HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Free Agent TE Tyler Eifert Medically Cleared

February 26th, 2018 at 9:21am CST by Dallas Robinson

Bengals tight end — and pending free agent — Tyler Eifert has been medically cleared to participate in organized team activities and play during the 2018 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Tyler Eifert (Vertical)

Earning a clean bill of health is incredibly significant for Eifert, who has only been able to appear in 49% (39 of 80) of his possible games during a five-year career. In 2017, Eifert appeared in just two contests before undergoing back surgery for the second consecutive season. While being healthy in February represents no guarantee Eifert will be available for the entirety of the 2018 campaign, interested clubs can now be assured they aren’t signing a damaged player.

A former first-round pick, Eifert enters free agency as one of the better tight ends on the market despite his health questions. Eifert’s best season came in 2015, when he posted 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns, and the memory of that output will likely earn the now 27-year-old several offers next month.

Whether the Bengals have any chance at re-signing the dynamic Eifert remains unclear. Last week, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted that Cincinnati remains unlikely to bring back Eifert, noting the club would only be interested in an incentive-laden deal. However, other teams will likely be willing to ink Eifert to even more attractive pacts, and the Bengals don’t intend to get into a bidding war.

If and when Eifert hits the open market, he’ll join a free agent tight end class that also includes Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Trade Deadline Day At Pro Hockey Rumors

February 26th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2018 NHL Trade Deadline is today at 2pm CT, and our sister site Pro Hockey Rumors will be busy bringing you breaking news and analysis. Make sure to jump into the conversation during their special live chat, or just follow along with all the trade talk throughout the day. Will Erik Karlsson actually be traded today? Do the New York Rangers continue their fire sale and send Ryan McDonagh to a contender? Is Evander Kane going to land a big package for the Buffalo Sabres?

Visit Pro Hockey Rumors and be sure to follow on Twitter @prohockeyrumors.

AFC Rumors: Ross, Patriots, Broncos, Bolts

February 25th, 2018 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Ross endured a disastrous rookie season after seeing his stock rise during 2017 Combine weekend. The Bengals‘ 2017 first-round pick did not catch a pass and ended the season on IR after suffering multiple injuries last year. Ross, though, is expected to be ready to run routes come spring despite undergoing shoulder surgery in December. He had both shoulders operated on last year and couldn’t get on the field until the second week of training camp following a spring shoulder surgery.

“That was the problem,” Ross said, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “My body didn’t respond the way I wanted it to. Coming in late, I didn’t get to train. I was out of shape. That was pretty tough on my body. Rushing into it. Being out of shape. My body couldn’t take the physical aspects of the game we do every day. I thought I could. I think it kind of wore me out faster than I thought.

“I really didn’t catch up until the end of the year when I started to have better practices. It all started to click together. It was already kind of too late. It was best to rest, get my body right.”

Ross has nowhere to go but up and figures to be a bigger part of the 2018 Cincinnati offense than he was last year.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC as new wideouts and cornerbacks aim to break Ross’ 4.22-second 40-yard dash record at the Combine.

  • Rumored to be a retirement candidate again, Dante Scarnecchia is back to work with the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. The longtime Pats offensive line coach, who retired after the 2013 season only to return in 2016, looks to be part of New England’s 2018 coaching staff. Now 70, Scarnecchia has been with the Patriots (aside from the 2014-15 seasons) since 1992. Excepting those two years after his initial retirement, Scarnecchia has been the Pats’ O-line coach since 1999.
  • The Broncos have two players who could warrant non-original-round tenders on the RFA market in Matt Paradis and Shaquil Barrett. Pro Football Focus’ top two RFAs, the starting center and part-time starting outside linebacker figure to receive second-round tenders, Mike Klis of 9News writes. Worth $2.9MM apiece, two second-round tenders would cost the Broncos nearly $6MM. That would further eat into Denver’s budget in an offseason in which the team is expected to pursue Kirk Cousins. The Broncos gave Brandon Marshall a second-round tender in 2016 and signed him to a long-term deal that summer and did the same with Brandon McManus. They could take the same route with Paradis, one of the league’s top centers.
  • Denver would like to have auxiliary wideout Bennie Fowler back next season, but Klis notes the team is expected to search for an upgrade at No. 3 receiver. The Broncos have struggled to replace the spot Wes Welker vacated three years ago, with now-UFA Cody Latimer failing to fill that role. Denver drafted Carlos Henderson in the third round of last year’s draft only to see him miss the whole season. The Broncos giving Fowler an original-round tender ($1.9MM) is in play, per Klis. Fowler (29 catches, 350 yards, three TDs) made just $615K last season. The Broncos would prefer to keep starting WRs Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in the fold rather than jettison them to create cap space.
  • The Chargers are seeking a complementary back to go with Melvin Gordon, Eric Williams of ESPN.com writes. But with Austin Ekeler working as a pass-catching back, Williams notes the team would want said supporting-caster to be more of a between-the-tackles bruiser who would spell Gordon.

South Rumors: Melvin, Saints, Foreman, Jags

February 25th, 2018 at 8:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

After bouncing around during the 2014 and ’15 seasons, Rashaan Melvin found stability with the Colts over the past two years. He would like to stay in Indianapolis and added the Colts have informed him they would like to have him back as well.

“I’m waiting to see exactly where we stand,” the impending UFA said of he and the Colts during a Sirius XM Radio interview (Twitter link). “I know it’s all positive. They told me they want me to be back. That’s where my career blossomed, so I wouldn’t mind going back there. There’s a lot of potential there.”

Melvin started 19 games between the 2016 and ’17 seasons with the Colts and was the team’s best corner last season. A hand injury halted Melvin’s breakout campaign after 10 games, but the work he did prior to that will make him a sought-after player on the market. The Colts are projected to hold $74MM-plus in cap space, a figure that currently sits third in the league, so they could afford Melvin. But the team now has a new coach in Frank Reich and new DC in Matt Eberflus. That could complicate Melvin staying in Indianapolis, but it’s obviously not a deal-breaker.

Here’s the latest from the South divisions:

  • The Saints have some key free agents, both RFAs and UFAs, to possibly retain. But Kenny Vaccaro looks to be on his way out of New Orleans, Larry Holder of NOLA.com writes. Vaccaro was the subject of rampant trade rumors prior to the 2017 deadline, with the Cowboys being mentioned as a team discussing a deal for the safety. Vaccaro’s Saints run may have ended with an IR trip in December. He will join a talented safety UFA contingent, one that also features Eric Reid, Tre Boston and Morgan Burnett. Vaccaro started for five seasons with the Saints and turned 28 in January.
  • Holder could see the Saints offering an RFA tender to neither Willie Snead nor Brandon Coleman and creating a need at wideout. An original-round tender would cost the team $1.9MM. While that would seem like an insult to Snead given his 2015 and ’16 production, he disappeared from the Saints’ offense last season after returning from an early-season suspension. The sides were in talks about an extension last summer, but Snead ended up playing on an ERFA tender. He then caught just eight passes for 92 yards; that came after two seasons of at least 895 air yards. Holder estimates the Saints will not tender Coleman but could see the sides reuniting for a lower amount. He does not envision Snead staying in New Orleans for a lower amount if the Saints non-tender him.
  • Despite tearing his Achilles’ tendon in late November, Texans running back D’Onta Foreman is expected to be ready for the start of the 2018 season, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports. Foreman’s ongoing rehab could give Miller one more chance, but if the second-year ball-carrier can come back healthy, Barshop could see this being closer to a timeshare going forward rather than a starter-complement situation.
  • The Jaguars‘ Blake Bortles extension, despite being an $18MM-AAV pact, doubles as a way for the team to seek more UFA help this offseason while looking in the draft for a developmental passer to possibly succeed the incumbent, Mike Kaye of First Coast News writes. Kaye notes a tight end would be high on the Jags’ list of possible upgrades via free agency. The Julius Thomas pact did not work out for the team, and Marcedes Lewis has one year left on his deal and would be entering his 13th season. Bortles’ deal being for low-end starter money would allow the team to draft a quarterback soon while Bortles either develops or flounders. That said, Jacksonville is taking a risk in the short term considering how close it was to its first Super Bowl berth and the limitations associated with a Bortles-led offense.

Latest On 2018 Salary Cap

February 25th, 2018 at 6:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few figures about the 2018 NFL salary cap have emerged over the past few months. Now that the date a universal number will lock in as the new salary ceiling, a more specific figure has surfaced.

The 2018 cap will exceed $178MM and may come in north of $179MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. If the cap settles north of $179MM, it would mark a record increase in the cap era.

This report comes after a December estimation the cap would fall between $174-$178MM. A January report pegged the new cap as potentially being higher than $180MM, and this one doesn’t necessarily refute that. But this marks the most specific range to date about the ’18 cap. The NFL and NFLPA decided on a $167MM cap last year, and the new number will emerge soon.

Here’s what the league’s salary cap has looked like over the last few years:

  • 2013: $123MM
  • 2014: $133MM
  • 2015: $143.28MM
  • 2016: $155.27MM
  • 2017: $167MM

Florio notes that despite a decline in ratings, the NFL will likely see continued growth in future spending allotments. A growth in the cost of the Thursday Night Football package — from $450MM annually to at least $550MM — illustrates the commodity the league remains.

Chiefs Considered Trading Steven Nelson?

February 25th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs traded away top cornerback Marcus Peters last week, but the club also considered dealing another defensive back in Steven Nelson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link)."<strong

It’s unclear if Kansas City was choosing between a Peters or a Nelson trade, or if a deal involving Nelson could still come to fruition. The Chiefs had been shopping Peters for more than three weeks, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, so the club could have been discussing Nelson swaps during that period, as well.

Whether or not Nelson is dealt, the Chiefs’ defensive backfield figures to undergo significant change this offseason. Peters and Darrelle Revis (who was recently released) won’t be back in 2017, while Terrance Mitchell, Phillip Gaines, and Kenneth Acker all are scheduled for unrestricted free agency. It hasn’t been all subtractions for Kansas City’s secondary, however, as the club did acquire cornerback Kendall Fuller as part of the Alex Smith trade and ink ex-Raiders cornerback David Amerson to a one-year deal.

Nelson, 25, has been an above-average corner for the majority of his three-year career. In 2017, Nelson didn’t come off injured reserve until October while dealing with a core muscle ailment, but became a starter immediately upon his activation and graded as the league’s No. 62 corner among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. The year prior, Nelson finished 36th among 84 cornerbacks in Football Outsiders’ success rate.

A third-round pick out of Oregon State in 2015, Nelson has one season left on his rookie contract. Thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program, Nelson will earn a base salary of $1.908MM during the upcoming campaign.

5 Key NFL Stories: 2/18/18 – 2/25/18

February 25th, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rams land a shutdown corner. Following days of chatter, the Chiefs shipped cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams last week. Terms of the deal are currently unknown — although Kansas City is expected to receive a “package” of draft picks — and the swap can’t become official until the new league year begins on March 14, but the trade has wide-ranging ramifications for both teams involved. Los Angeles now seems unlikely to retain free agent defensive back Trumaine Johnson, while the Chiefs could be entering something of a mini-rebuild.

Blake Bortles gets a new deal. After serving as offensive caretaker for a Jaguars club that reached the AFC Championship Game, Bortles has landed an extension through the 2020 campaign. Already under contract for $19MM in 2017, Bortles will receive $54MM over the next three years on a pact that includes $26.5MM guaranteed. Reports had indicated Jacksonville was exploring potential upgrades under center, but Bortles now appears to be the team’s quarterback choice for at least one more season. Bortles’ 2017 cap charge is now reduced to just $10MM, and the Jaguars can still exit the contract with relative ease following the upcoming campaign.Jarvis Landry (vertical)

Franchise tag season is underway. NFL teams could begin deploying the franchise tag beginning last Tuesday, and can continue to do so through March 6. The Dolphins became the first team to officially use the tender by assigning it to wide receiver Jarvis Landry (whom they are still attempting to trade), while the Cowboys confirmed they will use the tag if a long-term deal isn’t reached with defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Other candidates for the franchise tender could include Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson, and Panthers kicker Graham Gano. The Seahawks, meanwhile, won’t tag defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

Panthers (sort of) have a new GM. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, as Carolina announced interim general manager Marty Hurney has been named to the full-time position. Hurney, who previously served as the Panthers’ GM from 2002-12, took over again last summer when the club fired Dave Gettleman. Before appointing Hurney, Carolina also interviewed Bills assistant director of college scouting Lake Dawson, 49ers senior personnel executive Martin Mayhew, and Texans vice president of player personnel Jimmy Raye III.

NFL announces compensatory draft picks. The league formally announced 2018’s compensatory draft picks, awarding extra selections to 15 teams. The Bengals, Cowboys, Packers, and Raiders each received four picks, the maximum one club can earn. Arizona, Houston, Denver, and Cincinnati each gained an extra third-rounder, the earliest possible compensatory selection. As a reminder, the NFL’s compensatory pick process is based on the prior year’s free agent process and revolves around a complicated cancellation chart which factors free agents signed/lost, annual salary, and playing time.

Bills Tried To Trade For Martavis Bryant In 2017

February 25th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Bills ultimately acquired wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin at the 2017 trade deadline, they were also targeting another pass-catcher last season. Buffalo attempted to “get involved” in talks for Steelers wideout Martavis Bryant, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.Martavis Bryant (vertical)

Given their level of interest last year, it’s conceivable the Bills could circle back and try to initiate talks with the Steelers again this year. However, it’s unclear whether Pittsburgh has any intention of trading Bryant, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. While Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently reported the Steelers aren’t shopping Bryant, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated Pittsburgh is listening to offers and will likely discuss the 26-year-old pass-catcher at the combine.

Bryant has caused conflicting reports in the past, especially when it comes to his trade value and availability: last year, for example, Bryant may or may not have requested a Pittsburgh exit. But after the season, Bryant said he wanted to return to the Steelers in 2018.

Buffalo, meanwhile, still boasts one of the NFL’s least inspiring wide receiver units even after picking up Benjamin last season. Benjamin isn’t guaranteed his 2017 salary and could still be released, but if he returns, he’ll join last year’s second-round pick, Zay Jones, as the Bills’ top two wideouts. Buffalo also has five pass-catchers — including Deonte Thompson and Jordan Matthews — scheduled to hit free agency next month.

Last year, Bryant matched a career-high with 50 receptions, although he only managed 12.1 yards per reception (he’d posted 17.3 yards per catch during his first two years with the Steelers). Bryant was above-average in terms of efficiency, however, as Football Outsiders ranked him 37th among 86 qualifiers in DVOA, which measures value on a per-play basis.

PFR Originals: 2/18/18 – 2/25/18

February 25th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Franchise Tag Candidate: Allen Robinson

February 25th, 2018 at 12:12pm CST by Rory Parks

Allen Robinson is one of the top receivers in this year’s class of free agent wideouts, and while Robinson and the Jaguars have not engaged in contract talks, Jacksonville is reportedly open to hitting him with the franchise tag to keep him around for 2018.

Allen Robinson (Vertical)

Robinson presents an interesting case. He was fantastic in 2015, posting 80 catches for 1,400 yards and a whopping 14 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl nod. However, much of that production came when the Jags were trailing big and were forced to throw the football, often against soft coverages. He regressed in 2016, as he put up just 883 yards and six scores, and his 2017 campaign was wiped out by a torn ACL.

So what you have is an intriguing player in the prime of his career with tantalizing physical tools who is two years removed from his best season and who is coming off a major injury. He also struggled against press coverage in 2016, which certainly doesn’t help.

Nonetheless, he is the most gifted receiver on the Jags’ roster, and there would be at least a few teams willing to gamble on his upside if he hits the open market. Jacksonville knows that, and it also knows that it needs to surround Blake Bortles — who just signed an extension keeping him with the Jags through 2020 — with as much talent as possible. That explains why the Jags would be willing to pony up the $16MM franchise tender for a player with Robinson’s promising but questionable track record.

Fellow Jags wideout Marqise Lee is also set to hit free agency, and while he has been a solid contributor over the last several years, he is not nearly as talented as Robinson, and he, too, struggles against press coverage. So if the Jags are to let either player walk, it would likely be Lee. The other wideouts on the roster include the solid but unspectacular Allen Hurns, the unproven Dede Westbrook, and 2017 UDFA Keelan Cole.

There are plenty of intriguing wideouts in this year’s draft, but most of them are Day 2 types and may not be ready to contribute right away, and there are no other free agents that are not likely to be tagged who can match Robinson’s upside. The guess here is that Robinson plays out the 2018 season under the tag and that Jacksonville picks up a wideout in the second or third round to groom behind him.

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