2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Bengals, Atkins

February 12th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel opened up about his history of substance abuse and disclosed that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“I was self medicating with alcohol because that’s what I thought was making me happy to help me get out of that depression to a point where I felt like I had some sense of happiness,” Manziel said (transcript via Joey Morona of Cleveland.com). “But at the end of the day, when you wake up the next day after a night like that or after going on a trip like that, and you wake up the next day and that’s all gone. And that liquid courage or that liquid sense of euphoria that’s over you that’s all gone and you’re left staring at the ceiling by yourself and you’re back in that depression and back in that hole, that dark hole of sitting in a room by yourself and being super depressed again thinking about all the mistakes you made in your life. Where did that get me? Where did that get me except out of the NFL? Where did it get me? Disgraced.”

Manziel remains focused on mounting an NFL comeback, but he’ll have to get on a football field somewhere before he can put himself on the radar for teams. At last check, Manziel’s agent was in a standoff with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats as they try to negotiate a contract.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

One of the Bengals‘ top priorities this offseason is getting new deals done for defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Ideally, the Bengals would like to frontload those deals, giving them more room to work with in 2019 and beyond. This year, Atkins is slated to carry a $9.5MM cap hit and Dunlap is slated to count for $7.3MM. If the Bengals can get both deals squared away before free agency begins next month, they will have a better idea of how much room they have to work with. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson examined the Bengals’ other top priorities for the offseason, starting with the offensive line.
The Steelers recently created $13.5MM in cap space by moving some money around, but there’s more that can be done in that area, Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette writes. Antonio Brown ($7.875MM), Cam Heyward ($9MM), Joe Haden ($9MM), Ryan Shazier ($8.72MM) and Maurkice Pouncey ($7MM) all have large salaries for 2018 that can be restructured, if needed. The Steelers are expected to use that increased flexibility on a new multi-year deal for star running back Le’Veon Bell. For his part, Bell says that this round of talks has been more productive than 2017’s negotiations.

Texans’ C.J. Fiedorowicz Mulling Retirement

February 12th, 2018 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

When it was reported late last year that Texans tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz was contemplating retirement, his agent downplayed such talk. Fiedorowicz’s latest comments indicate that retirement is very much on the table.

“A dude knocked me out,” Fiedorowicz told Joe Stevenson of the Northwest Herald. “After eight weeks, when I came back, it was constantly on my mind. I wasn’t always able to play loose and free. It was in my head. Anytime that’s on your mind while you’re playing an NFL football game, you’re in trouble. You can’t play timid. Guys are trying to take your head off, you know?”

Fiedorowicz, 27 in October, is concerned about his long-term well being after suffering three concussions during the 2017 campaign. He’d be walking away from the final two years of his three-year, $21.5MM contract, but that isn’t a major consideration for him.

“I have a backup plan,” he said. “I’ve realized money is not happiness. Money definitely gives you freedom, but I’ve played four years. I’ve accomplished things I wanted to accomplish. It’s more about making my town happy, making my family happy and being able to enjoy the rest of my life.”

Fiedorowicz ‘s $5MM base salary for 2018 is guaranteed, but that payout will be reduced to $2.8MM if he’s unable to play due to concussions. Texans coach Bill O’Brien had been optimistic about his return, but it sounds like the Texans will have to seek out a new tight end this offseason.

Cardinals Extend GM Steve Keim

February 12th, 2018 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals announced that they have signed GM Steve Keim to an extension. The new deal will keep him in place through the 2022 season.

Keim’s contract is roughly in line with that of newly-hired coach Steve Wilks. Wilks’ contract is a four-year deal with a team option for the ’22 campaign.

Keim took over as the Cardinals’ GM in 2013 and the results have been largely positive. In that span, Bill Belichick (Patriots), John Schneider (Seahawks), Kevin Colbert (Steelers), and John Elway (Broncos) have accumulated more wins. The Cardinals have missed the postseason for the last two seasons, but they still feel that Keim is the right man to help them retool and get back into the playoff picture.

“Steve’s performance and accomplishments as Cardinals GM speak for themselves,” Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “His role in the team’s success over the last five seasons is undeniable. This new contract ensures that he will continue to shape our success going forward and we are thrilled about that.”

Keim will have his work cut out for him this offseason. Armed with just $22.7MM in cap room, the Cardinals will have to address their murky quarterback situation while filling other holes on both sides of the ball.

Vontae Davis Gains Medical Clearance

February 12th, 2018 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Back in November, the Colts released former Pro Bowler Vontae Davis as he was dealing with a core injury. Months later, Davis has been cleared following core injury surgery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Davis, an unrestricted free agent, should draw interest in March if he can demonstrate that he is healthy. When Davis was at his best, he was one of the top players at his position. In 2014 – the first of two back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons – Davis earned an excellent 95.1 overall score from Pro Football Focus. In the following year, he turned in a strong 81.9 mark, which still painted him as an above-average starter.

However, there has been a serious dropoff over the last two years, due in part to his injury. In 2016, Davis was one of the ten worst qualified corners in the league, per PFF. And, at the time of his release in 2017, he rated as the NFL’s No. 94 cornerback out of 117 qualifiers.

In his final year with the Colts, there were rumblings that Davis did not take well to his demotion from the starting lineup. As he looks for employment in 2018, Davis may have to be more realistic about where he is at this stage of his career.

The former first round pick will turn 30 in late May.

Bucs, Mike Evans Haven’t Discussed Deal

February 12th, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is entering his walk year and his agent says the two sides have yet to discuss a new contract, as Trevor Sikkema of Pewter Report writes. It’s not clear when the two sides will engage in talks, but Evans’ rep says he wants to move forward with Tampa Bay.

“We’re not doing any negotiating. We’re just going to wait and play it out,” agent Deryk Gilmore said. “We think that the Buccaneers are a great organization. We feel that they really care about Mike; they care about the direction of the franchise and where it’s going. … He’s under contract so what we like to do is let him finish up. We think [Evans’ stats and records] will speak for itself, and when it comes time to do the deal I think his deal will be in-line with what we plan.”

At some point this offseason, the Bucs are expected to come to the table with an offer. Evans has topped 1,000 yards receiving has graded out as a top-20 player at his position in each of his four NFL seasons. In 2016, when the Bucs’ offense was clicking, Evans raised the bar with career highs in catches (96), receiving yards (1,321), and touchdowns (12, tied with 2014’s total) en route to his first ever Pro Bowl nod.

It’s possible that the Bucs are looking to get through free agency and the draft before turning their attention to Evans’ contract. For now, they have No. 13 under contract with a $13.26MM cap hit. If they can’t come to terms on a long-term deal, the Buccaneers can maintain control over Evans in 2019 with the franchise tag.

Texans Host David Amerson On Visit

February 12th, 2018 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback David Amerson is visiting the Texans on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s the start of a busy week for the former Raider as he has three more trips scheduled.

There aren’t many quality free agents available in February, but the Raiders gave Amerson a head start when they released him before the guarantee date on his $5.5MM base salary. Amerson is free to sign with any team and there are several with interest. Amerson’s only other confirmed visit so far was with the Bears, but Rapoport indicates that there were other meetings with teams last week.

The Texans, armed with $56MM+ in cap room, have plenty of room in the budget to accommodate someone like Amerson without sacrificing flexibility in March. They also have a clear need for CB help. In 2016, A.J. Bouye broke out for Houston and the team allowed the second-fewest passing yards to opposing teams. Without Bouye in 2017, they ranked 24th.

The Texans had hoped that former first-round pick Kevin Johnson would step into the No. 1 CB role, but injuries held him back and he finished as Pro Football Focus’ lowest-ranked corner. The Texans have Kareem Jackson under contract and pending free agent Johnathan Joseph could be re-signed, but neither player should be the best CB on the roster.

In 2015, Amerson graded out as the 14th best cornerback in the league out of 111 qualified players, according to PFF. He also had a strong 2016 before injuries slowed him down last year.

Extra Points: Browns, Colts, Giants, Britt

February 11th, 2018 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Browns been able to land Alex Smith, they would have strongly considered trading out of the No. 1 spot. The Browns tried to give the Chiefs one of their three second-round picks for the quarterback, and had Kansas City not chosen Washington’s offer, the Browns would have “aggressively shopped” their top pick, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. This would have been an interesting strategy given what’s transpired over the past two drafts in Cleveland, with the currently woeful franchise passing on Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, but the Browns do have the No. 4 pick as well. That could be used on a quarterback, and Miller hears the team is still considering trading down from one of its two top-five spots (but not both). The Browns have been connected to four quarterbacks at No. 1, with newly hired consultant Scot McCloughan being a staunch Baker Mayfield proponent.

Here’s more from the draft and a look at some Western-division franchises:

Neither the Giants nor the Colts are committed to staying at Nos. 2 and 3 in the draft. Both picks are for sale, Miller notes. The likely scenario coming out of last season was a Giants quarterback pick, since they have not held a top-five choice in 14 years, but new management has come out with effusive Eli Manning praise. The Giants trading out of a possible franchise-quarterback spot would be interesting given Manning’s age and their rare opportunity atop a draft. The Colts would make more sense as a trade-down team, with numerous needs after a season that saw them rank 31st on offense and 30th on defense. Andrew Luck‘s murky timeline notwithstanding, Indianapolis is not a threat to take a first-round quarterback and could well leverage other teams who are interested in doing so.
Miller did not mention the Broncos as a trade-down candidate from No. 5, but what happens in March will determine how they operate. If Kirk Cousins is set on establishing a new NFL salary threshold, the Broncos may need to do more than trade or cut Aqib Talib to clear sufficient funding. While the Broncos would have $37MM-plus in cap space after jettisoning Talib, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes they might also consider putting Emmanuel Sanders on the block. Soon to be 31 and coming off his worst season as a Bronco, one limited by an ankle injury, Sanders stands to count $10.9MM against the Broncos’ 2018 cap. Sanders’ age and 2017 season aside, the franchise has experienced rampant trouble finding wideouts since its successful 2014 Sanders signing and Cousins choosing the Broncos would likely be partially because of their veteran core. A Sanders departure would deplete that setup.
Justin Britt‘s Seahawks extension contains a $5MM option bonus that is expected to be picked up, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Britt signed a three-year, $27MM extension last year. The Seahawks not picking up this bonus, however, would only void the final year of the contract (2020) and shift the money to a different year. If the option is not picked up, the $5MM from 2020 would be added to Britt’s 2018 base salary, thus increasing it from $2.75MM to $7.75MM, per Henderson. Additionally, Britt’s $2.75MM ’18 base became fully guaranteed on Friday.
The NFL is going to look into the matter of Reuben Foster‘s arrest, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Police responded to a disturbance call made at 9:15am Sunday, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. The 49ers linebacker was released from jail at around 8:35pm CT on $75K bail, per Barrows. He was booked on charges of domestic violence and possession of an assault rifle, Barrows reports.

Coaching Rumors: Colts, Steelers, Morton

February 11th, 2018 at 8:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Morton and Jim Harbaugh worked together during the best stretch of 21st-century 49ers football, with Morton coaching San Francisco’s wide receivers from 2011-14. That duo could link up again in Ann Arbor. Michigan is interested in the one-and-done Jets OC to coach its wideouts, Bruce Feldman of SI.com reports. Former Florida head coach Jim McElwain is also in the running for this job, Feldman reports, noting the ex-Gators leader interviewed recently. Morton spent one year as an NFL OC but has experience on the college level, having overseen the 2009 and ’10 USC offenses. He coached the Trojans’ WRs in the two years prior. Morton spent the past seven seasons in the NFL. The Jets fired Morton last month.

Here’s the latest from the coaching ranks, now that every NFL team has a head coach again.

Frank Reich has been contacting coaches about joining his first Colts staff over the past few days, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, and former Lions defensive backs coach (and ex-Vikings DC) Alan Williams is a candidate to join Reich in Indianapolis. If hired, Williams would be returning to Indianapolis, along with Reich. Williams served as Colts DBs coach throughout the Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell tenures, which spanned 10 years from 2002-11. Reich was on Caldwell’s three Colts staffs. Matt Patricia did not retain any Lions defensive coaches upon taking the job in Detroit.
A defensive line coach for four NFL teams between 2004 and 2015, Karl Dunbar will join a fifth staff in that capacity. The Steelers hired Dunbar after he’d spent the past two seasons coaching at Alabama. He’ll head up the Pittsburgh D-line and rejoin forces with Mike Tomlin. Dunbar served under Tomlin for one season with the Vikings (2006) before the defensive assistant took the top coaching job in Pittsburgh. Dunbar, who coached in Minnesota for six years, also was an eighth-round Steelers pick in 1990. John Mitchell served as Pittsburgh’s defensive line coach from 1994-2017. The longtime Steelers assistant will remain on staff and retain his assistant head coach title next season.
The Steelers also promoted Shaun Sarrett to assistant offensive line coach, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweets. Sarrett has worked with Steelers blockers since 2012.
Ricky Manning Jr. will not return for a third season with the Seahawks, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk tweets. The former NFL cornerback had been the teams’ assistant defensive backs coach the past two seasons.

Colts Request OC Interview With Chargers’ Nick Sirianni

February 11th, 2018 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have participated in one of the strangest coaching searches in recent memory, but they concluded the process of identifying a head coach upon hiring Frank Reich earlier on Sunday. Now, they’re moving on to addressing key assistant positions.

Reich is targeting Chargers wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni for his offensive coordinator post, with Albert Breer of SI.com reporting (on Twitter) the Colts have submitted a request to meet with Sirianni.

The Chargers will grant this request, Breer reports (on Twitter).

Reich has a history working with Sirianni. The Bolts’ OC from 2014-15, Reich oversaw Sirianni’s work as San Diego’s quarterbacks coach. Over the past two seasons, Sirianni has worked with the Chargers’ wideouts.

The Colts have gone through some names in this complex search. Initially, the would-be Josh McDaniels-led staff was thought to feature former Raiders assistant Jake Peetz as OC. The franchise also has Darrell Bevell on its radar, repeatedly bringing up the ex-Seahawks OC’s name during interviews. Bevell is a coaching free agent, and although he’s linked to the Giants’ job as well, he would not require any permission to interview.

However, Reich’s history with the 36-year-old Sirianni probably shouldn’t be underestimated. Sirianni worked with the Chiefs during Scott Pioli‘s four years in Kansas City, serving as assistant QBs coach in 2010, before relocating to San Diego prior to the 2013 season.

This is, however, the first time Sirianni’s name has come up in a coordinator search. He was on the quality control level as recently as the 2013 season, when Reich was the Chargers’ QBs coach during a 9-7 campaign that doubled as the franchise’s most recent playoff appearance.

Reuben Foster Arrested On Domestic Violence-Related Charges

February 11th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reuben Foster is currently being held in Santa Clara County Jail after being booked Sunday on charges relating to domestic violence, Sarah Ravani and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle report.

The 23-year-old 49ers linebacker remains in jail, according to the Chronicle writers. Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets Foster is being held on $75,000 bail. The 49ers are aware of the arrest and gathering information, per Branch (on Twitter).

In addition to the domestic violence allegation, Foster was also booked on suspicion for possessing an assault rifle, Robert Salonga of the Mercury News reports (via Twitter).

This is Foster’s second arrest within the last month, although this one appears far more serious.

The 2017 first-round pick was arrested on second-degree marijuana possession charges in mid-January. That arrest figures to void some of Foster’s guarantees. This one could well affect his availability for the 2018 season. A six-game suspension is in play for Foster, even if he’s not ultimately convicted. Branch tweets it’s unknown if league discipline will be levied for the January marijuana arrest.

Foster’s draft stock fell because of injuries and potentially his being kicked out of the Combine last year. While the 49ers look to have drafted a high-ceiling talent, with Foster playing well when available during his rookie season, the former Alabama stalwart has some potentially significant off-field baggage to surmount.

The current San Francisco power structure has acted swiftly in the past when dealing with domestic violence incidents. Although charges against Tramaine Brock were later dropped, the 49ers cut the productive cornerback the day after he was arrested last April. It’s extremely unlikely they’ll take this route with Foster, however, given his standing within the organization. But the second-year player is now probably on much thinner ice with his team.

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