2016 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

South Notes: Bucs, Aguayo, Winston, Jaguars

May 20th, 2016 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Draft evaluations are subjective and tend to vary greatly from team to team. This week, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht reminded us of that fact when he explained that he had first-round grades on three of his rookies this year, including kicker Roberto Aguayo. The Bucs thought enough of the FSU product to trade into the second round for him and apparently it’s a move that the Bucs made with confidence. Along with Aguayo, the GM feels that he snared first-round talents in cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and defensive end Noah Spence. In 2015, Licht says he also hit it big.

“We think we got four last year,” Licht told Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, referring to quarterback Jameis Winston, left tackle Donovan Smith, guard Ali Marpet, and linebacker Kwon Alexander . “That’s the goal – to get multiple first-round draft picks each year. When it’s all said done, to look back and say, ‘We got multiple first-round picks in this draft’ – that was the goal.”

While you ponder Licht’s assessment of his last two drafts (and his evaluation of Aguayo), here’s more out of the South divisions:

New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken admits that he wasn’t a big fan of Winston prior to the 2015 draft. Today, the former Southern Miss head coach isn’t afraid to admit that he has had a change of heart. “It’s who he is, how he’s wired,” Monken said, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think that’s one thing that’s a misnomer. I think from the outside you would’ve looked at it with all the things that were publicized in the past about him and who he is. I was dead wrong. He wants to win as much as we do. He’s a competitive joker, man, he’s smart, he’s intelligent…you can win a lot of games with guys like that.”
Jeff Linkenbach‘s contract with the Jaguars is for one season and will pay $810K, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The guard/tackle has 86 appearances and 36 starts on his NFL resume.
The Jaguars got some bad news on Thursday when they learned that first-round pick Jalen Ramsey will have to undergo surgery to fix a knee injury. Depending on the second opinion and the treatment option he goes with, Ramsey could reportedly miss 4-6 weeks or 4-6 months. If all goes well, however, he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Forte, Hackenberg, Pats

May 20th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker says that Gang Green will have a leg up in the AFC East if Tom Brady is suspended for four games. However, they’re going to need a lot more to happen in order to have a realistic chance of toppling the Patriots, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.

For one, offseason acquisition Matt Forte must break the “curse of 30” and show that he can still produce at the running back position. Forte had a relatively down season in 2015, missing three games with injury and failing to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2011. However, he still managed almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage after catching 44 passes out of the backfield for nearly 400 yards.

Fellow newcomer Ryan Clady, who has played in only 18 regular games over the past three years, also must find a way to stay on the field. Clady joins a Jets offensive line that was somewhat inconsistent in 2015, though they ranked No. 3 in pass protection per Football Outsiders’ metrics.

Oh, and one other thing: the Jets absolutely need to bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mehta writes. It is certainly hard to argue with that point.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

Jets director of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger says the team has “high hopes” for Christian Hackenberg, though that doesn’t mean that that Bryce Petty has slipped in the eyes of team brass. “Personally, our opinion is you don’t draft on what your roster is,” he said, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “We like to fill our needs in free agency and draft the best available. In regard to Bryce, that’s not really a slight at Bryce anymore than drafting a linebacker [Darron Lee] is a slight at David Harris in that regard.”
Former New Orleans safety Vinnie Sunseri worked out for the Patriots last week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that Sunseri’s recovery from ACL surgery is going well. The veteran is now nine months removed from going under the knife. Things haven’t been easy for Sunseri since coming into the NFL as a fifth-round pick in 2014. In his rookie year, he missed a good portion of the season with a broken arm. Then, prior to the 2015 season, he suffered an ACL tear which sidelined him for the entire campaign.
Earlier this week, we learned that Laremy Tunsil‘s draft day slide may have had something to do with a nagging ankle injury. The Dolphins were able to take the Ole Miss product at No. 13 overall and many had attributed his tumble solely to the now infamous leaked video.
Like our Jets/Forte jersey swap? Follow PFR on Instagram for more.

Latest On Arian Foster

May 20th, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent running back Arian Foster is “probably a week or two from being able to pass a physical,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). At that point, he adds, Foster’s market will probably start to come into focus.

Foster was by the Texans in early March with a failed physical designation as he was recovering from a torn Achilles. Given his injury, Foster’s reps made it clear that he was in no rush to sign this offseason. In late March, he visited with the Dolphins, but he left Miami without signing a contract.

Foster, 30 in August, accumulated 6,472 rushing yards during his seven years as a Texan, and that figure would have been even higher if injuries had not slowed him down over the course of the last three seasons. After earning three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 1,900 all purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in those seasons, Foster was limited to 25 regular-season games from 2013 to 2015. Those injuries, along with his age and his increasing cap number, resulted in the Texans releasing him this spring.

In 2015, Foster was slowed by a groin injury in training camp and the preseason, and later suffered a torn Achilles, landing him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. When he played, he was at his least productive, averaging only 2.6 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Still, if he recovers well from the Achilles injury, the Tennessee alum could have something left in the tank — he was a Pro Bowler in 2014, piling up 1,246 rushing yards in just 13 contests.

Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked the top ten offensive free agents remaining on the open market and placed Foster in the top ten. In addition to the Dolphins, he ID’d the Raiders, Eagles, and Chargers as potential landing spots for the veteran.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jalen Ramsey Suffers Knee Injury

May 19th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Zachary Links

9:10pm: Ramsey’s ailing knee is the same one he had microfracture surgery on as a sophomore in high school, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. However, it didn’t cause him any issues during his Florida State career, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Evidence: Ramsey started every game in his three years as a Seminole.

8:38pm: There’s a 90 percent chance that Ramsey will require a meniscectomy, which is a trim and not a full repair, tweets Dr. David Chao of SiriusXM. If that proves to be the case, Ramsey will be in for a shorter recovery timeline, per Chao. A full repair would have the potential to keep Ramsey out up to six months, as noted below (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dr. Mark Adickes).

3:09pm: Depending on the second opinion and the treatment option he goes with, Ramsey could miss 4-6 weeks or 4-6 months, a source tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

2:41pm: Jaguars first-round pick Jalen Ramsey has suffered a right knee injury, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The injury is being characterized as a small meniscus tear. The team has since confirmed the news via press release.

The No. 5 overall pick will be re-examined early next week to get a second opinion on the matter. If all goes well, the Jags hope that he could be back by the start of training camp.

Of course, this marks the second straight year in which a Jaguars’ first-round pick has suffered an injury before taking the field. The Jaguars are hoping that the prognosis for the FSU product is a lot better than that of Florida pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler missed all of the 2015 season after tearing his ACL in a minicamp practice.

Ramsey was highly coveted by the Cowboys who were selecting at No. 4, but they opted instead to take Ohio State product Ezekiel Elliott. Once that happened, the Jaguars pounced on the opportunity to grab the top defensive back in this year’s draft at No. 5. Ramsey has a high ceiling and his ability to play either safety or cornerback makes him even more valuable. Hopefully, his knee injury will not hamper him going forward.

Extra Points: Raiders, Vegas, Fins, Cowboys, Orlando

May 19th, 2016 at 9:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee will meet again next Thursday to discuss potential funding for a Raiders stadium in Las Vegas, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). A $1.4 billion domed stadium has already been proposed, and one NFL owner said last week that the chances of the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas could be anywhere from 50 percent to 75 percent.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, Falcons

May 19th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles running back Darren Sproles took to Twitter on Wednesday to shoot down the notion that he’s holding out for a long-term contract (links here). “Totally false,” he claimed in one of the tweets. As of earlier this week, the soon-to-be 33-year-old was reportedly staying away from Eagles workouts amid trade rumors, but head coach Doug Pederson responded by calling Sproles “a big part of this team.” Sproles, who’s entering a contract year, will count $4.6MM against the Eagles’ cap this season.

More regarding Philly and a pair of other NFC clubs:

Whether Pederson can actually develop quarterbacks remains an open question, opines Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sielski points to 2011, the year Pederson was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach and when Michael Vick declined significantly from the prior campaign, as a reason for skepticism. Pederson also failed to tap into former first-round pick Vince Young‘s talent, adds Sielski, who writes that the beleaguered Chip Kelly did manage to get production from Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford during his oft-criticized run in Philadelphia. While Alex Smith played well during Pederson’s three-year reign as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, his career was revived by Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman – not Pederson – as Sielski offers.
Lions safety Glover Quin believes teammate Darius Slay is one of the 10 best cornerbacks in the NFL, but there’s one thing missing from his game. “Everybody is going to say it from now until the end of time — he’s a great, great, great cover guy. The only thing that he can do to take it to the next level is intercept the ball. I mean, that’s it,” Quin said Wednesday (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com). Slay has just four interceptions during his three-year career – all of which came during the previous two campaigns – but Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best corner in the league last season (111 qualifiers). Thanks to his reputation as a shutdown corner, Slay should land a sizable raise between now and the expiration of his contract after next season. A deal could be in the works, as Slay’s agent – Drew Rosenhaus – was at Lions practice Thursday.
The Falcons are making a few changes to their defensive alignment, including shifting Vic Beasley to strongside linebacker. The eighth pick in last year’s draft, Beasley spent his rookie campaign as a LEO pass rusher, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com notes, and totaled four sacks while playing in all 16 of the team’s games. The ex-Clemson star had a difficult time against the run, writes Patra, which would explain the switch. Beasley will now fill the role that former Seahawk Bruce Irvin occupied when Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2014. Patra, however, is skeptical of the decision because it’ll lead to fewer pass-rushing opportunities for Beasley.
In addition to moving Beasley, the Falcons will give Ra’Shede Hageman a look at defensive end and try DE Tyson Jackson at D-tackle, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Hageman, a second-round pick in 2014, spent his first two seasons at tackle, amassing 43 tackles and two sacks in 32 games (11 starts). On playing end, the former Minnesota standout said, “It’s something I did in college. It’s a nice little move for me.” The Falcons believe the change will give the 310-pound Hageman a better opportunity to take advantage of his size and strength.

Saints To Sign Connor Barth

May 19th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent kicker Connor Barth is on his way to New Orleans to sign with the Saints, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Barth will replace Josh Scobee, whom the Saints released Tuesday.

Barth was the most established among several kickers who tried out for the Saints at their rookie camp last week, and they’ll be his fourth NFL employer. Barth has spent the majority of his career with the NFC South rival Buccaneers, who released him earlier this month after using a second-round pick on Roberto Aguayo. Nonetheless, Barth is is coming off a solid season, having converted 23 of 28 field goals and a more impressive 25 of 26 extra points. Overall, the 30-year-old has made 139 of 164 career field goal tries, good for an 84.8 percent success rate.

Barth is now one of two veteran kicking options the Saints have, joining Kai Forbath, and it’s presumed that the duo will battle for a roster spot. Forbath has a similar career success rate (84.1) on 82 tries, but he converted just 10 of 15 field goals last season and finished with 10 fewer touchbacks on kickoffs than Barth – albeit in 12 fewer attempts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury At Root Of Laremy Tunsil’s Draft Slide

May 19th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: The Dolphins aren’t worried about Tunsil’s ankle, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum told WQAM-560 on Thursday.

“He’s full go. He’s fine. We never had a concern about his ankle,” Tannenbaum said, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

On drafting Tunsil, Tannenbaum stated, “It was an easy decision. It was unanimous… We had an area scout, Matt Winston, who went into Mississippi more than once. We knew about the kid. We knew about his character. He was a good teammate… I’m really glad he was there when we picked. I think we’re going to be happy for a long time.”

WEDNESDAY: A potentially chronic ankle injury helped induce Laremy Tunsil‘s slide down the draft board after previously being slotted as the No. 1 overall projected pick, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reports (video link).

While some teams — the Ravens, for one — potentially shied away from the Ole Miss product because of the bong video that surfaced just before the start of the draft, others, Cole reports, may have been concerned about the left tackle talent’s ankle troubles that surfaced late during the pre-draft process.

Although no news emerged of Tunsil struggling with the ailment at Dolphins rookie minicamp, multiple sources told Cole the No. 13 overall pick is dealing with a pre-arthritic ankle condition. Two sources also informed the Bleacher Report NFL insider that the condition Tunsil is battling is “worse than Myles Jack‘s knee.”

Tunsil broke his leg and dislocated an ankle during the 2014 Peach Bowl at the end of his sophomore season. He returned an became a second-team All-American as a junior despite playing in just six games due to a suspension, but Wednesday’s revelations suggest he may not be fully over that setback.

A slew of grim diagnoses emerged about the Jaguars second-round pick’s condition after a knee malady caused the ex-UCLA star to tumble into the second round after previously being slotted in as a potential top-5 pick. Jack missed most of his junior season with the Bruins in 2015 as a result of a torn meniscus that had some concerned before the draft he’d need microfracture surgery down the line. Although Jack dispelled some of those concerns recently, he won’t be able to distance himself from those knee concerns until he proves he can stay healthy for the Jaguars.

As for Tunsil, one source disagrees with others’ analyses, telling Cole that Tunsil indeed has an ankle issue but one that is not on the level of Jack’s knee. So, this could be a topic of Dolphins discussion this offseason, though to what degree is debatable.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

AFC East Notes: Revis, Pats, Bills

May 19th, 2016 at 6:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has fired agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. The Schwartz and Feinsod duo had many clashes with the Jets regarding Revis during their tenure representing him – including one that featured ex-head coach Rex Ryan shouting at the two during an episode of “Hard Knocks” amid the cornerback’s 2010 holdout – as Costello notes. Revis ultimately agreed to a four-year, $32MM deal to end his holdout that summer, and the seven-time Pro Bowler has collected a total of $101MM during his career with the help of his two ex-agents. Revis, 30, has four years remaining on the five-year, $70MM pact he inked with the Jets in 2015. That contract is second in overall value among cornerbacks, though it was first until Josh Norman‘s recent $75MM deal with Washington, and paces all corners in guarantees ($39MM).

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/19/16

May 19th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Falcons announced the signing of offensive lineman Laurence Gibson, a former seventh-round pick by Dallas, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. Gibson, who was on the KC’s practice squad last year, can play both tackle and guard.
The Buccaneers have waived kicker Patrick Murray, reports Jenna Laine (Twitter link). Murray spent last season on IR after the Bucs waived him with an injury designation, as Laine notes. In his only year of action, 2014, Murray converted 20 of 24 field goals.

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