2017 May - Pro Football Rumors

Matt Jones Not In Redskins’ Plans

May 24th, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

After Matt Jones ran for 123 yards in his second NFL game, it seemed like big things were in the running back’s future. Less than two years later, he might be on the outs in D.C. Jones does not appear to be a part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and he will not take part in the team’s voluntary OTAs.

Jones was a healthy scratch most of last year and the team was said to be shopping him prior to the draft in April. After selecting Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round, the Redskins might not have much of a need for Jones. Washington has Rob Kelley as the projected lead back and Chris Thompson as the pass-catching specialist, so they could round out the RB depth chart with Perine plus Keith Marshall and/or Mack Brown.

It’s not immediately clear whether the Redskins are thinking about cutting Jones outright, but the team and the player have definitely cooled off on each other. If the Redskins can’t find a suitable trade for the 24-year-old, then Jones may become an intriguing waiver wire option for the other 31 teams in the league.

Seahawks Meet With Colin Kaepernick

May 24th, 2017 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

Today is the big day for the Seahawks and Colin Kaepernick. Seattle is meeting with him at team headquarters, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Earlier this month, head coach Pete Carroll said that both Kaepernick and RG3 are on the radar for the Seahawks as they look into reserve QB options. As it turns out, the Seahawks are far more interested in Kaepernick than they are in Griffin. Kaepernick and starter Russell Wilson were once divisional rivals, but it doesn’t sound like Wilson would have an issue with Kaepernick being his understudy.

Before setting their sights on Kaepernick, the Seahawks also looked into fellow former Niners QBs Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder, but they see the controversial signal caller as the most talented backup QB option available. If he performs well for coaches today, it might not be long before he has a new home for the 2017 season.

Kaepernick threw for 16 touchdowns against four interceptions in 2016 while supported by one of the worst offensive casts in the league. He wound up with a 1-10 record in his eleven starts.

Kaepernick first came to national prominence in 2012 when he stepped in for injured starter Alex Smith. He led the Niners to a 5-2 record in his regular season starts and led the team all the way to the Super Bowl. In 2013, he had what was arguably his best complete NFL season when he went 12-4 and threw for 21 TDs versus eight picks with 3,197 yards through the air. That year, the Niners went all the way to the NFC championship game before being stopped by Seattle. In 2014, he set a career highs in rushing yards (639) and passing yards (3,369), but the Niners went .500 and failed to make the playoffs.

Extra Points: Pats, Packers, Vikes, Panthers

May 23rd, 2017 at 9:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL owners passed a resolution today that will no longer allow clubs to block prospective general manager candidates from interviewing elsewhere simply because the new role doesn’t come with final 53-man roster authority, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Earlier today, the league’s owners also voted to eliminate the 75-man roster cutdown and allow teams to bring two players — instead of only one — off the injured reserve list during the season. One rule change that wasn’t voted on: granting clubs a roster exemption for players who’ve suffered a concussion, per Ben Volin of Boston Globe (Twitter link), who adds that proposal could be reintroduced next year.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Packers are working out former Texas Southern wide receiver Derrick Griffin today, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. Griffin was a two-sport athlete during his collegiate days, but was dismissed from the football team and left the basketball in order to prepare for the NFL draft, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier this year. Griffin, who stands 6’6″, 240 pounds, auditioned for the Texans during their local prospect day and also landed a tryout at the Vikings’ rookie minicamp. Green Bay drafted two wideouts — Purdue’s DeAngelo Yancey and LSU’s Malachi Dupre — and also added two undrafted pass-catchers.
Offensive lineman David Andrews‘ three-year, $9MM extension with the Patriots contains $2.1MM ($700K annually) in playing time incentives) that can bring the maximum value of the deal to $11.1MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. The pact also contains a $1.6MM signing bonus — the only fully guaranteed portion of the contract — plus per-game roster bonuses of $300K in 2017 and $400K in 2018-2020. Andrews’ extension places him within the top half of the league’s highest-paid centers.
The NFLPA is advising members of the Vikings‘ rookie class to not sign their contract until certain procedural language is cleared up, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. While Minnesota maintains that it’s offering standard rookie deals with no changes from years prior, the players’ union is concerned with language dealing with offsets and anti-tampering. None of the 11-member Vikings class is under contract, but they’re each participating in offseason activities after signing protective waivers.
Now that former assistant general manager Brandon Beane has taken the reins in Buffalo, the Panthers have restructured their scouting staff, as the club announced Monday. Mark Koncz is Carolina’s new director player personnel, Jeff Morrow is the new director of college scouting, and Matt Allen has been named the team’s new director of pro personnel. Meanwhile, Don Gregory, who was reportedly on the Bills’ general manager candidate list, is now a senior executive scout who will work in both the pro and college arenas.

Latest On Redskins’ GM Vacancy

May 23rd, 2017 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Redskins team president Bruce Allen said Monday he’s interviewed roughly a dozen candidates for jobs in Washington’s front office, but executives with interest in the Redskins’ general manager position are worried about the level of power they’d have in the team’s decision-making structure, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Washington may not even hire a formal general manager to replace the fired Scot McCloughan, and one report suggested the club had submitted a front office plan to the NFL that included a restructuring of duties but no new GM. Allen himself pushed back against that notion, but the Redskins could simply choose to promote staffers from within. Doug Williams has been mentioned as a possible candidate to take on an expanded role within Washington’s personnel department, while scout Alex Santos and contract negotiator Eric Schaffer could also be in line for new responsibilities.

If they do opt to hire a GM, though, the Redskins could find a shortage of suitors, per Cole. McCloughan reportedly wasn’t allowed to hire his own scouting team or find his own additional staffers, leaving potential Washington candidates wary of how much control they’d wield. Previous reports have indicated Allen will act as the Redskins’ de facto general manager no matter what other hires the club makes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/23/17

May 23rd, 2017 at 9:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

The Eagles have waived quarterback Jerod Evans and defensive tackle Charles Walker off injured reserve with injury settlements, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Both players were waived/injured in the past two weeks, but cleared waivers without being claimed by another club. Instead of spending the year on Philadelphia’s IR list, Evans and Walker will now earn a payment equal to what they would have earned while injured. Evans and Walker can re-sign with the Eagles, but they’ll have to wait three weeks plus the time value of the settlement.

Derek Carr Extension Talks To Ramp Up?

May 23rd, 2017 at 8:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Negotiations between the Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr are expected to gain steam following the conclusion of this week’s owner’s meetings, sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Any deal between Oakland and Carr is likely to be a “strong step above” the five-year, $122.97MM extension the Colts handed fellow signal-caller Andrew Luck last summer. Luck is currently the highest-paid quarterback in the league with a $24.594MM annual salary, but Carr could conceivably top that figure.

Carr, 26, may hold a bit more leverage than did Luck, as the Raiders don’t hold a fifth-year option on Carr given that he was originally a second-round selection. Oakland could deploy the franchise tag in 2018 at a cost of more than $22MM, but the club prefers not to use that tender, per Cole.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said in April that he’s been discussing an extension with Carr “for months”, and characterized those talks as “super positive.” Both McKenzie and Carr have expressed confidence that a new deal will get at some point.

Broncos’ Brandon McManus Wants New Deal

May 23rd, 2017 at 7:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Broncos kicker Brandon McManus is the only restricted free agent yet to sign his tender, but that’s by design, as McManus hopes to receive a long-term extension, as Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post writes.

“There’s really no rush for me to sign the tender because it could go through June 15,” McManus said. “I’d love to be here as long as I can and be on a long-term deal here that gives me security. I love Denver. I love the fan base here. I would love to be here four more years so why not see what I can do?”

Denver tendered McManus at the second-round level, meaning he’ll earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $2.746MM in 2017. McManus, who is attending Broncos’ workouts despite being unsigned, didn’t generate any known interest during the restricted free agent period, so he essentially has two options: sign his tender, or sit out the season. If McManus doesn’t ink the tender by June 15, Denver can reduce his salary to 110% of his 2016 pay, which would amount to just $660K.

McManus, 25, converted 29 of 34 field goal attempts last season, and his 85.3% conversion rate ranked 17th in the NFL. He missed just one extra point, and managed 50 touchbacks on kickoffs, good for 14th in the league. Overall, the Broncos gained 1.5 points on field goals, but lost a whopping 8.6 points on kickoffs, according to Football Outsiders‘ DVOA metric.

Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater Returns To Field

May 23rd, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In what is extremely uplifting news, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned to the practice field today, as documented in a short video posted on the club’s website. Bridgewater, of course, hasn’t been able to participate in football activities since tearing his ACL and dislocating his knee joint last August.

While the video is concise and doesn’t show much, Bridgewater is seen moving about, taking snaps, and throwing passes with a large brace on his left leg. Technically, Bridgewater didn’t “return to practice,” according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), as the throws were part of Bridgewater’s recovery process. Still, as Vensel notes, simply witnessing Bridgewater able to perform some sort of football task is very encouraging.

Given that today marks the first we’ve seen of Bridgewater since last fall, it’s entirely unclear how far along he is in his rehabilitation, or what possibility exists of the 24-year-old playing during the 2017 campaign. Head coach Mike Zimmer admitted earlier this year that he has “no idea” when Bridgewater will fully return to action. With that in mind, the Viking signed veteran Case Keenum in March to back up starting quarterback Sam Bradford.

If Bridgewater doesn’t play next year, and spends the season on the reserve/PUP list, his contract could toll, meaning the Vikings would again hold his rights in 2018. However, Bridgewater and his representation could push back against any attempt by Minnesota to hold onto him for an additional year.

Redskins May Franchise Kirk Cousins Again

May 23rd, 2017 at 7:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A third consecutive franchise tag for quarterback Kirk Cousins would net him north of $34MM for the 2018 campaign, but that hasn’t dissuaded the Redskins from considering another franchise tender, as JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes.

“Yes,” said Redskins president Bruce Allen when asked if his club could deploy the franchise tag on Cousins next season. “In the collective bargaining agreement, we really have one year and an option that we can do at the end of next season if we don’t get a contract.”

The NFL’s CBA would require Washington to pay Cousins 144% of his 2017 salary if it used the franchise tag for another year. Given that Cousins is scheduled to earn a fully guaranteed ~$24MM during the upcoming campaign, he’d be due almost $34.5MM in 2018 (that figure, too, would be fully guaranteed). If the Redskins opt to go that route, Cousins would have raked in roughly $78.5MM from 2016-2018.

Trade rumors surrounded Cousins throughout the offseason, but now he’s almost assuredly staying put in Washington for the 2017 season. Cousins, 28, has been adamant that he hopes to remain with the Redskins for the long-term, and Allen said Monday the team is optimistic an extension will eventually be hammered out. The two sides have until July 15 to reach a new deal, or else Cousins will play out the year under the franchise tender.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/23/17

May 23rd, 2017 at 6:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s draft pick signings:

The Jets announced that they’ve signed second-round safety Marcus Maye and fifth-round linebacker Dylan Donahue. Maye, a Florida alum, was the second safety New York drafted last month, joining sixth overall selection Jamal Adams. With Marcus Gilchrist having been released, and Calvin Pryor in danger of being traded or cut, Maye and Adams could be Gang Green’s starters come Week 1. Donahue, meanwhile, will likely begin his NFL career on special teams as he transitions from Division II West Georgia.
The Seahawks have signed third-round wide receiver Amara Darboh, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Darboh, the penultimate pick of Day 3, put up 57 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns during his senior season at Michigan. At 6’2″, 214 pounds, Darboh will give Seattle some size on a wide receiver depth chart that includes smaller pass-catchers such as Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett.
The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with third-round linebacker Kendell Beckwith, fifth-round running back Jeremy McNichols, and seventh-round defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, the club announced today. Tampa Bay traded up in the draft to acquire both Beckwith and Tu’ikolovatu. Of the trio, Beckwith seemingly has the best chance for playing time early in his career, as he can take over at strong-side ‘backer for Daryl Smith. McNichols, meanwhile, could earn a role pending Doug Martin‘s eventual martin, although the Boise State product is recovering from surgery.