2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Rumors: Titans, Tunsil, Chiefs, Steelers

March 29th, 2016 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a report on Monday suggested that Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa remains in the mix for the Titans with the first overall pick, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil still appears to be the overwhelming favorite to be Tennessee’s pick, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) outlines. According to Cole, the fact that Tunsil won’t run a 40-yard dash and is dealing with a lingering hamstring issue shouldn’t have any real impact on his draft stock.

Still, while Tunsil is the odds-on favorite to be the first player off the board next month, not everyone agrees he should be. Writing for the Florida Times-Union, Hays Carlyon makes the case that the Titans should select Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey first overall. As Carlyon details, landing Ramsey would fill a hole for Tennessee and would keep a talented defender away from the division-rival Jaguars, who would probably love to grab him with the fifth overall pick.

As we look forward to seeing what Tennessee decides, let’s round up a few more updates from around the AFC…

A report earlier in March suggested that the Chiefs and 49ers had discussed a possible trade that would send De’Anthony Thomas to San Francisco. However, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), Kansas City GM John Dorsey said today that Thomas isn’t going anywhere, denying that he had spoken to the Niners about a deal. Even if the two sides did have a conversation about Thomas, it’s unlikely that Dorsey would confirm it now that the 23-year-old appears likely to stay put.
The Steelers remain on the lookout for defensive line help. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that free agent defensive tackle Mike Martin recently visited Pittsburgh, while Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club will also bring in defensive end Jack Crawford for a visit this week. Martin has been a backup in Tennessee for most of the last four seasons, while Crawford picked up four sacks as a part-timer in Dallas in 2015.
Houston cornerback William Jackson III is visiting the Dolphins today, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link). Jackson projects as a probable first-round pick.
The Texans guaranteed $37MM to a player that the team’s decision-makers had essentially never met, as Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes. Using the Brock Osweiler signing as a point of reference, King makes the case for why the NFL should expand its annual legal tampering period to allow for free agent visits.

Panthers Sign Brandon Boykin

March 29th, 2016 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 11:48am: Boykin’s one-year contract with the Panthers is a minimum salary benefit deal with an $80K signing bonus, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 11:30am: Following his visit to Carolina, the Panthers have signed Brandon Boykin to a contract, according to the team’s official website. Per Max Henson of Panthers.com, it’s a one-year deal for the free agent cornerback.

Boykin, 25, had been one of the more intriguing cornerbacks still available on the free agent market. In 2015, he joined the Steelers, having been sent to Pittsburgh by the Eagles in a trade for a fifth-round pick. However, Boykin played primarily on special teams until the final few weeks of the season — he logged 252 of his 274 regular-season defensive snaps in the Steelers’ last five games.

Despite not seeing significant playing time in Pittsburgh, Boykin ranked as a top-40 cornerback in 2015 (out of 111 qualified players), per Pro Football Focus. The Georgia product has always shown flashes of upside, particularly in his six-interception 2013 campaign, but has never really gotten the opportunity to be a full-time player — he has just seven career starts.

In Carolina, Boykin will likely slot in as the Panthers’ nickel back. Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere project as the probable starters on the outside, with Charles Tillman no longer under contract.

While Boykin didn’t earn a spot on PFR’s top 50 free agent list, we placed him sixth among free agent cornerbacks when we broke down 2016’s top defensive free agents, placing him ahead of veterans like Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson due to his relative youth and upside.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Sign CB Darrin Walls

March 29th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have signed former Jets cornerback Darrin Walls to a contract, the team announced today on its website. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, but a minimum-salary pact seems likely.

Walls, 27, made his NFL debut for the Falcons in 2011, but has spent most of his five-year career with the Jets, appearing in 49 games for New York since 2012. The Notre Dame alum was a starter in 2014, recording 40 tackles on the year to go along with 11 passes defended and a pair of interceptions.

However, after the Jets splurged on cornerbacks like Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine in free agency a year ago, Walls returned a backup and special teams role. In 2015, he saw just 120 defensive snaps and didn’t start a game for Gang Green.

In Detroit, Walls will join a group of cornerbacks that includes Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, and Quandre Diggs, among others. With Rashean Mathis having announced his retirement and Josh Wilson eligible for free agency, the Lions had been in the market for some depth at the position.

Stevan Ridley Visiting Lions

March 29th, 2016 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions are hosting free agent running back Stevan Ridley for a visit today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, Ridley is now two years removed from the major ACL/MCL injury that ended his 2014 season.

A former third-round pick, Ridley averaged 5.1 yards per carry in limited action during his rookie season in 2011, then exploded for 1,263 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012. However, fumbling issues landed him on the bench in New England, and his knee injury limited him in both 2014 and 2015.

After spending his first four years in the NFL with the Patriots, Ridley signed with the Jets last year, but didn’t see the field all that much after coming off the PUP list. With Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell handling the majority of the workload out of the backfield, Ridley took over for Zac Stacy as the No. 3 back and earned just 36 carries, totaling only 90 yards for a career-worst 2.5 yards per attempt.

If he’s healthier this year than he was in 2015 though, Ridley could be worth a flier to see if he can regain anything close to his 2012 form. For the Lions, Ameer Abdullah figures to head into the 2016 season as the No. 1 option on the depth chart, but the club could use some veteran depth after releasing Joique Bell earlier in the offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Rework Contracts For Jordan, Morstead

March 29th, 2016 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have been busy in free agency within the last couple weeks, adding players like Craig Robertson, James Laurinaitis, and Nick Fairley to new contracts while also matching the Bears’ offer sheet for tight end Josh Hill. It wasn’t clear initially how the cap-strapped Saints were creating room for all their new contracts, but Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune has shed some light on the subject.

According to Woodbery, New Orleans has restructured the contracts for defensive end Cameron Jordan and punter Thomas Morstead to create a little cap space. Woodbery writes that the moves have pushed the Saints back up to $3.03MM in available cap space, after that figure had been reduced to $273K last week. Still, the new figure doesn’t include Fairley, so even if the team has room to squeeze in the defensive tackle’s new contract, additional restructures or releases will eventually be required.

For Jordan, it was the second time in two months that the Saints have tweaked his contract, giving him more money up front. In February, the team created $4.8MM in cap room by converting Jordan’s $6MM roster bonus into a signing bonus. Now the club has also converted most of his $3.5MM base salary into a signing bonus — by reducing his salary to $765K, the Saints create a $2.73MM bonus, which will be prorated over five years, opening up $2.184MM in cap space for 2016.

As for Morstead, he got a $2.1MM signing bonus, with his $3MM base salary reduced to $900K. That bonus prorates over three seasons, creating $1.4MM in cap savings for 2016. The veteran punter’s 2017 and 2018 cap numbers have increased to $4.7MM and $4.85MM respectively as a result of the restructure.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Rumors: Foster, Raiders, Brown, Lynch

March 28th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Arian Foster won’t be signing with anyone, anytime soon, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears. The veteran tailback is looking to get completely healthy before he signs, which could mean late May or June. Foster will visit the Dolphins on Tuesday, but it’ll be a while before he puts pen to paper with the Fins or any other squad.

Here’s a look at the AFC:

The Raiders probably won’t make any more major expenditures, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “I’m never done,” Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said last week on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “With all that money, we’re probably done with that big spending, yes, but there’s always ways to improve your roster. It doesn’t have to be a whole lot of big money players.”
The Browns visited today with Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch & Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Titans are set to host Florida safety Keanu Neal on a visit, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Neal, who averaged nearly nine tackles per contest in 2015, could be in consideration for the team’s pick at No. 33 overall.
The Broncos are hosting LSU cornerback Rashard Robinson and Vanderbilt linebacker Stephen Weatherly on visits today, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter).
Illinois State running back Marshaun Coprich worked out privately for the Colts on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Patriots have gathered a ton of intel on Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com writes. The Annapolis star set the NCAA record for touchdowns with 88 and has drawn comparisons to Julian Edelman.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/16

March 28th, 2016 at 8:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

Texans restricted free agent corner A.J. Bouye signed his $1.671MM tender today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Bouye reportedly drew interest from other clubs this offseason, though those interested teams apparently did not think he was worth the forfeiture of a low-round draft pick. The 24-year-old entered the league in 2013 as an undrafted free agent out of UCF and has since made a solid impression on Houston brass.
The Ravens announced (via Twitter) that they have signed exclusive rights free agent Terrence Magee. The running back joined the Ravens’ taxi squad in early December and was promoted to the varsity squad roughly two weeks later. The Ravens are also slated to have Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West, and Trent Richardson on the roster in 2016. With Magee under contract, Baltimore now has 11 ERFAs to address.
The Giants re-signed ERFA tight end Will Tye, as Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets.

Draft Rumors: Tunsil, Nkemdiche, Giants

March 28th, 2016 at 6:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Laremy Tunsil has yet to run the 40-yard-dash and, apparently, he won’t be doing so anytime between now and the draft, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Tunsil, who is a candidate for the No. 1 pick, apparently tweaked his hamstring last Thursday and is therefore reluctant to be timed on the 40. While teams like to be thorough before taking a player high in the draft, one can’t help but wonder if the 40-yard-dash is all that important for an offensive tackle.

Here’s the latest draft news:

Defensive line coaches from the Dolphins and Bengals ran the defensive line workout at Ole Miss’ pro day and tried to break Robert Nkemdiche but they could not, Tony Pauline writes for WalterFootball.com. Everyone in attendance was impressed with his position drills with some calling it a “special workout,” Pauline writes.
The Broncos and Giants will conduct an official visit with Nkemdiche, Pauline writes. While it has been reported that Giants GM Jerry Reese was at Ole Miss’ pro-day to watch Laquon Treadwell, Pauline hears that he was there equally for Nkemdiche.
Treadwell could see his draft stock take a hit after a disappointing performance at the Ole Miss pro day, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Treadwell had a chance to cement himself as the No. 1 wide receiver in the draft at his pro day but, instead he ran a (unofficially timed) 4.63 second 40-yard-dash and posting only 33 inches on his vertical leap. Treadwell’s bad day could open the door for Michael Thomas and Corey Coleman to go ahead of Treadwell next month, Miller says.
Of course, Treadwell drew quite a crowd with wide receiver coaches from the Chargers and Cardinals on hand to see him along with Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and top officials from the Rams, Pauline writes.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link) is hearing first round buzz for former Ohio State standout Braxton Miller. Miller is looking to play wide receiver in the NFL after playing under center earlier in his college career. Miller worked out for the Texans recently and sources tell Miller that Houston sees him as possibility at No. 22. The Bengals, Vikings, and Panthers could also consider Miller late in the first round.

Kaepernick To Broncos Losing Momentum?

March 28th, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Zachary Links

6:17pm: The 49ers are planning to keep Kaepernick and they would fully guarantee his salary today if he was ready to commit to being San Francisco’s quarterback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport’s tone seems to indicate that No. 7 still has hard feelings for Niners brass. In any event, the 49ers do not seem poised to trade him between now and Friday.

5:08pm: The possibility of a trade sending Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos is losing momentum, league sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (video link). One source tells Fowler that while the deal isn’t totally dead, Kaepernick “clearly isn’t [Denver’s] priority right now.”

Time may be ticking for the 49ers if they hope to trade Kaepernick to the Broncos – or any other team – as the quarterback’s $11.9MM 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on Friday (April 1st). It’s conceivable that a team could deal for Kaepernick after that deadline, but in the case of the Broncos, it might be a tough squeeze for them as they have limited cap space and other expenses on the horizon, including a new deal for Von Miller.

Earlier this month, word was that the Broncos told the 49ers they believe that Kaepernick is worth a fourth-round pick. However, Denver did not offer a specific fourth-rounder. Denver’s fourth-rounder for 2016 currently belongs to the Ravens due to a previous trade, but the Broncos do hold the final non-compensatory pick of the third round. Ostensibly, the 49ers are looking for more than that if they are going to deal the one-time face of their franchise.

The Browns and Jets have also been connected to Kaepernick. However, the Jets’ top priority appears to be getting a new deal done with Ryan Fitzpatrick. And, just one week ago, Browns exec Sashi Brown told media members that rumors of his organization’s interest in Kaepernick have been “way over-reported.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Updates: Treadwell, Nkemdiche, Goff

March 28th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The pro day for Ole Miss players took place on Monday, meaning all eyes were on prospects like wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. Treadwell said today that he has private workouts lined up with the Bengals and Dolphins, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). The young wideout met with the 49ers last night, per Tony Pauline at WalterFootball.com.

Nkemdiche had dinner with the Cowboys last night and will officially visit the team’s facility prior to the draft, but Dallas is just one of 14 teams he’s scheduled to visit, according to Pauline. The Niners, Chargers, Raiders, Buccaneers, and Bears are also on the docket for Nkemdiche.

Here are several more draft updates from around the league:

The Eagles invested significant money in a pair of quarterbacks this month, signing Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel to new contracts, but that doesn’t mean the team has entirely ruled out the possibility of drafting one early. Per John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link), Philadelphia is doing its homework on Jared Goff, working out the Cal QB in Berkeley today.
Writing for PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Tony Pauline reports that he has spoken to insiders who believe the Titans are considering Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa with the No. 1 overall pick. The general consensus is that Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil will come off the board first overall, but some of Pauline’s sources believe it’s a “coin flip between Tunsil and Bosa” at this point.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones revealed that, while he hasn’t made any trips yet, he has private workouts scheduled with the Bills and Cardinals.
Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter) adds the Dolphins to the list of teams looking at Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who has been linked to at least five other teams.
Defensive tackle Vernon Butler, a Louisiana Tech product, said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he has a visit with the Bengals lined up for Thursday.