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FSU’s Jimbo Fisher Has Received NFL Offers

May 23rd, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has received interest from NFL clubs in the past few offseasons, and though he’s considered the offers, he plans to stay in the college ranks for the time being, as he tells Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post.Jimbo Fisher (Vertical)

“I love college and I had opportunities to go to pro football as an assistant coach and as a coordinator and I’ve had inquiries as a head coach,” said Fisher. “It’s got to be the right organization at the right time and the right situation if you’re ever interested. We have a great situation where I’m at. It’s not something that drives me.”

This isn’t the first time that Fisher’s name has been tossed out in reference to NFL positions — at this time last year, Fisher allowed that he “would never say never” to an opportunity in the league if the right fit came along. This offseason, the approaches from NFL clubs were “decently serious,” says Fisher, who adds that he considered the offers for about “half an hour” before deciding to stick with Florida State.

Fisher, 50, has been highly successful as head coach of the Seminoles, posting a 68-14 record while winning three ACC titles and one National Championship. An offensive mind, Fisher has been adept at molding quarterbacks that eventually turn into first-round picks, but those signal-callers haven’t had much NFL success outside of Jameis Winston — E.J. Manuel, Christian Ponder, and JaMarcus Russell are a few of the high-profile NFL busts that once played under Fisher.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Dolphins, Ajayi, Jets

May 23rd, 2016 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi admits that he has been excited about the coming season ever since Lamar Miller left the team in free agency. Jay Ajayi (vertical)

“I’ve been excited since I found out that Lamar was going to be moving on and that the position would be available,” Ajayi said, via the team’s website. “I’ve just been pushing myself through this offseason to prepare myself to have a great sophomore season. I was able to get a lot of opportunities last year when I finally started playing, and I felt comfortable. Now, I’m ready to elevate my game to a new level this season.”

After the Dolphins watched Miller sign a four-year deal with the Texans, Miami pivoted towards restricted free agent C.J. Anderson only to watch the Broncos match a four-year, $18MM offer sheet. Later on in March, the Fins missed out on Chris Johnson when he re-signed with the Cardinals on a hometown discount.

Recently, head coach Adam Gase admitted that Ajayi is the leading candidate to take over as Miami’s top tailback. With third-round pick Kenyan Drake standing as the team’s only meaningful addition at running back, the team will be banking on Ajayi for some major production.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Tom Brady‘s new lawyer Ted Olson told ABC News today that the facts in his client’s case are “so drastic, and so apparent … the court should rehear it,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The NFLPA will file a petition to rehear the Brady case today “en banc,” meaning that there will be a rehearing before a whole panel of judges (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
  • In an interview with SiriusXM (Twitter link), former Jets offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson made it sound as though he is comfortable with retirement. “Retirement is different but welcomed. Signs that times were changing. Didn’t want football to define my life,” Ferguson said.
  • Earlier today, Ryan Fitzpatrick reaffirmed his desire to return to the Jets. The veteran quarterback also dismissed the notion that he might retire if he does not find a suitable deal.
  • On Monday, the Browns released former Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Still Wants To Return To Jets

May 23rd, 2016 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Memorial Day weekend is fast approaching and the Jets remain at a standstill with free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even as he remains in limbo, the quarterback confirmed today that he still wants to return to Gang Green. Ryan Fitzpatrick

[RELATED: Jets Notes: Forte, Fitzpatrick, Hackenberg]

“I had a great time with the guys last year and I want to continue doing this. I’m still preparing for the season,” Fitzpatrick told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link). “It’s been a process and the good thing about it is the discussions have been behind closed doors.”

After enjoying a career year at the age of 33, Fitzpatrick has been pushing for a contract that would put him in line with some of the league’s better quarterbacks. The Jets, meanwhile, have reportedly offered him a deal that would pay him roughly $7MM per year. Fitzpatrick surely wants to get paid like Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford did this spring, but it sounds like he has softened his stance at this stage.

“You would drive yourself crazy looking at other contracts around the league,” said Fitzpatrick, who threw 31 for touchdowns and led the Jets to a 10-6 record in 2015.

Last month, the veteran reportedly told people close to him that he would “rather not play football” than accept what the Jets were offering. However, Fitzpatrick shot that notion down today when he explained that he is “playing football next year” (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).

Photo from Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Browns Release Brian Hartline

May 23rd, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

1:05pm: The Browns formally announced the move via press release.

12:16pm: The Browns have released veteran wide receiver Brian Hartline, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT (via Twitter). Brian Hartline (vertical)

Hartline suffered a broken collarbone during a December win over the 49ers and immediately underwent surgery to correct the issue. The local product, who played his college ball at Ohio State, finished his first (and only) season in Cleveland with 46 catches, 523 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.

The 29-year-old Hartline (30 in November) had become a focal point of Cleveland’s offense the weeks leading up to his injury, averaging 10 targets per game from Week 8 though 13. He didn’t score during that span, but he did haul in 26 passes for 266 yards. In fact, in the game where Hartline suffered his major collarbone injury, he recorded eight receptions for 107 yards before exiting early.

After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Dolphins, Hartline signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Browns prior to the 2015 season. The club will now save $3MM against the cap by releasing Hartline him. After a total coaching and front office overhaul, it’s not a big surprise to see Hartline go.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints To Sign Vincent Brown

May 23rd, 2016 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are signing wide receiver Vincent Brown, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Brown participated in a tryout for New Orleans last week along with a handful of other veteran wide receivers. Brown, ostensibly, was the best of the bunch. Vincent Brown (vertical)

The New Orleans tryouts also included former Giants standout Hakeem Nicks and ex-Raiders speedster Denarius Moore. Brown, 27, first came into the league as a third-round pick of the Chargers in 2011. In 2013, he enjoyed a breakout season as he hauled in 41 catches (70 targets) for 472 yards and one touchdown. After his blip of fantasy football relevance, Brown wound up joining the rival Raiders in 2014 before returning to the Chargers for a one-game cameo in 2015.

As of this writing, the Saints have eleven wide receivers under contract, so it stands to reason that someone from that group could be receiving their release today. The Saints’ group of WRs is headlined by Brandin Cooks and second-round pick Michael Thomas along with Brandon Coleman and Willie Snead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Titans To Sign Jack Conklin

May 23rd, 2016 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have agreed to sign first-round draft pick Jack Conklin, Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com writes. With the No. 8 overall pick in the fold, the Titans have now signed eight of their ten draft picks from this year’s class. Jack Conklin (vertical)

Conklin is currently working at both left and right tackle in his early practices with the Titans. Conklin is projected to start at right tackle this season, but he could also be the team’s top option in the event that left tackle Taylor Lewan gets hurt. Conklin played at right tackle in his first three games at Michigan State before taking over the left tackle spot.

In recent years, the Titans have pushed for offset language to be included in their first-rounders’ rookie contracts. It will be interesting to see whether the Titans got their way when it comes to offset language or whether they made an exception for the Michigan State product. Last year, the Titans and Marcus Mariota had protracted contract talks over that exact issue.

The Titans, of course, started out with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. When they still had the top pick, Tennessee was widely connected to Ole Miss lineman Laremy Tunsil. When the Rams offered up a bounty of picks to get into the top spot, the Titans likely had Conklin in mind, which made them comfortable enough to move down. At Conklin’s introductory press conference late last month, Titans GM Jon Robinson described Conklin as a perfect fit for the team.

“When coach (Mike) Mularkey and I set out three months ago, we talked about building a tough, team-first, accountable football team and we were able to add a player (in Jack) to this roster that embodies everything that Tennessee Titans football is going to be about,’’ Robinson said. “He is an outstanding football player, and more importantly for us he is an outstanding young man. He is going to represent this football team, his family and the Tennessee Titans family and (make) the city of Nashville proud.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Willie Young 50/50 On Bears Offer

May 23rd, 2016 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY: 9:30am: Talks are ongoing, but nothing is imminent between the two sides, Cole tweets.

THURSDAY, 2:18pm: The chances of linebacker/defensive end Willie Young taking the Bears’ current two-year offer is “50/50,” a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). The offer is just good enough that Young has to consider, he adds. Willie Young (vertical)

[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram]

It’s not clear if Chicago has presented Young with its final offer, though the tone of Cole’s tweet seems to suggest that. Young, 30, would be under contract through his age-33 season with a two-year extension.

Young inked a three-year, $9MM deal with Chicago in 2014 and, so far, he has been a solid value. Last year, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Young as the 24th best edge defender in the NFL out of 110 qualified players. The advanced metrics gave him roughly equally good marks for his pass rush (359 pass snaps) and run defense (173 snaps). Young has started in eight games during each of the past two seasons and has enhanced his pass-rushing profile considerably during that span. After six sacks in four years with the Lions, Young has registered 16.5 in 30 games with the Bears.

The veteran was reportedly on the trade block after being used sparingly during the first half of the 2015 season. However, Young turned it on in the second half, making 5.5 of his 6.5 sacks from Weeks 9-13. Now, even though Chicago has a strong cast of outside linebackers, the team badly wants to keep him in the fold.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Cards, Seahawks, Saints, Colts

May 22nd, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has shown a willingess to bring in veterans late in the summer, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com doesn’t expect to Arizona to agree to deals with either Leon Hall or Dwight Freeney. Hall, for his part, took a visit with the Cards earlier this spring, but it looks like the club is looking for a more “durable” option opposite Patrick Peterson. The 30-year-old Hall is still an excellent slot corner, but he’s neither resistant to injury or particularly capable of playing on the outside at this point in his career.

Freeney, of course, spent the final 11 games of the 2015 season with Arizona, posting eight sacks over that span. But as Weinfuss notes, the Cardinals have added Chandler Jones and Robert Nkemdiche to an edge-rushing rotation that also includes Alex Okafor, Kareem Martin, and Shaq Riddick, so the need for a veteran like Freeney has been reduced. Last week, I ranked Freeney as the fourth-best defensive free agent left on the board.

Here’s more on the Cardinals plus a few more notes from around the league…

AFC East Notes: Gilmore, Butler, Ajayi, Bills

May 22nd, 2016 at 6:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore will not attend the club’s OTA sessions as he angles for a new contract, sources tell Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. General manager Doug Whaley said in February that a Gilmore extension was a “priority,” and he reiterated earlier this month that the Bills’ long-term discussions with Gilmore (and several other players) would become more important now that the draft has passed. As Dunne details, Gilmore — who could use Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis as comparables in talks — shouldn’t be considered a “holdout” unless he sits out mandatory camp activities in mid-June.

Here’s more from Buffalo and the rest of the AFC East…

  • “I’m not going to discuss that right now,” Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler said of his contract status while appearing on WEEI yesterday. “Whenever the time comes, it comes. I’m a football player. I’m not a GM.” Butler, 26, will play out his rookie deal in 2016 before becoming a restricted free agent following the 2017 campaign, so New England has some time before it truly needs to make a decision on its defensive back. Still, the Chandler Jones trade was thought to be made with an eye towards freeing up future cap space in order to retain Butler, Dont’a Hightower, and Jamie Collins, so it would be an upset if the Patriots and Butler didn’t come to an agreement at some point.
  • Speaking on WQAM in Miami, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said that second-year running back Jay Ajayi is the man to beat in the club’s backfield rotation. “He’s been one of those guys he’s been here every day,” Gase said of Ajayi, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. “The rest of that group has done a good job to try and keep up with him, but obviously he’s kind of separated himself from that group as far as the consistency of what he does day in and day out.” Ajayi is part of a contingent, including Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas, rookie Kenyan Drake, and others, that will try to replace Lamar Miller, who left for the Texans in free agency.
  • One major area of weakness for the Bills is the right side of their offensive line, where John Miller is projected to play at guard while a cavalcade of players — including Cyrus Kouandjio, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Mills — is expected to compete for time. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News analyzes the club’s offensive line as a whole, opining that Kouandjio, in particular, could be looking at his final opportunity to hold his roster spot. Louis Vasquez, Will Beatty, and Ryan Wendell are a few of the best offensive lineman remaining on the open market where the Bills to look for an outside addition. Free agent guard Jahri Evans is another option (and has already taken a visit with Buffalo), but a March report indicated that the club would not be signing him.

PFR Originals: 5/15/16 – 5/22/16

May 22nd, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

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