2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

JaMarcus Russell Hopes To Make NFL Comeback

April 26th, 2016 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

As two highly-talented quarterbacks anticipate being selected at the top of the 2016 draft, the quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the 2007 draft is petitioning teams for a second chance. Former Raiders signal caller JaMarcus Russell tells SI.com (video link) that he has penned a letter to all 32 teams looking for a shot.

“As a former NFL player, I understand the daily grind that football operations can be,” Russell wrote (via PFT). “I am prepared to be physically examined and to have my football IQ evaluated. I would sincerely like an opportunity to come to Dallas and meet with you and the coaching staff. I know that my name does not carry much weight in the NFL right now but I am more than the image that others have bestowed on me. I’ve been labeled as a bust, I have been labeled as lazy and I have been the target of many insults by the media. The blame for any negative press that I’ve received rests squarely on my shoulders.”

Russell wowed scouts in workouts with his arm strength and his big 6’6″ frame led many to believe that he was destined for greatness at the next level. However, the LSU product did not deliver in the NFL. From 2007-2009, Russell started 25 games for the Raiders and in the following offseason, Oakland cut him loose. In his short time in the pros, Russell developed a reputation as a player with a weak worth ethic and a penchant for fluctuating on the scales.

In the last six years, no team has showed real interest in signing the former No. 1 pick. It would be surprising if Russell were to land an opportunity today, but that won’t stop him from trying.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins’ Reshad Jones Seeking Extension

April 26th, 2016 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

3:03pm: According to Beasley, Jones is seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $10MM on a new contract, which would put him in line with the league’s highest-paid safeties.

11:02am: Dolphins safety Reshad Jones has told multiple people that he’s not happy with his contract, and is not present for the team’s voluntary minicamp, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, a source close to Jones says the safety plans to sit out the Dolphins’ offseason program unless he gets a new contract extension.

Jones, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, is on the books for base salaries of $7.225MM in 2016 and $7.06MM in 2017, with accompanying cap hits of $8.203MM and $8.038MM, respectively. His current four-year, $28MM+ contract makes him the highest-paid strong safety in the NFL, though he doesn’t rank among the top five highest-paid safeties overall.

A fifth-round pick in 2010, Jones has been a starter for the Dolphins for most of his career, and played all 16 games in 2015, setting new career-highs in tackles (135), passes defended (10), and interceptions (five), returning two of those picks for touchdowns. Pro Football Focus ranked Jones as the 13th-best safety in the NFL, out of 89 qualified players. Of those 89 safeties, only two received higher grades as run defenders than Jones did.

Although Jones is sitting out for now, it remains to be seen whether he’d be willing to hold out during training camp – and possibly into the regular season – in order to get a new deal. Since the 28-year-old still has two years remaining on his current contract, the Dolphins may be reluctant to make any major changes to that pact quite yet, even though they want to extend him eventually, as Salguero writes.

If the Dolphins don’t make any concessions, and Jones does opt for a holdout, it could result in a stand-off similar to the one between the Seahawks and Kam Chancellor last year. Chancellor, whose contract is very similar to Jones’, held out for a new deal in 2015, but his team refused to budge, and the Pro Bowler ultimately reported to Seattle for the third week of the regular season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Saints, Browns, Treadwell, Vikes

April 26th, 2016 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Saints “had talks” about potentially moving up to the No. 1 pick, before Tennessee ultimately sent the pick to Los Angeles. At the time, I noted that it wasn’t clear whether Rapoport was suggesting New Orleans actually engaged the Titans in trade talks, or whether the Saints simply had internal discussions about the possibility.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, however, a source said the Saints had no talks about trading for the first overall pick. Once again, it’s not entirely clear whether Triplett is referring to discussions between the Saints and Titans, or simply internal conversations in New Orleans, so it’s possible he and Rapoport are on different pages. In any case, it seems as though the team was never serious about the idea of moving way up in the first round.

In fact, that source tells Triplett that the Saints are more likely to trade down than up, adding that the idea of drafting quarterback Paxton Lynch appears to be a long shot, at best. The club is more likely to add a QB in the middle rounds of the draft, says Triplett.

With the start of the draft just a little over two days away, let’s round up several more updates and rumors from around the league…

The Browns remain “wide open” to the possibility of trading down from No. 8, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a full column detailing draft-day trade scenarios for the Browns and a handful of other teams, La Canfora goes into more detail, suggesting that Cleveland wouldn’t mind landing Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell or possibly Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin.
Speaking today to reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he has heard from a couple teams about trades involving the No. 23 pick. Both scenarios would involve the Vikings trading down, while one of the two would mean moving out of the first round entirely.
In his final Scouting Notebook before the draft, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report provides a ton of interesting tidbits, touching briefly on each of the league’s 32 teams to discuss which players or positions they’ll be targeting.
Clemson safety T.J. Green, Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, and USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens are all receiving consideration in the back half of the first round, according to tweets from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, respectively.

AFC Rumors: Ravens, Bosa, Brady, Steelers

April 26th, 2016 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens are prioritizing pass rushers, including Ohio State’s Joey Bosa, with the sixth overall pick, an industry source tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. With no clear answers for how the draft will play out beyond the top two picks, it’s not clear which players will be available when Baltimore prepares to make its selection. It’s possible that Bosa and Oregon’s DeForest Buckner will both still be on the board at No. 6, but there’s also a chance that both players could be gone by then.

Of course, while Baltimore likes Bosa, Buckner may not even be an option for the club. According to Hensley, if Bosa is picked in the top five, the Ravens favor taking a player like Clemson’s Shaq Lawson or Georgia’s Leonard Floyd. Bosa, Lawson, and Floyd all project as potential outside linebackers for 3-4 teams, whereas Buckner would likely be a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

In theory, the NFLPA and the NFL could reach a settlement to resolve the Tom Brady/Deflategate situation at any time, but in reality, such an agreement remains very unlikely, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio observes, the league has most of the leverage now, and hasn’t shown any willingness in the past to settle. With the Patriots‘ starting quarterback once again facing a four-game suspension, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explores some ways the team could add depth at the QB position.
In a pair of Steelers-related pieces, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discusses Jarvis Jones‘ long-term future – or possible lack thereof – in Pittsburgh, while Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the team’s history of avoiding cornerbacks in the first round.
Garrett Graham‘s one-year deal with the Broncos is for the veteran’s minimum and includes an $80K signing bonus, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a split contract for the veteran tight end.
The Jets are expressing interest in Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton as a priority undrafted free agent, says Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Buffalo offensive tackle John Kling has received interest from the Jaguars, according to Wilson, who tweets that Jacksonville could be a landing spot for Kling.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Sam Bradford, Trade Request

April 26th, 2016 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After a report surfaced on Monday suggesting that Sam Bradford – or his agent – had asked for a trade out of Philadelphia, agent Tom Condon appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio confirming as much. According to Condon, the Eagles haven’t given him permission to seek out possible trades for Bradford, and his client won’t be at voluntary workouts (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).

As Condon explained, Bradford was “very happy” with the contract he signed in March with the Eagles, but became less thrilled about his situation when the team also added Chase Daniel and traded for the No. 2 overall pick (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio).

“From our perspective… Sam wants the opportunity to try to go some place and not only be the starter, but be the starter there long-term,” Condon said, per Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com. “He doesn’t view himself as somebody that’s a stop-gap kind of quarterback and he wants to go some place and take a chance on being with a team for a long time and I can’t blame him for that.”

Here’s more on the Bradford situation, which we’ll be monitoring closely this week:

As we heard yesterday, in spite of Bradford’s trade request, the Eagles aren’t seriously considering trading the former first overall pick, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, in these situations, a team is generally always willing to trade the player if the price is right, but the Eagles appear just as willing to move forward with Bradford on the roster.
The Bills and Browns were among the teams to express interest in Bradford last year, and could join the Broncos among the potential landing spots for the veteran signal-caller if the Eagles do decide to make a move, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole notes, the $11MM signing bonus that was part of Bradford’s new contract makes a potential trade very tricky for the Eagles, since it will be hard to extract fair value.
Mike Klis of 9NEWS is extremely skeptical that the 49ers will become a viable suitor for Bradford, suggesting (via Twitter) that Howie Roseman would have no interest in helping Chip Kelly.

Bengals Release A.J. Hawk

April 26th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have created a little cap room and helped to clear a linebacker logjam by releasing veteran defender A.J. Hawk, the team announced today (via Twitter). Alex Marvez of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Hawk would be cut by Cincinnati.

[RELATED: Bengals sign Karlos Dansby]

Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lose season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.

Hawk’s contract called for a $1.1MM base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $100K workout bonus for 2016. Because none of that money has been paid yet, and the contract didn’t feature a signing bonus, the Bengals will clear Hawk’s entire $1.4MM cap hit from their books by releasing him. The former fifth overall pick won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll be immediately eligible to sign with a new team.

Even without Hawk in the mix, the Bengals have several options for their three starting linebacker spots. The club added Karlos Dansby in free agency, and also have Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, and Vincent Rey on the roster, though Burfict will serve a three-game suspension to open the regular season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Saints, Seahawks, Hayden

April 26th, 2016 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers were one of several teams who talked with the Panthers about a possible trade for Josh Norman before his franchise tag was rescinded, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. However, the talks didn’t get far. It’s worth noting that Norman would have had to either sign his franchise tag or agree to a long-term deal in order to make such a trade possible. The 49ers were one of many clubs to be connected to Norman when he became an unrestricted free agent last week but they ultimately did not land him.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC…

Before the Titans sent the No. 1 overall pick to Los Angeles, the Saints had discussions about moving up to No. 1 for a quarterback, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear whether New Orleans actually engaged in talks with the Titans, or simply discussed the idea internally, but Rapoport wonders if the team will target Paxton Lynch in the first round.
Free agent defensive tackle Nick Hayden visited the Seahawks on Monday, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Hayden has started 60 career NFL games, including 47 over the last three seasons in Dallas, making him one of the more experienced interior defenders still available on the open market.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) adds the Saints to the list of clubs that have worked out Cal running back Daniel Lasco in the weeks leading up to the draft. Lasco, whose stock is believed to be on the rise, worked out for at least five other teams besides New Orleans.
German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer expects to be selected in the draft this week, but if he isn’t picked, the Vikings would be a leading candidate to sign him as an undrafted free agent, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
The Buccaneers will bring in offensive lineman Nate Chandler and Brandon Mosley as tryout players for their three-day minicamp this week, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Chandler can play both tackle and guard.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Panthers Pick Up Star Lotulelei’s 2017 Option

April 26th, 2016 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 26, 9:24am: The Panthers have formally exercised Lotulelei’s fifth-year option for 2017, the team announced today via Panthers.com.

MARCH 23, 11:25am: Lotulelei’s fifth-year option will be worth $6.757MM, according to former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

MARCH 22, 2:18pm: The Panthers will exercise the fifth-year option on defensive tackle Star Lotulelei‘s contract, general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed today (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com). The move will keep Lotulelei under contract with the Panthers through the 2017 season.

Lotulelei, the 14th overall pick in 2013, has been a full-time starter for the Panthers since joining the team three years ago. In 14 games in 2015, the 26-year-old recorded 22 tackles to go along with a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

While Lotulelei has been a solid addition to Carolina’s defensive line, he struggled last season, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson speculated in his Panthers offseason preview that the lingering effects of a foot injury may have hampered the Utah product to a certain extent. Although Dallas fully expected the team to pick up Lotulelei’s option, he noted that a potential extension may be put on the back-burner as Carolina prioritizes a new deal for another defensive lineman, Kawann Short.

The exact value of Lotulelei’s fifth-year option isn’t yet known. A year ago, the fifth-year option figure for defensive tackles was set at $6.146MM, but it will increase a little this time around.

In other Panthers news, Gettleman confirmed that the team still has interest in re-signing free agent defensive tackle Kyle Love, and remain in talks with him, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys Rumors: Elliott, Bosa, Backup QB

April 26th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys are on record as saying that they are comfortable heading into 2016 with their current group of running backs, but team COO Stephen Jones said on Monday that he views Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott as a player “worthy of being in the top 10” (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News)

“Where we ultimately end up with him is still a work in progress,” Jones said. “He’s obviously a very quality-type player and seems like he’s pretty much universally looked at as a guy who deserves to be in that category.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is said to be a big fan of Elliott, but it remains to be seen whether the club views him as a difference-maker worthy of the fourth overall pick.

Here’s more on the Cowboys:

According to Jerry Jones, the most likely draft-day scenario right now is that the Cowboys will stay at No. 4 in the draft, rather than moving up or down, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Jones also said that the Cowboys will select the best player available when they are up at No. 4 (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram).
Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa is one player potentially in the mix for the Cowboys at No. 4, and Jerry Jones insists that the club has no potential off-field concerns for Bosa. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out, Bosa missed the 2015 season opener due to a violation of team rules that was rumored to be related to marijuana use, and the Cowboys have two pass rushers currently facing suspensions, so it would be a factor worth strongly considering.
The Cowboys still aren’t sure how they’ll address their backup quarterback situation, and haven’t ruled out signing or trading for a veteran, or addressing the position in the draft, Williams writes in a separate Star-Telegram piece. “For whatever the reason, we weren’t able to secure a guy we were comfortable with,” Stephen Jones said. “I do think there are other options out there that we can add depth to where we are, as to where we sit today.”
While drafting a developmental quarterback is a possibility for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones doesn’t view landing Tony Romo‘s eventual replacement as something the team has to do in this year’s draft (Associated Press report via ESPN.com).
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr accepted a pay cut on Monday. You can read about that story right here.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Washington Optimistic About Kirk Cousins Extension

April 25th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

After watching a division rival pay a king’s ransom to take a chance on a rookie quarterback, Washington GM Scot McCloughan has probably been reminded of the value of a reliable signal caller. Apparently, contract talks between the team and its starting QB are going rather well. McCloughan says talks on a long term-extension with Kirk Cousins are “positive,” as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes. The GM added that he thinks a deal is within reach between now and the deadline.

[Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram To See Sneak Peak Of Josh Norman In His New Jersey!]

Washington used the franchise tag to cuff Cousins last month and the QB subsequently inked the ~$20MM tender. However, both sides are interested in working out a long-term deal and they’ll have less than two months between now and the July 15 deadline to make something happen. Cousins reportedly wants a “legitimate” franchise quarterback offer before he considers signing a long-term deal with Washington. That would suggest that he’s seeking a big money deal with fiscal security rather than something like the deals signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton, which carry considerable cash but are lacking in the way of guarantees.

It is now perhaps more imperative than ever for Washington to sign Cousins to a long-term deal. Days ago, Washington shook hands with cornerback Josh Norman on a deal which will carry a $20MM cap hit in 2017. If Washington were to exercise the franchise tag on Cousins next season at $24MM, more than 25% of its cap space would be dedicated to two players.

Cousins, 27, became Washington’s full-time starting quarterback for the first time last season, earning 16 of his 25 career starts in 2015. The four-year veteran finished the regular season on a tear, completing 74% of his passes for nearly 1,200 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 134.0 quarterback rating over the final four weeks of the year.

That end-of-season run helped Cousins cement his standing as a quarterback Washington couldn’t afford to lose, but his first 12 games weren’t too bad either. For the season, Cousins thew 29 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, led the league in completion percentage (69.8%), and helped Washington win its first division title since 2012.

Cousins is represented by agent Mike McCartney.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.