2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Dolphins Could Be Active In Free Agency

February 20th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins currently have over $42MM in cap space, which will increase significantly when they get rid of left tackle Branden Albert, and appear primed to put that money to use in the coming weeks. After going 10-6 and breaking a seven-year playoff drought in 2016, the Dolphins could “make a pretty big splash” when free agency opens March 9, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said Monday on NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

In the wake of finishing 19th in the league in defensive DVOA last season, it seems Miami will look to make major upgrades on that side of the ball. Rapoport named defensive tackle and cornerback as areas the Dolphins might address, and he pointed to Ravens D-tackle Brandon Williams as a potential target. There’s no guarantee Williams will reach the market, though, as the Ravens have identified re-signing him as a priority.

On the back end, it’s already known that the Dolphins are pondering a trade for a big-name corner to pair with Byron Maxwell, but it’s possible they’ll go the free agent route instead. The market is slated to feature highly accomplished options in the form of the Texans’ A.J. Bouye, the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson and two AFC East rivals – the Patriots’ Logan Ryan and the Bills’ Stephon Gilmore. The Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick is also headed to free agency, and newly promoted Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke is familiar with him after serving on Cincinnati’s staff from 2014-15.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bengals Prioritizing Andrew Whitworth Deal

February 20th, 2017 at 11:35am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bengals and left tackle Andrew Whitworth are in discussions regarding a new deal, the pending free agent told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. With the market set to open March 9, the Bengals have made Whitworth their No. 1 priority, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Dehner Jr., who expects the two to reach an agreement (Twitter links).

Although the 35-year-old Whitworth spent some time at guard last season, the Bengals will let him man his typical position as a blindside bookend if he’s with the club in 2017, per Dehner. Whitworth has been a rock at left tackle in Cincinnati, which selected the ex-LSU standout in the second round of the 2006 draft, having logged 164 starts out of 168 appearances and earned three Pro Bowls nods. The 6-foot-7, 325-pounder is now fresh off his third straight 16-start season, one in which he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ second-best tackle among 78 qualifiers.

It’s unclear how much the Bengals would have to pay Whitworth to keep him off the market, but it’s worth noting he played 2016 on a $9MM deal. Given the ever-increasing salary cap, a raise on a short-term pact seems like a strong possibility. Should Whitworth eschew free agency, it would further weaken an already uninspiring class of unsigned tackles. Whitworth is easily the premier option in a group that also includes Riley Reiff, Ryan Clady, Matt Kalil, Luke Joeckel and teammate Eric Winston, among others.

Along with Whitworth and Winston, the Bengals – who have $43MM-plus in cap space – are facing key decisions on soon-to-be free agents like guard Kevin Zeitler, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and wide receiver Brandon LaFell. Zeitler might be the most appealing player of the bunch, but he could be on his way out of Cincinnati.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Redskins, Eagles, Cowboys, Jets

February 20th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon posted a message Monday on Instagram with the caption “#YallHiring?,” leading both Jason Cole of Bleacher Report and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com to infer that he’ll test free agency next month (Twitter links). There are already several potential suitors for Garcon, who could get $9MM-plus per year on his next contract. The 30-year-old is fresh off his second 1,000-yard season and hasn’t amassed fewer than 68 catches in a campaign since a 10-game, 44-reception showing in 2012.

Latest On Jets’ Darrelle Revis

February 20th, 2017 at 8:44am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is facing four felony charges on account of a Feb. 12 altercation in Pittsburgh that left two men unconscious. Video of the aftermath, featuring those two unconscious men and an unseen man bragging about knocking them out, surfaced Sunday, via TMZ.

“I knocked both of these (expletive) out,” said the man, who then threatened to do the same to someone else in the video.

Pittsburgh police believe the voice belongs to Revis, per a statement from the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety (via Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com). However, Revis’ lawyers, Robert G. Del Greco Jr. and Mark Fiorilli, emphatically denied that in a statement issued to USA Today on Sunday night.

“Darrelle Revis absolutely, categorically and positively did not knock out anyone, did not conspire with anyone to commit an assault, did not say ‘shut up before I knock your ass out next,’ and surely did not ‘rob’ another of a cell phone,” the attorneys said. “The voice and admissions made on the video are NOT that of Darrelle Revis. We have no doubt but that further investigation relative to the clothing and voice verification will corroborate the above assertions.”

Revis turned himself into authorities Friday and has a hearing scheduled for this Thursday. While it’s unlikely Revis will face jail time, the NFL is “looking into” the situation and could issue him some form of punishment.

Dolphins, Jaguars Working To Swap Branden Albert, Julius Thomas

February 20th, 2017 at 7:53am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are discussing a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to the Jaguars in exchange for tight end Julius Thomas, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Albert was first linked to Jacksonville last week by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who speculated Thomas could be a target for the Dolphins.

Miami, of course, was close to releasing Albert last week, but trade talks materialized before the Fins officially made the move. The Jaguars, who recently declined their option bonus on left tackle Kelvin Beachum, were immediately viewed as the “primary destination” for Albert. While Albert and/or Thomas may need to restructure their contracts in order to finalize a deal, “all parties are willing participants” in negotiations, per Kelly.

“Why ruffle feathers when you don’t have to?” Albert said when asked about the trade. “It’s the business of the game. I honestly believe where I’m going to go is the right fit. It is going to be a surprise when [the terms] comes out.”

Albert, 32, has two years left on his current deal, with cap charges north of $10MM in each season. Miami would incur $3.4MM in dead money by dealing Albert to Jacksonville. Albert will visit the Jaguars today, and they could sweeten his deal in order to facilitate a trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 28-year-old Thomas, meanwhile, is signed through 2019, and $3MM of his $7MM 2017 base salary has already become guaranteed, though he might accept a small pay cut, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Regardless, his salary would become the responsibility of the Dolphins in a trade, while the Jaguars would incur $3.6MM in dead money.

While Albert would take over the left tackle spot in Jacksonville, Thomas would also represent a solid fit for Miami. Incumbent Dolphins tight ends Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims are each pending free agents, and while Miami has interest in re-signing Sims, the club could certainly use a more established option. While Thomas has struggled during his time with the Jags, he did catch 24 touchdowns over two seasons in Denver while current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase served as offensive coordinator.

AFC Notes: Garoppolo, Murray, Fins, Jaguars

February 19th, 2017 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick is unlikely to spend much time working on a trade proposal involving Jimmy Garoppolo, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Despite the Belichick-era Patriots making a league-high 61 trades since he took over in 2000, the coach is more likely to let Garoppolo and Tom Brady‘s agent, Don Yee, find a team that’s willing to extend Garoppolo and have said team put together a compelling array of assets.

La Canfora notes the latest Pats backup quarterback/trade candidate has a chance to be a quality starter. Of course, a buyer-beware element could exist based on Garoppolo’s small sample size (94 pass attempts in three seasons) and the Patriots’ previous trades of Brady backups not working out well for the teams acquiring them.

Relationships between certain key members of quarterback-needy teams and Yee could come into play, with La Canfora noting Hue Jackson has known Yee for more than 20 years and Bears GM Ryan Pace (from the Eastern Illinois grad’s relationship to Yee client Sean Payton; Garoppolo is an Eastern Illinois alum) has known Yee for many years as well. Both teams have been linked to a possible Garoppolo trade, one that La Canfora estimates will send the Patriots a similar haul to the one the Eagles collected for Sam Bradford. Although, some Garoppolo skepticism emerged this week, with a group of anonymous decision-makers preferring A.J. McCarron to the fourth-year Patriot as a trade asset.

Here’s more from the AFC.

A possible contractual hangup stands in the way of a Dolphins–Jaguars Branden Albert-for-Julius Thomas swap, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Albert, 32, has two years remaining on his five-year, $47MM deal. Thomas, 28, has three remaining on a five-year, $46.5MM accord. Both teams are in need of upgrades, the Jaguars at left tackle and Dolphins at tight end. Neither player has proven he can stay healthy throughout a season, however. With Albert being set to make $4MM more than Kelvin Beachum did last year at $9MM, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap wonders (Twitter links) if the hesitation is on the Jags’ end. Thomas is scheduled to make $7.1MM; Miami paid Jordan Cameron $6MM in 2016 for little production. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com expects the deal to be finalized by the time the new league year opens, however.
The Raiders want to retain Latavius Murray, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). But the reporter adds the fifth-year running back will have a market as well. Teams like the Giants, Buccaneers, Vikings and others could be in need of a medium- or long-term backfield solution. Murray may have some additional appeal due to the fact he has less wear and tear than other backs who have entered free agency in recent years. A starting back for barely two years and having missed his entire rookie season due to injury, the 27-year-old Murray only has 543 carries on his odometer. The sides have discussed an extension, and Reggie McKenzie noted Murray’s importance to Oakland’s offense — while acknowledging he may be swayed toward the market — earlier this month.
The Titans may not view a three-down linebacker as a primary need the way, holding fourth-year ‘backer Avery Williamson in a reasonably high regard, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com notes. The Titans hold two first-round picks and could nab a top-flight ILB with one. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. (Insider link) has the team going with Marshon Lattimore and O.J. Howard, respectively, with its two first-rounders.
Within the same mailbag piece, Kuharsky adds Broncos RFA linebacker Todd Davis could have several suitors. The Broncos experienced an eventful RFA last year, placing a low-end tender on C.J. Anderson before ultimately matching a Dolphins offer sheet on their starting running back. Denver applied a second-round tender to Davis’ inside linebacker mate, Brandon Marshall, last season before signing him to a four-year extension later.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Detroit Lions

February 19th, 2017 at 8:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Detroit Lions, who managed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years and third time this decade. But the team backed into the NFC bracket, closing the regular season with three losses, and did not fare well in a wild-card loss to the Seahawks. This leaves many offseason questions ahead.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Joique Bell, RB
Anquan Boldin, WR
Jonathan Bostic, LB
Rafael Bush, S
Crezdon Butler, CB
Josh Bynes, LB
Stefan Charles, DT
Brandon Copeland, LB (ERFA)
Clay Harbor, TE
Kerry Hyder, DL (ERFA)
Asa Jackson, CB
T.J. Jones, WR (ERFA)
Cornelius Lucas, T (RFA)
Don Muhlbach, LS
Matthew Mulligan, TE
Dan Orlovsky, QB
Riley Reiff, T
Garrett Reynolds, T
Andre Roberts, WR
Khyri Thornton, DT (RFA)
Tyrunn Walker, DL
Larry Warford, G
Tim Wright, TE

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

Matthew Stafford, QB: $22,000,000
Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $12,734,000
Darius Slay, CB: $10,681,250
Marvin Jones, WR: $8,600,000
Golden Tate, WR: $8,351,250
DeAndre Levy, LB: $8,225,000
Glover Quin, S: $7,827,500
Haloti Ngata, DT: $7,703,125
Tahir Whitehead, LB: $4,550,000
Matt Prater, K: $4,325,000

Other:

Projected cap space (via OverTheCap): $32,797,575
Twenty-first pick in draft
Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for TE Eric Ebron

Three Needs:

1.) Stock the second level: Since signing the four-year, $33.74MM extension prior to the 2015 season, DeAndre Levy has contributed staggeringly little to the Lions’ cause. Playing in just six games and making only 21 tackles the past two seasons, Levy can no longer be counted on to be available. But he’s still Detroit’s best linebacker and has three years and almost $19MM remaining on his deal. The Lions will likely see if Levy can retain the form that led the team to extend him, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes a Levy pay cut request could be forthcoming after the soon-to-be 30-year-old weak-side man’s observed his value depreciate. Levy, however, won’t need further surgery on his right knee, which plagued him in 2016 after a hip injury harpooned his 2015 slate. Just $1.75MM of Levy’s 2017 salary ($5.75MM) is guaranteed against injury for 2017, becoming fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year. But thoughts of cutting the previous outside standout would basically mean starting over at linebacker, because the Lions are reeling here.

Levy’s extension thus far burning the Lions gives them no surefire answers on their defensive second level. Despite his 122 tackles far and away leading the team, Tahir Whitehead encountered mixed reviews. Pro Football Focus did not think the statistics gelled with Whitehead’s play level, ranking the 26-year-old as the league’s second-worst full-time linebacker last season. Whitehead is signed through 2017 after inking a two-year, $8MM extension last March. The Lions’ second-leading tackler among linebackers, Josh Bynes, is a pending UFA. A fifth-round pick from 2016, Antwione Williams, and a former waiver claim (Thurston Armbrister) represent the only other ‘backers under contract.

A group that appeared solid a couple of seasons ago, with Levy and the since-released Stephen Tulloch manning positions, could use reinforcements. Football Outsiders ranked the Lions last in defensive DVOA in 2016, and although Detroit’s defense ranked 18th in terms of rushing yards allowed, this is a primary need area.

It’s not a great year to need a non-rush linebacker, particularly if a team is seeking outside help in a 4-3. Assuming Levy returns to commandeer the weak-side spot (big if, obviously), the Lions may need two new starters. As far as 4-3 OLBs go, it’s an incredibly thin contingent.

Malcolm Smith now profiles as player with significant starting experience compared to his initial free agency foray in 2015, when he was coming off a stay as a Seahawks contributor. Smith, though, did not impress much in Oakland despite being the Raiders’ most-used pure linebacker the past two seasons. Beyond that, Bynes, Keenan Robinson and Barkevious Mingo loom as undesirable options. Bob Quinn‘s former team traded for Mingo last year, but the former No. 6 overall pick made little impact. The 27-year-old Bynes could conceivably be back on a cheap deal. He signed a two-year pact with Detroit in 2015 but saw an injury lead to his release. The Kyle Van Noy trade re-routed Bynes to the Motor City, where he started eight games last season and earned a middling PFF grade — but tops among Lions linebackers. The Lions still may be better off targeting a rookie in the early rounds to fill this need.

If the team would be open to converting a 3-4 inside man to the outside, more options are available. Zach Brown and Kevin Minter are each coming off quality seasons and will be looking to cash in, Brown (149 tackles with the Bills in 2016) especially after settling for a one-year deal as a UFA last year. A middle linebacker in the Raiders’ base 4-3 set but a player used on passing downs as well, Perry Riley stands to be available after re-emerging last season. Settling for one of the other talents here — unless it’s Lawrence Timmons, whom the Steelers are considering keeping — doesn’t make much sense. It could be time for an early-round investment.

The Lions have mostly avoided linebackers in Round 1, with Ernie Sims (2006) representing the last such selection. They went for Van Noy in Round 2 three years ago, but he’s the only second-rounder the franchise has used on this position in the past nine years. A 2009 third-round choice, Levy joins many modern non-rush linebackers in showing that filling this spot with later-round draft picks can work. However, his own standing with the team presently could induce an early selection to help tilt the odds in the Lions’ favor.

Most mainstream mock drafts do not have the Lions going for a linebacker with their No. 1 pick, but Detroit has talent at every other level of its defense that will return. Be it Ziggy Ansah, Darius Slay, or Glover Quin. This defense needs help at multiple spots, but if Levy can’t return to regular duty, no such cornerstone cog exists at linebacker. And even if the ninth-year player does return to form, counting on it to last may be asking too much.

A chasm exists between Reuben Foster and the rest of the traditional linebackers in this rookie class. Jarrad Davis could be the No. 2 pure ‘backer on the board by the time No. 21 comes around, and the ex-Florida talent’s ankle troubles — which will force him to miss Combine workouts — could scare off teams in the teens from making that pick. Of course, the Lions themselves dealing with a chronically injured linebacker may make drafting Davis a difficult proposition. He of 125 tackles (16.5 for loss) in 13 games, Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham is viewed as a late-first-round talent as well. It’s doubtful Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan will be there when the Lions’ second-round window opens. Foster’s lesser-regarded teammate, Ryan Anderson, could be, however.

This is not a bad need to have when it comes to bringing in young talent, as recent Day 2 picks Deion Jones and Jordan Hicks showed in becoming instant contributors the past two years.

2.) Give Ansah some help: The Lions may have located an Ansah sidekick out of nowhere in Kerry Hyder, an ex-UDFA who came off the bench for the most part and led the team with eight sacks in his second season. No other Lion currently under contract finished with more than two. Hyder will be back as an ERFA, but the Lions’ D-line is thin both inside and outside. Devin Taylor, Tyrunn Walker and Armonty Bryant are UFAs for a team with middling cap space, and Haloti Ngata is going into his age-34 season and another contract campaign. Detroit drafted Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson in the second round last year. He saw 446 snaps, but the jury’s still out.

Nevertheless, the Lions could lose a sizable sect of their rotation up front. This could be construed as a greater need due to the resources required to make pass-rush fortifications.

Detroit’s 26 sacks ranked in a tie for the second-fewest in the league, and Ansah’s troubles with a high ankle sprain contributed to that number. However, the talented edge player only missed three games and regressed from a standout 2015 (14.5 sacks). Detroit needs assistance here while being cognizant obviously of Ansah (two sacks in 2016) entering his fifth-year option season. Currently, the Lions don’t have any defensive linemen signed through 2018 making more than $1.5MM. That should change once Ansah is extended or franchise-tagged, but if Quinn is going to authorize a big outside payment this offseason, this would be the spot to do so.

There are options at 4-3 defensive end. Jason Pierre-Paul fronts the group, but his salary demands could easily make a team that likely has Ansah extension plans balk. PFR’s Zach Links regards Pierre-Paul as a strong franchise tag candidate as well. Beyond JPP, Jabaal Sheard makes sense to investigate. He arrived in New England during Quinn’s stay with the team, making a big difference for the 2015 Patriots as a role player before regressing to the level of being a game-day inactive at one point this season. Sheard still made 13 sacks with the Patriots in two seasons and registered at least 7.5 during three of his six NFL slates. The 27-year-old Sheard’s contract-year issues may make teams wary of paying him, but reasonable upside exists.

Panthers defensive ends Mario Addison and Charles Johnson could hit the market, with Dave Gettleman‘s top priority being Kawann Short. Both edge players want to stay in Charlotte, but Addison in particular may be eager to test the market after breaking out with a 9.5-sack slate. As a reserve, Addison registered 22 sacks over the past three years. He will turn 30 before the season, though, presumably intensifying a desire to get paid now even on a medium-length deal.

Lions mock drafts have the team eyeing this spot. Tennessee’s Derek Barnett (32 sacks in three seasons), Michigan’s Taco Charlton (15.5 sacks between 2015-16) and Alabama’s Tim Williams (16 tackles for loss in ’16) comprise three pass-rushers linked to the Motor City. Florida defensive tackle Caleb Brantley and Michigan State’s Malik McDowell would be in range as well, representing a path Detroit would have to consider given that only two DTs reside on its offseason roster.

Some 4-3 defensive tackles make sense on the market, with Alan Branch spending two years with the Patriots during Quinn’s stay. The 32-year-old would be a stopgap solution, though, which isn’t exactly what the Lions need since Ngata now qualifies as such. Just 24, Johnathan Hankins has shown flashes as an interior pass-rusher. He racked up seven sacks in 2014, and the Giants may have a difficult time keeping him now that Pierre-Paul looms as a tag candidate (thus, a $16MM-plus payment). Hankins resides in a class with Kawann Short, Dontari Poe, Bennie Logan and Brandon Williams, which would ordinarily be a loaded contingent if each was going to hit the market. Since that won’t be the case, Hankins makes sense as a scheme fit, having always played in a 4-3.

Nonetheless, multiple contributors will be sought to help here. What remains to be seen are the kind of funds Quinn will allocate to this spot.

3.) Replenish the offensive front: The two offensive linemen most associated with the Lions’ intermittent run of success during the mid-2010s, Riley Reiff and Larry Warford, are UFAs. Warford is likely to test free agency and will join a talented group of guards as unattached veterans. Nothing much has emerged on the Reiff front, but the sixth-year lineman saw the Lions relocate him to right tackle in 2016. He may be looking to return to the better-compensated tackle spot. Reiff had a decent season, but in a weak class of tackles, the former first-round pick could see his price rise. At 28, this could be the edge blocker’s lone chance at a lucrative payday on the market, so the Lions could be looking at having to fill two spots up front, at least.

Detroit already ranked 31st in adjusted line yards last season, with that evidence showing in Theo Riddick‘s Lions-leading 357 rushing yards (in just 10 games). This section could be dedicated to improving the ground game as a whole, but Ameer Abdullah figures to be given another chance — although, 2017 might be his last opportunity as a starter — and Riddick is a proven change-of-pace back. What lies in front of the team’s top ball-carriers will be an issue if both aforementioned incumbents leave.

Now that Reiff’s fifth-year option season concluded, Lions’ line does not house a veteran salary. This leaves some potential for funding to be routed here.

Warford’s potential defection and Laken Tomlinson‘s shaky start puts the Lions in the market for one of the talented guards. Of course, signing one of them might take money most teams are unaccustomed to paying an interior blocker. Kevin Zeitler, T.J. Lang and Ronald Leary are set to join Warford on the market, and $10MM per year will be a realistic target since Kyle Long and David DeCastro raised the bar for non-Kelechi Osemele guards via 2016 extensions. Chris Chester, Chance Warmack and now Brandon Fusco loom as fallback options for those teams too squeamish to go big in the guard derby. If Warford leaves, the Lions are going to require an experienced replacement since Tomlinson hasn’t proven he can be counted on yet but may again be counted on to start.

Beyond Taylor Decker, 2015 seventh-rounder Corey Robinson is the only tackle on the Lions’ roster. It doesn’t seem likely the team goes after a guard and tackle in free agency with big money considering its defensive needs. Beyond Reiff, Ricky Wagner will be coveted by teams seeking right-edge help. Decker being entrenched on the left side after a quality rookie season makes Detroit’s tackle search rather focused. Andre Smith, Mike Remmers and Jordan Mills are second-tier right tackle options if the team wants to spend at guard. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Broncos taking Utah’s Garrett Bolles (ESPN Insider link) one spot ahead of the Lions but places Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk — once thought to be the top tackle in a weak class — within range, sending him to the Seahawks at 26. NFL.com’s Charley Casserly mocks Alabama’s Cam Robinson to Detroit at 21. The team could have to weigh this need against those within its defensive front seven.

There are a number of ways the Lions could go in Round 1 and in free agency, because for a team that’s coming off a playoff berth, there are a healthy amount of areas that require attention.

Extra Points: Young, Falcons, Cowboys

February 19th, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here’s the latest from around the league as teams continue to prepare their free agency plans and Combine itineraries. We’ll begin with a player who’s interested in another NFL comeback.

Vince Young‘s agent Leigh Steinberg hinted Saturday that the quarterback was interested in a return to football, but Young will have to work his way through another league — and another country — before reaching the NFL again. Steinberg announced on Twitter today that he’s begun negotiations with the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Given that Young hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2011, he faces a long road back to the league, but the CFL could be the first step in that (admittedly long) journey.
The Falcons announced that they’ve hired a swath of new coaches, including Kyle Flood (assistant offensive line), Dave Brock (offensive assistant), Justin Outten (offensive assistant), Charlie Weis Jr. (offensive assistant), and Charlie Jackson (defensive assistant). Flood, a longtime collegiate staffer, was fired as Rutgers’ head coach amid controversy in 2015.
Jerome Henderson will return as the Falcons‘ defensive passing game coordinator after missing out on the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position, as Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports (Twitter links) Henderson has re-signed with Atlanta. Henderson, who originally joined the Falcons prior to the 2016 campaign, was in consideration to serve as San Francisco’s co-defensive coordinator with Robert Saleh, but Saleh alone landed the job. (Editor’s note: PFR originally relayed Marvez’s report indicating Henderson had resigned from the Falcons before the scribe’s source realized he had forgotten a hyphen. We have removed the original post in order to eliminate any confusion.)
Would the Cowboys taking an offensive lineman with their No. 28 overall pick sound crazy given their line’s status as arguably the NFL’s best? However, right tackle Doug Free is entering a contract year, and Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes the team could consider Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk with its top pick in a developmental scenario. Archer expects Free to return for the 2017 season. If nothing else, cutting Free — and saving $5MM — would create a hole not easily filled in a weaker tackle market. But the 33-year-old blocker might be entering his final season in Dallas. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft (Insider link) has Ramczyk going to the Seahawks at No. 26 and the Cowboys taking Florida cornerback Teez Tabor.
The Bears have infiltrated a Las Vegas sports book’s top picks for Tony Romo‘s landing spot. Sportsbook.ag’s R.J. Bell (via the Dallas Morning News) projects the Bears as Romo’s fourth-most likely 2017 employer — behind the Texans, Broncos and Cowboys. Houston’s emerged as the favorite despite the organization’s known stance being to avoid getting involved for Romo. Interestingly, the Chiefs are down at No. 5 after being viewed as a primary destination. ESPN.com also projected a Bears/Romo partnership as being more likely than many believe.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Latest On Jets’ Offseason Blueprint

February 19th, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are without a surefire quarterback option and are up against the cap going into the 2017 league year. But Gang Green looks to be attempting to keep some key role players.

Career swing tackle Ben Ijalana stepped into the Jets’ starting lineup last season after Ryan Clady went down, and the team is looking to retain the veteran, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. The Jets are also interested in re-signing UFA outside linebackers Josh Martin and Mike Catapano, per Cimini.

Martin may be a more pressing target than Catapano, with Cimini reporting the team is trying to reach an agreement with the special-teamer. The reporter adds that the former UDFA might want to test the market, though, in hopes of being able to compete for a linebacker job elsewhere.

New York could be without both starting tackles from the 2016 season. The team already passed on Ryan Clady‘s option and is expected to cut Breno Giacomini, who joined Clady on IR by season’s end. Ijalana cost just $840K on a one-year deal last year, but after making 13 starts should be more expensive due to demand, Cimini notes.

The Jets jettisoning Giacomini would save them $4.5MM but deprive them of their only tackle with significant starting experience. The 13 starts the 27-year-old Ijalana made double as the only ones in his six-year career, but the team is devoid of options heading into free agency. Clady could loom as a fallback option after the draft if the Jets are unable to land a suitable replacement, but it would be on a much cheaper deal. And it’s possible the 30-year-old Clady could be a mid-level target for another team, the now-injury-prone left tackle being a two-time first-team All-Pro.

Even after moving on from Clady, the Jets are projected to have less than $2MM in cap space. And they will likely add a veteran quarterback, being linked to Mike Glennon and Jay Cutler, so the team will have to create some additional cap space. But the free agents the team plans to retain won’t cost much.

Neither Martin nor Catapano will require a significant financial commitment, with both being career backups. Both finished up their four-year rookie contracts last season. The Jets still have Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Mauldin under contract. Fellow linebacker Bruce Carter also looms as a UFA, but Cimini notes there’s no urgency to get a deal done since Carter is likely looking at a veteran-minimum deal. The former Cowboys starter is entering his age-29 season.

Tony Romo Open To Facilitating Trade

February 19th, 2017 at 6:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the ideal outcome for Tony Romo‘s chances at starting for a contending team is a Cowboys release, the 15th-year veteran knows he could possibly fetch his team a Day 2 pick in a trade. The likely departing quarterback is open to the possibility of adjusting his contract to help facilitate a trade, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

This adjustment, though, would be designed to help Romo land with a contending team. But the veteran passer does not have a mandate about how this plays out. He’s not demanding anything from the Cowboys and does not plan to do so, per La Canfora. Jerry Jones and his previous starting quarterback have not sat down to discuss this complex situation yet, but La Canfora notes this dialogue will likely occur before the Cowboys’ contingent leaves for the Combine early next month.

Romo expects to be released, but La Canfora notes neither side knows how this saga will unfold at this juncture. The four-time Pro Bowler will carry a league-high $24.7MM cap figure in 2017 and is signed through 2019, with cap numbers of $25.2MM and $23.7MM in ’18 and ’19 set. It would take plenty of adjusting to get prospective quarterback-needy contenders to agree to a trade, though, especially considering Romo’s now-extensive injury history.

However, La Canfora notes the since-demoted passer is “working out like a demon” to be ready physically this offseason. Romo has not started in a game since November of 2015 and played in just one in 2016.

The Cowboys could be aiming for a third-round pick for Romo, but two of the teams that would fit the profile for a possible suitor — the Broncos and Texans — are not said to be interested in a trade. The Broncos, though, could be interested in signing the 36-year-old QB if he hits the free agent market. Their public commitment to Alex Smith notwithstanding, the Chiefs may be on the lookout here as well.

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