HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/27/16

June 27th, 2016 at 6:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

  • The Steelers signed running back Brandon Johnson to fill the roster spot vacated when kicker Shaun Suisham was released, the club announced. Johnson, who walked on at Penn State, is now taking a similar route to the NFL, were he’ll sign as a undrafted free agent after trying out at Pittsburgh’s minicamp last month. He managed only four carries during his senior season, and mainly served as a special teams player.
  • After auditioning for both the Eagles and Colts during rookie minicamps, former Florida State quarterback Everett Golson will join the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the team announced. Golson completed more than 67% of his passes last year for the Seminoles, but his more prolific collegiate activity came with Notre Dame in 2012, when he helped lead the Fighting Irish to the National Championship game.

Antrel Rolle Garnering Free Agent Interest

June 27th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent safety Antrel Rolle says a few teams have reached out to him since he hit the open market last month, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Rolle didn’t divulge the exact identity of those clubs, he did tell Fowler that he’s waiting for the “right situation” before signing a deal.Antrel Rolle (Vertical)

In May, PFR ranked Rolle as the seventh-best defensive free agent still on the board, ahead of other defensive backs such as Antonio Cromartie, Cortland Finnegan, and Will Allen. Rolle has expressed an interest in reuniting with the Giants, but it’s not clear if that interest is being reciprocated at this stage of the offseason. The Dolphins are also keeping Rolle’s number handy in the event that they have an injury at safety or Reshad Jones returns to holding out.

Rolle, now 33 years old, ended up spending just one season with the Bears after agreeing to a three-year deal worth more than $11MM prior to the 2015 season. The veteran defensive back played in only seven games, having injured his knee in a November practice. Rolle stayed on the active roster until mid-December, when he was placed on injured reserve.

An 11-year NFL veteran who has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Cardinals and Giants, Rolle was an average player in 2015, grading out as the No. 39 safety in the league among 89 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. While he didn’t post any interceptions during his seven contests with Chicago, Rolle did register 30 tackles while defensing one pass.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC South Notes: Fuller, Texans, Colts, Jaguars

June 27th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The reviews of Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller were largely positive coming into the draft, but some were critical of his hands and his propensity to drop passes. That’s an issue that he’s working hard to correct.

“I think drops are something we work on every day,” Texans receivers coach Sean Ryan said, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. “We talk about the fundamentals of catching the football: eye control, hand placement. It’s the same for every guy. You can trace 90 percent of those drops to those simple things.”

Earlier today, scouting expert Dave-Te Thomas profiled Fuller and other impact rookies in the Texans’ 2016 draft class. Fuller, he writes, boasted some of the best stop-and-start skills in the draft and he could put that footwork to use immediately this season.

Here’s more from the AFC South:

  • The Colts’ 2016 draft class could have a long-term impact on their offensive line, Mike Chappell of CBS4 writes. For the first time since 1983, the Colts used four draft picks on offensive linemen to boost the quality of depth in that unit. Ultimately, the Colts are hopeful that they found a starter or two to develop alongside first-round center Ryan Kelly. Indianapolis’ rookie class also includes third-round Le’Raven Clark, fifth-round tackle/guard Joe Haeg, and seventh-round center Austin Blythe. The Colts formally wrapped up the signing of everyone in their draft class earlier this month when Clark gave his signature.
  • UDFA tight end Stephen Anderson is also making a strong impression on the Texans, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. “He’s come out and really put in a great effort every day,” Texans tight ends coach John Perry said. “He’s held true to the Cal mantra of being a smart kid. He’s picked up things very quickly and, on top of that, he’s got great athleticism. He’s got good hands. His best trait is he continues to work at it. Here’s a kid who’s just climbed the ladder. He walked on at Cal. Now he comes in here as a free agent. He’s taken advantage of opportunities that have been presented to him. So, he’s fun to work with and I can see him continuing to get better.” Anderson is hoping to hook on at tight end in Houston behind Ryan Griffin and C.J. Fiedorowicz, as shown on the Texans’ Roster Resource page.
  • The Jaguars‘ additions on defense this offseason will help their cause in trying to win the AFC South this year, ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli writes. This spring, the Jags picked up free agent defensive tackle Malik Jackson and free safety Tashaun Gipson. Jacksonville also selected cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack in the draft and 2015 first-rounder Dante Fowler Jr. is set to finally make his debut. Still, Ganguli believes that with the Texans’ upgrade at quarterback and the Colts having a healthy Andrew Luck, it’s going to take more than that bolstered defense to win the division.

AFC East Notes: Marshall, Jets, Alonso

June 27th, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets don’t have much in the way of team-friendly contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap opines, but Brandon Marshall‘s deal is the de facto best of the bunch. Marshall came to the Jets via trade with the Bears, but the wide receiver and Gang Green hashed out a new deal as a condition of the swap. The deal wound up becoming a one-year trial as they nixed real guarantees for year two of the three-year pact. As it turns out, Marshall flourished and he now appears to be a bargain at $9.5MM in 2016.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

  • More from Fitzgerald, who linebacker David Harris‘ deal is the worst contract the Jets currently have. Harris signed a three-year, $21.5MM contract extension with the Jets in March of 2015. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald writes that comparable players would earn in the $5MM/year range with a much lower guarantee. Harris has inked two favorable deals with the Jets over the course of his career but Fitzgerald believes the buck will stop soon with the Jets releasing the veteran before the start of 2017 season. Last year, Harris graded out as the 32nd best linebacker in the NFL out of 97 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus.
  • Linebacker Kiko Alonso is starting over again with the Dolphins after being traded to Miami in March and there is a lot of positive buzz surrounding him right now, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. Injuries have held Alonso back over the last couple of years, but he now seems to have his knee problems behind hm. Alonso came out firing in his rookie year in 2013 and one GM allegedly told Alonso’s agent prior to the draft that Alonso was the best linebacker prospect he had seen since Brian Bosworth.
  • If Sheldon Richardson is suspended to start the year, the Jets may have to give a bigger role to defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins than they had anticipated, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Losing Richardson to suspension is obviously not ideal, but the Jets are high on Jenkins and they see him as a younger and faster version of last year’s backups Leger Douzable and Stephen Bowen. “Jarvis is a three-down player,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He can move across the line of scrimmage. Good interior pass rusher. Has power and has some speed. We thought we upgraded there a little bit from a backup standpoint, that can come in and play.”

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Bradford, Redskins

June 27th, 2016 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles surprised many onlookers this offseason when they gave Sam Bradford a hefty extension while also drafted QB Carson Wentz No. 2 overall and adding free agent Chase Daniel. With two new signal callers behind the incumbent starter Bradford, are the Eagles striking fear into NFC East opponents? John Keim of ESPN.com doesn’t believe so. The Redskins respected Philly’s passing game last year, but Bradford is now in a new offense (again) and the backups aren’t necessarily going to bolster the passing game in 2016. Daniel can capably run Doug Pederson‘s offense if called upon and Wentz has star potential, but neither player makes a difference in the here and now, in Keim’s view.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

NFL To Interview Peyton Manning

June 27th, 2016 at 1:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Late last week, the NFL made plans to interview most of the players implicated in the infamous Al Jazeera America documentary on performance enhancing drugs. That list of interviewees included currently players like Packers linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews and Steelers linebacker James Harrison as well as free agent Mike Neal. Peyton Manning was the biggest of the big names to be mentioned in the documentary, but he was not on the docket since he is no longer an active player. However, that has now changed. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells Mike Florio of PFT that the league office will meet with Manning. Peyton Manning (vertical)

[RELATED: NFL To Interview Players Named In PED Doc]

While all of the other players will be interviewed roughly around the start of training camp, the exact date of Manning’s interview with the NFL is not yet known. The league still does not have the authority to force Manning into an interview, but his desire to work in an NFL front office has likely compelled him to cooperate. On top of that, as Florio notes, Manning would be in an awkward position if the accusations regarding Peppers & Co. were found to have merit while he did not consent to an interview.

Shortly after the documentary aired in December 2015, Manning went on the offensive and pronounced to the world that he would sue Al Jazeera for defamation. Months later, however, Manning backtracked from plans to bring legal action. If Manning’s lawsuit flip-flop raised eyebrows in the football world, he may have an opportunity now to silence critics by cooperating with the NFL’s investigation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Impact Rookies: Houston Texans

June 27th, 2016 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? Furthermore, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?

To help us forecast the immediate future of these youngsters, we enlisted the help of NFL Draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.

Today, we kick off PFR’s Impact Rookie series with Dave-Te Thomas’ insight on the Houston Texans’ draft class:

Will Fuller (vertical)

First Round – Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame, No. 21 overall) 

Losing an aging Andre Johnson before the 2015 season put a lot of pressure on DeAndre Hopkins, as he was constantly being double teamed. Still, without the benefit of a quality “wing man” on the other side and even more problems at quarterback, Hopkins saw 31% of the team’s passes targeted to him, making 111 grabs that included 11 touchdowns. Johnson’s replacements were found wanting, as Nate Washington took in just 47-of- 95 targeted passes. Cecil Shorts, who recently agreed to a drastically reduced contract, caught just five balls for at least 20 yards among his 42 grabs. The addition of Fuller made Washington a roster casualty and forced Shorts to “shorten” his money to return in 2016. Fuller will not dazzle you with his slight frame, but he definitely disproved scouts who felt he was not fast with a blazing 4.32-second clocking in the 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. He builds acceleration nicely and displays excellent balance and change of direction agility. The thing you see on film is that he has very good success on jump-ball battles (won 12-of- 14 last year), as he does a very nice job of adjusting under the ball and timing his leaps. Along with his body control, he has some of the best stop-and-start skills in this draft class.

Second Round – Nick Martin, C (Notre Dame C No. 50 overall)

Martin is a vast upgrade from the Texans’ previous snapper, Ben Jones, who is no longer with the team. He’s already formed a good bond with Brock Osweiler and should join the Colts’ first round pick, Ryan Kelly, as immediate starters at center for their respective teams. Martin’s arrival will see newly signed Jeff Allen slide into the right guard spot vacated by Brandon Brooks. Greg Mancz and Tony Bergstrom were hoping to compete for the pivot spot after Jones left, but both now vie for second unit duties.

With Chad Slade and Oday Oboushi the only bodies on the roster behind starting guards Jeff Allen and Xavier Su’a-Filo, Martin could also serve as a valuable sixth man on the O-Line, if Mancz or Bergstrom somehow manage to win the center job. Both of those veterans also have experience playing guard and when you couple that with Martin’s arrival, it seems like Slade and Oboushi may not survive training camp, especially if the team opts to keep just ten offensive linemen.

Third Round – Braxton Miller, WR (Ohio State, No. 85 overall)

Shorts, Keith Mumphery, and Jalen Strong will not only have to deal with the arrival of Fuller, one or more players from that trio could be playing elsewhere next season, thanks to third round pick Braxton Miller. The former Ohio State quarterback should take over slot receiver/H-Back duties and adds another element to the offensive game plan with his throwing arm and running ability to perform in the wildcat package.

Tyler Ervin (vertical)

Fourth Round – Tyler Ervin, RB (San Jose State, No 119 overall)

The Texans did not draft Ervin to be their featured back as he obviously lacks the size to carry the ball 25-30 times per game. However, the speedy ball carrier did run for 1,601 yards while displaying his 4.42 speed in 2015. He should be the ideal third-down back, as he also caught 45 balls last season. Look for the San Jose State product to spell Lamar Miller during passing situations and he could replace the duo of Shorts and Mumphery as the team’s new punt returner, as those two combined for just 7.3-yards per return.

If the team opts to keep five running backs, Miller and Ervin will nail down two spots. Fullback Jay Prosch will be challenged by Soma Vainuku, while Kenny Hilliard’s ability to play both spots could give him an advantage over Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes for the final spot in the backfield.

Fifth Round – K.J. Dillon, SS/FS (West Virginia, No. 159 overall)

One man’s misfortune (Karl Joseph’s injury) was another’s fortune in 2015, as Dillon took on a bigger role once his All-American teammate was lost for the 2015 season. Dillon’s ability to play both safety spots, along with starting experience as a weakside linebacker makes him the secondary’s wild card entering camp. Dillon’s physical hitting style will be a better fit at strong safety, where 2013 second rounder D.J. Swearinger never panned out.

Currently, ahead of Dillon on the depth chart are Eddie Pleasant and Kurtis Drummond, but both were castoffs signed as free agents by the Texans.  If Drummond manages to emerge as the strong safety, Dillon can mount a challenge for the free safety position that is occupied by Andre Hal, a 2014 seventh-round pick. Hal led the team with four interceptions and 14 pass break-ups last year, but lacks the coverage speed to handle deep routes. Dillon could displace Hal, who would then slide into a more comfortable role in the sub packages.

If the team keeps five safeties, Dillon, Drummond and Hal should fill three spots, with Pleasant, Demps, Jets castoff Antonio Allen and 2014 seventh-rounder Lonnie Ballentine battling it out for the final two places. If Allen proves he’s recovered from a torn Achilles tendon that forced him to miss the 2015 campaign, a stating tandem of Dillon and Allen at the could be in the team’s future.

Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service which has provided insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Notes: Hightower, Collins, Edelman

June 27th, 2016 at 8:18am CST by Zachary Links

Recently, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com ran down the NFL’s “best defensive triplets” and ranked the Patriots No. 10 with a trio of safety Devin McCourty, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and linebacker Jamie Collins. One knock on this talented group, however, is the injury factor as all three missed time last season.

It should also be noted that the Patriots will have to take action in order to keep this group together beyond the 2016 season as both Collins and Hightower are entering their contract years. Last year, Collins graded out as the No. 5 linebacker in the league while Hightower came in at No. 10, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. This year, Collins will earn less than $1MM on the final year of his rookie deal while Hightower will make $7.751MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. It will take years and security to keep both players and Collins in particular is due for a monster raise.

Here’s more on the Pats:

  • Even though Julian Edelman could be forced to miss the start of the Patriots’ season following his second foot surgery, Phil Perry of CSNNE.com doesn’t expect the team to place him on the PUP list, which is not good news for receivers frying to make the cut. Right now, Perry projects that the Patriots will go into 2016 with Edelman, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin, and Matthew Slater on the 53-man WR depth chart. As shown on Roster Resource, Nate Washington and Aaron Dobson are also in the mix and Perry’s roster projection has them on the outside looking in. Ditto for seventh-round pick Devin Lucien, though he could potentially be snuck onto the practice squad.
  • Should the Patriots make a play for Chiefs running back Knile Davis? Ben Volin of The Boston Globe isn’t sure if the Pats are willing to trade within the AFC, but he sees Davis as someone who could potentially replace LeGarrette Blount as the team’s heavy back. Davis is expendable in KC as the team has recently inked Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, and Charcandrick West to contract extensions. Meanwhile, Davis holds a bit of extra value since he is in a contract year and could factor into the compensatory pick equation.
  • Recently, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com also raised the name of Titans tailback Bishop Sankey as a potential trade target for New England. Sankey, a second-round pick in 2014, has yet to impress in Tennessee but he did enter the league with a decent amount of hype and it’s possible that a change of scenery could suit him well.

7 Teams That Could Trade For Nick Foles

June 26th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A little over 15 months ago, the Rams acquired Nick Foles from the Eagles and quickly locked him into a two-year extension worth $24.5MM, handing him more than $12MM in guaranteed money. After starting 11 games, and completing less than 57% of his passes while posting a 7:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Foles was benched for Case Keenum, and remained on the sidelines for the rest of season.Nick Foles (Vertical)

Given that Los Angeles traded up to acquire the No. 1 overall pick and select Jared Goff, Foles is clearly not in the club’s plans, as Keenum and 2015 draft choice Sean Mannion are projected to make the squad. Foles is unhappy with his position on the club and didn’t attend OTAs, and with the Rams exploring a trade, Foles isn’t expected to be with the team at the start of training camp — at the very least, he’ll be dealt away (or possibly released) before Week 1.

Foles, 27, drew trade interest around draft time, but ultimately wasn’t moved. Albert Breer of The MMQB recently reported that Los Angeles is holding onto Foles for the time being in the hopes that he could accrue more value as training camp approaches. An injury could spur other teams to inquire about Foles, but his contract is also a plus. Because the Rams already paid out Foles’ guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club would only be on the hook for Foles’ $1.75MM base salary — a palatable figure for a backup quarterback.

With that preamble out of the way, let’s take a look at a few teams that could express interest in Foles…

Dallas Cowboys — The 2015 Cowboys season showed just how valuable a backup quarterback can be, as Dallas ran through Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden, and Kellen Moore as Tony Romo dealt with injury. That threesome posted a combined 1-11 record, leaving Cowboys fans wondering what could have been had the club had a competent No. 2 signal-caller. Moore is set to return as the backup, with fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott scheduled to handle clipboard duties, as Roster Resource shows. Foles would be an improvement over both of those options, and Dallas was one of several teams that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com linked to Foles at the beginning of the league year.

Detroit Lions — The Lions re-signed backup Dan Orlovsky this offseason, but they only handed the veteran $160K guaranteed on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, so they could easily move on if they were to acquire Foles. Elsewhere on the roster, Detroit boasts 2016 sixth-round pick Jake Rudock, who has yet to inspire confidence. “There’s not a phase that he has under control at this point in time,” head coach Jim Caldwell said of Rudock earlier this month. Matthew Stafford has been remarkably durable since a lost 2010 season, as he hasn’t missed a single start over the past five years, so giving up anything of value for Foles might not be worth it.

Indianapolis Colts — Like the Lions, the Colts have a somewhat reputable backup option in Scott Tolzien, whom they signed to a two-year deal that contains $500K guaranteed. Because of that amount of guaranteed cash, Indianapolis is highly unlikely to move on from Tolzien at any point this season, so they’re probably among the least likely teams on this list to go after Foles. But I included them here because Tolzien is far from a lock as a No. 2 quarterback. He’s probably gained some recognition over the years for serving as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup, but Tolzien has only attempted 91 passes during his career — most of those attempts came back in 2013, when he tossed five interceptions against just one touchdown.

Kansas City Chiefs — Andy Reid is a known developer of quarterback talent, and the Chiefs have brought in several backup options over the past couple years, investing draft capital in Kevin Hogan and Aaron Murray, while signing (and then extending) undrafted free agent Tyler Bray. The only problem? None of those signal-callers have ever taken a snap in an NFL game, which means Kansas City could be in a precarious position if Alex Smith goes down. Foles, then, would represent a bit more certainty at the No. 2 position.

New York Jets — Though negotiations between the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick continue to drag on, it still seems like the two sides will eventually come to an agreement. If that happens, New York clearly won’t be in the market for another quarterback. But as things currently stand, Foles would represent an upgrade over Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty, and is perhaps on par with fellow starting option Geno Smith. General manager Mike Maccagnan said during the draft that he wasn’t aiming to acquire another quarterback, but that was before talks with Fitzpatrick stalled.

San Francisco 49ers — Whether or not the Rams would be open to trading within their division is an open question, but Foles had the most success of his career under current 49ers head coach Chip Kelly, tossing 27 touchdowns in 2013 when the duo was with the Eagles. Still, San Francisco looks set to go forward with a competition between Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, so Foles might not be the best fit, especially given that Kaepernick’s base salary is fully guaranteed.

Seattle Seahawks — Again, it’s not clear if Los Angeles would want to trade Foles to another team in the NFC West, but the Seahawks have very little between Russell Wilson. Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t look to be an option after being arrested on Friday, so it looks as though the club will go with undrafted free agent Trevone Boykin as their backup signal-caller. Boykin, like Wilson, offers mobility in and outside the pocket, so Seattle might prefer him to Foles, who sometimes resembles a statue under center.

Some of these clubs make more sense than others — the Cowboys, for example, stand out as a club that could certainly use an upgrade at backup quarterback. Additionally, it’s reasonable to expect that the Rams find they can’t acquire anything of value in exchange for Foles, and are instead forced to release him. If that’s the case, this list simply becomes a catalog of clubs who could express interest in signing the veteran quarterback.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Notes: Monroe, Long, Beatty, Boldin

June 26th, 2016 at 6:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants continue to assess their options among offensive line free agents, and still have interest in Eugene Monroe, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Still, the club isn’t willing to offer Monroe a starting spot at left tackle, where they prefer to keep Ereck Flowers in place. Jake Long could be another target for New York, but sources tell Raanan there were questions about Long’s desire and love for the game in 2015. Former Giant Will Beatty, whom the team released earlier this year, would only return to the club if all his options are exhausted, as his relationship with New York is reportedly strained.

Here’s more on what the Giants could be eyeing as training camp approaches, all courtesy of Raanan…

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