2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Cut Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Chris Jones

April 15th, 2016 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots continue to overhaul their defensive line, waiving two more defensive tackles today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Yates reports (via Twitter) that New England has cut Ishmaa’ily Kitchen and Chris Jones from the roster. The team has since confirmed the two moves.

Kitchen, who spent the first three years of his NFL career with Cleveland, spent some time with the Lions and Pats in 2015, but didn’t play a real role for Bill Belichick‘s team. As for Jones, he missed the entire 2015 campaign, spending it on the PUP list, but was solid in his first two seasons in New England, recording nine total sacks in 28 games.

Because of his play during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Jones was in line for an increased salary of $1.671MM in 2016, having been a recipient of a proven performance escalator. While those pay bumps are meant to be rewards for young players who have outperformed their draft slot, the raise may have actually contributed to Jones’ release, since the Pats likely deemed the $1.671MM non-guaranteed salary too rich for a player coming off a lost year.

The Patriots have added Terrance Knighton and Markus Kuhn in free agency this offseason, but have seen many defensive tackles depart New England. In addition to Kitchen and Jones, the team also cut Dominique Easley this week, and had Akiem Hicks and Sealver Siliga sign elsewhere as free agents.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Steelers Release Cortez Allen

April 15th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have made a notable roster move today, announcing in a press release that they have released veteran cornerback Cortez Allen. Because Allen has more than four years of NFL experience, he’ll immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers.

Allen, a fourth-round pick in 2011, showed some promise during his first three years in Pittsburgh, particularly in 2013, when he started eight games and picked up a pair of interceptions to go along with 13 passes defended. That performance prompted the Steelers to lock up Allen to a four-year extension worth $24.6MM in 2014.

Since then, however, the 27-year-old has regressed and struggled with injuries, appearing in just 12 total games over the last two seasons. By acknowledging their mistake with Allen and cutting him, the Steelers will reduce his cap number from $5.75MM to $4.05MM for 2016, creating $1.7MM in cap space.

The secondary, and cornerback in particular, is expected to be a primary area of focus for GM Kevin Colbert and the Steelers in this month’s draft. Pittsburgh has done its homework on top cornerback prospects, and may even go in that direction in round one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Exercise 2017 Option On Kyle Long

April 15th, 2016 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

2:53pm: Long’s fifth-year option will be worth $8.821MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.

2:00pm: The Bears have become the third team to officially exercise a fifth-year option on a 2013 first-rounder, announcing today that they’ve picked up Kyle Long‘s option for the 2017 season (Twitter link). Safety Kenny Vaccaro (Saints) and tight end Tyler Eifert (Bengals) also had their fifth-year options exercised this week.

Long, 27, has been a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons since entering the league, starting all but one game for the Bears over the last three years. After playing at right guard to start his career, the former 20th overall pick shifted over to right tackle during the 2015 season.

As Pro Football Focus’ data suggests, Long wasn’t quite as effective on the end of the offensive line as he was on the interior, and he figures to return to that familiar right guard spot in 2016. Because offensive linemen receive the same option salary no matter what position they play on the line, Long’s 2017 earnings won’t be affected by the position switch. The fifth-year option salary for offensive linemen in 2016 was $8.07MM, and it figures to be a little higher than that this time around.

The rest of the league’s teams have until May 3rd to exercise fifth-year options on players drafted in the 2013 first round.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pauline’s Latest: Eagles, Elliott, Mathews, Cook

April 15th, 2016 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is back with another round of draft-related updates and rumors at WalterFootball.com, so let’s see what he has for us, with less than two weeks until draft day….

If the Eagles select running back Ezekiel Elliott and decide to make Ryan Mathews available, the Cowboys and 49ers would have interest in the veteran, per Pauline. As James Walker of ESPN.com tweets, Elliott feels like the Eagles have shown the most interest in him so far, so it’s possible he’ll end up in Philadelphia. Even in that scenario though, and even if the club was willing to trade Mathews, it’s not clear whether Howie Roseman would be enthusiastic about dealing with a divisional rival or with Chip Kelly‘s team.
Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook continues to be plagued by leadership questions, with Pauline hearing that he came off as “flippant and cavalier” during some team interviews. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week that he expects Cook to come off the board earlier than many observers expect, which could still be true, since all it takes is one team willing to roll the dice.
San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin is drawing interest around the league and could end up as a day two pick, says Pauline. The Panthers, Browns, Texans, Saints, and Patriots have hosted Ervin for pre-draft visits.
Vanderbilt linebacker Stephen Weatherly has worked out for the Panthers, Patriots, Colts, and Cardinals, and has visited the Panthers, Broncos, Saints, Raiders, Chiefs, and Vikings. Meanwhile, Maryland linebacker Yannick Ngakoue worked out for the Texans, Cowboys, Saints, Colts, Titans, Ravens, Dolphins, and Patriots, in addition to making several previously-reported visits. Pauline believes both players may come off the board earlier than expected.

Bengals Sign Taylor Mays

April 15th, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

APRIL 15: Nearly a month after they reportedly agreed to terms with him, the Bengals have finally made it official with Mays, signing him to a one-year contract (Twitter link). Details on the deal can be found right here.

MARCH 17: The Bengals have agreed to terms with Taylor Mays, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal brings Mays back to the team where he spent the 2011-2014 seasons.

Today’s agreement comes on the heels of this week’s news that Mays will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. The safety was apparently suspended for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Mays bounced all around the NFL last year and was yo-yo’ed on and off of the Raiders’ roster multiple times. The 28-year-old recorded 23 tackles and 5 passes defensed in his 14 Raiders games. Mays, entering his seventh-year in the NFL, was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft by the 49ers. Needless to say, the USC product has not exactly fulfilled his expectations.

For his career, Mays has appeared in 80 games and made 15 starts. In total, he has 107 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 11 passes defended to his credit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Lawson, Jack, Eagles, Bills

April 15th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Medical re-checks are taking place this week for some prospects, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has updates on how they went for a pair of top defenders. According to Rapoport (Twitter links), the re-check for Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson confirmed that there’s no concern about his availability for 2016 — one team had flagged Lawson’s shoulder, but was comfortable with it after getting a closer look at the combine.

Meanwhile, although UCLA linebacker Myles Jack told ESPN’s Stephania Bell that his re-check went great, adding that “no one had any concerns,” Rapoport says that’s not quite the case. Teams had “differing opinions,” with some clubs believing the knee is a potential issue. Still, Rapoport says that teams who believe in Jack won’t be deterred by today’s medicals (Twitter links).

Let’s round up a few more draft updates and rumors from around the NFL…

The Rams gave the Titans a massive haul of picks to get the No. 1 selection because they believed Tennessee was about to pull the trigger on a deal with the Eagles, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.
With Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel both entering contract years, the Bills are “very much” in the hunt for a quarterback in this year’s draft, sources tell Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
In an article for FOX Sports, Schrager lays out the case for why there’s a chance the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, might become the second team to trade down from the very top of this year’s draft.
Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch met with the Saints on Thursday and will visit with the Jets on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Gannon quarterback Liam Nadler is drawing interest from the Texans, Steelers, Chargers, Jets, Eagles, and Seahawks, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that the Texans, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Patriots, and Bears are among the teams to show interest in South Florida edge defender Eric Lee.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jason Hatcher To Retire

April 15th, 2016 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran defensive lineman Jason Hatcher will call it a career, according to agent Jordan Woy (via Twitter). Woy announced today that Hatcher is retiring from the NFL, tweeting that his client’s leadership “will be missed by teammates.”

Hatcher, 33, joined the Cowboys as a third-round pick in the 2006 draft, and played in Dallas for the next eight seasons. Although he didn’t start a game until 2010, Hatcher was a solid rotational piece throughout the first few years of his career, and developed into an impact starter during his last few seasons in Dallas.

Hatcher enjoyed his best season in 2013, when he recorded a career-high 11 sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. The Grambling State alum earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod for that performance, and parlayed it into a four-year, $27.5MM contract with the Cowboys’ division rivals in Washington. After earning about half of that contract, Hatcher was released by the team earlier this offseason to create cap room.

While the Saints hosted Hatcher for a visit in March, and reports indicated that Washington had some interest in re-signing him at a reduced rate, the veteran defensive lineman will move on from the NFL instead, after 10 seasons in the league. For his career, he totaled 34.5 sacks in 147 regular season games (69 starts).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cowboys, Goff, Bills, Jets, Pats

April 15th, 2016 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

The blockbuster Rams/Titans trade involving the first overall pick will have an impact on several of the teams picking after Los Angeles, and the owner of one of those clubs acknowledged as much. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, the Cowboys, who pick at No. 4, may have to prepare for a different set of players to be available in the wake of the trade.

“Well, I don’t want to make any assumptions, but yeah, it does impact because that kind of movement up ahead of you in a lot of different ways it took a lot of the consideration out of the marketplace,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “If you think draft picks are consideration, then it is. It certainly made a difference below that No. 1 pick as to what might be available trading or in terms of making a decision with a player. It took two commodities out. It took picks, it took a player.”

As Archer details in a separate story, the Cowboys’ brass is headed to the Bay Area for a private workout with Cal quarterback Jared Goff, who may or may not be available at No. 4 — it’s possible Goff could be the Rams’ target at No. 1, but if L.A. opts for Carson Wentz and the Browns don’t select a quarterback, Goff would likely be on the board when Dallas picks. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Cowboys prefer to target their QB of the future or a top defensive player.

Here are a few more Friday morning updates from out of the NFL’s East divisions:

The Bills continue to eye defensive prospects, having brought in Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd for a visit, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. Floyd, a probable first-round pick, arrived in Buffalo on Thursday and will continue his visit with the team on Friday.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has the details on wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Ross‘ one-year deal with the Jets. The minimum salary pact has a total value of $840K, with a $50K signing bonus plus a $30K roster bonus if Ross is on the 53-man roster.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains why the Patriots waived running back Tyler Gaffney earlier this week, only to sign him back to their roster three days later.
East Carolina tight end Bryce Williams says he had a workout with the Patriots, as Tyler Dunne tweets. The Pats, of course, already have Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett at tight end.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram

April 14th, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Pro Football Rumors recently launched an official Instagram account (@ProFootballRumors) and it’s a must-follow for NFL fans. Each day, we’ll be sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in football. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend.

Earlier today, we asked readers to weigh in on what the Rams should do with their newly acquired No. 1 overall pick. We also posted this sneak peak of offensive lineman Ryan Clady in his new Jets jersey following the trade that brought him in from Denver. We did the same for Terrance Knighton hours after he signed with New England and RGIII after he agreed to sign with the Browns. After every major signing or trade, PFR’s Instagram brings you the best jersey swaps you’ll find anywhere on the net.

So, what are you waiting for? If you’re not already, follow Pro Football Rumors on Instagram today!

NFC Rumors: Treadwell, Giants, Packers, Rams, Britt

April 14th, 2016 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC:

Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell identified the Giants and Bears last month as two teams that had shown interest in him. Now, he’ll visit both of those clubs. Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that Treadwell will visit the Giants on Monday, then the Bears after that.
With seven members of the Packers‘ 2016 free agent class still unsigned, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com explores whether or not Green Bay will eventually re-sign players like fullback John Kuhn, linebacker Mike Neal, and others.
Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt has signed with agent Fadde Mikhail for representation, as Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal tweets. Britt, a Rutgers product, was formally repped by SportsTrust Advisors. Britt, 28 in September, caught 36 passes for 681 yards and three touchdowns in 2015. That was a step back from 2015 when he hauled in 48 passes for 748 yards and three scores. Britt is scheduled to carry a cap number of $4.85MM this season before hitting the open market.
The Cardinals met with Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott on Thursday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Texas-El Paso defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris is set to visit the Packers next, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
Linebacker Leonard Floyd has been visiting the Bears over the past two days, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.