2017 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

Extra Points: Chiefs, Bengals, Saints, Rams

June 27th, 2017 at 9:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs will interview Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer for their general manager position either today or early Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Fitterer, Seattle’s co-director of player personnel, is one of six candidates linked to the Kansas City vacancy (a total that includes the Vikings’ George Paton, who declined an interview). Earlier this year, Fitterer was an initial candidate for the 49ers’ GM job, but ultimately was not asked back for a second interview. Another candidate for the Chiefs gig — Tennessee staffer Ryan Cowden — will meet with Kansas City tomorrow, as Rapoport indicated earlier today.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Bengals told current Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby that he’d be their pick at No. 24 in the 2014 draft, but that changed after Roby was charged with OVI, as Roby explains to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Cincinnati instead chose Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, a choice that — at least through three seasons — was clearly the incorrect choice. While Roby has played well as Denver’s third corner after being selected 31st overall in ’14, Dennard has struggled to get on the field in the Queen City. A fitting conclusion to the tale? Vance Joseph, now the Broncos head coach, was the Bengals defensive backs coach in 2014 who promised Roby he wouldn’t fall past pick No. 24.
Although Saints coaches are high on second-year defensive tackle David Onyemata, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to fill the hole vacated by the loss of veteran Nick Fairley, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. New Orleans placed Fairley on the non-football injury list Monday after doctors ruled a heart condition wouldn’t allow him to play in 2017. Onyemata, a fourt-round pick last year out of Manitoba, played on slightly more than a third of the Saints’ defensive snaps during his rookie campaign and posted 18 total tackles. Earlier today, I ran down a list of external options New Orleans could consider to help replace Fairley’s production.
Connor Barwin is not only playing a 3-4 scheme once again, but will see his second go-round under the tutelage of new Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Barwin, who signed a one-year, $3.5MM with Los Angeles this spring, struggled in Philadelphia’s 4-3 defense last season (bottom-10 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus), but he’s excited about the shift back to a 3-4. “There’s certain things I can do and I can take advantage of that you can’t necessarily do being down in an even front every single play,” said Barwin. “This is really where I want to be playing, the system I want to be in and where I’m going to have the most success.”

AFC East Rumors: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets

June 27th, 2017 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Tom Brady continues his run of success in his age-39 campaign, the Patriots will likely be forced to use the franchise tag on backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. New England would probably deploy the tag with the intention trading Garoppolo, but dealing away the talented reserve signal-caller would depend on a number of factors, per Reiss. Aside from Brady’s excellent play and his intention to play for several more seasons, the Patriots would need to feel secure with current third-stringer Jacoby Brissett. The 23-year-old Brissett posted a record of 1-1 last season while completing 28 of 46 passes for more than 300 yards, and while he didn’t throw any touchdowns, he did score on the ground.

Let’s take a look at more from the AFC East:

Given that he was coming off an Achilles injury, the Dolphins attempted to limit defensive end Cameron Wake‘s snaps at the beginning of the 2016 season, but head coach Adam Gase now admits that strategy was an oversight. “I made a mistake. I should have been playing him more early,” Gase tells Adam Walker of ESPN.com. “We were trying to think long term. … We thought we were being smart and it backfired on us. What we should have done was just let him play.” Wake, 35, ended up playing on roughly half of Miami’s snaps, compiling 11.5 sacks and grading as the league’s No. 10 edge defender, according to Pro Football Focus. In February, Wake agreed to an extension that will keep him with the Dolphins through 2018.
Although the Patriots handed him a $100K base salary guarantee and a $15K signing bonus, Harvey Langi might have trouble earning a spot on New England’s roster given the club’s depth at linebacker, as Phil Perry of CSNNE.com details in his latest Patriots roster projection. Langi was a highly-touted undrafted free agent out of BYU, but New England’s recent addition of veteran David Harris could throw his status into flux. The Pats could attempt to pass him through waivers to the practice squad, but another team could be ready to pounce with a claim.
The Jets have promoted director of pro personnel Matt Bazirgan to college scouting director, sources tell Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He replaces Rex Hogan, who left New York last month to become the Colts’ co-director of player personnel. Bazirgan had been working as Gang Green’s pro personnel director since 2015, and had worked as an area scout prior to that. A Jets staffer since 2004, Bazirgan has worked under four different New York general managers.

How The Saints Can Replace Nick Fairley

June 27th, 2017 at 7:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints officially placed defensive tackle Nick Fairley on the non-football injury list on Monday, ending Fairley’s 2017 season before it began and casting doubt on the future of his career. New Orleans already added one potential reinforcement earlier this month, agreeing to terms with veteran Tony McDaniel, but the club could still pursue more help on the interior.

Let’s take a look at the possible solutions for the Saints, beginning with players that could potentially be acquired via trade:

Trade options

Arik Armstead, 49ers — Now that the 49ers have made several additions to their defensive line, Armstead — the 17th overall selection just two years ago — could become expendable. Free agent signee Earl Mitchell is projected to start at defensive tackle alongside 2016 first-rounder DeForest Buckner, but a trade of Armstead could allow Buckner to see more snaps on the edge opposite Solomon Thomas. Dealing Armstead could also allow San Francisco to get Aaron Lynch more playing time at end. At 6’7″, 292 pounds, Armstead has the size to play the interior in the Saints’ 4-3 scheme.

Desmond Bryant, Browns — Bryant doesn’t fit in with a Browns team that is going young, and he’s entering the final year of his contract. He’s eminently affordable (he’d cost the Saints just $3MM), and, like others on this list, has the ability to play on the edge and inside. Bryant’s health is a question mark, as he missed the entire 2016 campaign with a torn pectoral, but he returned to Cleveland’s practice field last month. It’s possible the Browns release Bryant later this summer, so New Orleans wouldn’t even have to sacrifice a pick.

Vinny Curry, Eagles — Curry may be the unlikeliest trade candidate listed here, especially given that he just signed a five-year, $46.25MM extension last February. But the Eagles haven’t been afraid to deal recently-signed players in the past (see: Sam Bradford), and trading Curry would allow Philadelphia to part with his $7MM guaranteed base salary. Listed as a defensive end, Curry is an excellent pass rusher from the interior, but the snaps haven’t been there with the Eagles (43% in 2016). With Chris Long now in tow, Curry could struggle to find consistent playing time again next season.

Carl Davis, Ravens — Heading into the 2015 draft, Davis was considered a potential first- or second-round selection, but the Ravens ended up picking him up in the third round. After struggling through 239 defensive snaps during his rookie campaign, Davis missed all of 2016 with an ankle injury. He’s now third on the depth chart at nose tackle behind Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce, meaning he could be superfluous. Only 25 years old, Davis is signed through 2018 at palatable rates.

Steve McLendon, Jets — Gang Green has already unloaded several notable veterans this offseason, and a rebuilding club like the Jets doesn’t particularly need to employ a run-stuffing defensive tackle earning nearly $3MM like McLendon. The 31-year-old McLendon played on roughly a third of New York’s defensive snaps a year ago, and that’s the type of reserve role he’d likely play for the Saints. A player-for-player trade could be a possibility here, as the Jets were the free agent runners-up for running back Travaris Cadet, whom New Orleans is now shopping.

Sheldon Richardson, Jets — I’ve banged the drum for a Richardson-to-New Orleans trade in the past, but had previously considered the former first-round pick as an ideal complement to Cameron Jordan at defensive end. The Saints didn’t do much to address their edge rushing problem, with free agent Alex Okafor and third-round selection Trey Hendrickson comprising most of the team’s attempted improvement. Richardson, then, would make a perfect candidate to play end in base packages before becoming an interior rusher on passing downs.

Free agents

Arthur Jones — Jones, who will turn 31 years old later this week, managed to appear in only 17 games through three seasons after signing a five-year deal with the Colts prior to the 2014 season. While he’s typically served as a two-gapping, 3-4 defensive end throughout his career, Jones has the size (6’3″, 315 pounds) to play tackle for the Saints. Clearly, Jones has question marks, including severe health issues and a 2016 PED suspension, but those factors should make him come cheap.

Jared Odrick — While a number of clubs have expressed interest in Odrick this offseason, he hadn’t been on the Saints’ radar as of yet. That could change now that Fairley is lost for 2017, and Odrick offers a recent track record of success. Although his Jaguars tenure was not successful, Odrick was a high-caliber player for the Dolphins as recently as 2014. Additionally, Odrick still has youth on his side, as he’s entering just his age-29 season.

Vince Wilfork — As of earlier this month, Wilfork still hasn’t decided whether he wants to hang up his cleats, as he claims he’s “50-50” on the idea of retirement. At age-35, Wilfork wasn’t very effective last season, but the Texans may have been asking too much of him, as he played on roughly half the club’s defensive snaps. Perhaps he could still play a role for New Orleans if his workload was reduced, although Wilfork may wait to sign in order to avoid another training camp.

Dan Williams — Among available free agents, Williams earned the highest 2016 marks from Pro Football Focus, as he graded as the No. 44 interior lineman among 127 qualifiers. Although the 6’3″, 330 pound Williams is viewed as a massive space-eater, PFF actually assigned him much higher marks for his pass rushing acumen than his run defense. As such, Williams could possibly push the pocket a bit, but his main goal would still be to clog the middle.

I recently ran down the best available players at each defensive position. Other free agents of interest could include: Tyson Jackson, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Sen’Derrick Marks, Roy Miller, Devon Still, and Vance Walker.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/27/17

June 27th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

The Bengals have signed guard Cameron Lee, the club announced today. Lee went undrafted earlier this year out of Illinois State after playing in 39 games during his collegiate career. After originally signing with the Saints as a UDFA, Lee was waived earlier this month. He’ll compete with Christian Westerman, T.J. Johnson, J.J. Dielman, and Trey Hopkins for playing time as an interior reserve.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Palmer, Rams

June 27th, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC West:

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer won’t put a timetable on his retirement. “I love every facet of it,” Palmer told the team’s website. “I don’t want to stop. But I’ll have to wait and make that decision after the season. … There’s always urgency, especially as you get to the second half of your career. You just never know when your last year is going to be.” For now, all Palmer knows is that he is returning in 2017 to serve as Arizona’s starting QB. Last year, the veteran threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had Palmer rated as the No. 17 QB in the NFL – not his best showing, bu tit still put him ahead of guys like Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.
This is a make-or-break year for Trumaine Johnson, Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News writes. The Rams cornerback is betting on himself, it seems, since he and the Rams are far apart in contract negotiations. If Johnson can turn in a monster year, he’ll get a monster contract to match next spring, whether it comes from L.A. or somewhere else. If not, Johnson may regret turning down whatever multi-year deal is being offered to him at this time. Bonsignore seems to think that Johnson will respond well to the pressure since he’ll be motivated to maximize his value.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com ran down the next quarterbacks to get big money deals following Derek Carr‘s brand new pact. Seahawks signal caller Russell Wilson is among those listed, even though his deal runs through 2019. In two summers, however, Wilson could find himself in talks on a deal that could give him an even longer extension than Aaron Rodgers. Wilson will turn 31 in ’19.

Cowboys Audition QB Seth Russell

June 27th, 2017 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys continue to look at outside quarterback options. On Tuesday, the team auditioned Baylor product Seth Russell, according to David Smoak of ESPN Central Texas (Twitter link).

“The workout went really, really well,” Russell said. “Scouts said they were going to send the film to the coaches and then they would let me know in 2-4 weeks, maybe sooner. They said I looked a lot stronger and had more zip on the ball. Legs looked really good and athletic.”

Russell was not drafted this year and he was not able to make the Raiders’ 90-man roster after participating in their rookie minicamp in May. However, the local kid’s skillset might still appeal to Dallas coaches. From his perspective, it sounds like he has a chance of getting signed.

The Cowboys have been searching for QBs to give them additional support after Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Right now, UDFA Cooper Rush and Zac Dysert occupy spots on the 90-man roster, but one of those two players could theoretically get bumped for Russell.

NFC East Rumors: Cousins, Redskins, Cowboys

June 27th, 2017 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

More bad news on the Kirk Cousins front. Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links) hears that there isn’t a real price that will make the Redskins quarterback happy. The two sides, she adds, are at a point where they need each other but don’t want each other.

This comes on the heels of an Adam Schefter report indicating that a deal between now and mid-July is unlikely. Although there is an improved tone in talks, there apparently hasn’t been much in the way of forward progress. But, if Cousins is truly unhappy with the Redskins, then the problem is much more serious than just a disagreement over money.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

After converting to defense in 2016, quarterback Jameill Showers is working to make the Cowboys‘ roster as a safety. He faces competition from players with more experience in the secondary, but so far the early reviews for him are positive. “I’m really happy with what Showers has done,” Cowboys secondary coach Joe Baker told Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “He’s turned his body from a quarterback body into a defensive back body, which looks a lot different. You can tell he looks slimmer. He’s moving a lot better. The whole athleticism part of it is so much different at that position, and so I’m really proud of how he’s worked. He’s still got a ways to go, but movement-wise in terms of his backpedaling, changing direction, all those things we do as defensive backs, he’s really doing a nice job.”
The Cowboys worked out wide receiver Marquez North on Monday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Chiefs Notes: GM Search, Hali, Dorsey

June 27th, 2017 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the Chiefs:

It’s clear that coach Andy Reid is running the Chiefs organization based on the names that have come up early in the team’s GM search, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Pelissero’s comment came after KC requested an interview with George Paton, though the Viking assistant GM turned down the opportunity to be considered. Pelissero rightly notes that Paton should be in the running again for GM jobs in January. By that point, there could be better jobs available.
The Chiefs’ interview with Titans Director of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden will take place on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Cowden is one of a handful of outside names to come up in the Chiefs’ GM search. To keep track of all candidates under consideration in Kansas City, check out PFR’s Chiefs GM search tracker.
Count Chiefs veteran linebacker Tamba Hali among those who were not pleased with the firing of GM John Dorsey, as Conor Orr of NFL.com writes. “From a subjective opinion, I wasn’t too pleased,” Hali said on NFL Network. “I’m really fond of John. Mr. Dorsey, he’s done a tremendous job since he’s been with the organization so everything that happened the past week really caught a lot of us off guard. But I’m sure the Hunt family knows exactly what they’re doing with the re-signing of our coach Andy Reid. I think everything will be fine but Mr. Dorsey will be missed with the Chiefs.” Hali, who has been with the Chiefs since being drafted by the team in 2006, is under contract with the team for two more seasons.
Despite his denials, it sounds like ESPN’s Louis Riddick is in the running for the Chiefs’ GM job.

Rams, Johnson Won’t Sign Long-Term Deal

June 27th, 2017 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

Last week, we heard that the odds of an extension for the Rams and Trumaine Johnson are “extremely slim.” Now, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter) that there is “nothing close” between the two parties and flatly says that “no long-term deal will get done.”

Without a new deal, Johnson will play out the 2017 season on his one-year, $16.742MM franchise tender. This is the second straight year that the Rams have used the franchise tag on Johnson, though their actions have made it clear that they do not see him as a franchise player. The Rams seriously considered trading Johnson this offseason, though talks with teams like the Browns and Saints did not yield the kind of offers that they were seeking.

Johnson’s $16.742MM salary currently has him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL on a per-year basis. After a season in which he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 26th-best cornerback, one could argue that he’s drastically overpaid. The Rams probably weren’t crazy about that price tag, but they were also unwilling to lose a starting cornerback for the second consecutive offseason. Last year, the Rams franchised Johnson and allowed Janoris Jenkins to sign with the Giants in free agency.

No Deal In Sight For Steelers, Le’Veon Bell

June 27th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

There’s no deal in sight right now for the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Both sides remain motivated to get an extension done, but it could “go either way,” in Schefter’s estimation.

It’s expected that there will be a push around the time of the July 17 deadline, Schefter writes. That’s typically the case when it comes to extensions for franchised players. Often times, talks will stall but the deadline will spur action.

Despite the off-the-field headaches from Bell, the running back has been a major part of the Steelers’ success in recent years. In 2016, Bell missed three games due to suspension, but he was as lethal as ever when he was on the field. Bell ran for 1,268 yards off of 261 carries, matching a career-high of 4.9 yards per attempt. He was also used frequently in the receiving game as he caught 75 passes for 616 yards. When averaged out on a per-game basis, his 2016 numbers actually bested his 2014 effort, a season which garnered him a First-Team All-Pro selection.

If Bell and the Steelers cannot work out a long-term deal, he will play out the 2017 season on a one-year, $12.12MM deal. Running backs don’t command as much money on the open market as, say, quarterbacks, but Bell could still do well for himself as a free agent next spring. When free agency opens in 2018, he’ll be just one month past his 26th birthday.

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