2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

QB Notes: Brees, Cousins, Bortles, Draft

February 27th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Micah Powell

The Saints and Drew Brees have expressed mutual interest in maintaining their partnership going forward. While the future Hall of Fame quarterback is unlikely to leave when free agency opens, the team’s financial flexibility is greatly impacted if a deal is not reached by March 14, The Times-Picayune’s Josh Katzenstein writes.

If he is not signed by that date, Katzenstein notes Brees’ remaining three years on his contract will void and his remaining signing bonus will count for $18 MM in dead cap space. Knowing the situation the Saints are faced with, Brees and his team have a ton of leverage.

Brees, 39, is likely to look for a multi-year deal but the quarterback has mentioned taking his future one year at a time. Though his passing totals weren’t at the gaudy levels of years past, he was still an effective signal-caller, leading the league in completion percentage and ranking second in passer rating.

It is unlikely the two sides won’t come to an agreement by the deadline, but it is a story to follow.

Here’s more quarterback news from around the league:

The Broncos have a meeting scheduled with Mike McCartney — agent to, among others, Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian and Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta — in Indianapolis while the two sides are in town for the NFL Combine, NBC 9 News’ Mike Klis reports. Per NFL tampering rules, the two sides can not discuss Cousins, but are free to talk about the latter two. Cousins is expected to be a top target of the Broncos once free agency opens.
Sticking with Cousins, the Vikings are expected to be strong contenders for the quarterback’s services NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (Twitter link). In the video clip, Garafolo says he has been told by sources “the whole way” that the Vikes are going to make a strong push for the prized free agent.
The Jaguars‘ contract to Blake Bortles is more about freeing up cap space for this year rather than rewarding or showing confidence in the quarterback, overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald writes. “The Jaguars front office should know what Bortles is and I don’t anticipate that this contract will change the fact that they could consider drafting a QB or signing a decent player to be a backup who could be asked to start if things go bad. They really just needed cap space and to that end they did a decent job.”
If teams are looking to draft a developmental quarterback, two of the most intriguing names are Lauletta, the Senior Bowl MVP, and Washington State’s Luke Falk, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets. Robinson also notes the Redskins president Bruce Allen went to Lauletta’s Richmond and is very familiar with the quarterback.
Though the Dolphins are committed to Ryan Tannehill being their starter in 2018, that does not mean the team won’t look to draft a quarterback with its No. 11 pick in the first round, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. He says the Dolphins were impressed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield in interviews at the Senior Bowl, though he is expected to be off the board by the time Miami gets on the clock.

DeAngelo Williams Not Ruling Out Return In 2018

February 27th, 2018 at 8:54pm CST by Micah Powell

Veteran running back DeAngelo Williams isn’t ready to officially call it quits yet and isn’t ruling out a return to the field for the 2018 season, he said on ESPN.

“I’m going to leave my options open. I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Williams said. “Nobody wanted me last year. Well they did, they just didn’t offer me the money that I wanted.”

An 11-year running back with the Panthers and Steelers, Williams twice led the league in rushing touchdowns (2008, 2015) and earned one Pro Bowl selection (2009). Though he did not sign with a team in 2017, he appeared to have plenty left in the tank in his two seasons serving as a complement to All-Pro back Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh.

He also said that watching Ryan Shazier‘s injury had a significant effect on his desire to play. “It really touched me and it really hurt me,” he said. “When I saw that, I’m like, ‘I’m done.’ You look at those things and you weigh those.”

Though it doesn’t sound like he’s going to jump at the first offer, Williams could provide a contender with a solid backup in 2018.

Raiders To Bring Back Michael Crabtree

February 27th, 2018 at 8:27pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders have decided to hold onto veteran receiver Michael Crabtree, a source told Vic Tafur of The Athletic. There were previous discussions about releasing the receiver, who is set to make $7.5 MM in salary and roster bonus in 2018.

Tafur writes that Crabtree has met with new head coach Jon Gruden in the past month and have come to an agreement that his struggles in 2017 were related to the previous regime. The problems with Jack Del Rio‘s staff were obvious in the final two games of the season when Crabtree played just 46 of 121 snaps, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (Twitter link).

At the age of 30 in 2017, Crabtree logged just 58 receptions for 618 yards but did manage to register eight touchdown grabs. The campaign followed back-to-back 85-catch seasons in his first two seasons with the Raiders. The Texas Tech product has been a force in the red zone, logging 25 receiving scores in three seasons with the Silver and Black.

Though he did have a rough season, Crabtree is a strong bounce-back candidate in Gruden’s new-look attack that prioritizes quick-hitting passes to move the chains. Crabtree is signed through the 2019 season but will not count against the cap if released.

Packers, Rodgers Have Discussed Extension

February 27th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Micah Powell

While Kirk Cousins is likely to unseat Jimmy Garoppolo for the richest contract in NFL history once free agency kicks off, his reign might not be a long one. That’s because the Packers and two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers have already begun working on a new contract, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky writes.

Green Bay’s president Mark Murphy told ESPN the two sides have made progress on a new deal despite the quarterback being signed through the 2019 campaign. “We’ve had discussions with his representative. I have a lot of confidence in Brian [Gutekunst] and Russ [Ball] and Aaron as well. We want to create a win-win.”

In 2013, Rodgers signed a five-year, $110 MM deal to become the NFL’s highest-paid player. Demovsky notes Rodgers now ranks sixth among the league’s top salaries. At 34 years old, Rodgers can conceivably play at least five more years barring injury. He is scheduled to make $20.6 MM this year and $21.1 MM in 2019, according to overthecap.com. Should the two sides reach a speedy agreement, the Packers could add to their current $16 MM in salary cap space.

A six-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time Super Bowl champion, Rodgers got off to a quick start in 2017 before breaking his collarbone in Week 6. He finished the season with 1,675 yards and 16 touchdowns. The campaign marked Rodgers’ second season with at least seven missed games due to injury in the last five seasons.

Sam Darnold Won’t Throw At NFL Combine

February 27th, 2018 at 6:28pm CST by Micah Powell

In a crowded quarterback class, don’t expect USC’s Sam Darnold to cement himself as the No. 1 pick at the 2018 NFL Combine. The star quarterback will not throw at the event, which begins Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Though he will not take part in the throwing drills, Darnold will partake in athletic testing and interview with teams. Schefter notes that he does plan on throwing at USC’s Pro Day, which takes place on March 21. Other notable projected first-round signal-callers — Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen — all plan on throwing.

Top quarterbacks not throwing at the NFL Combine is nothing new. In 2012, both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III did not participate in the drill and both were selected with the top two picks in the draft. Other notable QBs to not throw include Sam Bradford, JaMarcus Russell, Matthew Stafford, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Ryan.

Since his breakout performance in the 2017 Rose Bowl vs. Penn State, Darnold has been considered among the draft’s top prospects at the quarterback position, along with Rosen. Despite a disappointing redshirt sophomore season, the USC star still amassed 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns while leading the Trojans to the Cotton Bowl.

Darnold has been pegged in most mock drafts to the Browns (No. 1 and No. 4), Giants (No. 2), Broncos (No. 5) or Jets (No. 6).

Saints Release LB Gerald Hodges, Claim OT John Theus

February 27th, 2018 at 5:43pm CST by Micah Powell

The Saints made a pair of moves on Tuesday, releasing veteran linebacker Gerald Hodges to clear way for offensive lineman John Theus, who the team claimed following his release from the Panthers on Monday.

Hodges joined the team in 2017 following its Week 5 bye week and became a key cog on special teams. He appeared in only 13 snaps on defense, however, 11 of those coming in a blowout victory over Buffalo in Week 10. The Saints were the third team Hodges had played with since entering the league in 2013, following stints with Minnesota and San Francisco.

A fifth-round selection in 2016 out of Georgia, Theus appeared in four games and made one start with the 49ers as a rookie before joining the Panthers in 2017. He did not appear in a game with the Panthers before going on injured reserve in December.

Chiefs Notes: Peters, Smith, Rams

February 27th, 2018 at 4:19pm CST by Zachary Links

New Rams cornerback Marcus Peters appeared on NFL Network (Facebook link) to make his first comments since the big trade from Kansas City. When asked about whether he agrees with the Chiefs’ decision to trade Alex Smith earlier in the offseason, he did not mince words.

“No. Man, Alex, Alex don’t get enough respect,” Peters said. “And they need to start putting some respect on that man’s name. Because I’ve seen that man get thrown in with not the best team at times and he took it as a man. And he never complained about it. He don’t turn over the ball. And he knows how to win. That was our fault for messing up the playoffs. That was our fault.”

Of course, the Chiefs’ trade of Smith was less of a referendum on his talent and more of a vote of confidence for rising sophomore Patrick Mahomes. Between the trades of Smith and Peters, the Chiefs are armed with additional flexibility and draft capital this offseason, making them one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on.

Here’s more out of KC:

The Chiefs called every team in the league about Peters and 28 teams either passed or did not make an offer of value, Peter King of The MMQB reports. One unknown team offered a mid-round pick (King guesses that it was the Browns or Colts) and only the Rams and Niners were in on him at the end. The Rams’ offer of second- and fourth-round picks, with a sixth-round choice going from KC to L.A., was apparently better than San Francisco’s.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com (Twitter link) gives the Chiefs a C grade for their end of the trade. Even without devaluing the 2019 second-round pick for time, Barnwell can’t wrap his head around that return for a young former All-Pro. Meanwhile, he gives the Rams a B+ for scoring a major bargain, despite Peters’ red flags.
The Chiefs will part ways with safety Ron Parker this offseason.

Packers Won’t Recoup Bennett’s Bonus

February 27th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

An arbitrator has ruled against the Packers in their effort to recoup a portion of Martellus Bennett‘s $6.3MM signing bonus, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. Because the Packers waived Bennett and his contract was assumed by another team (the Patriots), the arbitrator deemed that Green Bay is unable to recover the money given to the tight end at the time of signing.

The Packers, with the support of the league office, argued that Bennett should refund his signing bonus because he had not disclosed a pre-existing shoulder injury to the team last year. Even Bennett did keep his rotator cuff tear under wraps, the Packers did not have a clear path to get their money back after the Pats assumed his deal.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what the Patriots will do with the contract that they hold with Bennett. The veteran only played in two games for the Patriots before landing on IR, but he is reportedly intent on playing in 2018. His contract calls for a $6.2MM cap hit this year and the Patriots must pay him a $2MM roster bonus if he’s still on the team on March 14.

49ers, OL Garry Gilliam Agree To Extension

February 27th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed offensive lineman Garry Gilliam to a two-year extension worth $8MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes nearly $4M guaranteed.

Gilliam went from the Seahawks to the Niners last April when Seattle declined to match his offer sheet. After earning $2.2MM last season, the 27-year-old is receiving yet another pay bump.

Gilliam’s payday is the latest indicator that there is a serious dearth of offensive tackle talent in the NFL. He had just 38 total snaps for the Niners last season and landed on season-ending IR in late October. Before that, he earned poor grades in all three of his seasons with the Seahawks. Gilliam is not what you would call a quality starting option, but the Niners are flush with cash and apparently do not see lots of talent on the horizon in March or in April’s draft.

The 49ers will roll over roughly $56MM into this year’s salary cap budget this offseason, giving them the second highest total in the NFL.

Lions Franchise Tag DE Ziggy Ansah

February 27th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that they have designated defensive end Ezekiel Ansah as their franchise player. The tag will prevent him from testing free agency by holding him in place with a one-year tender worth roughly $17.52MM.

It’s a high price to pay, but the Lions did not want to risk losing one of their top defenders to free agency. The team is likely hoping that the deal will give them a starting point for fruitful long-term contract negotiations that will bring him down to a lesser cap number for 2018.

Ansah finished the 2017 season with 12 sacks, 44 total tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His 44 career sacks rank fifth all-time in Lions history, an impressive feat with just five NFL season under his belt.

Ansah’s sack total last year was bested by only seven players: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, Demarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cameron Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa. Most of those players are already playing under high-priced contracts or are well on their way to top-tier deals. It makes sense that Ansah is now joining the club, despite some health concerns.

Over the last two seasons, Ansah has spent 25 of a possible 32 weeks on the injury report. For the most part, he managed to play through the pain, missing only five games since the start of the 2016 season. When the 28-year-old (29 in May) is healthy, he’s one of the game’s most fearsome D-Linemen.

Teams like the 49ers, Colts, Jets, and others were expected to express interest in Ansah had he been allowed to reach unrestricted free agency. Ansah’s removal from the UFA market should benefit fellow defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who many feel will not be tagged by the Seahawks.