2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons CB Jalen Collins Suspended Four Games

April 8th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2016 season, the team announced today in a press release. The NFL handed down the four-game ban due to a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

“We are disappointed to hear the news regarding Jalen today,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said in a statement. “I have already spoken to Jalen about this, and I have no doubt this will be something that he will learn from.”

Collins, a second-round pick out of LSU last year, played in all 16 games during his rookie season in Atlanta, but made just two starts and didn’t see extensive playing time on defense. Collins was viewed as a candidate to be selected much higher than 42nd overall, where the Falcons nabbed him, but other teams steered clear due to some off-field red flags.

According to reports, multiple clubs flagged Collins due to his marijuana use, and the 23-year-old admitted after the draft that he failed at least three drug tests at LSU. While that off-field history didn’t have an impact on Collins’ rookie season, it seems the Falcons have been burned in his sophomore year, though it’s not clear what substance caused Collins to fail his test.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Percy Harvin Not A Lock To Play In 2016

April 8th, 2016 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk cited a source who said wide receiver Percy Harvin would “definitely” continue his playing career in 2016. Now, it seems that’s no longer a lock. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that it’s “unlikely” Harvin will be playing football next season, despite receiving inquiries from multiple teams in recent weeks.

It’s possible that Harvin’s apparent change of heart stems from a lack of viable offers or opportunities, but when Florio posited that theory to his source, the source explained that Harvin simply has a “habit of waffling and wavering and flat-out changing his mind, over and over again.” As such, it remains to be seen whether the former Vikings, Seahawks, Jets, and Bills receiver will sign a new contract in the coming weeks or months.

Harvin joined the Bills on a one-year, $6MM deal last March, but was unable to stay healthy during the 2015 season. Battling through a persistent hip injury, the 27-year-old (28 in May) appeared in just five games, recording 19 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. Harvin, who has also been plagued by knee issues in the past, returned five kicks as well.

While Harvin will probably never regain the explosiveness he showed during the early years of his NFL career in Minnesota, there are teams that still believe he has something left in the tank, writes Florio. Another $6MM salary is unlikely, but if Harvin does ultimately decide to sign a contract, there should be clubs willing to gamble on his upside on an incentive-laden, one-year deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Jennings, Giants, Draft

April 8th, 2016 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Could the Falcons be considering a local standout with their first-round pick? D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who was born in Atlanta and played his college ball at Georgia, is paying a visit to the Falcons on Friday. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) reports that the Falcons also hosted Indiana tackle Jason Spriggs on a visit this week, while Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that Stony Brook defensive end Victor Ochi is in Atlanta today to meet with the team.

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

During an interview with KFAN earlier this week, free agent wide receiver Greg Jennings admitted that he missed playing in Minnesota, and left a voicemail for Vikings GM Rick Spielman expressing interest in a reunion. Aj Mansour of KFAN.com has the details and the quotes from Jennings.
Southeastern Louisiana defensive back Harlan Miller had a private workout with the Panthers on Thursday, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that Tennessee wideout Marquez North is among the players working out for Carolina at the team’s local prospect day.
According to Aaron Wilson (Twitter link), the Giants recently tried out a handful of veteran free agents, including running back Bobby Rainey and defensive back Jaiquawn Jarrett.
Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld has privately worked out for the Cardinals twice, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan suggests Sudfeld projects to come off the board on day two of the draft, or early on day three, though that could be an optimistic forecast.
University of Minnesota cornerback Eric Murray recently met with the local NFL team, paying a visit to the Vikings, and has a visit on tap with the 49ers next week, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

East Rumors: Eagles, Wentz, Bills, Washington

April 8th, 2016 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have been doing their homework on all of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, and while there’s some skepticism about whether they’ll actually snag a QB early, at least one analyst believes they’ve got their eye on a particular signal-caller.

“Make no mistake about it, I still think the Eagles first and foremost are trying to find a way to get Carson Wentz,” Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, per Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. “I know that from people behind the scenes, in the know. That’s who he wants and that’s who he likes. It’s just going to be tough — to move up that far is going to be a challenge.”

Whether or not the Eagles are actually serious about Wentz remains to be seen. Some teams believe Philadelphia’s apparent interest in top quarterbacks – as well as the club’s reported interest in trading up – is a smoke-screen designed to make another team panic and move up for a QB. At the very least though, it’s amusing to consider a scenario that would see the Eagles make a blockbuster trade with the Titans on draft day for a quarterback, given how many observers expected that to happen last year.

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

Although news of draft visits and workouts has dominated the NFL news cycle lately, the Bills aren’t done looking at free agents quite yet. Buffalo confirmed today (via Twitter) that safety Colt Anderson and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander are at the team facility for visits, as the club continues to consider additions on defense.
Elsewhere in free agency, Washington remains interested in safety Dashon Goldson and defensive lineman Jason Hatcher, two veterans recently released by the team for cap purposes. However, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets, Washington will likely wait until after the draft before deciding whether to re-sign either player.
Baylor’s Xavien Howard is one of a handful of cornerbacks being eyed by the Dolphins, who will bring him in for a visit next week, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post provides a pair of Patriots updates, writing that the team conducted a private workout for Toledo wideout Alonzo Russell and will work out Purdue offensive lineman David Hedelin next week (Twitter link). Per Wilson, Hedelin met with a Patriots offensive line coach – presumably Dante Scarnecchia – on Thursday.

Broncos To Consider Josh McCown

April 8th, 2016 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos’ brief look at Johnny Manziel won’t amount to anything, but Denver is keeping its eye on another quarterback who started games in Cleveland last season. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Broncos will consider acquiring Josh McCown if they don’t ultimately land Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers.

McCown, who turns 37 in July, was arguably the Browns’ most effective signal-caller in 2015, despite the fact that the team lost seven of his eight starts. McCown tossed 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions, completing 63.7% of his passes and surpassing 2,100 yards passing in just half a season. His campaign was cut short by a broken collarbone.

Even with Manziel no longer in the mix though, McCown looks somewhat expendable in Cleveland. Robert Griffin III and Austin Davis are among the QBs currently on the roster, and the Browns are widely expected to use an early pick in this month’s draft to fortify the position. With the franchise in rebuilding mode, McCown, who has a $5MM+ cap hit for 2016 and remains under contract through 2017, doesn’t fit into the long-term plan.

For Denver, McCown wouldn’t necessarily represent a noticeable upgrade on the club’s in-house options of Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian, but he’s capable of starting, and would make for a reliable backup if he didn’t win the job. If the Broncos fail to acquire Kaepernick, they could attempt to land McCown in a deal similar to their trade for Sanchez, in which they surrendered only a conditional late-round draft pick.

The Broncos may prefer for the Browns to simply release McCown, since they could explore signing him on their own terms at that point. Still, the veteran’s salary on his current contract isn’t exorbitant — he would count for $4.375MM in cap space for any team that acquired him in a trade, with no guaranteed money beyond 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson To Retire

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

The Jets reportedly asked D’Brickashaw Ferguson recently to take a pay cut, and while Ferguson has made a decision that will allow Gang Green to create plenty of cap room, it likely wasn’t the decision Jets fans had anticipated.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Ferguson has decided to retire after 10 NFL seasons. Cimini suggests that the veteran left tackle is “completely healthy,” and he doesn’t believe the Jets’ pay-cut request was an overriding factor in the 32-year-old’s decision. According to Cimini, Ferguson simply believed he could no longer play up to his usual standard.

The fourth overall pick in 2006, Ferguson didn’t miss a game in 10 years with the Jets, starting each of the 160 regular-season games he was eligible to play. During that stretch, he earned three Pro Bowl nods — those came in consecutive seasons, from 2009 to 2011.

Ferguson had been slated to count for $14.107MM against the Jets’ cap in 2016, which was somewhat problematic. New York is still trying to figure out what to do with Muhammad Wilkerson‘s $15.7MM cap hit, and the team also wants to bring back quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Ferguson’s decision to retire will create $9MM+ in cap savings, reducing his charge to just $5.014MM, which will give the Jets some additional flexibility.

Of course, while Ferguson’s retirement is a boon for the Jets’ cap, it creates some problems on the offensive line, where the team will have to find a solution at left tackle for 2016. There are some internal candidates and potential veteran solutions – Will Beatty is a free agent and Ryan Clady of the Broncos may be available – but the tackle position now figures to become a greater priority for New York in the draft. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle noted this morning (via Twitter) that the club has interest in Texas A&M tackle Germain Ifedi.

Although Ferguson’s decision to call it a career will affect the Jets’ plan for the rest of the offseason, it didn’t catch the club entirely off guard. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), the veteran lineman had been mulling retirement for a while, and has kept the Jets in the loop throughout the process, so the team wasn’t blindsided by today’s news.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Elliott, Titans, Cook, Butler

April 7th, 2016 at 10:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott is expected to be the first player off the board at his position, and is receiving attention from several teams picking in the first half of the first round. As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, Elliott said during an appearance on NFL Total Access that he has visits lined up with the Eagles (No. 8), Bears (No. 11), and Dolphins (No. 13). He has also previously met with Dallas.

With NFL teams focused on working out and meeting with players who may end up on their rosters about three weeks from now, let’s round up a few more draft updates….

Deadlines typically spur action in the NFL, which means the best trade offer for the No. 1 pick may not be on the table for the Titans until draft night. Still, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com details, GM Jon Robinson isn’t opposed to the idea of making a deal in advance, suggesting it would give his team the opportunity to make plans accordingly. In the meantime, Tennessee continues to take a close look at top prospects, and will bring in Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
ESPN’s Jon Gruden believes that Michigan State’s Connor Cook “is gonna be perhaps the best quarterback in this draft” (Twitter link from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds the Lions and Patriots to the list of clubs that have worked out Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler. The Lions have also met with Jordan Jenkins, as the Georgia linebacker confirmed on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).
Marvez also passes along an update from a SiriusXM NFL Radio appearance by Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen, who said he has had workouts or meetings with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, and Cowboys (Twitter link).
In addition to attending local workouts for the Jets and Giants, Rutgers wideout Leonte Carroo is paying visits to the Dolphins and Patriots, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Carroo had an explosive college career, averaging 19.5 yards per reception and racking up 29 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/16

April 7th, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from across the NFL:

Falcons right tackle Ryan Schraeder has signed his restricted free agent tender, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. It’s a one-year pact that will pay him $2.553MM. Schraeder was one of the few RFAs who may have drawn interest from rival teams despite receiving a second-round tender, but it appears no clubs were willing to make a serious play for him.
The Colts announced a series of roster moves today, officially confirming that they signed wide receivers Josh Boyce and Brian Tyms and waived guard Ben Heenan. Boyce and Tyms both have NFL experience in New England, while Heenan was a former CFL standout who has decided to retire (Twitter link via Sportscentre).
About a month after cutting veteran long snapper Aaron Brewer, the Broncos have signed a potential replacement. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter links), Denver worked out Air Force Academy long snapper Harrison Elliott, who has another year of military commitment, but ultimately signed former Iowa long snapper Casey Kreiter.
Ravens wide receiver Chris Matthews has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, the club announced today (via Twitter). The signing ensures that Matthews remains under contract with Baltimore on a one-year, minimum salary deal.
Safety Brandon King, a key special-teamer for the Patriots in 2015, has signed his ERFA tender to remain in New England, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

AFC Draft Updates: Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs

April 7th, 2016 at 8:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens hosted Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and West Virginia safety Karl Joseph today, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was also in Baltimore visiting the Ravens today, per Breer (via Twitter). Stanley is considered by most to be a top-10 lock, but not all teams agree, as Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net recently reported. Some scouts have concerns about Stanley’s apparent lack of athleticism.

Here are several more updates on draft visits and workouts from out of the AFC:

Ohio State wideouts Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas worked out for the Titans last week, then got a look from three Bengals evaluators on Monday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report adds (via Twitter) that he keeps hearing Thomas is a top target for Cincinnati.
University of Miami defensive lineman Ufomba Kamalu, defensive back Deon Bush, wide receiver Rashawn Scott, and wideout Herb Waters were all a part of the Dolphins‘ local prospect day, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (all four Twitter links). Western Michigan WR Daniel Braverman and Western Kentucky QB Brandon Doughty were among the other prospects with Florida roots to participate in the Dolphins’ local day, per Salguero (Twitter links).
In other Dolphins draft news, the team is privately working out Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson on Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Northern Illinois inside linebacker Perez Ford visited the Chiefs today, a source tells Aaron Wilson. Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that North Dakota fullback Will Ratelle, a converted linebacker, visited Kansas City.
Tennessee wide receiver Marquez North had private workouts with the Colts and Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Contract Details: Nelson, W. Johnson, Larsen

April 7th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has several details on a handful of the latest contracts to be agreed upon or signed from around the NFL. Let’s dive in and check out the specifics….

Reggie Nelson, S (Raiders): Two years, $8.5MM. $4MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus due next Friday. Salaries of $2MM (guaranteed) and $2.75MM. $1.25MM roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year (becomes guaranteed if Nelson plays 65% of Raiders’ defensive snaps in 2016). Annual $250K workout bonus. Up to $1.75MM annually in incentives for INTs, playing time, and Pro Bowl (Twitter links).
Will Johnson, FB (Giants): Two years, $2.3MM. $400K signing bonus. $100K of $800K 2016 salary is guaranteed. $100K roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year. Up to $600K in incentives for playing time, receptions, and Pro Bowl (Twitter links).
Ted Larsen, OL (Bears): One year, $1.65MM. $350K signing bonus. Up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses. $50K workout bonus. Up to $750K in playing time incentives (Twitter link).
Stevan Ridley, RB (Lions): One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K signing bonus. $30K workout bonus. $200K of $760K base salary is guaranteed (Twitter link).
Sterling Moore, CB (Bills): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).