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Month: November 2024

Chiefs Sign Entire Draft Class

June 3rd, 2016 at 5:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs have now signed their entire 2016 draft class, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter link) that the club has inked the lone holdout, third-round defensive back KeiVarae Russell. Russell was chosen with the 74th overall pick, which Kansas City picked up in a draft day trade with the Buccaneers.KeiVarae Russell (Vertical)

Kansas City didn’t make a selection in the first round of the draft, trading down with the 49ers in order to a acquire a second-, fourth-, and sixth-round pick. The Chiefs were reportedly interested in quarterback Paxton Lynch, but after the Broncos traded up to select him at pick No. 26, KC decided to move back and pick up more draft capital. The club also didn’t originally have a third-round pick, as that selection was forfeited as a result of a tampering incident (though, as noted, the Chiefs did eventually pick up a third-rounder).

The class in its entirety:

Kansas City Chiefs

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cowboys, Moore, Eagles, Jets

June 3rd, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

When the offseason began, finding a backup quarterback seemed to be one of the Cowboys‘ top priorities. However, they wound up sticking with Kellen Moore. From the sound of it, the Cowboys are comfortable sticking with him as their No. 2 quarterback, even though Nick Foles appears to be available.

“He’s not a guy that overly impresses you physically,” head coach Jason Garrett said (link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). “He’s not an imposing figure when he walks into the room. He doesn’t have an overly powerful arm. He’s not overly athletic. But he has a lot of the things that really good quarterbacks have. He understands the game. He has a good feel for the game. He’s instinctive. He’s a very accurate passer. He’s a quick decision-maker. And he’s a very good leader.”

Here’s more out of the East divisions:

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Carroll, Cardinals

June 3rd, 2016 at 2:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Those who are criticizing the Seahawks‘ first-round selection of Germain Ifedi will come to regret it, offensive line coach Tom Cable told ESPN Radio (link via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com).

“You watch him and see what you think then,” Cable said. “People don’t have to be accountable, they can say or think what they want, and that’s OK. But what they really don’t realize is how they could screw up a young person, because all these kids read all the Twitter and social media. One minute they’re loved and the next minute they can’t do this or they can’t do that, it was a bad pick, or whatever. Fortunately … Germain is a strong-minded, strong-willed kid. … So I just think watching him play, it will be kind of cool, whoever they are, they’ll kind of eat their words.”

Here’s a look at the NFC West:

Reactions To Allen Hurns’ Extension

June 3rd, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns says that teammates, including tight end Julius Thomas, have been busting his chops over his $40MM contract extension.

“Like he hasn’t been paid,” Hurns said of Thomas (via ESPN.com’s Mike DiRocco). “He’s just loud. Me and [Allen Robinson] gave him a lot of problems last year and he said that our time was going to come around.”

Thomas, of course, signed a five-year, $46MM deal with the Jaguars last year. Today, however, Hurns is the talk of Jacksonville. Here’s a look at some of the reactions to Hurns’ fat new contract plus a glance at how it may affect the wide receiver market going forward:

  • The market for No. 2 wide receivers has been reset after Hurns inked a four-year, $40MM extension with the Jaguars, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Dehner adds that the deal puts Marvin Jones‘ sizable contract in perspective. This spring, Jones got a five-year, $40MM deal from the Lions with $17MM fully guaranteed ($20MM guaranteed overall).
  • Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com looked at how Hurns’ deal with Jacksonville could affect Doug Baldwin‘s negotiations with the Seahawks. Baldwin, he argues, has a legitimate case to be paid at Hurns’ level. While Hurns’ average of 16.1 yards per reception was better than Baldwin’s 13.7 ypc offering, Baldwin was more efficient with a catch rate of 80.4%, compared to 62.1% for Hurns. One notable difference, of course, is age – Hurns is 25 and Baldwin is 28. When all is said and done, Kapadia feels that the Seahawks will at least have to match the four-year, $40MM extension given to Hurns if they want to keep Baldwin in the long run.
  • Hurns, who broke into the league as an undrafted free agent, is making $9.935MM in his first three NFL seasons. Only 2014’s top ten picks made more in the first three years of their rookie deals, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.

Pigskin Links: Foles, Fitzpatrick, Browns

June 3rd, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.

We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.

Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:

Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Foles, Dolphins

June 3rd, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Nick Foles situation in Los Angeles bears watching for the Jets, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. If the Rams release Foles (as is expected), he would wind up as the most attractive free agent QB afterRyan Fitzpatrick. If the Jets view Foles as a viable veteran option, it could prompt them to force the issue with the Harvard product.

Cimini goes on to opine that the Jets’ current offer is too low as the total guarantee of $15MM would place him just 27th among quarterbacks. However, after finding only mild interest elsewhere on the open market, Fitzpatrick has limited leverage.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Fitzpatrick isn’t the Jets player who most deserves a payday, Brian Costello of the New York Post opines. Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets have until July 15th to work out a deal but all indications are that they will not agree to an extension. Costello argues that Wilkerson is the Jets’ best defensive player and that signing him to a new deal will actually give the team additional cap room for the coming year. Whether Fitzpatrick is deserving of a sizable multi-year deal is debatable, he writes, but Wilkerson has clearly earned his payday.
  • The Dolphins‘ kicking job is a toss-up between last year’s starter Andrew Franks and Iowa product Marshall Koehn, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Franks nailed 13 of 16 field goals last season, with all three misses over 40 yards and one from 63. At the same time, he missed three of his 36 extra point attempts. There’s also a competition brewing at long snapper where San Jose State UDFA Ryan DiSalvo has been brought in to challenge John Denney. Denney, 37, has been Miami’s long-snapper since 2005, but he would be pricier ($1.2MM cap hit) than DiSalvo ($450K). If the Dolphins drop Denney, they’d only be on the hook for $100K in dead money.
  • Earlier today, we ran down eight teams that would be logical landing spots for Arian Foster, including the Patriots and Dolphins.
  • This week, the Bills learned that right tackle Seantrel Henderson is returning to the team now that he has his Crohn’s disease-related complications under control. It remains to be seen how he will fit into the team’s plans, however.

Eagles Expect Cox, Sproles To Report Soon

June 3rd, 2016 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told reporters that he expects both Fletcher Cox and Darren Sproles to be in attendance next week, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pederson added that GM Howie Roseman has been in contact with Cox’s agent while assistant coach Duce Staley has reached out to Sproles (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). 

Cox opted to skip voluntary workouts in May over dissatisfaction with his contract talks. Cox didn’t lose out on any money by staying away from OTAs, but he would be fined more than $76K if he did not attend June’s mandatory three-day minicamp. Roseman contends that Cox is a “huge part” of the team’s future, but the two sides will have to smooth out this contract situation for that to come to fruition. One report earlier this year claimed that the two sides were closing in on a long-term deal with more than $52MM in guarantees while another report indicated that no deal was close. Several weeks later, there’s still no agreement between the standout defensive lineman and Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the Eagles reportedly fielded some trade inquiries on Sproles during the draft in April. The tailback did not report for OTAs and it was said that he was staying at home while the situation sorted itself out. For what it’s worth, Pederson said that he has no interest in trading Sproles and considers him to be an important part of the offense. Sproles currently sits as the team’s No. 2 back behind presumptive starter Ryan Mathews.

Cox, 25, enjoyed a career-year in 2015, setting a new career high with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. The performance earned the former first-round pick his first Pro Bowl nod, along with a top-10 spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings of interior defenders — he placed ninth out of 123 qualified players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Boldin, Hawk, Mathis, Chargers

June 2nd, 2016 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When I ranked Anquan Boldin as the second-best offensive free agent left on the market, I noted that even as he ages, the veteran receiver continues to maintain consistent production, managing at least 65 receptions in each of the past five seasons, and averaging nearly 1,000 yards and five scores during that period. So why is he still unsigned? Albert Breer of the TheMMQB.com wanted an answer to that question, and asked a scouting director for a response. The executive’s position on Boldin? “He’s old and can’t run.” 

With that blunt answer out of the way, let’s take a look at several more notes from around the league…

  • Like Boldin, A.J. Hawk is another veteran that remains unsigned, but he tells Jim Owcazrski of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he’s staying in shape and hoping for an interested team to contact him later in the summer. While he allowed that such a phone call might not come until late in camp or even after the start of the regular season (when veteran salaries are no longer guaranteed), Hawk maintained that he has not yet set a timetable for retirement.
  • Robert Mathis hasn’t yet reached free agency like Boldin and Hawk, but the edge rusher is set hit the open market at season’s end. As Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star writes, the Colts haven’t shown any proclivity for hanging on to household names simply for the fanfare, so Mathis might be playing his last season with the club. Could retirement be an option? “I’ll tally it up at the end of the season,” said Mathis. “If I feel I should walk away, then that’s what I should do. But if not, I’m gonna keep playing.”
  • The Chargers‘ decision on whether or not to stay in San Diego could percolate through the end of the 2016 regular season, sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who outlines some of the potential legal challenges that could stifle the team’s options. The decision can’t wait for too long, as the Chargers’ to move to Los Angeles expires on January 15, 2017.
  • ESPN.com’s NFL writers each listed a veteran who could be on the roster bubble, and some surprising names made the list, including Barkevious Mingo, Justin Hunter, Marquess Wilson, and Matt Elam.

NFC Notes: Patterson, Matthews, Beasley

June 2nd, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Zachary Links

It appears that a fire has been lit under Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Minnesota failed to exercise the former first-round pick’s fifth-year option for 2017, and teammates believe that slight may have been a catalyst in Patterson’s increased production so far at camp.

“I don’t know if them not picking up his fifth-year option woke him up a little bit or what, but he’s going out there and working,” Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “He’s doing a great job of switching it up on you. Normally, CP, he was just one speed. He’d just come at you full speed. Now, he’ll lull you to sleep a little bit, and he’ll turn on the burners. It’s messing the DBs up a little bit, but at the same time, I told him, ‘You’re running some great routes. Just keep it up, keep working and then when we get the month of July off, don’t backslide. Just keep doing what you’re doing and getting better.'”

Let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the NFC…

  • Clay Matthews says he never pressured Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to move him back to outside linebacker, but he did admit to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that he hoped the transition inside would be short-lived. Matthews is set to return to his pass-rushing role again in 2016, as Green Bay will roll with Jake Ryan, Sam Barrington, and fourth-round rookie Blake Martinez at inside ‘backer.
  • The Falcons do plan to move former eighth overall pick Vic Beasley to linebacker, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll stop rushing the passer, as Atlanta linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich explains to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “The emphasis with Vic will still be pass rush,” Ulbrich said. “The emphasis will still be his nickel end stuff, will still be playing Sam as a blitzer. The majority of his meeting time will be devoted to that. The majority of his individual work pre-practice will be devoted to that. The majority of his practice reps will be devoted to that. And on Sundays, the majority of his reps will be devoted to that.”
  • Running back Terron Ward made the Falcons as an undrafted free agent last season, but he’ll have to beat Gus Johnson and Brandon Wills to retain his roster spot this season, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Ward managed only 29 carries behind Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman in 2015, but he did play on roughly 22% of Atlants’s special teams snaps.
  • The Lions worked out former Mississippi State tight end Darrion Hutcherson on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Bills

June 2nd, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are holding firm in their offer of a three-year deal to Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the veteran quarterback would prefer a one-year pact, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The club would prefer a deal of three years so that it can spread the signing bonus proration over multiple seasons, instead of taking the entire hit in 2016, sources tell Brian Costello of the New York Post. New York is tight on cap space at the moment, and while the team could restructure other contracts in order to fit in a one-year Fitzpatrick salary, it would prefer not to do so.

One solution, per Cole, might be for the Jets to include an opt-out after the 2016 campaign, allowing Fitzpatrick to hit the market again next spring. Another — arguably simpler — solution might be for Gang Green to simply include void years in any deal, which would allow them keep Fitzpatrick’s cap charge low in 2016 before seeing a cap adjustment next season. For now, however, the situation looks to be at a standstill, leading Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk to examine the scenario from the perspective of both player and team.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • The Fitzpatrick affair isn’t the only contract squabble the Jets are currently undertaking, as the club still has an outstanding contract negotiation with franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson. Speaking to reporters today, head coach Todd Bowles reiterated that New York hopes to eventually reach an accord with the standout defensive end. “We want to sign all our good players. But that doesn’t always work out,” Bowles told Kimberley Martin of Newsday. “But with the rules these days they make it very hard after four or five years to keep your own. So we’ve got to try to finagle and find ways to do that and have enough money to try to do so.”
  • Joe Buscalgia of WKBW takes a look at several intriguing roster questions that face the Bills this summer, including who will be lining up to safety Aaron Williams when the season begins. While there was some thought that free agent signee Robert Blanton might push for the starting job, head coach Rex Ryan made it clear that veteran Corey Graham is viewed as the other starting safety opposite Williams. Buscaglia also touches on several areas of note, including how edge rusher IK Enemkpali will fit a 3-4 defense, and how former second-round pick Javier Arenas can make the squad.
  • There have been conflicting reports as to whether Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler plans to push for a new contract prior to the 2016 season, and if so, exactly how much leverage the former undrafted free agent would have in negotiations. CSNNE.com examines the situation and discusses if the issue will linger throughout the summer in their latest video.
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