2016 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

Saints Notes: Brees, Benson, Lewis

July 24th, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that Drew Brees and the Saints have not discussed a new contract in the last three months, and Brees is therefore still on track to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season (for which he currently carries a $30MM cap hit). Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes both sides are being unduly stubborn, that they should be more eager to get something done, and that this past week–the last week before the start of training camp–would have been the perfect time for team and player to reach an accord assuring that Brees would remain in New Orleans for the rest of his career.

Of course, Triplett also maintains that Brees and the Saints could have tried harder to get this deal done prior to the start of free agency, when a reduction of Bress’ $30MM cap number would have been especially welcome. Brees has set the start of the regular season as his deadline for working out a new contract, and while Triplett understands the Saints’ hesitancy to hand out another mega-deal–after all, Brees is not getting any younger, and he has battled a series of nagging injuries in the past two years–he still thinks the future Hall-of-Famer is a safe bet to continue performing at a high level. Triplett does believe, however, that Brees should be willing to leave a little money on the table if that’s what it takes to get him a little extra security now and give the team a better chance to make one last championship run before he calls it a career.

Now let’s round up some more Saints-related news:

A federal judge has given Saints owner Tom Benson an additional 30 days to replace at least some of the team shares that he attempted to pull from his daughter and grandchildren with equitable assets, according to Greg LaRose of The Times-Picayune. Benson had agreed to enter into negotiations back in June, just three days before he was scheduled to go to trial with trustees who blocked his attempt to remove stock in the teams. Once that matter is resolved, the NFL will still need to approve the settlement regarding team ownership.
Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, who missed the majority of the 2015 season with a trio of injuries, says he will be ready for the regular-season opener, as Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune writes. His return will be a welcome one for the Saints, who will pair him with Delvin Breaux to form a fairly solid starting duo outside the hash marks.
One thing that would help the secondary, of course, is a better pass rush, and Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate explores some of the Saints’ options in that regard.

J.J. Watt Undergoes Back Surgery

July 24th, 2016 at 9:34am CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, 9:34am: Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (video link) provides a slightly more pessimistic timeline for Watt’s return, suggesting that the star defensive end could be out of commission for 10 weeks. If that were to happen, of course, Watt would miss regular season games.

THURSDAY, 8:55pm: NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport hears that the surgery took place recently and the recovery time is expected to be six to eight weeks (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 8:38pm: Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has undergone back surgery and will start camp on the physically unable to perform list, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Fortunately, McClain notes that Watt should be ready for the team’s season opener against the Bears. On the flip side, ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli tweets that we shouldn’t “take those first two games for granted.”

Still, there should be plenty of reason for optimism regarding the 27-year-old. McClain notes that Watt has never missed a regular season game, and although he sat out the 2012 preseason, he still managed to win that year’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Watt also had a number of injuries in 2015, including a broken hand and a sports hernia (an injury which eventually required surgery).

Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2011, Watt has established himself as one of the league’s premier players. The defensive end has won the past two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, giving him three in his career, and he’s also been named to four Pro Bowls and four First-Team All-Pro teams. Over his five seasons in the league, Watt has averaged 74 tackles, 15 sacks, and nine pass defended per season. In 2015, he finished with 76 tackles, 17.5 sacks, eight passes defended, and three forced fumbles.

As RosterResource.com shows, the Texans are rather thin at defensive end. If Watt were to miss time during the regular season, the organization would surely want to add to the current grouping of Christian Covington, Devon Still, and Brandon Dunn.

West Notes: Broncos, Lynch, Sanchez, 49ers

July 23rd, 2016 at 8:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos appear to want rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch to play at some point during the upcoming season, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. While it would still be an “upset” if veteran Mark Sanchez doesn’t win the starting job, Denver management would like to see Lynch see live action when the regular season begins. As Klis suggests, Lynch is thought to be relatively raw developmentally and his learning curve might be steep, so it would behoove the club to let Lynch take some snaps during the year. However, the Broncos aren’t likely to turn to Sanchez if the team is playing well, so the only chance for Lynch to see the field might be if Denver starts the season slow.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

The best contract on the Broncos‘ roster belongs to cornerback Chris Harris, opines Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, who adds the Harris will earn $6.5MM over a five-year period than will teammate Aqib Talib (and Harris is probably the better defensive back). Denver pulled a “con job” on Harris and his camp, writes Fitzgerald, tagging on option years at the end of the deal, while employing a bonus structure that would allow the club to earn a salary cap credit if the options aren’t exercised. On the flip side, the worst contract in the Mile High City is that of offensive tackle Donald Stephenson, who agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal over the offseason. Clearly (given those terms), this pact isn’t very onerous, and Fitzgerald notes that general manager John Elway has become so adept at financial negotiations that the Broncos simply aren’t carrying many poor contracts.
After struggling against opposing quarterbacks in 2015 (and ranking 30th in defensive passing DVOA), the 49ers didn’t use any of their ample cap space to pursue outside additions to their secondary. But as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, San Francisco has used seven draft picks on defensive backs over the past three years, so the club has made a significant investment in improving its back end. Tramaine Brock looks like he’ll grab hold of one starting corner job in 2016, while former first-round safety Jimmie Ward is nearly a lock to serve as the Niners’ nickel corner, and could compete for time on the outside as well. Meanwhile, third-rounder Will Redmond, who tore his ACL last October, is a candidate to open training camp on the non-football injury list, and is unlikely to see much playing time during his rookie season.
Earlier today, Troy Renck of Denver7 suggested that safety Omar Bolden — recently released by the Bears — could wind up back with the Broncos, noting that his release was not injury related. At the very least, Bolden could help out on special teams in Denver, as he was one of the club’s primary kick returners over the past four years.

Cardinals Notes: Humphries, Bethel, Bryant

July 23rd, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest out of Arizona…

Although 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries is the Cardinals’ presumptive starter at right tackle, there’s no guarantee that the club simply hands him the role, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Humphries didn’t play a single snap during his rookie season, and frustrated Arizona management to the point that head coach Bruce Arians began referring to him as “knee deep” (re: Arians’ knee vs. Humphries’ posterior). Per Urban, the Cardinals could add a veteran free agent during camp to compete with Humphries, and while Eugene Monroe is no longer an option after announcing his retirement, I did point to former Giants tackle Will Beatty as a potential option earlier this summer when analyzing the best available offensive free agents.
Cornerback is also a position with question marks in the desert, as career special-team Justin Bethel is slated to start opposite All Pro Patrick Peterson. But general manager Steve Keim says that Bethel will have to earn playing time, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. “Obviously, Justin is the current starter, but it’s always going to be an open competition,” Keim said. “Knowing Bruce Arians and his staff, we’ll play the best 11 out there, so whoever gives us a chance to succeed. But we have expectations for Justin. He’s got great athleticism and movement skills.” The Cardinals signed veteran corner Mike Jenkins earlier this week, and are also scheduled to meet with former Redskins defensive back Chris Culliver next week.
Red Bryant signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract earlier this offseason to remain with Arizona, but Weinfuss writes that the veteran defensive tackle could be on the roster bubble because of the club’s depth up front. As Roster Resource shows, the Cards have many options on the defensive line after acquiring Chandler Jones and drafting Robert Nkemdiche to play alongside Calais Campbell, Rodney Gunter, Frostee Rucker, and others. As such, Bryant, whose main specialty is stopping the run, might not be a lock of the 53-man roster.
Earlier this month, we reviewed the Cardinals’ offseason, looking back at every notable signing, loss, draft pick, and trade by Arizona over the past several months.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/16

July 23rd, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves:

The Eagles reached an agreement to sign former Ravens practice squad safety Nick Perry, Matt Zenitz of the Alabama Media Group reports (on Twitter). Perry caught on with Baltimore after going undrafted out of Alabama in 2015. He’s yet to play in an NFL game but started for the Crimson Tide in 2014 as a fifth-year senior.

Buccaneers Claim Jonathan Krause

July 23rd, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have claimed wide receiver Jonathan Krause off waivers from the Eagles, the club announced. To clear a roster spot, Tampa Bay waived guard Dominique Robertson.

Robertson was waived with a non-football injury designation, a specification that results from Robertson’s involvement in a shooting earlier this month. The 22-year-old was shot twice in the leg during an incident in which he was a “bystander,” according to Robertson’s agent, and although the police did question the undrafted rookie free agent, he was never charged with any crime and there’s been no indication that an investigation is ongoing.

Krause, meanwhile, has a little more NFL experience than does Robertson, as the pass-catcher appeared in two games with the Eagles last season, catching two passes for 11 yards. Krause, 24, went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2014, and has also spent time with the Browns and Patriots organizations. He was waived yesterday when Philadelphia signed rookie linebacker Don Cherry.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: McCoy, Geno, Raiders, Vegas, Bell

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

LeSean McCoy will be going into his second Bills season now in the clear of a potential suspension as a result of his alleged actions in a nightclub brawl with off-duty police officers this February in Philadelphia. The eighth-year running back is now well aware of how he’s viewed publicly after the incident but is brushing it off.

“The only opinions that people really get about players is what they see TV or what the media gives them,” McCoy said, via Aaron Kasinitz of PennLive.com. “If the media only paints a picture of a player as this or whatever that may be, then that’s what the people see. So I don’t really go back and forth about that.”

The 28-year-old running back did not face criminal charges for his alleged role in the brawl. He’s under contract with the Bills for four more seasons.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on the final Saturday before training camps commence.

During an interview with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Todd Bowles gave Geno Smith a reasonable endorsement as the fourth-year quarterback prepares to enter camp as the Jets’ de facto starter. “I think Geno can be a good starter, but he’s got to prove it in training camp like everybody else,” Bowles said. “It’s not just about the quarterback position. You got to have a team around that position to play ball, but he’s been in the system a year. He has a better grasp of it going into training camp and we’ll see what he does.” Bowles did not address the situation with Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom remains unsigned and could remain as such until deep into the preseason.
Jerry Jones‘ status as the league’s most influential owner — and most influential person, per USA Today — bodes well for the Raiders‘ chances at securing enough votes to move to Las Vegas, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Jones hasn’t been shy in voicing his interest in the NFL expanding into the Nevada market, and Thomas, pointing to Jones’ role in steering the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, notes enough owners will fall in line should the Cowboys’ boss declare his full support for the Raiders’ prospective venture. “When I walked into my first meeting in the NFL, everybody said, ‘We’ve got to always protect the game. We can’t compromise it,’ ” Jones said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Well, we’re beyond that. We don’t compromise the game, in my view, by being in Las Vegas or being near wagering.” The Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee has until Sept. 30 to finalize a stadium financing plan, a step Oakland has not approached.
The Steelers being unable to rely on Le’Veon Bell should steer the franchise away from the talented running back, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Before word of a four-game suspension leaked Friday, Bell stood in line to potentially secure a top-of-the-line running back contract due to his versatility. Now, that’s not as certain. The Steelers not paying Bell would leave more room for a seemingly long-overdue Antonio Brown extension, and Zeise writes the reliable wideout should receive that payday at the expense of Bell’s alleged errors in judgment.
The Colts will have to make a decision on Arthur Jones after his latest setback — a four-game suspension for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy — since the former Ravens defensive end has not remotely delivered on the five-year, $33MM contract he signed before the 2014 season, Mike Wells of ESPN.com offers. Limited by ankle injuries prior to this suspension, Jones has played nine games in two seasons for the Colts. The oldest brother in a family that’s been scrutinized over the past year, with Chandler Jones and UFC fighter Jon Jones also running into trouble, Arthur Jones will lose $588K as a result of this suspension. But the Colts are uncertain about when his backup, Henry Anderson, will be back after a season-ending injury in Week 9 marred his offseason as well.

Bengals Release Taylor Mays

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals signed Taylor Mays knowing he’d be suspended for the first four games this season due to a substance-abuse policy violation, but they’ve now opted to cut the journeyman safety, Jim Owczarski reports (on Twitter).

The franchise confirmed the move on its Twitter account.

Mays’ employer for most of his career, the Bengals will only incur a $25K dead money charge and will save $855K. Cincinnati reacquired Mays on a one-year worth $840K.

Mays played with the Bengals from 2011-14 before departing as a free agent and enjoying a nomadic 2015. He signed with the Vikings, Lions and Raiders only to be cut by each franchise, with Oakland bringing him back after injuries depleted its back line. Mays managed to start in five games and play in 14 with the Raiders, and he functioned decently when called upon despite being cut on several occasions last year.

Originally a second-round 49ers selection in 2010, Mays will now search for another team. With the suspension looming, that might not be as easy as it was last year. But the former USC safety has not experienced too much trouble finding teams willing to take a chance on him.

The Bengals, though, are now devoid of much seasoning at safety behind starters George Iloka and Shawn Williams. Reggie Nelson‘s departure to the Raiders and now Mays’ release leave the defending AFC North champions with a seventh-round rookie, a sixth-round 2015 pick and a ’15 UDFA, as Roster Resource details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears’ Nate Chandler Retires

July 23rd, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nate Chandler signed with the Bears in early June despite seeing a severe knee injury wipe out much of his past two seasons. But the tackle won’t be suiting up for the Bears this season, as it turns out, after the team placed him on the reserve/retired list, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The 27-year-old blocker spent less than two months with the Bears despite generating interest from multiple other NFC teams this offseason. He now becomes the second Chicago offensive lineman to retire just months after being signed by the team this offseason. Manny Ramirez did the same earlier this year after signing in March to potentially compete for a starting interior-line job.

Chandler wasn’t going to win a starting position, being a clear depth signing to ideally function behind Charles Leno and Bobby Massie if he ultimately proved sufficiently recovered from the torn meniscus injury that derailed his career. But the former Panthers lineman also visited the Lions before deciding to sign with the Bears. He worked out for the Buccaneers in April.

Chicago looks to have been preparing for this transaction after signing free agent Amini Silatolu earlier this week. Chandler’s former teammate with Carolina, Silatolu could now step into one of the backup roles that are now less clear after the retirements of Ramirez and Chandler, with Roster Resource pointing out the team’s lack of pure tackle depth behind Leno and Massie. However, Silatolu is coming off knee trouble as well after suffering torn ACLs in both the 2013 and ’15 seasons.

The Panthers cut Chandler before the start of the new league year, doing so after moving the former UDFA defensive tackle to the other side of the ball and making him a starter at both tackle and guard from 2013-14. If this retirement sticks, the knee injury Chandler suffered in Carolina’s 11th game of the 2014 season will end up being his final NFL action.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Le’Veon Bell Facing Four-Game Suspension

July 23rd, 2016 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 1:35pm: Bell missed several drug tests, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Players in the substance-abuse program are subject to far more tests than their brethren with clean drug records, whom are only generally tested once a year, Smith points out. Failing to turn up for many tests would make his chances of winning an appeal highly unlikely and potentially cloud his future.

FRIDAY, 8:53am: Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is facing a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFL’s drug policy, sources close to the situation tell ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The suspension is the result of a missed drug test rather than a failed one.

There has been no announcement on the pending suspension because the appeal process is ongoing, Graziano hears. No date for Bell’s appeal has been set, though it’s expected that it will be heard before the start of the regular season. Bell was sidelined for the first two games of the 2015 season because of an arrest on marijuana possession and DUI in the summer of 2014.

If Bell is sidelined for the first month of the season, the Steelers will likely use DeAngelo Williams as their primary back until he returns. Behind Williams, the Steelers also have backs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Daryl Richardson, as shown on Roster Resource.

Between Bell’s suspension and injury last season, the tailback appeared in only six games for the Steelers in 2015. Despite Bell’s 10-game absence, the Steelers had the eighth-best yards-per-carry average in the league last season, when Williams amassed 907 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries in his age-32 campaign.

Bell has now put himself in a bad spot as he enters a contract year. Not only is the 24-year-old returning from a torn MCL and PCL, he also has raised some serious concerns about his off-field behavior. This summer, Bell declared in a rap song that he is seeking $15MM/year on his next contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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