2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons Unlikely To Re-Sign Dontari Poe

February 28th, 2018 at 1:12pm CST by Zachary Links

After one year in Atlanta, it sounds like Dontari Poe will be moving on. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters on Wednesday that the two-time Pro Bowler is unlikely to be re-signed.

“Did a heck of a job for us this year,” Dimitroff said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). “We really liked his impact for us — especially in the run game — understanding that it may be a one-year deal. We’re in a spot right now where there’s a very good chance that he’s going to go to free agency and land a very lucrative deal. So we appreciate what he has done with us.”

Poe joined the Falcons on a one-year, $8MM contract last season when the market did not yield the kind of big money long-term offers that he expected. Poe did well in that platform year as he registered 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and graded out as the No. 35 interior defender in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Those aren’t superstar numbers, but the big knock against Poe last year was that his lingering back issues might slow him down. Now that he has missed only two games over the course of his six-year career – and none over the last two years – teams may be willing to make a lengthier commitment to him.

Vikings’ Joe Berger To Test Free Agency

February 28th, 2018 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, interior lineman Joe Berger considered retirement. This year, he mulled leaving the game once again, but he has decided to continue playing, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Berger will test free agency, though a return to the Vikings remains possible. Pelissero also speculates that he may be a fit for the Giants, where former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is now the head coach.

Last year, Berger appeared in all but two of the Vikings’ 1,115 snaps. Even though he’ll turn 36 in May, it’s clear that he still has plenty of quality football left in him. Playing mostly at right guard, Berger graded out as the No. 23 ranked guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.

With 145 NFL games (84 starts) to his credit, Berger figures to garner serious attention for his experience level and versatility.

Saints OT Zach Strief To Retire

February 28th, 2018 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief is expected to retire this offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Strief has yet to announce his decision, but that should take place soon.

“The reality is that we all love some part of this game and there’s a part of that that’s just in us,” Strief said in January as he hinted at retirement. “So it makes it very difficult always when that happens, when that time comes. And like I said, I think take some time, really make that decision away from football and make it with your family. When it is time, I will have no regrets. I know that when I decide that this has gone on so much longer and so much better than I ever could have imagined.”

Strief turned in one of his best seasons to date in 2016, but he was limited in 2017 after suffering serious knee injuries. Fortunately for the Saints, they already have two quality tackles in-house at a time when teams are scrambling for quality linemen. Terron Armstead will continue as the team’s starting left tackle with 2017 first-round pick Ryan Ramczyk on the right side. Last year, Ramczyk graded out as the No. 8 tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Armstead wasn’t too far behind at No. 25.

Strief leaves the NFL after 12 seasons, all of which were spent in New Orleans. Going back to 2006, he appeared in 158 games with 94 starts.

Jets Release Muhammad Wilkerson

February 28th, 2018 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have informed defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson that he has been released, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move has long been considered inevitable, despite the financial ramifications.

The Jets inked Wilkerson to a lucrative five-year, $86MM extension in the summer of 2016, a deal that stands as GM Mike Maccagnan‘s biggest blunder in New York (that is, if you place the blame for Darrelle Revis‘ mega contract on owner Woody Johnson). Wilkerson had 12 sacks in his contract year (2015), but he has recorded just eight sacks combined over the last two seasons.

Last year, things got ugly. In addition to underperforming on the field, Wilkerson failed to show up on time for several team functions, leading to serious friction with the coaching staff. In December, the Jets benched the defensive lineman for the first quarter of their game against the Chiefs. The Jets went on to upset KC without one of their highest-paid players on the field at the outset.

Wilkerson’s $16.75MM salary was set to go from guaranteed against injury to fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year. The Jets did not need to take this decision to the wire, however, and cut him loose on the first day of the combine. Gang Green will carry $9MM in dead money by releasing Wilkerson. Meanwhile, Wilkerson leaves New York after pocketing $36.75MM from his ill-fated extension.

The Jets aren’t crazy about carrying that penalty, but they did not feel that Wilkerson would turn over a new leaf in 2018. When considering his lack of production and negative impact on the locker room, it was an easy call. It also helps that the Jets have plenty of financial flexibility, making the dead money hit somewhat more palatable. The Jets have more than $90MM in cap space now, boosted by the release of Wilkerson and the retirement of running back Matt Forte.

Despite everything that has gone down over the last two years, don’t be surprised if Wilkerson attracts widespread interest on the open market. This year’s defensive line crop is rather thin – particularly after the Lions applied the franchise tag to Ezekiel Ansah – so teams will be eager to talk with the 28-year-old (29 in October) to gauge his commitment to the sport. The Seahawks are unlikely to tag Sheldon Richardson, so this year’s free agent DL group figures to be headlined by the Jets’ one-time core.

AFC East Notes: McDaniels, Patriots, Amendola

February 28th, 2018 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL is expected to change the rule to allow teams to hire coaches, even while their teams are still active in the playoffs (Twitter link via Judy Battista of NFL.com). There has been talk of doing this before, but there was a renewed focus on the rule change this offseason after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels bailed on becoming the Colts’ new head coach at the last minute.

While McDaniels gears up for another year as New England’s OC, here’s more from the AFC East:

Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is eligible for the open market, but he wants to stay put. “I’m a free agent this year, so let’s say — the unknown. We’ll see what happens. I definitely want to be here. To tell you the truth, I don’t want to leave. But it’s a business. I’ve learned that,” Amendola said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). Amendola earned just over $3MM last season as he caught 61 passes for 659 yards and two touchdowns. The 32-year-old could earn cash in elsewhere, but he sounds pretty intent on staying in New England.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott says that releasing quarterback Tyrod Taylor is not currently in the team’s plans. “Tyrod is a good player,” McDermott said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “It’s way too early to take anything off the table, other than cutting him at this point, which is not in our plans.”
Bills GM Brandon Beane says that he has been in contact with the agent for defensive tackle Kyle Williams (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW). At this point, Beane is unsure as to whether Williams is considering retirement. Last year, the Bills reportedly had to convince him to return for a 12th NFL season.
On Wednesday, Jets running back Matt Forte announced his retirement from the NFL.
The Dolphins are expected to huddle up with the agent for Jarvis Landry on Wednesday evening. Miami hit the wide receiver with the franchise tag last week, but it has been widely reported that the Dolphins are looking to trade him.

Former Jets, Bears RB Matt Forte Retires

February 28th, 2018 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Matt Forte is moving on to the next chapter. On Wednesday, the Jets running back announced his retirement from football.

“For the past ten years, I’ve been blessed to play professionally a game that I’ve loved since I was 6 years old,” Forte wrote. “But, after much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL. Like so many others before me, this game has enhanced my life in numerous ways. My career in the league has been nothing short of a miracle granted by God and put on display for His glory.”

Forte had one more year to go on his contract with the Jets, but it was widely anticipated that the team would release him this offseason in order to save $3MM with just $1MM in dead money. In theory, Forte could have sought employment as an RB2, but the 32-year-old is opting to leave the game altogether.

Forte spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bears where he built a reputation as a workhorse running back who could also contribute heavily in the passing game. When the Bears informed Forte that he would not be retained, he signed a three-year, $12MM free agent deal with the Jets.

Unfortunately, his second act in New York was not as productive. Forte averaged 3.7 yards per carry in each of his two seasons in green and was lost one-quarter of his final campaign to injury.

Since entering the NFL in 2008, Forte has led the league in total yards from scrimmage in that span with 14,468.

Steelers LB Ryan Shazier Won’t Play In 2018

February 28th, 2018 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Ryan Shazier will not play football in 2018, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told reporters at the NFL combine. Colbert stressed that Shazier will continue to be a valuable member of the team and noted that he is “covered” contractually.

Shazier suffered a scary spinal injury while making a tackle against the Bengals on Dec. 4. The news on Shazier’s overall recovery has been promising, but it’s still unclear as to whether he’ll be able to return to football at some point. For his part, Shazier says he wants to play again.

“I got to get back,” Shazier said recently. “Right now I’m reading a book and it’s basically saying trust the process. I’m really trusting the process. I know the end goal. So I’m taking every step of the way, I’m giving everything I got. The therapists are like, ‘Man this is crazy; I’ve never seen anyone work this hard.’ They almost see progression every day.”

Shazier, 25, tallied 68 tackles and 11 pass defenses before the injury and earned a Pro Bowl selection despite playing in only 12 games. Prior to that, he logged 55 tackles in each of the previous two seasons.

Panthers Cut RB Jonathan Stewart

February 28th, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

Running back Jonathan Stewart has been cut by the Panthers, according to a source who spoke with Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Stewart, 31 in March, has spent all ten of his NFL seasons in Carolina.

Stewart first entered the league as the No. 13 overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Panthers. He wasn’t necessarily a superstar, but he has had a long and productive career in black and blue. In 2009, Stewart ran for 1,133 yards and ten touchdowns. In 2011, he managed to top that season in terms of efficiency with a career 5.4 yards per carry. After dealing with some injuries, Stewart nearly got his second career 1,000 yard season in 2015. He missed the mark by 11 yards as he missed three regular season games, but he did earn his first career Pro Bowl selection that year.

The Panthers inked Stewart to a one-year extension last offseason. Per the terms of the deal, the Panthers will have $3.72MM by cutting him with $1.5MM in dead money against the cap. Stewart’s release, along with this week’s cuts of safety Kurt Coleman and defensive end Charles Johnson, will create some much needed flexibility for the Panthers this offseason.

Stewart’s role was downsized a bit last year with the addition of rookie running back Christian McCaffrey. Stewart was unable to deliver as a complementary piece, turning in a career low 3.4 yards per carry average. He didn’t factor much into the passing game either with just eight receptions for 52 yards.

Bears To Cut LB Willie Young

February 28th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

Mike Glennon isn’t the only Bears player getting his pink slip today. Bears GM Ryan Pace also announced that linebacker Willie Young will be released.

Young, 33 in September, was a key cog in Chicago’s defense since joining the team in 2014. He has made 50 appearances for the Bears and he was an absolute sack machine for the most part with 26 over that span.

Unfortunately, Young suffered a torn triceps muscle in October which landed him on IR. Between the injury and the $4.5MM that could be saved by cutting him, it wasn’t a tough decision for Pace. The Bears will give themselves additional flexibility heading into free agency with just $900K in dead money left on the cap.

If Young chooses to continue playing, he should find healthy interest from teams in need of a 3-4 edge rusher. This past season was a trying one, but he has bounced back from injury before. Young tore one of his Achilles’ tendons late in the 2014 season and bounced back to play a complete and successful campaign in 2015. In that 2015 season, Young had 6.5 sacks and 30 tackles.

Bears To Cut QB Mike Glennon

February 28th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Bears will release Mike Glennon this offseason, GM Ryan Pace told reporters on Wednesday morning. By cutting Glennon, the Bears will save $11.5MM against the cap with $4.5MM in dead money remaining.

The Bears were widely criticized last offseason when they signed Glennon to a three-year, $45MM contract. Despite entering the league in 2013, Glennon had limited on-field experience. As a rookie, Glennon started 13 games for the Bucs, completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. But, between 2015 and 2016, Glennon threw just eleven passes as Jameis Winston’s understudy. Glennon got his big money deal with a 5-13 record as a starting QB.

Glennon’s second run as a starting QB did not last long either. Six weeks after signing Glennon, the Bears shocked the world by trading up to draft UNC signal caller Mitch Trubisky. One month into the season, Glennon got the hook in favor of the No. 2 overall pick. Glennon will once again be a free agent, this time with a 6-16 career record as a starter.

Glennon, 28, earned $18.5MM for his four starts in Chicago. The deal was a bust in retrospect, but to the Bears’ credit, they did structure the deal to give themselves an easy out after one season.