2016 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

May 26th, 2016 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

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Dolphins Still Monitoring Arian Foster

May 26th, 2016 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins continue to monitor Texans free agent Arian Foster, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Foster visited with Miami in late March but left without a deal.

Foster is still recovering from a torn Achilles, though he reportedly should be able to pass a physical sometime in the coming weeks. Given his injury, Foster’s reps made it clear that he was in no rush to sign this offseason. The Dolphins would be a logical landing spot for Foster as the veteran could push presumptive starter Jay Ajayi for playing time and give rookie tailback Kenyan Drake extra time to develop.

Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked the top 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 matches for the veteran. The Patriots, depending on who you ask, may have preliminary interest in the four-time Pro Bowler.

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.

In other Dolphins running back news, Jackson notes that the Fins staff sees Damien Williams as the front-runner for the No. 3 RB job behind Ajayi and Drake, though Daniel Thomas could push Williams. Ultimately, veteran Isaiah Pead “faces an uphill climb” and it sounds like he could be the odd man out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Talks Between Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick

May 25th, 2016 at 8:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

8:57pm: Decker’s absence from OTAs does stem from his dissatisfaction with the lack of progress toward a new deal for Fitzpatrick, reports Costello (Twitter link).

5:36pm: It’s nearly June, which means NFL training camp is creeping closer, but the Jets and free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continue to make no progress toward a new contract. The two sides haven’t engaged in discussions in several weeks, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).

For his part, Fitzpatrick indicated on Monday that he’d like to return to the Jets, saying, “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 added that “the discussions have been behind closed doors,” but if Costello’s report is accurate, those closed-door talks haven’t happened in a while.

The 33-year-old Fitzpatrick, whom the Jets acquired from the Texans for a late-round pick in March 2015, has been pushing for a contract commensurate to his performance last season. The well-traveled Fitzpatrick had a career campaign as part of a 10-6 club, amassing personal bests in yards (3,905) and touchdown passes (31) against 15 interceptions.

The Jets aren’t as bullish on Fitzpatrick as he is on himself, however, as they’ve reportedly tried to lock him up to a deal in the $7MM-per-year range. That’s similar annual value to the contracts Robert Griffin III and Chase Daniel signed earlier this offseason with the Browns and Eagles, respectively, but Fitzpatrick has been significantly more productive than those two in recent years.

With Fitzpatrick currently out of the Jets’ equation, the club has three less-than-ideal signal-calling options in Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Smith has struggled mightily during his three-year NFL career, while Petty and Hackenberg have a combined zero pro snaps between them. New York did invest respectable resources in the tandem, though, with Petty going in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and Hackenberg in the second round this year. Further, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey stated Wednesday that Gang Green would be content with any member of its current troika under center this year. Receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, both of whom were absent from voluntary OTAs on Wednesday, might disagree. Marshall’s absence is unrelated to Fitzpatrick’s situation, however, per Costello (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Brees, Bradford, Browns, Jags

May 25th, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints and Drew Brees haven’t had contract extension talks in about a month and a half, the quarterback said Wednesday (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NFL.com). Brees added that he doesn’t like talking contract during the season, per Larry Holder of NOLA.com (on Twitter). That means the Saints’ hopes of extending the 37-year-old could be put on hold for a while if they don’t lock him up prior to their Sept. 11 opener. Brees is currently scheduled to count $30MM against New Orleans’ cap this year, the final season of his contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Although the Eagles traded up in the draft to use the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback Carson Wentz, the expectation is that veteran Sam Bradford will at least begin the 2016 season as their starter. That might not be the case, however, according to new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. On whether Bradford is the Eagles’ clear-cut No. 1 option under center, Reich told CBS Philly, “No, that’s probably not the right impression.” He continued, “This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there’s not competition, that’s just the furthest thing from the truth.”
Longtime Browns left tackle Joe Thomas stated at the end of last season that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue his career with rebuilding Cleveland, but the nine-year veteran is now pleased that the team didn’t trade him. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had been traded, but I’m happy that I didn’t. So it’s kind of a happy ending,” he told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Thomas, who has gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, is also pleased with the Browns’ new head coach, Hue Jackson. “I was always jealous of the guys that were in Cincinnati running Hue Jackson’s offense because it’s a very offensive line friendly offense, a lot of quick throws, a lot of easy fade balls, a lot of different formations to spread the defense out, confuse them, get them into really vanilla looks, some up-tempo stuff, smash-mouth football, he really wants to run the ball inside the tackles,” he said.
Like Thomas, Jaguars left tackle Luke Joeckel is glad he’s still with his current club. “I love Jacksonville. I’d love to stay here. It all comes down to my play. I’m only focused on myself and me playing football, getting better at left tackle,” he said (link via Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com). While Joeckel’s goal is to improve at tackle, there’s a good chance he’ll shift inside to guard if free agent pickup Kelvin Beachum wins the LT job, as expected, per DiRocco. Since the Jags used the second pick of the 2013 draft on Joeckel, the former Texas A&M standout has been a disappointment. Joeckel’s struggles led Jacksonville to decline his fifth-year option for 2017 and sign Beachum.
It’s not clear whether right tackle Seantrel Henderson will be a part of the Bills‘ plans in 2016 and coach Rex Ryan admits that he hasn’t spoken to him in some time. “I have no update for you guys on that. So that is a medical thing,” Ryan said (link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW) “I really have no update. I haven’t seen Seantrel in quite a while.” A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s disease.
Free agent wide receiver Wes Welker isn’t sure if he wants to continue his NFL career in 2016. “There are some days I wake up I’m like, ‘OK I’m done,’ and other days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Maybe one more year,'” the five-time Pro Bowler said Wednesday, per NFL Media (via Twitter). Welker, 35, joined the Rams midway through last season and posted unimpressive numbers (13 receptions and 102 yards) in eight games.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On NFL’s Investigation Into PEDs

May 25th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Nearly five months have passed since an Al Jazeera America documentary linking several NFL players to banned substances came to the fore, but the league still hasn’t interviewed any of the individuals mentioned in the film. That could be on the brink of changing, reports Christine Brennan of USA Today.

“It’s our expectation that we will interview the players involved over the next month or so,” league spokesman Joe Lockhart told Brennan on Wednesday.

Lockhart added that the league is “in conversations with the union over the timing” of the interviews.

“The Dark Side,” a documentary centering on the global epidemic of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, was released in December. In that production, ex-Guyer Institute pharmacists Charlie Sly and Chad Robertson name now-retired quarterback Peyton Manning, Packers linebacker Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and current free agent linebacker Mike Neal as players they supplied with PEDs. They also connect Packers linebacker Clay Matthews to the painkiller Toradol.

Sly alleges in the documentary that the Guyer Institute – an Indianapolis-based anti-aging clinic – supplied Manning and his wife, Ashley, with human growth hormone when he was recovering from a career-threatening neck injury in 2011. Neal, Peppers and Harrison are all linked to hormone supplement Delta-2, which is designed to stay ahead of drug tests.

Manning, whose Broncos defeated the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, stated after the documentary’s release that he would welcome a league investigation into the matter and added that he’d consider legal action. As it turns out, however, the 40-year-old will not sue, relays Brennan. He remains on the league’s interview list, though, because of the potential that he’ll someday end up in a front office.

As of now, Manning doesn’t want to spend significant money or time on a lawsuit that would publicize the private medical records of him and his wife, per Brennan, who notes that Sly’s allegation that Manning went to the Guyer Institute ultimately proved true. Further, the Mannings haven’t disputed the notion that Ashley Manning had HGH and other drugs shipped to her.

For now, Manning is in a strategic phase and keeping an eye on how the libel lawsuits filed against Al Jazeera America by Major League Baseball players Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman fare. Howard and Zimmerman are also included in the documentary, and they elected to take legal action in January. If their cases end up dismissed, Manning will know his also would have been, writes Brennan.

As for the other players involved, Neal is still unsigned despite logging a few productive seasons in Green Bay. He attributes his unemployment, at least in part, to the documentary. Harrison decided against legal action in December for financial reasons, and he made news earlier this month when he tried to videotape his own drug test. Peppers – who does have a 2002 PED suspension on his résumé – called the documentary “irresponsible journalism” upon its release, and Matthews denied knowing Sly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/25/16

May 25th, 2016 at 7:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Buccaneers have signed undrafted free agent Javien Elliott, formerly of Florida State, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Elliott accrued 37 tackles, a sack and an interception for the Seminoles last season.
Offensive lineman Darius Johnson, whom the Lions cut on Tuesday, has cleared waivers, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Johnson signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State earlier this month.
The Buccaneers have waived cornerback C.J. Wilson, according to Auman (Twitter link). Wilson missed all of last season after losing two fingers in a July 4 fireworks accident. Prior to that horrific accident, he appeared in a total of four games from 2013-14 – his first two seasons in the league. Wilson will continue his career in a vastly different climate, per Auman, who reports that he has signed with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Wide receiver Andre Debose, whom the Raiders waived/injured Tuesday, cleared waivers and has reverted to injured reserve, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
The Titans have been awarded tight end Jerome Cunningham off waivers, reports Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. Cunningham, whom the Jets waived Tuesday, appeared in nine games last season and caught eight passes for 59 yards.
The Broncos have an agreement with second-round defensive lineman Adam Gotsis, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. As per his slot, Gotsis’ deal comes with a signing bonus of just over $1MM. Gotsis, a Georgia Tech product, is currently sidelined due to the torn ACL he suffered last year.
The Bengals signed fourth-round defensive tackle Andrew Billings, as Wilson tweets. In related news, the team signed fullback Andrew Bonnet and waived-injured kicker Jonathan Brown.
The Bears announced that they have signed linebacker Jarrett Grace, an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame. To make room, fellow linebacker Danny Mason has been placed on waivers.
The Falcons announced that they have waived offensive lineman Cody Elenz. Elenz was signed as a college free agent following the draft. Even after cutting Elenz, Atlanta has 15 offensive linemen on their 88-man roster.
The Packers released guard/tackle Vince Kowalski, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins, Vikings

May 25th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It doesn’t appear that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is ready to change his uptempo offensive ways. During the team period at OTAs on Wednesday, the 49ers ran 24 plays in an eight-minute span, good for one snap every 20 seconds, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). As noted by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Kelly’s taxing, fast-paced attack eventually wore out its welcome with some of his Eagles players during his three-season tenure in Philadelphia.

Here’s more on San Francisco and a few of its NFC counterparts:

One of Kelly’s players, safety Eric Reid, said Wednesday he’d like to sign a contract extension to remain with the 49ers for the long haul (link via Maiocco). San Francisco already has control over Reid through 2017, having picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month. General manager Trent Baalke stated in April that he’d be open to inking the 2013 first-rounder to an extension, though that was before the fifth-year option decision. The 24-year-old Reid has been a full-time starter for the 49ers since entering the league and has a Pro Bowl nod under his belt. He failed to record an interception last season, however, after piling up a combined seven during his initial two campaigns.
The Cowboys seem content with Kellen Moore serving as Tony Romo‘s primary backup this year, per head coach Jason Garrett (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). “We just feel like Kellen has earned the right to compete for the No. 2 spot, and that’s what he’s doing,” said Garrett. In his first pro action last season, the 26-year-old Moore – a former Lion – appeared in three games, made two starts, and threw four touchdowns against six interceptions. It’s worth noting that the Cowboys visited with veteran passer Matt Moore earlier this offseason before he re-signed with Miami and also selected Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post wonders where rookie inside linebacker Su’a Cravens will fit in the Redskins‘ defense. Listed as a safety coming out of USC, the Redskins used Cravens at inside linebacker during rookie minicamp. Going forward, it’s possible that Cravens can be used at linebacker, safety, or even nickel cornerback if necessary. Cravens’ label of “moneybacker” helped him vault up the boards in April, leading to his second-round selection in the draft.
Second-year Vikings defensive tackle B.J. Dubose tore his ACL during OTAs on Wednesday and will miss the 2016 season, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Dubose, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, hasn’t yet appeared in an NFL game.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com about the Lions‘ perceived lack of change at the running back position. While the Lions did not make a major splash, they did add veteran Stevan Ridley in free agency and Dwayne Washington in the draft. Washington, Twentyman writes, is a no-nonsense tailback who boasts big-play potential thanks to his size and speed. Those two backs will support incumbent starter Ameer Abdullah and pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Marshawn Lynch Rethinking Retirement?

May 25th, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Seahawks removed Marshawn Lynch from their 90-man roster three weeks ago when they placed the running back on the reserve/retired list, but the 30-year-old still hasn’t officially walked away from football. Now, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), some close to Lynch have conflicting beliefs as to whether he actually is planning to retire.

Lynch told a pair of ex-teammates that he intends to play this year, per Cole, which comes on the heels of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman‘s recent reluctance to put the rusher’s NFL tenure in the rear-view mirror.

On the notion of Lynch returning in 2016, Sherman said, “I don’t put anything past him. He’s about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don’t try to call his plays.”

Meanwhile, Doug Hendrickson – Lynch’s agent – doesn’t expect his client to take the field this season, but Cole reports “there’s a guessing game going on” and adds that the four-time Pro Bowler is far from a sure bet to remain a Seahawk if he elects against retirement. The Seahawks may be ready to move on from Lynch because of his 2016 cap charge and the injury issues he dealt with last season, relays Cole.

Seattle would rack up significant savings if it were to move on from a non-retired Lynch this summer, recouping $9MM in breathing room, and the club’s ground game was elite even without him last season.

While Lynch battled hamstring and abdominal injuries that limited him to seven games and career worsts in rushing attempts (111), yards (417) and touchdowns (three), Thomas Rawls burst on the scene as an undrafted rookie and averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 147 tries. Rawls also wasn’t the picture of health last year, however, as he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in December that required surgery. The 22-year-old should be good to go for the upcoming season, though, and the Seahawks invested heavily behind him when they selected fellow backs C.J. Prosise (third round), Alex Collins (fifth round) and Zac Brooks (seventh round) in the draft. The club also has veteran Christine Michael on its depth chart, so even if Lynch does go back on his initial instinct to retire, it does appear that his days in a Seahawks uniform are over.

Originally acquired from Buffalo in 2010 for pennies on the dollar (two late-round draft picks), Lynch was the driving force behind Seattle’s offense for most of his five-plus-year career there. In each of his four 16-game seasons as a Seahawk, Lynch finished with at least 280 carries, 1,200 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also made a pair of Super Bowl trips, one of which ended in victory.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Notes: Marshall, Decker, QBs, Richardson

May 25th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Jets:

Wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker were both absent from OTAs today and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey told reporters (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post) that both players were also absent yesterday. There is speculation that the two are staying home to put pressure on the Jets to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick. When asked if Decker and Marshall are making a stand, Gailey said that he doesn’t think that’s the case, “but you’ll have to ask them that question.” Center Nick Mangold has also been away, but his wife gave birth Tuesday, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Gailey claims that the team will be comfortable with whoever wins the quarterback job (Twitter link via Costello). Currently, the Jets have Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and second-round pick Christian Hackenberg in camp. Of course, the shadow of Fitzpatrick looms large and there is pressure on the team to get a deal done.
Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson says he has spoken to the NFL with regards to its investigation, Costello tweets. Richardson, who served a four-game suspension at the start of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, was his usual effective self upon returning, picking up five sacks and forcing a couple fumbles. Pro Football Focus, which classified him as an edge defender, ranked him 30th out of 110 qualified players in the group.

Latest On Falcons, Brandon Boykin

May 25th, 2016 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are not signing Brandon Boykin at this time, according to a league source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The free-agent cornerback worked out for the team on Monday.

Boykin was released by the Panthers back on May 16th. Prior to his signing, the 25-year-old was one of the more intriguing cornerbacks to linger on the free agent market in late March. Still, Carolina opted to bail on the low-guarantee, one-year deal. Even though the Panthers parted ways with Josh Norman this spring, they felt that they were already set at cornerback after adding three in the draft.

The Falcons (and three other teams) reportedly had interest in the slot corner before he signed with the Panthers in late March. Boykin, a Georgia native who played for the Bulldogs in college, seemed like a logical fit for Dan Quinn‘s defense.

Despite not seeing significant playing time in Pittsburgh, Boykin ranked as a top-40 cornerback in 2015 (out of 111 qualified players), per Pro Football Focus. The diminutive corner has always shown flashes of upside, particularly in his six-interception 2013 campaign, but has never really gotten the opportunity to be a full-time player with just seven career starts. He’ll now look elsewhere for his chance to shine.

While Boykin didn’t earn a spot on PFR’s top 50 free agent list, we placed him sixth among free agent cornerbacks when we broke down 2016’s top defensive free agents, placing him ahead of veterans like Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson due to his relative youth and upside.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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