2017 June - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots To Sign Ex-Jets LB David Harris

June 21st, 2017 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have agreed to sign former Jets linebacker David Harris, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. It will be a two-year, $5MM deal for the veteran with $1.25MM guaranteed, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. He can also earn up to $1.75MM in incentives.

Harris, 33, was cut loose by the Jets this offseason as a part of their rebuilding effort. Until now, he spent his entire career with Gang Green dating back to 2007, meaning that he only got to be a part of two playoff runs. Now, Harris is joining a bonafide contender and could have a real chance at capturing a Super Bowl ring before his career is through.

The Patriots now have an even stronger linebacker group than before. Harris joins fellow veterans Shea McClellin, Dont’a Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Elandon Roberts, and Kyle Van Noy, not to mention third round pick Derek Rivers. Depending on how many linebackers the Patriots plan on taking into the season, the signing could put Rutgers product Jonathan Freeny on the bubble.

As Schefter notes (on Twitter), this is just the latest instance of the Patriots swooping in on an AFC East standout. Between this offseason and the last one, the Pats have added Harris, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, running back Mike Gillislee, and wide receiver Chris Hogan.

In his tenth season with the Jets, Harris appeared in 15 games and played on 86.8% of the club’s defensive snaps. In that time, Harris managed 94 tackles, two passes defensed, and a half-sack, while grading out as the league’s No. 35 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.

Harris started 147 contests during his whole Jets tenure, placing him sixth all-time in franchise history.

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Cousins, Giants

June 21st, 2017 at 9:28am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall wants to be a coach or a GM when his playing days are done.

“I see myself in a suit doing something,” Hall said (via John Keim of ESPN.com). “I don’t see myself on the field coaching. I see myself in the front office….I feel I can see talent.” “I’m not saying I’m a mastermind or Bill Belichick…But when you play the game, or you’re asked to do other things, like Doug, you have a little more feel than the guy who has been in the office his whole life. I wish it was the NBA where you could stop and go be a head coach or GM like that. I understand it’s a process, but it’s definitely something I want to get involved in.”

Hall, 34 in November, recently took a pay cut for the 2017 season so that he could remain on the roster. The veteran obviously isn’t in a hurry to begin his post-playing career, but he has a pretty good handle on what he’d like to do when it’s all over. It wouldn’t be a surprise if 2017 was his final season on the field.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Talk of an extension for the Redskins and Kirk Cousins doesn’t mean a whole lot in June, one source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “So much noise,” said a source with knowledge of the situation. When asked whether progress has been made, the source added, “Nothing to report. Will be interesting to see what happens mid-July.” Recently, the NFL pushed back the deadline for teams to sign franchise players to long term deals – from July 15 to July 17 – and it’s likely that talks won’t really progress until the hourglass is almost out of sand. Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, may be seeking upwards of $52MM guaranteed at signing, representing the total of this year’s salary ($23.94MM) and next year’s transition tender ($28.7MM). The Redskins, presumably, are hoping to chip away at that number.
The Giants‘ deal for defensive end Devin Taylor is a minimum salary deal with just $40K guaranteed, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The advanced metrics haven’t been crazy about Taylor’s play, but he did record 11.5 combined sacks over the last two seasons.
Jason Peters could be playing guard for the Eagles down the road.
Will the Cowboys regret losing Barry Church to free agency? One beat writer believes that will be the case.

Extra Points: 49ers, Buckner, Texans, Moore

June 20th, 2017 at 9:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner played more than 1,000 snaps during his rookie campaign with the 49ers last year, a figure that new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh calls “criminal,” as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Not only will San Francisco be transitioning to a 4-3 front in 2017, but the club will look to run a rotation along the defensive line in an effort to keep individual players fresh. 2015 first-round pick Arik Armstead should see his snaps increase during the upcoming season, while the additions of No. 3 overall selection Solomon Thomas and free agent signees Earl Mitchell and Elvis Dumervil will also give the 49ers more options up front. San Francisco ranked 20th in adjusted sack rate and 29th in adjusted line yards.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Texans recently added a pair of depth veterans in offensive tackle Breno Giacomini and linebacker Sio Moore, but neither player will take up much cap room in 2017, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Giacomini, who’s expected to help fill in at right tackle for the injured Derek Newton, will receive a $750K signing bonus, a non-guaranteed base salary of $1MM, and can earn up to $1MM in gameday active roster bonuses. Moore, meanwhile, will come even cheaper, as he’s on a minimum salary benefit deal. As such, he can earn $775K while only counting for $615K on the Texans’ cap.
While running back contracts are on the fiscal decline, deals for backs are increasingly reliant on incentive-based pay, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explains. Recent pacts for veterans such as Latavius Murray, Marshawn Lynch, and Adrian Peterson all contain some sort of performance-based money, whether through bonuses or escalators. Those clauses can often artificially inflate the value of contracts — in the case of Peterson, for example, more than 50% of his deal’s maximum value comes in the form of incentives.
While it’s a strategy that could be viewed as dangerous to the integrity of the game or a smart tactic in order to rebuild, “tanking” has afflicted the NFL in the past few seasons in the forms of the Browns and (certainly in 2017) the Jets. If the league wants to force teams to be competitive, it could institute an NBA-esque lottery system for the draft, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk opines. By giving each of the 20 non-playoff teams the same chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick, the NFL could dissuade clubs from failing to put forth a full effort.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/20/17

June 20th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

After waiving him with an injury designation last month, the Seahawks have cut fullback Malcolm Johnson from injured reserve, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Johnson, 24, was originally a sixth-round draft choice of the Browns in 2015. He managed nine receptions in 19 games with Cleveland before joining Seattle’s practice squad last year.

Rams Waive OL Demetrius Rhaney

June 20th, 2017 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams announced that they’ve waived WR Marquez North, LB Reggie Northrup, C Demetrius Rhaney, and LB Teidrick Smith, while the club has also signed offensive linemen Michael Dunn and Alex Kozan, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Of the players involved in Los Angeles’ transactions, only Rhaney has any NFL game experience. A seventh-round pick in 2014, Rhaney had appeared in all 32 games for the Rams over the past two seasons. However, most of Rhaney’s work has come on special teams, where he’d played 237 snaps from 2015-16. Rhaney, who turns 25 this week, did start one contest in 2015 (and played 123 offensive snaps that year).

Kozan, an Auburn product, has already had one stint with Los Angeles earlier this year, as he’d signed with the club during minicamp before being waived in May. Dunn, meanwhile, hadn’t yet latched on with a team since going undrafted out of Maryland.

Details On Eric Decker’s Titans Contract

June 20th, 2017 at 8:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Titans wide receiver Eric Decker‘s one-year contract can be worth as much as $5.35MM, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Decker will receive a $2.5MM signing bonus, a $1.35MM base salary, and up to $1.5MM incentives, per Pelissero.

Decker, 30, had been scheduled to earn a $6.5MM base salary with the Jets in 2017, so while he won’t be able to match that figure with Tennessee, he’ll have the opportunity to come close if he meets all his incentives. While it’s unclear exactly what totals Decker needs to reach in order to unlock his incentives, the bonuses are likely tied to receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and/or the Titans team performance. Because Decker only managed nine receptions for 194 yards last year, any incentives are probably considered “not likely to be earned.”

Decker’s contract stands in contrast to fellow receiver Jeremy Maclin, who received a two-year, $11MM deal from the Ravens. Maclin, 29, is expected to earn $6MM in 2017, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported that Maclin’s pact doesn’t contain much “funny money.”

Rams Sign Five Rookies, Wrap Up Draft Class

June 20th, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams have become the latest club to lock up their 2017 draft class, as the team announced they’ve agreed to terms with fourth-round wide receiver Josh Reynolds, fourth-round linebacker Samson Ebukam, sixth-round defensive tackle Tanzel Smart, sixth-round fullback Sam Rogers, and seventh-round linebacker Ejuan Price.

Reynolds, who posted 1,039 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season at Texas A&M, figures to see the most playing time of the rookies signed today. The 6’3″, 195-pounder — whom Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares to NFLer Marvin Jones — will compete with fellow rookie Cooper Kupp for playing time behind Robert Woods and Tavon Austin.

Here’s a complete overview of the Rams’ 2017 rookie crop:

2-44: Gerald Everett, TE (South Alabama)
3-69: Cooper Kupp, WR (Eastern Washington)
3-91: John Johnson, S (Boston College)
4-117: Josh Reynolds, WR (Texas A&M)
4-125: Samson Ebukam, LB (Eastern Washington)
6-189: Tanzel Smart, DT (Tulane)
6-206: Sam Rogers, FB (Virginia Tech)
7-234: Ejuan Price, DE (Pitt)

Rams Unlikely To Extend Trumaine Johnson

June 20th, 2017 at 6:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The odds of the Rams reaching a long-term agreement with franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson are extremely slim, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Los Angeles spoke with Johnson’s representatives regarding an extension only once, and the discussions weren’t fruitful enough to warrant another round of talks.

If he’s not extended, Johnson will play under the franchise tag for the second consecutive season. As such, his fully guaranteed base salary for the 2017 campaign will be $16.742MM, a 20% raise over his 2016 salary and the highest figure among cornerbacks for the upcoming year. The 27-year-old Johnson will have earned north of $30MM for the 2016-17 seasons.

The Rams explored trading Johnson this offseason, and while the Browns and Saints reportedly expressed interest, Johnson is now expected to stay put in Los Angeles. New head coach Sean McVay recently indicated that Johnson “fits any system. You’re talking about a big corner who can run, he’s physical, he can tackle and he has great ball skills.”

The NFL has pushed back the deadline for franchise players to sign extensions to July 17, meaning the Rams and Johnson have a little less than a month to agree to a long-term deal.

Saints WR Willie Snead Changes Agents

June 20th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints wide receiver Willie Snead is now represented by Rosenhaus Sports, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Snead’s previous agency was Off Tackle Sports Management.

At first glance, Snead’s agent change isn’t much of a story, especially given that the 24-year-old pass-catcher is a exclusive rights free agent at the moment. But despite the fact that New Orleans isn’t obligated to pay Snead more than the minimum salary in 2017, the club is reportedly working on a “more lucrative” deal for the former undrafted free agent.

“I think the guys upstairs are working on it,” Snead said last week. “I’m hopeful, and I just have to keep worrying about myself and staying healthy and doing all the right things. I know it’s going to be a handled, it’s going to take time, but I feel like we’ll get it done sooner or later.”

Snead has been a revelation for the Saints since entering the league out of Ball State in 2015. In two seasons in New Orleans, Snead has averaged 70 receptions for 940 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll return as one of the Saints’ top receivers in 2017 alongside Michael Thomas, filling the void left by the Brandin Cooks trade.

Falcons Believe Devonta Freeman Deal Will Happen Soon

June 20th, 2017 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are confident that they’ll have a deal done with Devonta Freeman by the first week of training camp, a source tells ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). The Falcons will kick off training camp at the end of July, so this means a deal could be coming in the next month or so.

Earlier today, Freeman said in a radio interview that he is willing to wait until next offseason to discuss his contract with the Falcons if the right deal does not materialize this summer. Both sides want to get a deal done, but the Falcons likely do not want to reset the running back market with a new contract for the 25-year-old.

The former fourth-round pick is slated to play out the 2017 season at a paltry $1.92MM cap number. After that, the Falcons could retain him through the costly franchise tag if they do not want to risk losing him to free agency. If Freeman continues to play at a high level and is allowed to test the open market, the bidding could quickly get crazy.

The Falcons have fellow running back Tevin Coleman under contract for two more years, but the ideal scenario would have Atlanta keeping both players in the fold. Last year, Freeman ran for 1,079 yards with 11 touchdowns. He also added 54 catches for 462 yards and two scores. Coleman, who ate into his workload, had 941 all-purpose yards and 11 total touchdowns.