2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Drew Rosenhaus Threatens To Drop Johnny Manziel

April 13th, 2016 at 6:38pm CST by Zachary Links

6:38pm: The agreement between Rosenhaus and Manziel was contingent upon him entering a treatment facility and the quarterback hasn’t done so, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links) hears from a source. Rosenhaus, he adds, has never fired a player as a client in his 27 years as an agent.

6:12pm: Agent Drew Rosenhaus has informed Johnny Manziel that he will no longer represent him if he does not get treatment, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Facebook) writes.

“I have terminated the standard representation with Johnny Manziel in the hopes of helping him get the treatment I believe he needs,” Rosenhaus said. “I have informed him that if he takes the immediate steps I have outlined for him that I will rescind the termination and continue to represent him. Otherwise the termination will become permanent. There is a five-day window for me to rescind the termination. I’m hoping he takes the necessary steps to get his life back on track.”

The former Browns QB has been on Rosenhaus’ roster of clients for less than a month. Manziel’s previous agent, Erik Burkhardt, publicly cut ties with the troubled quarterback in early February. On March 19th, Manziel signed on with Rosenhaus. Soon after, Rosenhaus asserted that Manziel was drawing interest from NFL teams despite his issues, a claim that was met with eye rolls from most football fans.

Rosenhaus’ stance comes days after a report that Manziel has been palling around with former Browns teammate Josh Gordon. Gordon has trouble of his own to deal with after failing a drug test and subsequently having his application for reinstatement denied.

The 23-year-old made eight starts and played in 15 total games for Cleveland, completing 57% of his passes (147 of 258) for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His overall passer rating was 74.4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pauline’s Latest: Jets, Titans, Conklin, Giants

April 13th, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Most NFL people that Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via WalterFootball.com) has spoken with tell him that the Jets could still look to take an offensive tackle in the first round even after trading for Ryan Clady. With that in mind, the Jets are bringing Jason Spriggs of Indiana to Florham Park, New Jersey for an official visit on Thursday.

Many view Spriggs as the best pure left tackle in the draft outside of Ole Miss star Laremy Tunsil. Spriggs has been rising on draft boards around the league and the Hoosiers senior has already visited the Broncos and Saints and worked out for the Titans and Ravens.

Here’s the latest from Pauline:

Recently, it was reported that the Titans would consider trading down from No. 1 to select Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley. Pauline hears that Michigan State’s Jack Conklin is also in the conversation if the Titans move down. Pauline previously ID’d Conklin as a possible Top 12 pick in this year’s draft.
The Giants continue to show strong interest in Laquon Treadwell, who is in the conversation at No. 10 overall, Pauline hears. Pauline also adds that several teams do not agree with the assertion that Treadwell is only the second-best wide receiver in this year’s class. While some reports would indicate that the Ole Miss product is slipping down draft boards, that might not be the case.
Speaking of the Jets, Pauline hears that they are very high on tackle Brent Qvale, a UDFA they added in 2014. However, Pauline gets the sense that the Clady signing means that Gang Green does not see him as being quite yet ready for a starting role. Qvale lined up at both left and right tackle during weekly practice in 2015. Sources tell Pauline that Qvale is likely to replace Breno Giacomini in 2017 if he continues to progress.
Western Kentucky tight end George Fant is garnering attention from NFL scouts, Pauline writes. Fant, a former WKU basketball player, has also received consideration at offensive tackle, but scouts believe that he should be a tight end because of his soft hands. If Fant drops some additional weight (currently 296 pounds), the belief is that he can make it work at TE. Fant has (or has had) workouts with a number of teams including the Bengals, Broncos, Cardinals, Chargers, Saints, and Seahawks. While Fant is apparently rising up draft boards, fellow Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee is seeing his stock fall due to an off-the-field incident.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/13/16

April 13th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Browns have claimed tight end Chase Ford off waivers from the Ravens, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Ford inked his restricted free agent tender with Baltimore a few weeks ago but his $1.671MM salary was non-guaranteed.
The Ravens announced (on Twitter) that they have waived tight end Harold Spears. That now makes two tight ends waived by Baltimore in the last two days.
The Vikings announced (on Twitter) that they have waived linebackers Terrance Plummer and Alex Singleton.
The Broncos have waived defensive end George Uko, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes. Uko joined Denver’s practice squad in September 2015 and inked a reserve/future deal with the team following SB50. Prior to joining up with Denver’s taxi squad, Uko had one NFL appearance with the Bucs on his resume.
The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent safety Akeem Davis has signed his tender. Davis, a Memphis product, has played in 19 NFL games over the course of his career with New Orleans, Seattle, Indianapolis, and Washington. In college, Davis registered 162 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries over the years for the Tigers.
Raiders restricted free agent offensive tackle Matt McCants and ERFA defensive lineman Shelby Harris inked their tenders, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
The Chargers waived quarterback Brad Sorensen, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Sorensen was waived with a non-football injury designation.

Washington Signs Greg Toler

April 13th, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

4:26pm: Washington has officially announced the deal, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

3:47pm: After hosting him for a visit today, Washington has agreed to sign cornerback Greg Toler to a one-year contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Mike Jones of the Washington Post first reported (via Twitter) that Toler was expected to sign with the club.

Toler, 31, was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft by the Cardinals, and spent the first four years of his NFL career in Arizona. Since 2013, he has been a Colt, starting 32 of the 34 regular-season games he played for the club, as well as four playoff contests.

In 2015, Toler failed to grab an interception for the first time in his career, recording 51 tackles and 10 passes defended in 10 games. Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of his performance, placing him 106th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.

In D.C., Toler will be joining a Washington squad that projects to have Bashaud Breeland and Chris Culliver as its starting cornerbacks. Will Blackmon, Quinton Dunbar, Jeremy Harris, and Dashaun Phillips are among the other corners in the mix for the team.

For Toler, it’s also a reunion of sorts with former Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. After being fired by Indianapolis in January, Manusky headed to Washington, where he’ll coach the club’s outside linebackers in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Shawn Oakman Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges

April 13th, 2016 at 4:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Baylor’s Shawn Oakman was arrested on sexual assault charges stemming from an incident on April 3rd, as Tommy Witherspoon of The Waco Tribune writes. The woman went to the hospital after the alleged early Sunday morning assault and was examined by a sexual assault nurse examiner, according to court records. Oakman, meanwhile, maintains that their contact was consensual.

Oakman turned heads in 2014 when he led Baylor with 11 sacks (a school record) and recorded 19.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. However, he only racked up 4.5 sacks in 2015 as a senior and started his year off with a suspension, so his stock was already trending downward for April’s draft. This week’s arrest could knock him down to the last rounds of the draft if the allegations are accurate.

The muscle-bound 6-foot-8, 287-pound defensive end named a third-team All-America defensive end in 2015, despite his so-so season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Ball, Mason, Spence

April 13th, 2016 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, an arbitrator ruled that the NFL’s policy of placing players who are under investigation on paid leave using the commissioner’s exempt list is valid, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post writes. The NFL Players Association had filed a grievance against the policy, which has affected players such as Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, but the league scored a win over the union after having seen a handful of Roger Goodell‘s decisions overturned in court within the last couple years.

In the wake of the arbitrator’s ruling, optimism has “dimmed considerably” about the prospects of the NFL and NFLPA reaching a compromise on Goodell’s role in player discipline, writes Maske. Multiple sources tell Maske that there are no negotiations happening between the two sides regarding that issue at this point, with one source suggesting it may not be addressed until the next CBA: “We are where we are…. [It] seems like [there’s] nothing to talk about until 2020.”

As we wait to see what battle is next on the docket for the NFL and NFLPA, let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…

A pair of running backs have been dealing with legal trouble this week, with free agent Montee Ball arrested for felony bail jumping and Rams back Tre Mason missing an arraignment related to his March arrest. WKOW’s Robyn Turner has the story on Ball, while Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com has the details on Mason.
Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence is visiting the Texans today and will visit the Saints tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, another potential first-round defender with some off-field question marks, Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss, has visits on tap with the Saints and Bengals, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com and Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) had similar ideas, with each scribe writing articles proposing trades that could take place before or during this year’s draft. Both Corry and Sando suggested hypothetical deals involving Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.
The NFL’s VP of football operations Merton Hanks has left the league office, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s not known if the NFL or Hanks made the final call on his departure, but one source tells PFT that the move was part of an effort by the league to upgrade in that area. Two other NFL employees, Joe Hurta and Russ Giglio, are out as well, says Florio.

Patriots Waive Dominique Easley

April 13th, 2016 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

3:11pm: Easley’s knees are in “pretty bad shape,” a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds (via Twitter) that off-field issues factored into the Patriots’ decision to part ways with Easley.

2:57pm: As the Patriots prepare to enter the 2016 draft as the only NFL team without a first-round pick, the Pats have removed their 2014 first-round pick from their roster. According to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com, defensive lineman Dominique Easley has been waived by New England.

Easley, 24, was selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft by the Patriots, despite the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL at the time. Although he made it back to the field for his rookie season, he was limited to just 11 games, and played in only 11 more in 2015, having been plagued by hip, knee, and ankle issues.

Before he landed on injured reserve in December of 2015, Easley picked up 15 tackles and two sacks in his sophomore NFL season, and received a solid Pro Football Focus grade. Given his decent play when he was healthy, his first-round pedigree, and the fact that he still has guaranteed money remaining on his contract, Easley’s release comes as a bit of a surprise, despite his injury woes.

Teams will have the opportunity to roll the dice on Easley and place a waiver claim on him before he becomes a free agent — a club that claims him off waivers would assume the final two years of his rookie contract. If Easley goes unclaimed, he would count for about $2.9MM against the Patriots’ cap in 2016, which is about $900K more than his cap hit would have been if he had remained on the team’s roster.

A Monday report indicated that Easley had hired agents Drew Rosenhaus and Michael Katz of Rosenhaus Sports for representation, so it’s possible that he was aware of the Patriots’ decision well before today and was preparing for the possibility of hitting the open market.

Easley is the second 2014 first-rounder to be cut by his team this offseason. The other, of course, was former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bengals Exercise 2017 Option On Tyler Eifert

April 13th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

2:41pm: Eifert’s option for 2017 will be worth $4.782MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.

2:09pm: The Bengals have exercised their option to extend Tyler Eifert‘s rookie contract through the 2017 season, the team announced today via its website. Eifert is the second first-round pick from 2013 to have his fifth-year option picked up, with the Saints having exercised Kenny Vaccaro‘s option earlier this week.

“We had very high expectations for Tyler when we drafted him, and he has met them all,” said head coach Marvin Lewis in a statement. “He’s a hugely important part of our team as we go forward.”

Eifert, 25, had a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod since entering the league as the 21st overall pick in 2013. After spending the majority of the 2014 season on injured reserve, the Notre Dame alum hauled in 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns in just 13 regular season contests last year.

Eifert may take on an even larger role in the Bengals’ passing game in the 2016 season, with secondary receivers Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones no longer in the mix. Cincinnati signed Brandon LaFell as a free agent to help complement Eifert and A.J. Green, and the team figures to address the wide receiver position in the draft as well, but Eifert may be in line for a career high in targets next season.

After playing out the fourth year of his rookie contract and his fifth-year option, Eifert will be eligible for unrestricted free agency – or the franchise tag – in 2018, unless the Bengals extend him before that.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Titans, Raiders, Vegas, Dolphins

April 13th, 2016 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

While the defensive line doesn’t appear on the surface to be a glaring hole for the Titans, it may be more of a priority in the draft for the team than we think, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. One personnel man tells Kuharsky that Tennessee’s line has “no depth,” and given how deep this year’s draft class is at that spot, it makes sense that the team would use at least one of its picks on a defensive lineman.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has more details on the presentation Raiders owner Mark Davis is making in Las Vegas later this month. Per Velotta, Davis is appearing before the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee on April 28th to address the proposed Vegas stadium. The committee will be tasked with determining whether to recommend the project for state funding. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report first reported on the meeting on Wednesday.
Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, who recently visited the Seahawks, is paying a visit to the Dolphins today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins have shown plenty of interest in Clemson defenders this year, having done “significant work” on linebacker B.J. Goodson, who is also visiting the team.
The Steelers have yet to make a decision on the fifth-year option of outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. Pittsburgh has until May 2nd to reach a verdict on the 2013 first-round pick. Last year, 12 of 32 selections did not get their options picked up.
Mike Rodak of ESPN.com explores whether or not it makes sense for the Bills to use an early- or mid-round pick on a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Contrary to an ESPN report, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon and former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel aren’t currently living together in Los Angeles, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

La Canfora’s Latest: Browns, Goff, Titans, Eagles

April 13th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, we learned that a high-ranking official told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he believes the Browns have their sights set on Jared Goff at the No. 2 overall pick, rather than fellow quarterback Carson Wentz. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com thinks the same thing, writing today that Cleveland offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton favors Goff.

According to La Canfora, many Browns scouts prefer Wentz to Goff, so the Browns’ front office and personnel department isn’t unanimous when it comes to a QB preference. But there’s some concern about Wentz’s lack of experience against high-level opposition, and a belief that the analytics favor Goff. So if the Browns do select a signal-caller with the second overall pick, which isn’t guaranteed, La Canfora believes it will be Goff.

La Canfora’s latest piece at CBSSports.com includes plenty of other noteworthy tidbits, so let’s dive in and round them up….

The Titans have at least two trade offers on the table for the No. 1 overall pick that they consider “worthy starting points toward an eventual deal,” and La Canfora says rival teams expect GM Jon Robinson to eventually deal the pick. “They’ll market it up to the draft to get the best ransom they can, but they’ll move it,” said one executive for a team that has explored moving up. If the Titans do keep the first overall pick, La Canfora expects Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil to be the choice.
The Eagles are “in love” with Ezekiel Elliott, and there’s a chance he’ll be Philadelphia’s pick at No. 8. La Canfora continues to believe the team’s interest in quarterbacks is a smokescreen, but notes that some executives think GM Howie Roseman is set on making a big splash on draft day, which could mean nabbing a QB.
Scouts who have talked to La Canfora uniformly prefer Clemson’s Kevin Dodd to his teammate Shaq Lawson, and like Alabama’s Jarran Reed more than A’Shawn Robinson. “I really hope there are people in this league who like Robinson more than Reed,” one top evaluator said of the Crimson Tide duo. “That just makes it easier for us.” Robinson is viewed as a player whose stock is being overstated by mock drafts, as is Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple.
Several teams, including the Chiefs, are very high on Louisiana Tech defensive lineman Vernon Butler, who is expected to be a first-round pick, per La Canfora.
La Canfora expects TCU’s Josh Doctson to be the first wide receiver to come off the board.
The Steelers are doing a lot of homework on cornerbacks, leading La Canfora to believe they’ll probably go in that direction in the first round.