2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Re-Sign Chad Greenway

April 11th, 2016 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 11, 12:14pm: More than a week and a half after the two sides agreed to terms, the Vikings have announced Greenway’s new deal, via a press release.

MARCH 31, 4:25pm: It appears that the deal has been agreed to. Greenway took to Twitter minutes ago with the following message for his fans:

“Nobody is more excited than me to help lead this team one more time! Dream achieved, going out a Viking!”

It’s a one-year deal, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter).

12:48pm: The Vikings are close to a new deal with linebacker Chad Greenway, and it should be done soon, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that a deal between the two sides is imminent, and will be completed as early as tomorrow.

Greenway announced his plan to play for one more season shortly after the Vikings’ Wild Card loss in January, and his intention all along had been to sign with Minnesota. While he reportedly received some interest from rival suitors, it appears that he and the Vikes will work something out after all.

Greenway, 33, has spent his entire NFL career with the Vikings, initially joining the team as a first-round pick back in 2006. The two-time Pro Bowler started 12 of 16 regular-season contests in 2015, recording 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks to go along with an interception, which he returned 91 yards for a touchdown.

The Vikings added Emmanuel Lamur in free agency earlier this month, so it remains to be seen exactly how the team’s linebacker situation will play out. Greenway may no longer be an every-down player, but the team figures to use him in a way that maximizes his strengths — Pro Football Focus graded him very poorly as a run defender in 2015, but he was solid in pass coverage.

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No Suspension Expected For LeSean McCoy

April 11th, 2016 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

A lengthy investigation into a nightclub altercation involving LeSean McCoy ended last week, with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office announcing that no charges would be filed against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the incident, due to “insufficient evidence.”

Although McCoy won’t face any criminal charges as a result of the February incident, that didn’t necessarily take him off the hook with the NFL, since the league can conduct its own investigation and hand out discipline accordingly. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that McCoy is not expected to face any discipline from the NFL. That’s not set in stone – the league’s investigation is ongoing – but for now things look good for the veteran back.

McCoy, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Bills in 2015, was at a Philadelphia nightclub in February when he and three of his companions fought with at least two off-duty police officers. As a result of the altercation, the Bills had been planning as if they would be without their standout running back to start the season, but it seems that the lack of evidence which resulted in the D.A. not pressing charges will also prompt the NFL to decide against a suspension.

Although McCoy had a strong first season in Buffalo, racking up 1,187 total yards from scrimmage in 12 games, the team still managed to get its rushing attack going when he was forced out of action due to injuries. First-year back Karlos Williams averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry on 93 attempts, and would take on a larger role early in the 2016 season if the NFL unexpectedly changes course and suspends McCoy.

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Giants Sign Bobby Rainey

April 11th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 10:40am: The Giants’ deal with Rainey is now official, according to a team release.

SUNDAY, 4:48pm: The Giants are set to sign running back Bobby Rainey, as Rainey himself reported on Instagram (h/t to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). Rainey was a participant in a recent round of New York veteran tryouts, which apparently went well enough for the veteran back to be offered a contract.

The 28-year-old Rainey entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending time with both the Ravens and Browns before latching on with the Buccaneers, the club with which he’s had the most NFL success. In 11 starts with Tampa Bay between 2013-14, Rainey rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and scored six touchdowns, adding another 300+ yards via 44 receptions. His offensive role dwindled in 2015, as he saw only five carries, but he was a key cog on special teams, where he played on more than 60% of Tampa’s snaps.

Rainey, who also worked out for the Dolphins before agreeing to terms with the Giants, will join a busy New York backfield that also includes Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Andre Williams, and Orleans Darkwa. The Giants have also been rumored as a potential first-round landing spot for Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, and given that Rainey is unlikely to carve out a role as a third-down pass catcher (Vereen has that covered), his best bet to earning a roster spot might be continuing to star on special teams duty.

Giants Sign Kelvin Sheppard

April 11th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

MONDAY, 10:38am: The Giants have officially signed Sheppard, the team confirmed today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 11:19am: The Giants will sign free agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, according to a tweet from Sheppard himself. Big Blue had brought Sheppard in for a visit last week.

Sheppard was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2011 draft and appeared in all 32 regular season games for Buffalo from 2011-12, including seven starts in his rookie campaign and 15 starts in the 2012 season. 2012 was Sheppard’s most productive year as a pro, as he racked up 80 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks for Buffalo. He was then traded to the Colts in exchange for Jerry Hughes, and he spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Dolphins on a pair of one-year contracts.

Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest Sheppard has typically fared better against the pass than the run, scoring much better in pass coverage and as a pass rusher than as a run stopper. He will serve as useful linebacker depth for the Giants, who were also interested in Nathan Stupar before he ultimately signed with the Saints.

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King’s Latest: Browns, 49ers, A. Davis, Titans

April 11th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com passes along several noteworthy tidbits, primarily related to the upcoming draft. Let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….

King spoke to 10 high-ranking team officials around the league about the draft, and one of them is convinced that the Browns prefer Jared Goff to Carson Wentz, despite the fact that most chatter up until this point has the team favoring Wentz. “It’s definitely Goff. Believe it,” King’s source said.
One source tells King that the 49ers “want to trade” veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who hasn’t yet been reinstated, and safety Antoine Bethea, who has the team’s sixth-highest cap hit ($6.025MM). The Davis situation is an interesting one, since there’s a belief that he wants to regain bonus money he forfeited last year when he temporarily “retired” — if the 49ers were to trade him, a new team might be willing to rework his contract. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examined that situation earlier this month.
One personnel man told King that the Titans have a “definite solid offer” for the No. 1 overall pick, but it would probably have to be sweetened for Tennessee to consider moving down a few spots. “But no team’s going to do three ones, the way Washington did for [Robert Griffin III],” an evaluator said. “No player in this draft is worth that.”
The general consensus among execs around the league is that there won’t be much difference between picks from the middle of the first round to the middle of the second. “Eleven to 40 is the same guy,” said one evaluator, while another conveyed a similar sentiment: “To us, 18 to 48 you can get the same player.”
Just about everyone remains bullish on the depth at defensive tackle in this year’s draft. One of King’s source offered this observation on the DT class: “The defensive tackle crop’s so good it’ll push some deserving players into the second round. The depth is so good that you’ll get some guys you can use right away in the third and fourth.”

Bengals Extend Marvin Lewis Through 2017

April 11th, 2016 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 8:40am: The Bengals have officially announced Lewis’ new one-year extension, via the club’s website.

FRIDAY, 4:57pm: The Bengals have tacked another year onto Marvin Lewis‘ contract, according to Michael Silver of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that Lewis has agreed to a one-year extension, which will keep him under team control through the 2017 season.

Lewis, who has been coaching the Bengals since 2003, is the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, behind Bill Belichick in New England. During his 13 seasons with the team, Lewis has led Cincinnati to a 112-94-2 regular-season record and has earned a playoff spot seven times. However, the Bengals have yet to win a postseason game under Lewis, going 0-7 in those contests.

Asked at last month’s owners meetings about the possibility of extending Lewis’ contract beyond the 2016 season, Bengals owner Mike Brown was somewhat noncommittal. “He’s going to be our coach this year. That’s in the bank,” Brown said, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Where it goes, we’ll see how it plays out.”

Of course, Brown’s lack of an enthusiastic vote of long-term confidence for Lewis doesn’t mean the head coach is or isn’t on the hot seat entering 2016, and neither does the fact that his new deal is just for one year. Last April around this time, Lewis received a similar one-year extension, as he and the Bengals have made a habit out of working out short-term contracts that keep him from entering a season as a “lame duck.”

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Mike DeVito Announces Retirement

April 11th, 2016 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran defensive lineman Mike DeVito has decided to call it a career after nine NFL seasons. DeVito made the announcement in a story for The Drive, going into some detail about his own history with football, including the years before he became an NFL player.

“I want to thank the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs and all the amazing people I have met throughout my career,” DeVito wrote at the end of his piece. “To all my family, friends, and fans, thank you for making an average player feel like a Hall of Famer. And to the game of football, thank you for the past 18 years, all the memories, and the lessons that will continue to serve me for the rest of my life.”

An undrafted free agent out of Maine, DeVito caught on with the Jets for the 2007 season, and ultimately played 82 regular season games (38 starts) for Gang Green over the next six seasons.

The veteran defender joined the Chiefs in 2013, and has spent the last three years in Kansas City. In 2015, he established a new career high by picking up three sacks in a part-time role. For his career, he totaled 110 regular season games (57 starts) and played in another nine postseason games, including two this year with the Chiefs.

DeVito, who turns 32 in June, had seen his contract with the Chiefs expire last month, so his decision to retire won’t have an impact on Kansas City’s cap. And if he does have a change of heart at any point, DeVito would be free to sign with any team.

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NFC Rumors: Clemons, 49ers, Bears, Lawson

April 10th, 2016 at 7:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chris Clemons‘ one-year deal worth $1.5MM indicates he’ll have to compete for a spot on the Seahawks‘ roster despite his ties with the organization, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com reports.

Only Clemons’ $150K signing bonus is guaranteed, with the returning defensive end’s status possibly tied to what the team does in the draft later this month. Kapedia identifies the 34-year-old Clemons as a candidate to back up Cliff Avril at the hybrid LEO defensive end spot, with Frank Clark expected to step into Bruce Irvin‘s right-side role.

Clemons did not fare as well with the Jaguars as he did under Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn in Seattle, registering just three sacks in seven starts in 2015. However, the well-traveled veteran had shown consistency prior to last year. Playing in 16 regular-season games in eight of the past nine seasons, Clemons collected eight sacks in 2014 after posting double-digit numbers in that category from 2011-13 in Seattle.

The one-year pact includes $12,500K in active-roster bonuses, along with a $150K workout bonus, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

Here’s some more from the NFC on Sunday night.

San Francisco has been labeled as one of the quarterback landing spots at No. 7, but the 49ers will look to take the best player available, regardless of Colin Kaepernick‘s status, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com hears. Raanan goes as far as to remove the 49ers from the first-round quarterback derby. The 49ers, though, have already met with Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, and observed Paxton Lynch‘s pro day. The team has also inquired about the No. 1 overall pick, inducing obvious queries about their interest in this year’s quarterback crop.
Kyle Long will factor into the Bears‘ tackle competition despite having been better at guard, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com reports. He could wind up outside again after moving from guard to right tackle in 2015, and that positional versatility will serve him well upon trying to reach a long-term deal with the Bears, Mullin writes. Meanwhile, Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen are the favorites going into the draft to open up at the guard spots, with their deals likely contingent on receiving strong opportunities to claim starting jobs, Mullin offers. Of course, both players have extensive experience at center, expanding the likelihood of both winding up in Chicago’s starting five.
Clemson’s Shaq Lawson is visiting the Bears, the prospect posted on his Twitter account. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets the visit will occur Monday. Prior to the defensive end’s trip to Chicago, however, he’ll stop in Detroit to meet with Lions personnel, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Lawson, who registered 12.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss as a junior in 2015 despite playing with knee and shoulder injuries, visited with the Cowboys and Panthers last week.
Wide receiver Robby Anderson will visit the Packers, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Temple target who ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the Owls’ pro day visited the Browns, Dolphins and Eagles recently.

AFC Notes: Jets, Broncos, Lewis, Jackson, Pats

April 10th, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here is the latest from around the AFC, starting with the conference’s latest trade partners.

Following D’Brickashaw Ferguson‘s retirement and the acquisition of Ryan Clady, the Jets have a little more cap space to work with as they try to re-sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. But according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the talks between New York and Fitzpatrick aren’t being hampered by cap room — instead, the two sides merely have a difference of opinion on what Fitzpatrick is worth. Per Cimini, the Jets are actually offering more than the commonly reported $7-8MM average annual value.
Earlier today, Paxton Lynch‘s planned trip to the Jets’ facilities surfaced. The Memphis quarterback who’s regarded as the No. 3 passing prospect in this year’s draft is also expected to visit the Broncos this week, according to a Denver Post report. The Super Bowl champions hold pick No. 31 and would likely have to move up to acquire Lynch. Denver did pick up an additional fifth-round pick, giving the team two third-rounders and two fifths in addition to its usual allotment.
We first heard back in January that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had approached former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson with a plan to succeed him — and thus, retain him as play-caller, and Mike Silver of NFL.com (video link) provides a bit more detail on the proposal. Lewis and Jackson discussed a scenario where Lewis would agree to step down as head coach after two more seasons, allowing Jackson to take over. The duo presented the plan to Bengals owner Mike Brown, who wasn’t comfortable locking up such a proposition in writing. Jackson, of course, went on to accept the Browns’ head-coaching job, while Lewis was recently extended through 2017.
Former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds‘ visit with the Patriots has already been reported, but Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald dives deep into New England’s interest in the former Midshipman. The Patriots have apparently met with Reynolds several times, and worked him out multiple times in Annapolis. As Howe explores, New England has shown an affinity for Navy alums in the past.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Broncos Offer Von Miller $17MM+ AAV Deal

April 10th, 2016 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears Von Miller‘s Dancing with the Stars run will likely keep him from beginning offseason workouts with the Broncos. Well, that and the fact the star pass-rusher hasn’t signed his franchise tag yet. Unless the 27-year-old Miller is eliminated from the competition Monday night, he will remain in Los Angeles for the duration of his stint on the show, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

But the bigger takeaway from Klis’ report is the Broncos have offered Miller a deal that would pay him between $17-$18MM per year.

That total would place the Super Bowl MVP second among all defensive players, behind only Ndamukong Suh‘s $19.06MM, in terms of average annual value.

Despite Miller’s demand of a $22MM-AAV deal in line with elite quarterbacks, the Broncos do not want to exceed Suh’s annual salary, Klis writes. Without Peyton Manning‘s $15MM+ cap number on their books as it was from 2012-15, Miller would become the highest-paid Bronco on a per-year basis — since the full parameters of Denver’s offer to Miller is not yet known — if he opted to accept this deal. Klis reports Miller is not expected to sign his franchise tender anytime soon.

Denver’s No. 2 pick in 2011, Miller believes he’s worth far more than the $17MM-AAV deal Olivier Vernon signed with the Giants based on the edge-rushers’ disparate sack numbers. The Broncos have eclipsed Vernon’s per-year mark but not nearly to Miller’s liking. A 2012 second-rounder, Vernon has 29.0 career sacks and one season with more than 10. Miller, a two-time first-team All-Pro, has 60.0 and four 10-sack+ seasons.

Vernon, however, was able to push his price this high because he was a free agent, whereas Miller will have a difficult time moving the Broncos to beyond $20MM per year due to the fact they’re negotiating with the franchise tag in play. Miller could play this year on the tag and be re-tagged next year — like the Seahawks did with Walter Jones — and still fall well short of Suh’s $19MM+ salary since his exclusive franchise tag is worth $14.129MM.

So, this standoff will likely continue well into the summer. If the sides don’t reach an extension agreement by July 15, Miller will play the 2016 season for $14.129MM.

Had Miller not been involved in this television competition, the fact that he hasn’t signed his tender would keep him out of Denver. Demaryius Thomas bypassed Broncos workouts until being signed to a five-year extension last July. Gary Kubiak told media, including Klis, he expected every player on the roster to attend these workouts, including Miller.

Klis doubts Miller will be eliminated from a contest that has actually induced Miller to take up residence in L.A. to practice at least four times per week. Dancing with the Stars arranges housing for its contestants.

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