2017 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Pennel

June 29th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

One source in the Dolphins building tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that rookie defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor are a bit too green right now to be rotation players. The Dolphins were planning on using either Godchaux or Taylor as a No. 3 tackle, so that’s an issue for Miami. As Jackson points out, Dan Williams, Vance Walker, and Paul Soliai are still available.

Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the best available defensive free agents at each position and Williams topped his list on the interior line.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

In today’s article, Jackson also gave an update on Dolphins starting center Mike Pouncey and noted that former Jet Nick Mangold is still not in Miami’s plans.
Right now, Darryl Slater of NJ.com doesn’t see defensive lineman Mike Pennel making the Jets‘ cut. The Jets claimed Pennel off waivers from the Packers in February. Last year, Pennel served a pair of four-game bans for substance abuse, but that did not dissuade the Jets from taking a low-risk gamble on him. Now, it looks like the last DL spot may go to Lawrence Thomas instead of him. In Pennel’s best year, 2015, he established career highs in games (16), starts (five), tackles (24) and sacks (one).
Wesley Johnson has the unenviable task of serving as Mangold’s replacement at center for the Jets, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Johnson isn’t 100% guaranteed the starting job, Costello notes, but it would be a surprise if he lost the battle to offseason addition Jonotthan Harrison. Assuming the job is his, Johnson will have to command an offensive line that has three new starters, which means that there will be lots of communication issues.

Latest On Dolphins C Mike Pouncey

June 29th, 2017 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The expectation is that Mike Pouncey will be ready for Week 1, a source “very close” to the Dolphins center tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Although Pouncey has not been cleared by team doctors for action yet, he apparently feels that he is just about ready to play.

Pouncey missed 11 games during the 2016 season thanks to his troublesome hip. Apparently, that problem was compounded by a bacterial infection in his inner thigh. The infection has been treated, however, so Pouncey is almost back to normal.

This is all very good news for the Dolphins since they did not put a ton of resources into a Plan B for Pouncey. If Pouncey is not good to go, then they’ll likely use Kraig Urbik as the starter in the middle with support from free agent addition Ted Larsen and Anthony Steen. Players apparently prefer Urbik over Steen at center because Steen sometimes took too long to make calls last year.

In related news, the Dolphins have not checked in on free agent center Nick Mangold lately. Miami did reach out to Mangold’s team at one point this offseason, but there has been zero movement on that front this summer.

Raiders, Gabe Jackson Begin Talks

June 29th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

Contracts talks between the Raiders and guard Gabe Jackson are underway, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links) hears. However, her source cautions that it is “very, very early” in the process. Ultimately, Anderson is told that the deal is almost certain to get done (Twitter link).

It has been expected for months now that the Raiders and Jackson would commence contract negotiations this summer. Naturally, a new deal for Derek Carr was No. 1 on the team’s to-do list, but Jackson is next up now that the quarterback has been inked to a five-year, $125MM deal. Extensions for Jackson and linebacker Khalil Mack now stand as the team’s biggest priorities. The Raiders should have the flexibility to get those deals done plus a fresh contract for wide receiver Amari Cooper thanks to the team-friendly structure of Carr’s pact.

The Raiders are eager to lock up Jackson for the foreseeable future, but an extension won’t come cheap. Anderson hears that Jackson’s camp is looking to top Joel Bitonio‘s $10MM annual average salary and may look to approach the AAV of Kelechi Osemele ($11.7MM) and Kevin Zeitler ($12MM).

Jackson, 26 in July, has been a starter since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2014. Last season, Jackson graded as the league’s No. 20 offensive guard among 72 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Bills’ Jonathan Williams Avoids Suspension

June 29th, 2017 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

Good news for the Bills and Jonathan Williams. The running back will not be disciplined under the league’s substance abuse policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Williams was accused of driving while intoxicated last summer in Arkansas, just months after the Bills selected him in the fifth round. He was found not guilty of the charge earlier this month, but the NFL has been known to suspend players even in situations where they are acquitted by a court. The Bills were bracing for the possibility of not having Williams at the start of the season, but they now know that they will have him on the roster for Week 1 as LeSean McCoy‘s backup.

Last year, Mike Gillislee made a name for himself as McCoy’s primary understudy and Williams could make a similar leap this year. In 2016, Williams had only 27 carries in eleven games, but he should be used a lot more this year. Free agents Mike Tolbert and Joe Banyard are also in the fold in Buffalo, along with fullback Patrick DiMarco.

Redskins Notes: Cousins, Hall, McCoy

June 29th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams recently said that Kirk Cousins has proven that he’s among the league’s 15 best quarterbacks. Williams is selling Cousins short, Seth Walder of ESPN.com argues, and the Redskins will have to give him better than “above average” compensation to keep him.

The Cousins-led offense recorded the second-most passing yards in 2016 while throwing for the third-most yards per attempt (8.1) among quarterbacks. Cousins ranked in the top six of Football Outsiders’ DVOA in the last two years and he finished No. 8 and No. 4, respectively, in Pro Football Reference’s adjusted net yards per attempt in ’15 and ’16. He’s also performed better than Raiders QB Derek Carr who just inked a five-year, $125MM deal. Cousins ranked fourth in Total QBR over 2015-2016 while Carr finished 26th.

Here’s more from D.C.:

Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall turns 34 in November but it’s not a certainty that he’ll be with the team when that happens, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes. Hall, a 14-year veteran, seems more likely to make the roster after accepting a pay cut earlier this summer, but it’s not a slam dunk since the team has younger and cheaper players that can be plugged into the secondary. Ultimately, I think Hall’s experience will keep him on the roster as a backup safety, especially with his reasonable $2.3MM base salary.
Within the same piece, Tandler also implies that backup quarterback Colt McCoy could actually step up to replace Cousins as the Redskins‘ starter next year if Cousins is no longer in the picture. McCoy, 31 in September, stepped in for Cousins’ as the starting QB in 2014 and had some strong performances. Of course, in 2015, Cousins emerged as the Redskins’ clear cut starter and he has not given McCoy an opening in the last two seasons. It’s too early to speculate about Washington’s plans for 2018 if Cousins is not retained, but it sounds like they might not have to turn to free agency or the draft to find a fill-in if Cousins is out of the picture.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Charles, Chiefs

June 29th, 2017 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Some say that Jamaal Charles is not a lock to make the Broncos‘ roster, but the veteran says that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from left knee surgery and that could be a good sign for him as he tries to lock down his spot this summer.

“I am doing everything. I have been cutting the last couple of days with the guys during the offseason workouts. I feel like the way I am cutting that I am back to the normal me, man. It feels good to be moving around again,” Charles told Troy Renck of Denver7. “I have been knowing this the whole offseason (that the knee was fine). Nobody can take nothing away from me except God when my time is up. I am still 30 years old. I still have a lot of special stuff to do.”

Charles has appeared in just eight games over the past two seasons thanks to knee issues. As shown on Roster Resource, the Broncos also have C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, and sixth-round pick De’Angelo Henderson on the RB depth chart. The presence of fullback Andy Janovich may also dictate the makeup of Denver’s RB group.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

The Chiefs were always disorganized under John Dorsey but the chaos became more noticeable once Chris Ballard left for the Colts, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears. “It wasn’t dysfunction so much as it was decisions were being made that seemed to come out of nowhere,” one source said. “So that existed, but the people here weren’t aware that ownership was aware of it. … You look back now, how it worked out, and ownership was more aware that it didn’t need to be run that way.”
The Chargers‘ revamped offensive line could alleviate pressure on quarterback Philip Rivers, USA Today’s Joe Curley writes. This year, the Bolts used three of their seven draft picks on offensive linemen after allowing the most pass pressures in the league over the past three seasons. The additions of Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp, Indiana guard Dan Feeney, and free agent tackle Russell Okung may allow Rivers more time to work with in the pocket. All three are projected to start on the Chargers’ new-look O-Line.
A number of teams are showing interest in free agent linebacker Zach Orr, but the Raiders have not reached out.

Extra Points: Kaepernick, Patriots, Draft

June 28th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There’s a belief that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick‘s a behind-the-scenes distraction because of his political activism, but his previous head coach, Chip Kelly, said otherwise Wednesday. “Kap was awesome,” the former 49ers head coach told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Jon Schlosser of All22). “You know, at the beginning of the year, he made a stance in terms of what he believed was right. We recognized and supported his ability to do that. But he never brought that into the locker room.” Kelly also denied that Kaepernick isn’t dedicated to football, saying, “He came to work every day, extremely diligent in terms of his preparation, in terms of his work ethic.”

AFC Notes: Orr, Raiders, Chiefs, Bell

June 28th, 2017 at 7:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A few AFC-themed notes:

Free agent linebacker Zach Orr, who retired in January thanks to a congenital spinal condition, announced Wednesday that he’s planning a comeback. Now, nearly half of the NFL’s 32 teams have interest in Orr, though the Raiders aren’t among those clubs at the moment, reports Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The 25-year-old’s agent, Rob Sheets, told Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday that Orr is “100 percent confident he will play this season. This is a one-in-a-billion situation. I couldn’t even make this up.” But Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun is less than enthusiastic about Orr’s potential return, opining that the defender should stay retired instead of coming back and risking paralysis. Regardless of whether Orr plays in 2017, Schmuck doesn’t anticipate him rejoining the Ravens, as there’s doubt that their doctors would deem him healthy enough to play.
Chiefs ownership fired general manager John Dorsey in part over concerns about how he presented himself, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Dorsey is “more comfortable in a sweatshirt than a suit and tie,” writes La Canfora, leading to questions over whether he was corporate enough for chairman Clark Hunt’s liking. Despite that, there were no indications Dorsey was in over his head in the role – the team did go 43-21 with him at the helm, after all – and one agent told La Canfora: “He’s wily. He’s guile. He plays like he doesn’t know, but he knows. He’s creative in his approach to negotiations and he can be strong willed when he has to be. He’s a very smart negotiator. He’s going to get another job, I’m sure, and he’ll show why he is one of the best GMs in the league. He already has to be one of the top evaluators in the game.” Like that agent, La Canfora doesn’t expect Dorsey to go without a job for long, but he also doesn’t see him rushing into a lesser role than the one he just had.
There’s no deal in sight for Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who will either ink a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline for franchise players or go through the season under the tag. With the calendar moving toward that date, each of Jamison Hensley, Pat McManamon and Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com agree that the Steelers should extend Bell, arguing that the 25-year-old – unlike most running backs – is worth a significant investment.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Mariota, Vikings

June 28th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on a pair of NFC franchises:

Philadelphia was reportedly aggressive in trying to trade up to No. 2 in the 2015 draft to land quarterback Marcus Mariota, who played under then-Eagles head coach Chip Kelly at Oregon in 2012. But Kelly shot that down in a discussion with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, revealing that talks didn’t go anywhere because Tennessee wasn’t interested in moving the pick (via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com). “That’s all speculation that’s out there, you hear stories that ‘we offered this, we offered that,” said Kelly. “We didn’t offer anything because they weren’t taking any offers for it.” Unable to move up 18 spots to land Mariota, the Eagles ultimately stayed at No. 20 and selecting wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who has disappointed in the NFL. Kelly didn’t even finish out the 2015 season with the Eagles, who fired him prior to Week 17 and then went on to select a different potential franchise signal-caller, Carson Wentz, after moving up to No. 2 overall (by way of a trade with the Browns) in 2016.
Just over a month after signing running back Latavius Murray in free agency, presumably to start, the Vikings selected ex-Florida State rusher Dalvin Cook in the second round of the draft. Murray addressed that Wednesday, telling NFL Network (per Kevin Patra of NFL.com): “I was home, watching the draft — I try to keep up regardless, just with the game itself. So they draft him. It wasn’t a surprise. When you see a guy, again, first-round potential sitting there in the second round, they snatch him up, you can’t be surprised. It motivates me regardless, because they’re always going to bring in somebody to take over for your position.” Even with Cook in the fold, Murray expects to rack up the lion’s share of the Vikings’ rushing attempts in 2017, and the ex-Raider plans to mentor the younger back. “As I said, MJD [Maurice Jones-Drew], Darren McFadden, Marcel Reece, those guys did everything they could to try and help me be a better player, and I’m going to do the same for Dalvin,” Murray noted. “Again, it’s going to come down to who is going to be the best player that can play. Because I give Dalvin knowledge and try to help him, doesn’t mean, OK, that I shouldn’t go out there and outperform him and outcompete.”
The Vikings believe they may have a steal on their hands in another newcomer, defensive tackle Will Sutton, suggests Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. Sutton, whom the NFC North rival Bears cut in May and who signed with the Vikings a week later, wasn’t playing in an ideal scheme in Chicago, according to Minnesota’s brass. “We felt like when [the Bears] went to a 3-4, it was probably not a real good fit for him,” said Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. “His game is based on quickness and acceleration and penetration, so we’ve kind of had our eye on him for a while.” Pro Football Focus disagrees with Zimmer, for what it’s worth, as the outlet gave Sutton easily the best grade of his three-year career last season. He posted poor marks over the two prior seasons, though, including a rookie campaign (2014) spent in a 4-3.

Rams Notes: Donald, Gurley, Johnson

June 28th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick look at the latest from Los Angeles:

The Rams and defensive tackle Aaron Donald are “in agreement” that the fourth-year pro has exceeded his current contract, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links). While that’s seemingly an obvious statement given that Donald, an All Pro in each of the past two seasons, is scheduled to earn a paltry $1.8MM in 2017, the Rams don’t believe Donald is acting in a “selfish” manner in regards to his contract situation, per Bonsignore. Los Angeles has reportedly worked on an extension with Donald, who is controlled through the 2018 campaign via the fifth-year option. Donald, 26, has managed 28 sacks during his first three years in the league and last year graded as the NFL’s No. 1 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus.
While Donald has performed more than well enough to warrant an extension, the same can’t be said for running back Todd Gurley, as Bonsignore tweets. Given that he’s only completed two NFL seasons, Gurley isn’t even eligible for a new deal until the 2017 campaign concludes, but if his production doesn’t improve next year, it may be tough for Gurley to justify an extension, per Bonsignore. Gurley, 22, saw his yards per carry drop by 1.6 yards a season ago, but a revamped offensive line could help matters next season. Los Angeles’ front five ranked 29th in adjusted line yards in 2017, but the club has since added left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan.
In case you missed it, Rams franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson isn’t going to sign an extension before the July 17 deadline. Instead, Johnson will play out the season — his second consecutive campaign under the tag — while earning $16.742MM.

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