2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

North Notes: Taylor, Toilolo, Bengals, Browns

March 29th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Ryan Posner

Some believe that the Browns overpaid for quarterback Tyrod Taylor when they gave up the first pick in the third round for him, but Browns head coach Hue Jackson says that’s not the case.

“Maybe people don’t think Tyrod has performed as well as he has because he’s not talked about as an upper-echelon guy in the league, but the guy has performed really solidly over the last several years,” Jackson said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “He’s made some tremendous plays. He’s led teams to the playoffs and winning seasons. He’s stayed healthy. He hasn’t turned the ball over, and those are things coaches look for. I’m just happy we got him. I know for a fact other teams wanted him, too. I think we’re fortunate to have this guy as our starter.”

Jackson doubled-down on his confidence in Taylor earlier this offseason, saying that he will enter the season as the team’s starter and that there won’t be training-camp competition. The team is destined to pick a quarterback with either the first or fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft and traded Cody Kessler to the Jaguars earlier this week.

Here’s more from around the AFC/NFC North:

Tight end Levine Toilolo‘s deal with the Lions is a one-year pact worth roughly $2MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Despite a flurry of off-the-field issues, the Bengals have stuck with linebacker Vontaze Burfict, keeping his three-year, $32,53MM extension signed last September on the books. That doesn’t mean the team hasn’t considered building around someone a little more reliable. Burfict was suspended for the first four games of next season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy and has missed 29 of 66 possible games over the last four years due to suspension. “Do we have conversations on that a lot? Sure, we have conversations on that a lot,” said Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin of cutting ties with Burfict, via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cinncinati Enquirer. “But at the end of the day we are a player-oriented business and the players are the ones that win or lose for us. We try to collect as many players that can help us win. That’s our job.
Southern Mississippi safety Tarvarius Moore has visits scheduled with the Browns and seven other teams over the next few weeks, per Jason Munz of the Hattiesburg American and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter) Moore clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at Southern Miss’ pro day Thursday.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Aldon Smith

March 29th, 2018 at 6:57pm CST by Ryan Posner

A bench warrant has been issued for free agent Aldon Smith after he failed to appear in court Thursday in a protective order stemming from his arrest on charges of alleged domestic violence earlier this month, according to TMZ Sports.

Smith’s attorney claimed that he had never missed a prior court date and that he planned to be present Thursday, per the TMZ Sports report. Smith was charged with four misdemeanors in early March after an alleged altercation with his fiancee. He was also arrested earlier this week after violating a mandate that stated he was to refrain from contact with the victim from the alleged domestic violence incident and he eventually turned himself in to authorities.

The Raiders promptly released Smith earlier this month after the initial domestic violence charges. A series of off-the-field issues led the 49ers to cut the former No. 7 overall pick in August 2015. He latched on with the Raiders and signed a two-year deal to remain in Oakland in April 2016.

Smith last appeared in a game in 2015 with the Raiders, recording 3.5 sacks in just nine games. He showed flashes of greatness on the field in his career, including 41 sacks through his first three seasons. But it appears Smith’s chances of ever suiting up with an NFL team again are slim at best.

West Notes: 49ers, Decker, Suh, Chiefs, Broncos

March 29th, 2018 at 6:25pm CST by Ryan Posner

With a full year under their belt, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch helped devise a new strategy for the team’s free-agent approach.

Rather than list the top five players in their opinion at each position they were looking to address, then go down the list until agreeing to terms with a player, they identified specific players of interest they believed were fits. This offseason, that included center Weston Richburg and running back Jerick McKinnon, who were both signed by the 49ers.

“It started with the foundation of John and Kyle being on the same page on how we want to build our team and this is ultimately where we want to get to, and we want to get to sustainable success,” 49ers CEO Jed York said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Of course, the 49ers’ most notable move of the offseason came in the form of a three-year deal for cornerback Richard Sherman. The team officially introduced Sherman on Thursday.

Here’s more from around the AFC/NFC West

Former Broncos wide receiver and current free agent Eric Decker is back in Denver but for personal reasons, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter), but he does not have a visit scheduled with his former employer at the moment.
Ndamukong Suh‘s $14MM base salary with the Rams is fully guaranteed, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). With incentives, he can push the value of the deal to $15MM.
The Chiefs, along with the Titans and Texans, hosted Kansas pass rusher Dorance Armstrong Jr. for a visit, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Though he played as a 4-3 defensive end in college, Wilson notes he’s likely destined to work as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. Armstrong is projected to go as early as the third round in the upcoming draft.
While speaking on a podcast with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, John Elway said the Broncos still haven’t decided on the direction it’ll take with the No. 5 pick in the draft. That direction could still include the team taking a quarterback at No. 5, even after signing quarterback Case Keenum. “That’ll be wide open,” Elway said, via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. ” … I’m betting we won’t know what direction we’re going to go until probably the day of [the first round] or the day before.”

Geno Smith To Visit With Seahawks

March 29th, 2018 at 5:19pm CST by Ryan Posner

Free-agent quarterback Geno Smith is set to visit with the Seahawks, a source told Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. It’ll be the second visit for Smith, who met with the Chargers earlier this week but left without a deal.

The Seahawks are in need of some depth behind Russell Wilson after parting ways with backup quarterback Trevone Boykin earlier this week. Boykin was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault stemming from an incident earlier this month. Russell Wilson currently stands as the only quarterback on the Seahawks’ roster. Austin Davis was the only other quarterback on the team’s active roster outside of Wilson last season and remains a free agent.

Smith, 27, has spent his entire career in New York, with the first four years of his career spent with the Jets and last season spent as the backup for Eli Manning and the Giants. Smith wound up making a start last season as Eli Manning’s consecutive starts streak came to an end in controversial fashion. He appeared in two games in total, completing 58.3% of his passes while throwing a touchdown without an interception.

The Jets took Smith in the second round of the 2013 draft out of West Virginia. He started 29 games through his first two seasons but was relegated to backup duties behind Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 before departing the Jets.

Kendall Wright To Visit With Vikings

March 29th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Vikings hosted free-agent wide receiver Kendall Wright for a visit, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The former Titans and Bears wideout has also visited with the Chiefs this offseason.

Wright, 28, spent last season with the Bears and hauled in 59 catches for 614 yards and a touchdown. We had Wright ranked as our No. 15 wide receiver available in free agency this offseason. Of the players on the list, he’s ranked as the third-best still available, behind Jordan Matthews and Brice Butler.

The Bears signed Wright to a one-year, $4MM deal last offseason and his stat line in his one year in Chicago was his best since 2014 with the Titans when he had 715 yards receiving and six touchdown catches. The Bears had already added Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel in free agency this offseason. Wright spent the first five years of his career in Tennessee after being taken with the 20th overall pick of the 2011 draft.

Wright would provide another weapon for newly-signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to go with the likes of Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. Minnesota indicated earlier this offseason that it would not be re-signing wide receiver Michael Floyd. Behind Treadwell, the Vikings also have Stacy Coley, Cayleb Jones and Brandon Zylstra at wide receiver.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones On Randy Gregory

March 29th, 2018 at 4:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Randy Gregory is laying the groundwork for his return to football, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not getting his hopes up. While Jones credited the defensive end for his work to get his life back on track, he says that he is not banking on the commissioner to let him back in for 2018.

“I am not confident [in Gregory being reinstated], but I do see where his heart is,” Jones said (via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). “He is one the smartest people to have played this game. This is a tremendous step. He has had that same IQ since he has had these issues. That’s an issue. This is definitely a medical issue. There is no doubt in my mind about the medical. That is another campaign. It’s a pretty circuitous route. It has a lot of discretionary things to determine. There is a lot of subjectiveness. But he is doing very well. He’s got a lot to play for. He has a new baby. He has a lot going for him. He is very astute about knowing that. He has to do what a lot of us have had to do and that is to do better at 24 and 25 than when you were 20.”

Jones offered support for Gregory on a personal and professional level noting that he is “really a good person,” and “one helluva football player.” Still, Jones knows that the reinstatement process is somewhat subjective. His own personal relationship with Roger Goodell might not help matters either.

The Cowboys will start Demarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford at the bookends with Taco Charlton, Charles Tapper, and Datone Jones offering support from the bench. The Cowboys have said all along that they are hoping to get Gregory back in the fold, but they are also planning for life without him in 2018. That could mean some edge rushing reinforcements next month through the draft.

Bills Sign CB Phillip Gaines

March 29th, 2018 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have signed cornerback Phillip Gaines. Terms of the deal are not yet known.

Gaines spent the past three seasons with the Chiefs, operating primarily as a reserve. He did start three games in 2017, however, as Steven Nelson missed the start of the year with a core muscle injury. All in all, Gaines had 30 tackles and three pass breakups last season.

The former third-round pick was in the Chiefs’ rotation throughout the year, but he did not grade out well according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Gaines was the league’s second-worst qualified CB, per PFF, and has not earned a positive grade since his rookie season in 2014.

With the Bills, Gaines will provide depth behind starters Vontae Davis and Tre’Davious White. It seems as though he’ll take over for Leonard Johnson, who appeared in 15 games last year for Buffalo as a nickel corner but remains unsigned.

Raiders Sign CB Leon Hall

March 29th, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have signed veteran cornerback Leon Hall. Agent Doug Hendrickson announced the agreement on Twitter and the team confirmed the news moments later via press release.

The deal means that Hall will be staying put in the Bay Area after playing for the 49ers in 2017. Hall is 33 years old and will turn 34 in December, but new coach Jon Gruden has shown a predilection for signing older players this offseason. Previously this month, the Raiders signed aging vets such as wide receiver Jordy Nelson, running back Doug Martin, and safety Reggie Nelson.

The Raiders have shaken up the secondary in recent weeks as Sean Smith, David Amerson, and T.J. Carrie are out and free agents Rashaan Melvin and Shareece Wright are in to join 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley at cornerback. Conley and Melvin project to start on the outside while Hall could factor in as a nickel back.

Hall spent the bulk of his career with the Bengals, but has bounced around since 2016. Last year, in nine games, Hall played on 34% of SF’s defensive snaps and 20% of the club’s special teams snaps. He amassed 15 tackles and one pass defensed.

Latest On Texans, Jadeveon Clowney

March 29th, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Jadeveon Clowney is entering the final year of his deal, but it doesn’t sound like the Texans will let him get away. There is “a positive outlook” on both sides of the table and it is believed that a blockbuster extension is an “eventuality” this offseason, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

For his part, Clowney has been public about his desire to stay with the Texans.

“I want to be [in Houston] forever. It would be great, something I always dreamed of. I don’t want to leave this team,” Clowney said recently. “I’ve been here since the beginning. I want to stay here. I want to finish my career here, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, they lock me in.”

The two-time Pro Bowler is set to earn $12.306MM under the terms of his fifth-year option now that he has been classified as a linebacker rather than a defensive end. Clowney’s next deal figures to be more costly and could make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Currently, that title belongs to Von Miller of the Broncos who is in the midst of a six-year, $114MM deal with $70MM guaranteed. Clowney, Aaron Donald, and Khalil Mack could all surpass Miller in the coming months, meaning that we could see three NFL defenders making $20MM per season.

Clowney, 25, racked up career highs in sacks (9.5) and tackles (59) last year, including an eye-popping 20 tackles for a loss.

East Notes: Jets, Gregory, Cravens, Giants

March 29th, 2018 at 1:50pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Jets have an incredibly important decision upcoming that could dictate the course of their franchise for at least the next decade as they’re likely to take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft, which they traded up to get.

Jets coach Todd Bowles noted that whomever the team decides on, whether it be Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson, the art of drafting a quarterback is far from a perfect science.

“It’s all an educated guess,” Bowles said at the NFL owner’s meetings, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “… You see the film. You know the player. You see what they do. (If) somebody comes in and break their leg on the first day, you can’t do anything about that. That’s just bad luck. So, it’s an educated crap-shoot, so to speak. But you have a certain feel for certain people and definitely certainly positions.

No matter whom the Jets take with their first pick, that quarterback may not be needed to start from the onset as the team’s already signed Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater this offseason.

Here’s more from around the AFC/NFC East

With Randy Gregory taking the necessary steps to apply for reinstatement to the league, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he hopes that Gregory will suit up for the team in 2018, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Jones went on to tell Hill that he’s not confident Gregory will be reinstated for next season, though, due to the rigorous process he’s about to undergo.
Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post opines that the Redskins‘ haul from the Broncos for safety Su’a Cravens had much to do with the team’s lack of leverage in the situation. The Redskins and Broncos swapped fourth- and fifth-round picks for Cravens, with the Redskins picking up an additional fifth-round pick. Many had worried whether Cravens would be welcomed back into the Washington locker room. He sat out last season after suddenly announcing his retirement prior to the regular season. The Redskins took Cravens in the second round of the 2016 draft out of USC.
Brian Costello of the New York Post looks at a couple ways the Jets quarterback battle could shake out. With Bowles already declaring that McCown will enter camp as the starter, Costello opines that Bridgewater could serve as a lottery ticket, with the soon-to-be-drafted quarterback serving as an investment and McCown as the insurance policy. Costello also notes the team could look to trade one of the veteran quarterbacks if it feels comfortable with all three entering the season.
Giants coach Pat Shurmur has an interesting relationship with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, which is detailed by Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Advanced Media. Shurmur’s son, Kyle, was a quarterback for Vanderbilt and played against Chubb and NC State in the 2016 Music City Bowl where Chubb recorded a sack on Kyle Shurmur. Chubb is certainly in play to be taken by the Giants with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft as they have a void at defensive end following the trade of Jason Pierre-Paul.