any offensive line position that isn’t center.
Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins has (or has had) workouts and/or visits with the Vikings and Colts, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). It was previously reported that Oakland, New England, and New Orleans have all checked out Jenkins.
Florida safety Keanu Neal has been invited to Chicago for the NFL Draft, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Neal had a 38-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump at the NFL Draft Combine and has intrigued teams with his athleticism. Some evaluators see Neal sneaking into the first round. Atlanta has interest in Neal, who was recruited to Florida by coach Dan Quinn when he was the Gators’ defensive coordinator.
Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman has workouts and/or visits set with the 49ers, Bengals, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Browns, Getlin tweets.
USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens will visit/work out for the Falcons, Panthers, Colts, Bills, Patriots, Saints, and Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel spent time with the Lions and Chargers on Thursday, according to Pauline.
Alabama offensive lineman Dominick Jackson, who Pauline opines is one of the more versatile and underrated guard/tackle prospects in the draft, worked out for the Buccaneers this week.
Campbell defensive tackle Greg Milhouse has official visits set up with the Giants and Lions, per Pauline.
Nebraska offensive lineman Zach Sterup has an official visit set up with the Giants, Pauline writes.

Chargers’ Jahleel Addae Signs Tender

March 24th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

MARCH 24: Addae has officially signed his tender, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Addae is slated to start at safety opposite of Dwight Lowery in 2016.

MARCH 9: The Chargers have applied the second-round tender to safety Jahleel Addae, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. The tender would pay Addae $2.553MM in 2016.

Addae went from an undrafted free agent to a starter with the Chargers. Safeties are always in high demand, so the Bolts took an extra step to insure that they would not lose the 26-year-old. In 13 games last season (12 starts), Addae totaled 64 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass deflections, and 1 fumble recovery.

Falcons Re-Sign Philip Wheeler

March 24th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

4:40pm: The Falcons formally announced the deal, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

3:15pm: The Falcons have re-signed veteran linebacker Philip Wheeler, the team formally announced today in a press release. The news comes on the heels of head coach Dan Quinn confirming at the owners’ meetings this week that the two sides remained engaged in talks.

[RELATED: Courtney Upshaw visiting Falcons]

Wheeler, 31, began his career with the Colts after being selected in the third round of the 2008 draft. He spent four years in Indianapolis, one in Oakland, and two in Miami before joining the Falcons for the 2015 campaign. Appearing in nine game for Atlanta (two starts), Wheeler recorded 29 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.

Wheeler saw most of his 2015 playing time in the second half of the season, and may earn an increased role in 2016, but the Falcons have already ensured that linebacker Paul Worrilow received an RFA tender, and brought back Sean Weatherspoon in free agency, so we’ll have to wait and see how the defensive snaps shake out on Atlanta’s linebacking corps.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.