2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens, Dennis Pitta Restructure Contract

April 16th, 2016 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 8:20am: The Ravens officially announced the contract restructuring, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.

“Dennis wants to continue his playing career, and we want to give him that opportunity,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said (via Mink). “We have reworked his contract, and we’re excited to help him with his comeback. Everyone here wants Dennis to succeed.”

“I am thankful for this opportunity to continue my career,” added Pitta. “I’m excited to get back to work with my teammates and for this organization. Physically, I feel great and am ready to begin building toward a successful 2016 season.”

FRIDAY, 7:52am: Pitta’s base salary has been reduced from $5MM to $1MM, resulting in a cap hit of $3.2MM for 2016, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the tight end’s new deal has injury waivers for 2016, 2017, and 2018.

TUESDAY, 10:55am: Just hours after a report indicated that tight end Dennis Pitta had decided to continue his NFL career, Pitta and the Ravens have agreed to a restructured contract that will reduce his cap number, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Zrebiec adds that Pitta could officially sign the new deal as early as today.

Pitta, who has missed the majority of the last two seasons due to major hip injuries, consulted with doctors before making his decision to attempt a comeback in 2016. He’ll be in attendance at Baltimore’s offseason program in the hopes of making it back on the field this summer. Although he has received the go-ahead from medical professionals, he’ll still need to be cleared by the Ravens’ team doctors, who advised him last fall not to return to the field in 2015.

The 30-year-old had been owed a $5MM base salary this season, with an overall cap hit of $7.2MM. However, that salary was non-guaranteed, and considering Pitta has not appeared in an NFL game since September of 2014, it was unrealistic not to expect some sort of adjustment to his contract.

Although specific details on Pitta’s reworked deal aren’t yet known, Zrebiec tweets that the veteran tight end will have the opportunity to make back some of that $5MM via incentives. If the restructured contract includes per-game roster bonuses, they won’t initially count against Baltimore’s cap for 2016 — since Pitta didn’t play in any games last season, those bonuses would be viewed as not likely to be earned.

In addition to proving that he’s healthy, Pitta will also have to beat out some competition in training camp to earn a spot on the Ravens’ 53-man roster. Recent draftees Maxx Williams, Crockett Gillmore, and Nick Boyle are in the tight end mix, along with free agent signee Ben Watson, among others. Boyle will start the 2016 season on the suspended list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Broncos, Kaepernick, P. Lynch, Bears

April 15th, 2016 at 10:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The blockbuster trade between the Rams and Titans that saw Los Angeles acquire the first pick in the draft, with which it will presumably select a quarterback, could have a notable ripple effect on the Broncos’ pursuit of Colin Kaepernick, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. If the Rams take Cal signal-caller Jared Goff and the Browns, who hold the second choice, prefer Goff to North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, it might lead Cleveland to trade down with a team that wants Wentz. If that team isn’t San Francisco, which is scheduled to pick seventh, it could result in the 49ers closing the door on trading Kaepernick. Renck doesn’t expect the 49ers to deal him without a legitimate solution at quarterback in place, and their best non-Kaepernick option right now is the less-than-stellar Blaine Gabbert.

Latest On Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel

April 15th, 2016 at 9:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In the latest inauspicious chapter in the lives of Browns receiver Josh Gordon and free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel, someone identifying himself as Gordon was with Manziel at a rented home in Los Angeles that had incurred damage, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Further, alcohol and what appeared to be drugs were visible, rental agency owner Nicholas Goodwin told Cabot.

“I didn’t recognize Josh because he’s not as recognizable as Johnny,” Goodwin stated. “I sat and talked to him and said ‘how do you know these guys?’ He goes, ‘I played with Johnny over at Cleveland.’ I said, your name? He said ‘Josh Gordon.’ And I was like ‘wow, OK, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for these guys to be hanging out together.'”

While Goodwin said he didn’t witness either Gordon or Manziel engage in drug or alcohol use, he claimed to see what appeared to be cocaine on a table. Goodwin also saw substances that looked like mushrooms and marijuana when Gordon and Manziel were in the home, in which they partied from April 4-6, he said. As a result of the damage done to the home, Manziel has been served with a legal demand for nearly $32K in damages, Cabot writes.

Gordon’s troubles are particularly frustrating given that he looked like one of the premier players in football in 2013, the last time he took the field for an extended period of time. In 14 games that year, Gordon racked up 87 receptions, a jaw-dropping 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. However, various substance abuse-related suspensions have cost Gordon 29 of the Browns’ last 48 games. He missed all of the 2015 season thanks to a positive alcohol test and could also sit out the 2016 campaign after the NFL denied his petition for reinstatement this week on the heels of another failed substance test.

Gordon, who turned 25 on Wednesday, will have a chance to reapply for reinstatement Aug. 1. However, the league will keep the ban in place if his off-field behavior doesn’t do a 180. The league’s decision to not reinstate Gordon came after it collected a tainted urine sample from him in March. Both the “A” and “B” samples were flagged as diluted and came up positive for marijuana. While the actual level of marijuana was below the 35 nanograms per milliliter required for a positive test, the diluted sample is considered a positive test.

Unlike Gordon, Manziel – a 2014 first-round pick – hasn’t shown much promise on the field. Manziel’s off-field behavior has been far worse than his on-field performance, though, as his checkered history helped lead the Browns to release him over the winter and has stopped teams from pursing him as a free agent. Super agent Drew Rosenhaus, who began representing Manziel in March, announced earlier this week he would drop the 23-year-old as a client if he didn’t seek treatment for his substance abuse problems. That came after Erik Burkhardt, Manziel’s previous agent, publicly cut ties with the former Texas A&M star in early February. Rosenhaus told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he is only thinking about the QB’s well-being.

“This is a life or death situation right now,” Rosenhaus said. “This is not about football. I’m not going to stand by and watch him injure himself.”

Rosenhaus provided an update on the situation Friday, suggesting to Mike Florio on PFT Live that he doesn’t think he and Manziel are “on the same page” about the life changes the ex-Brown needs to make.

After a storied college career which included winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012, Manziel has made just eight starts in the NFL, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. It’s difficult to imagine Manziel ever setting foot on an NFL field again without a complete turnaround away from the gridiron. Unfortunately, though, an off-field about-face doesn’t appear imminent.

Zach Links contributed to this report. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Jaylon Smith, Cowboys, Broncos

April 15th, 2016 at 7:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith – once considered a sure bet to be one of the top picks in this year’s draft – is expected to sit out next season as a result of the torn ACL and MCL he suffered New Year’s Day, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Smith’s medical re-check Friday didn’t look much different than the report from the combine, when he failed multiple teams’ physicals, tweets Rapoport. The news isn’t necessarily a death knell to Smith’s career, however, as Rapoport adds that “many teams” believe he’ll return to full strength come 2017. While Smith’s first-round hopes appear dashed, he’s still a possibility for Day 2 (the second or third round), per Rapoport (via Twitter). That, however, will hinge largely on a team’s willingness to make a high-risk, high-reward selection in the early going.

Here’s more of the latest draft news:

The Cowboys have visited with and/or worked out Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shepard put up tremendous production last season (86 catches, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns) and could be a fit for the Cowboys in the second round.
In addition to the previously reported Lions, Auburn offensive tackle Shon Coleman has visited the Buccaneers, Panthers, Patriots, Titans and Vikings, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Clemson second-team all-ACC linebacker B.J. Goodson has had six visits, three of which have been with the Jaguars, Broncos and Dolphins (reported earlier this week), writes Wilson.
The Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers and Chiefs are all interested in Bowling Green receiver/returner Ryan Burbring, per Wilson (on Twitter).
Arizona State guard Christian Westerman has worked out for the Bengals and Saints, he told Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, adding that he has an upcoming workout for the Broncos (Twitter link).
The Texans are showing “steady interest” in William & Mary linebacker Luke Rhodes, Wilson writes. They also have interest in Toledo defensive lineman Orion Jones, a source told Wilson.
Connecticut safety Junior Lee has privately worked out for both New York teams – the Giants and Jets – as well as the Colts, reports Wilson (Twitter link).

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/16

April 15th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler will officially stay with the team after signing his exclusive rights tender, Ben Swanson of DenverBroncos.com writes. Fowler, undrafted out of Michigan State in 2014, took the field in all 16 of the Super Bowl champions’ regular-season games and tallied 16 receptions, 203 yards, and a touchdown. He also added a key 31-yard grab on a third-and-12 play in the Broncos’ second-round playoff win over the Steelers.
Center Sam Brenner joined Fowler in signing his ERFA tender with the Broncos, per Swanson. The Broncos claimed Brenner off waivers in November, and he ended up on the team’s active roster for eight of its regular-season contests and its entire playoff run. Brenner was previously a member of the Dolphins, with whom he appeared in 10 games (four starts) from 2013-15.
Bears receiver Josh Bellamy posted a picture of himself on social media signing his exclusive rights tender with the club, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Bellamy, 26, saw action in all 16 of the Bears’ games last season, started three, and totaled 19 receptions and two touchdowns.
Packers safety Chris Banjo has signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Banjo hasn’t made much of a defensive impact in his three-year career, but he is one of the Packers’ top special teamers. The 26-year-old accrued a team-best 21 special teams tackles in 16 appearances last season.
The Browns have claimed defensive end/outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat off waivers from Washington, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jeffcoat, an undrafted free agent in 2014, logged nine appearances (one start), an interception and a forced fumble in two years with Washington.
The Cardinals have released running backs Marion Grice and Robert Hughes, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Both players were on the Cards’ practice squad last season. Grice racked up playing time in his rookie year, 2014, amassing 22 touches (15 carries, seven receptions) and a score in Arizona. Hughes, who has seen regular-season action for three different teams since 2011, recorded eight receptions for an impressive 140 yards (17.5 yards per catch) for the 2014 Cardinals.
Offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson, whom the Jaguars claimed off waivers from the Eagles earlier this month, has decided to retire (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union). Hawkinson, a former Kansas Jayhawk, was the Bengals’ fifth-round selection in 2013. He appeared in six career games with Cincy and Philly.
Lions defensive tackle Khyri Thornton has signed his exclusive rights tender, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Thornton, whom NFC North rival Green Bay took in the third round of the 2014 draft, debuted in the league last year as a member of the Lions, recording five tackles in six games.
The Bills have announced the release of offensive tackle Tyson Chandler with a non-football injury. Chandler signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent from North Carolina State last spring.

West Rumors: Broncos, Keenum, Rams, Foles

April 15th, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Rams poised to use their newly-acquired No. 1 pick to select a quarterback, the Broncos might have some interest in Case Keenum, who had been in line to be the starter in Los Angeles, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Troy Renck of the Denver Post adds (via Twitter) that the Broncos had some interest in Keenum before the Rams placed a first-round RFA tender on the QB.

Even if the Broncos are interested in working out a deal for Keenum, it’s not clear if the Rams would be on board. With Carson Wentz or Jared Goff joining the team, the depth chart at QB will certainly be crowded, with the rookie joining Keenum, Sean Mannion, and Nick Foles. However, the Rams like Keenum enough that they may prefer to explore a deal involving Foles or Mannion.

In fact, when Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk asked Rams head coach Jeff Fisher whether Foles will be on the team’s regular-season roster in 2016, Fisher was noncommittal, but called it a “good question,” hinting that the former Eagle could be the odd man out.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions, including a few more Rams-related notes:

Rams general manager Les Snead said today during an appearance on ESPN Radio that his team is “97% sure” about which player will be the first overall pick, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets.
As part of the trade for the No. 1 pick, the Rams agreed to send a 2017 third-round pick to the Titans. According to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, that third-rounder will be a compensatory pick, since those comp picks can be traded beginning in 2017, and the Rams expect to get one for losing Janoris Jenkins. If L.A. doesn’t get a third-round comp pick, the team will send its own pick to Tennessee, and get a 2017 seventh-rounder back from the Titans.
The Broncos are expected to re-sign free agent safety Shiloh Keo when their offseason program gets underway next week, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Keo, who signed in Denver last December, was arrested for driving under the influence in February.
The Rams hosted Iowa tight end Henry Krieger-Coble for a pre-draft visit today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
While the Chargers are viewed as a near-lock to select Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil if he’s on the board at No. 3, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune explains why Tunsil may be a bit of a “messy fit” in San Diego. Gehlken makes some good points, but given the Chargers’ offensive line woes in recent years, it would still be a surprise if they pass on the draft’s top tackle.

Texans Pick Up 2017 Option On DeAndre Hopkins

April 15th, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have made a roster move that likely didn’t require much deliberation, exercising their fifth-year option for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). McClain reports that Hopkins will earn a $7.915MM salary on his 2017 option.

Despite catching passes from a rotating cast of quarterbacks since making his NFL debut in 2013, Hopkins has managed to take major steps forward each season, and is now one of the most productive pass-catchers in the league. After grabbing 76 balls for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, the Clemson product improved his numbers across the board en route to his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, recording 111 receptions, 1,521 receiving yards, and 11 TDs.

Although Hopkins is now under team control for two more seasons, and the Texans would have the option of using the franchise tag after that, a long-term extension is still possible at any time. The Texans showed with J.J. Watt that they were willing to extend one of their stars well before he played out his fifth-year option, and Hopkins is the club’s top player on the other side of the ball. He has also expressed interest in remaining in Houston for the rest of his career.

“If I can play my whole career here, I would,” Hopkins said in February. “I love this place. This organization took a chance on drafting me. You have to look at that…. I love this organization. I love the fans here. I’ll never forget after we went 2-14 (2013), I don’t recall too many fans bailing out on us. It speaks a lot about this city and who they are.”

Hopkins is the latest 2013 first-rounder to have his option for 2017 exercised — Kenny Vaccaro of the Saints, Tyler Eifert of the Bengals, and Kyle Long of the Bears had their fifth-year options picked up this week as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams Re-Sign Greg Zuerlein

April 15th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

5:15pm: Zuerlein’s one-year deal has a base value of just $1.25MM, but includes $675K guaranteed and can max out at $3.3MM, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). That indicates that Zuerlein should have a leg up on any competition the Rams bring in for training camp.

5:05pm: The Rams have agreed to terms on a new contract with free agent kicker Greg Zuerlein, per Myles Simmons of TheRams.com (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that it’s a one-year deal.

Zuerlein, 28, has a huge leg, but has struggled with his accuracy since entering the league in 2012. Outside of the 2013 season, when he missed just two kicks all year, Zuerlein has never made more than 80% of his field goal tries in a year. In 2015, he made just 20 of 30 field goals (66.7%), and missed a pair of extra points as well.

While the majority of Zuerlein’s misses – both in 2015 and earlier in his career – have come from beyond 50 yards (3-for-9 in 2015, 16-for-31 for his career), he hasn’t been automatic on shorter kicks either. For instance, in his four seasons, he has missed five of 38 field goal attempts from between 30 and 39 yards.

Head coach Jeff Fisher indicated at last month’s owners meetings that he and the Rams intended to bring in some competition at kicker even if Zuerlein returned, and that remains the plan, says Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet on his initial report, Simmons noted that he believes the Rams will bring in another kicker who will have “a decent shot” at beating out Zuerlein for the job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Titans Working To Move Back Into Top 10?

April 15th, 2016 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Titans sent their No. 1 overall pick and two other selections to Los Angeles in exchange for four 2016 picks and two 2017 selections, general manager Jon Robinson referred to his collection of picks as “currency,” suggesting that his team might not be done trading. And according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Robinson may be trying to make another first-round move.

[RELATED: Titans send No. 1 pick to Rams]

La Canfora reports that he continues to hear the Titans are “working hard” to trade back into the top 10. Tennessee is currently set to pick at No. 15, and getting back into the top 10 would ensure that the team could land a top defensive player or offensive tackle.

While the Titans explore another draft-pick swap, the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, are also mulling a move, says La Canfora (Twitter link). According to the CBSSports.com insider, most teams expect the Rams to use their top pick on Cal quarterback Jared Goff, who is Cleveland’s preferred signal-caller. Taking that into account, the Browns’ interest in trading their pick has “intensified,” since they don’t think Goff will be available for them.

Of course, while La Canfora’s sources seem confident that both the Rams and Browns prefer Goff to Carson Wentz, there have been conflicting reports on both fronts. As we detailed yesterday, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times and ESPN’s John Clayton are among the reporters who believe the Rams intend to pick Wentz, and multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated the Browns like Wentz as well.

Many draft-pick trades aren’t officially consummated until draft day, once teams trading up can be sure that their desired target(s) will be available, so there may not be any resolution on these situations within the next few days. It’s certainly something worth monitoring as April 28th approaches though — it seems possible that there could be a decent amount of movement at the top of this year’s draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Re-Sign Tim Hightower

April 15th, 2016 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 15: The Saints’ signing of Hightower has been processed, and is now official, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune.

APRIL 8: After successfully revitalizing his NFL career last year with the Saints, running back Tim Hightower is returning to New Orleans. A source tells Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com that, after meeting last week, Hightower and the Saints have agreed to initial terms on a new deal.

A fifth-round pick in 2008, Hightower spent three seasons with the Cardinals and a fourth with Washington, but for several years, it looked like his brief stint in D.C. in 2011 might represent the end of his playing career. Having missed three full seasons, Hightower got a chance to return to the field in 2015 for the Saints, and made the most of it.

In eight games (three starts) for New Orleans last season, Hightower ran for 375 yards and four touchdowns on 96 carries, adding another 129 yards through the air on 12 receptions. Although the veteran back will turn 30 in May, he doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs due to his time away from the game — he has totaled just 619 career carries.

If Hightower hopes to continue his comeback story with the Saints during the 2016 season, he may have to beat out some competition to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller, and Travaris Cadet currently sit atop the depth chart in New Orleans, with players like Vick Ballard and Marcus Murphy in the running back mix as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.