2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Bears Cut Pernell McPhee, Quintin Demps

February 26th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears cut ties with two veteran defenders on Monday, releasing linebacker Pernell McPhee and safety Quintin Demps.

Demps played merely a few games with the Bears, while McPhee suffered through an injury-plagued three-season stretch in Chicago. The Bears will save $7.1MM by cutting McPhee, who had two years remaining on his five-year deal, and will create $3.26MM in space by jettisoning Demps.

Knee problems limited McPhee during his time in Chicago, but the former Ravens defender was one of the most sought-after free agents in 2015. He did not live up to the contract he signed with the Bears, missing 12 games over the past three seasons and starting just five over the past two.

The 29-year-old defender came off the PUP list in September and finished last season on IR. McPhee registered 14 sacks for the Bears but will not play with the team outside of the John Fox era.

Demps started just three games before going on IR last season. He joined the Bears after some solid seasons with the Texans, including a six-interception contract year in 2016. The 10-year veteran will turn 33 before next season.

The Bears’ cap space will balloon north of $50MM because of these transactions.

Roger Goodell To Fine Jerry Jones?

February 26th, 2018 at 2:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Jones‘ extensive 2017 fight against Roger Goodell about his contract extension looks like it will cost him. Ken Belson of the New York Times reports the commissioner is preparing to fine the Cowboys owner “millions of dollars” for what Goodell deemed an act of sabotage by Jones in attempting derail his extension last year. That and Jones’ ongoing defense of Ezekiel Elliott will lead to this punishment, several sources informed Belson.

This fine will exceed $2MM, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). As Mike Florio of PFT notes, the NFL’s Constitution and Bylaws stipulates that the commissioner cannot fine more than $500K for conduct detrimental to the league. However, the NFL is not technically fining Jones, per veteran reporter Ed Werder (Twitter link). Instead, the league is seeking repayment for approximately $2MM in legal expenses relative to his threats to sue the league.Goodell was initially reluctant to take action, but the NFL Finance Committee and other owners are in support of this plan.

Jones threatened to sue the NFL last year over a matter he said stemmed over Goodell’s contract. He hired an attorney and was prepared to sue the six members of the league’s compensation committee in November, and Belson reports the owner attempted to influence NFL officials during Elliott’s case. Belson reports Jones will be ordered to pay the legal fees the compensation committee spent defending itself as well as the legal expenses the NFL spent “defending its decision to suspend Elliott.”

Goodell’s contract went through, with Elliott serving the six-game suspension that Jones and the NFLPA vigorously fought for months. This extensive process left Jones — who once supported a Goodell extension — at intense odds with the commissioner and the Arthur Blank-chaired compensation committee. And this action — foreshadowed, to some degree, late last year — by the league likely won’t quell the animosity any time soon.

Panthers To Cut DE Charles Johnson

February 26th, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after releasing Kurt Coleman, Carolina will release another veteran starter from its Super Bowl team. The Panthers are planning to cut Charles Johnson, ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter).

This rumored maneuver comes a year after the Panthers re-signed the defensive end for two years and $8MM. It will create $3.25MM in cap space. They will not incur any dead-money charges because of this transaction.

Johnson has spent all 11 of his NFL years in Charlotte. The Panthers re-signed him to a mega-extension in 2011 and kept him around on an additional agreement last season. He’ll venture into the free agent market heading into his age-32 season.

Johnson started 11 games last season, missing four due to a PED-induced suspension, but did not record a sack. It marked the first time since he was a rookie that this occurred. He has 67.5 career sacks, but over the 2015-16 seasons, only 5.5 of those occurred. Johnson hasn’t produced a season with at least five sacks since he registered 8.5 in 2014.

With the releases of Coleman and Johnson, the Panthers created more than $5MM in cap space. This will push the team’s projected total north of $25MM. These cuts will also reduce the number of defensive starters from Super Bowl 50 still under contract to four. That game marked Johnson’s most recent playoff outing. He did not suit up for the Panthers’ wild-card loss to the Saints.

Panthers Release S Kurt Coleman

February 26th, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers will release Kurt Coleman despite two seasons remaining on the safety’s deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) Carolina will cut one of its safety starters.

Coleman started three seasons for the Panthers and signed an extension in 2016. He was set to comprise $5.15MM of the Panthers’ 2018 cap. This move will tag Carolina with $2.5MM in dead money while creating $2.65MM in cap space.

Coleman’s stay in Charlotte rebuilt his value after he’d been a part-time player with the 2013 Eagles and 2014 Chiefs. He started throughout the Panthers’ Super Bowl season and signed a three-year, $15.1MM extension during the summer of 2016.

Dave Gettleman signed off on Coleman’s extension that summer, and the Panthers have gone through three defensive coordinators since that move commenced. Coleman played in 12 games last season, missing time because of an MCL sprain. He will become a street free agent — on a market that also includes another Panthers safety from Super Bowl 50, Tre Boston — in advance of his age-29 season.

The Panthers may be looking to add younger talent at this position soon. Soon-to-be 37-year-old Mike Adams was Carolina’s other primary starter at this spot last season.

Chiefs To Receive Second-, Fourth-Round Picks For Marcus Peters

February 26th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams will send two draft choices to the Chiefs for Marcus Peters, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Neither of those selections will come in the first round, but the Chiefs will nab a second-round pick from the Rams. Rapoport reports Kansas City will receive Los Angeles’ 2018 fourth-round pick and its 2019 second-rounder for Peters.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the Chiefs will also send a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft to the Rams along with Peters in this swap. The Chiefs were asking for a third-round pick and a player — like they received from the Redskins for Alex Smith — but ended up receiving this package from the Rams, per Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). Robert Quinn‘s name came up during the talks.

Although the Rams will be getting a high-ceiling player whose rookie contract — via the team picking up Peters’ 2019 option — has two years left, only they and the 49ers were confirmed suitors. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets an NFC personnel exec notes the return wasn’t as high as could be expected for a player of Peters’ caliber because of the low number of teams bidding.

By trading two of their best players, the Chiefs have now added third- and fourth-round picks in this year’s draft. This will help in a year in which they do not own a first-round choice. They acquired a third-rounder in the Smith deal. The Rams do not have a 2018 second-rounder, having sent it to the Bills for Sammy Watkins last August (they collected a sixth-round choice in that deal as well). They now do not have a 2019 Round 2 choice but are in line to employ a cornerback who landed on the All-Pro first team in 2016. Peters was the first Chiefs cornerback since Albert Lewis in 1990 to be named a first-team All-Pro.

The Chiefs selected Peters with the No. 18 pick in the 2015 draft, and he went on to become the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year. He’s been a polarizing player, having clashed with Kansas City’s coaching staff and with a sect of the Chiefs’ fanbase due to being part of the racial inequality protest, but has created takeaways at a historic rate. Peters has 19 interceptions, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in three seasons.

The Chiefs were leery about paying Peters as a top-market corner, and that responsibility will now fall on the Rams. Los Angeles, though, will be getting a top-tier corner and have him under team control at rates of $3.1MM (2018) and at around $9MM (2019).

AFC Notes: Dolphins, Bortles, Ravens, Chiefs

February 26th, 2018 at 11:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are “strongly” considering releasing offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James instead of paying his $9.341MM base salary in 2018, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. James, a former first-round pick, is under contract next season thanks to his fifth-year option, but given that his salary is non-guaranteed, Miami can get out of the deal with no penalty. While the Dolphins could speculatively be interested in retaining James at a reduced price, the 25-year-old has little incentive to accept a pay cut, as he’d immediately become one of the best tackles on the open market if he were to be released. Indeed, the top end of an extremely weak free agent tackle class includes Nate Solder, Justin Pugh, Cameron Fleming, and Chris Hubbard, so James would surely draw interest.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Blake Bortles‘ new three-year deal with the Jaguars contains offset language, tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Jacksonville inked Bortles to a $54MM extension over the weekend that includes a partially guaranteed ($6.5MM of $16MM) base salary in 2019. If the former first-round pick flops during the upcoming campaign, the Jaguars could release him next spring and still create $4.5MM worth of cap space. That figure could be even greater thanks to offset language, however, as the Jaguars would be off the hook for whatever salary Bortles hypothetically earns with his next club.
The Ravens and tight end-turned-offensive lineman Crockett Gillmore have mutual interest in new contract, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Reports last week indicated Gillmore would transition to offensive line, and he’s apparently begun the change by packing on “considerable bulk” to aid the move. Baltimore, understandably, wants a “better gauge” of Gillmore’s physical condition, not solely due to his upcoming position switch, but because he missed the entire 2017 with a knee injury. Gillmore, 26, was always considered an outstanding blocking tight end while playing in the 250-pound range.
Cornerback David Amerson inked a one-year deal with the Chiefs earlier this month, and while Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star previously reported the pact has a base value of $2.25MM, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link) has now provided the contract’s specifics. Amerson, 26, receives a $500K signing bonus, a $1MM base salary, $625K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $125K workout bonus. The deal also contains unknown incentives which, as Paylor indicated, could bring the total value of the agreement to $6MM.
In desperate need of offensive line depth, the Bengals recently signed ex-Giants tackle Bobby Hart, but his contract details show that he’s not a lock for Cincinnati’s roster, as Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (Facebook link). Hart got a $50K signing bonus and will collect another $200K bonus if he’s on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster. All told, Hart will be an easy cut for Cincinnati if he doesn’t prove his worth during the summer.

Vikings Unlikely To Franchise Case Keenum

February 26th, 2018 at 11:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are not expected to use the franchise tag on quarterback Case Keenum, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Barring an extension, Keenum will hit the free agent market on March 14.

Keenum, a career journeyman who inked a one-year, $2MM pact with Minnesota last offseason, posted the best season of his career in 2017 while leading the Vikings’ offense to a No. 5 finish in offensive DVOA. The 30-year-old ranked seventh in passer rating and ninth in adjusted net yards per completion during the 2017 regular season, and finished first in Football Outsiders‘ individual DVOA metric.

The Vikings have the ninth-most cap space (about $49MM) of any NFL team in 2018, so the ~$23.3MM franchise tag would have been palatable for general manager Rick Spielman & Co. A franchise tender would have also allowed Minnesota to lock in Keenum for only a single season, alleviating any concerns that Keenum will turn back into a pumpkin during the course of a long-term deal.

A franchise tag would have come with its own risks, however, with most of those being financial in nature. Keenum isn’t likely to receive much more than $23MM guaranteed on a long-term deal, so the Vikings may not see value in handing him that figure for a single campaign.

Minnesota could still reach a multi-year pact with Keenum, but the club will also have the option of jumping into the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes when the free agent period begins next month. Hypothetically, the Vikings could pursue a quarterback via the draft, but given that they’re sitting near the end of the first round, the team likely won’t have a shot at one of this year’s top passing prospects without trading up.

Keenum, of course, isn’t the only Vikings quarterback scheduled to hit free agency, as Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater are also on expiring contracts.

Jets LB Dylan Donahue Charged With DWI

February 26th, 2018 at 10:58am CST by Dallas Robinson

Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue has been arrested and charged with DWI and reckless driving after causing a car crash in New Jersey early this morning, according to Caitlin Mota of NJ.com.

Donahue, 25, reportedly drove around traffic cones near the Lincoln Tunnel and eventually hit a jitney bus carrying 15 people. Four of those passengers suffered minor injuries and were subsequently treated, while Donahue failed sobriety and breathalyzer tests, per Mota.

The Jets used a fifth-round pick to select Donahue — a West Georgia product — in the 2017 draft. He played 53 defensive snaps and 38 special teams snaps before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4.

Donahue has three years remaining on his rookie contract, and is scheduled to count for more than $600K on New York’s salary cap in each of the next three seasons. The Jets would save roughly $450K if they waived Donahue this offseason.

Panthers Rework OT Matt Kalil’s Contract

February 26th, 2018 at 10:33am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers have reworked the contract of offensive tackle Matt Kalil by converting his $10MM option bonus into a signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

As Yates indicates, converting an option bonus into a signing bonus doesn’t change much about Kalil’s contract, except to ensure that he receives the $10MM immediately. Additionally, while the Panthers could not recoup any portion of an option bonus were Kalil to retire or be suspended, the club could recover Kalil’s signing bonus if need be.

There was never any doubt that Kalil would be part of Carolina’s 2018 roster, as the five-year, $55.5MM contract he inked last offseason will likely keep him in the Panthers’ plans for at least two more years. Carolina would incur $20.6MM in dead money by releasing Kalil now, and $14.7MM if they wait until 2019. In both seasons, it would actually cost the Panthers more to cut Kalil than it would to retain him.

The 28-year-old Kalil is the 11th-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL on an annual basis, but he didn’t live up to that salary in 2017, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 55 tackle among 81 qualifiers. Kalil has started all 16 games in five of six NFL seasons, but he hasn’t received an above-average grade from PFF since his rookie campaign in 2012.

Jaguars Trying To Re-Sign Allen Robinson

February 26th, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars were busy last week, as they not only extended quarterback Blake Bortles through 2020, but locked up decision-makers Tom Coughlin, Dave Caldwell, and Doug Marrone through the 2021 campaign. With those moves out of the way, Jacksonville will now try to hammer out an agreement with free agent wide receiver Allen Robinson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

As Rapoport notes, the Jaguars freed up cap space by extending Bortles and releasing running back Chris Ivory, bringing the club’s total amount of projected cap room to $30MM+. As such, Jacksonville has ample funds if it decides to use the franchise tag — at a cost north of $16MM — on Robinson, a possibility PFR’s Rory Parks examined on Sunday. The Jaguars have indicated a willingness to deploy the tender, but would presumably prefer a long-term deal with Robinson.

Robinson, who missed all but three snaps of the 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL, figures to be one of the most-coveted wideouts on the open market if he reaches free agency. Fellow pass-catcher Jarvis Landry has already been franchise-tagged by the Dolphins, while Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins could also be restricted by such a tender. Paul Richardson, Mike Wallace, and Marqise Lee round out the best available wide receivers who will hit the market next month.

Robinson broke out during the 2015 campaign (his second in the NFL) by posting 80 receptions, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. The next year was something of a down season, although he still managed 73 catches.