2018 April - Pro Football Rumors

Jay Cutler Expected To Retire

April 27th, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Jay Cutler is retiring, again. The former Dolphins quarterback is expected to leave football, potentially to begin a reality show with his wife Kristin Cavallari, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. FOX also has interest in signing Cutler as a color commentator for NFL games, which was the position he was set to begin before signing with Miami last year.

Cutler will turn 35 on Sunday and he has ample money after 12 years as a starting QB in the NFL. Cutler’s short-lived retirement didn’t bring about the results the Dolphins were hoping for, however, as he compiled a 6-8 record in his 14 starts and threw for just 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 35-ranked quarterback out of 39 qualified players, a sign that he probably didn’t have much quality football left in the tank.

In December, Cutler indicated that he was still interested in playing football, though he did not want to return as a backup QB. Even as Cutler evaluates his options in television, one can’t help but wonder if a summer injury to a QB could lead to his return. Cutler is no longer starter material, but he could be the best option an NFL team can find in an emergency situation in August.

The quarterback carousel that sent several bridge options to other teams in March did not include Cutler. While his career endured some interesting twists and only featured one Pro Bowl, the former Vanderbilt standout and 2006 first-round pick outlasted his draft-class peers and was a starter for nearly his entire career.

Cutler started two full seasons for the Broncos, beginning his first-string run as a rookie late in the 2006 season, before being involved in a high-stakes trade. The Broncos shipped him to the Bears for two first-round picks in April 2009. Cutler’s 2008 season in Denver, though, doubled as his only Pro Bowl bid. Cutler did lead the 2010 Bears to the NFC championship game before being hurt during that contest — one that doubled as Chicago’s most recent playoff game. He threw a career-high 28 touchdown passes in 2014, and his 2015 work with Adam Gase (21 TDs, 64 percent completion rate) helped secure the $10MM Dolphins gig last year.

For his career, Cutler threw 227 touchdown passes and totaled 35,133 air yards, completing 62 percent of his passes. He holds Bears franchise records for career passing yards (23,443) and TD tosses with 154.

Teams Contacting Jets About Bryce Petty

April 27th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight year, teams are contacting the Jets about a potential trade for Bryce Petty. While Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the Jets resisted previous offers in 2017, they are more open to moving the fourth-year quarterback now (Twitter link).

Teams have made pitches to the Jets for Petty, per Rapoport, and a deal would make sense given that the franchise now has Sam Darnold in the fold and five quarterbacks on its roster. With the Jets extremely unlikely to bring all five to training camp, at least one and possibly two, will have to go between now and then. And Petty may be the likeliest drop candidate.

Sam Darnold and Josh McCown are locks for Gang Green’s 53-man roster, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s position contingent upon his health. Petty and Christian Hackenberg are the wild cards here, with the former having been the previous option as the injury replacement when maladies befell Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2016 and McCown last season. However, Petty’s auditions have mostly gone poorly. So, it wouldn’t bee a surprise to see the Jets move him.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old quarterback has one season remaining on his rookie contract. He’s 1-6 in seven starts and a career 53.1 percent passer, having thrown four touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions.

Seahawks Re-Sign CB Byron Maxwell

April 27th, 2018 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Byron Maxwell and the Seahawks have agreed on a one-year deal worth up to $3MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The signing may lessen the Seahawks’ need for cornerbacks as they head into Day 2 of the draft.

Maxwell, 30, spent the first four years of his career with the Seahawks before signing a free agent deal with the Eagles in 2015. Things didn’t pan out for him there – or with the Dolphins – but he found his way back to the Seahawks last year after Miami released him. Maxwell racked up 38 tackles, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one interception in seven games for Seattle.

One of Richard Sherman‘s running mates for four seasons in Seattle, the final two of those being the Seahawks’ most successful years in franchise history, Maxwell came back to his original NFL team last season and filled in for a Sherman-less operation down the stretch. He’ll now attempt to do so again.

The Seahawks do not have a second-round pick, so bringing in a higher-ceiling corner wouldn’t be as easy in this year’s draft. Seattle has 2017 third-rounder Shaquill Griffin in line to work as a primary corner, joining former 49er Dontae Johnson. Former Patriot Justin Coleman is in the mix as well, but none have Maxwell’s experience in this system — one that’s steadily churned out corners despite the team not investing prime draft capital in the position.

49ers Trade OT Trent Brown To Patriots

April 27th, 2018 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have acquired offensive tackle Trent Brown from the Niners. The deal will see Brown and the No. 143 overall pick head to New England in exchange for the No. 95 overall selection, according to Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Brown passed his physical and that was more than a formality in this case. The 49ers reportedly had concerns about Brown’s shoulder after offseason surgery (and his conditioning), so the Patriots had to confirm that he was good to go before making things official.

Brown graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 ranked tackle in the NFL last season. He also scored as one of the ten best pass blocking tackles in the league, but the Niners were looking for a tackle who performs better against the run.

The Patriots acquire Brown as he enters his contract year, which could give him some extra motivation to perform. The 49ers were unwilling to extend Brown’s deal, which helped bring about the trade (and the drafting of his replacement).

Brown projects to pair with top Pats draft pick Isaiah Wynn at tackle, though LaAdrian Waddle and Matt Tobin are also in the fold.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten To Retire?

April 27th, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

Jason Witten could go from the field to the broadcast booth. The Cowboys tight end is planning to retire after 15 years in the NFL to join ESPN’s new Monday Night Football broadcast team as a lead analyst, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. However, he’ll meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday before finalizing his decision.

Witten has spent his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and has been selected to eleven Pro Bowls. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,152), receiving yards (12,448) and most consecutive games played (239).

Witten, 36 in May, has missed one regular season game for Dallas as a rookie, but has a perfect attendance record dating back to 2004. His 2017 numbers were not his gaudiest, but he was still productive with 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He was also among the ten best run blockers at the tight end position, per Pro Football Focus.

News of Witten’s potential retirement comes as a surprise. Just last week, Witten indicated that he had some football left in the tank.

“There’s been a lot of things [said] over the years, especially the last few months. I guess that’s what happens when you get old,” Witten said (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “Hopefully I can play until I’m 40. I’ll take it one day at a time. My plan is to be here with the Cowboys. Absolutely.”

ESPN nearly poached another big name tight end for its broadcast booth earlier this year. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen auditioned for the job and appeared to be giving it real consideration before signing a lucrative extension with Carolina on Thursday.

Raiders Shopping Seth Roberts

April 27th, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders want to trade Seth Roberts for a draft pick, sources tell Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter). Roberts inked a three-year, $12MM extension with the Raiders last summer, but new head coach Jon Gruden might not have a place for him on the team.

This spring, Gruden brought new blood to the wide receiver group by signing Jordy Nelson and releasing Michael Crabtree. Then, on Thursday, he swung a deal for Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant. The acquisition of Bryant cost the Raiders a third-round pick and they’re now looking to recoup some draft capital.

Roberts, 27, set new career highs in 2017 with 43 catches for 455 yards and caught 66.2% of the balls thrown his way. Right now, Roberts is no higher than fourth on the team’s WR depth chart and the selection of another receiver on Friday night would put him squarely on the bubble.

It’s not clear what the Raiders can get for Roberts, but it’s likely to be less than the third-round choice they paid for Bryant.

NFL Draft Rumors: Bills, Broncos, Chubb

April 27th, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

Day 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, but there are plenty of big-name players left on the board. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes, quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back Derrius Guice, tight end Dallas Goedert, offensive lineman Connor Williams, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, wide receivers Anthony Miller, D.J. Chark, and Courtland Sutton, defensive ends Harold Landry and Sam Hubbard, and cornerbacks Josh Jackson and Isaiah Oliver are all available as we get set for the second round.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:

The Bills and Broncos had agreed to a trade based on who was available; but Broncos decided not to pass up on Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall, Schefter tweets. Things worked out just fine for the Bills, however, as they were able to move up to the No. 7 spot to select quarterback Josh Allen. The move to No. 7 cost the Bills the No. 12 pick and a pair of second-rounders (No. 53 and No. 56), but they did not have to part with the No. 22 pick, which they later used to move up to No. 16 for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
The Bears surprisingly tried to trade up from the No. 8 pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It’s not clear who they were targeting, but they were able to land Georgia’s Roquan Smith, who many feel has the potential to be a top-tier inside linebacker.
Colts GM Chris Ballard says he had an opportunity to trade back from No. 6, but the team would have had to move back too far for their comfort (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). Ultimately, they stood pat and landed Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick.
The Colts had Smith and Nelson close on their board, but they ultimately favored Nelson because of the need to protect quarterback Andrew Luck, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Browns GM John Dorsey says about half a dozen teams wanted to trade up to No. 4, but the value never was attractive enough for him to pull the trigger (Twitter link via Mike Jones of USA Today). The Browns arguably could have traded down and still landed Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, but they apparently did not want to take that chance.

Latest On Cowboys, Seahawks’ Earl Thomas

April 27th, 2018 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

Friday may be the de facto deadline for the Cowboys to pull off a trade for Seahawks safety Earl Thomas. The Seahawks have had some recent talks with Dallas about the star defender and we’ll know by tonight whether the Cowboys will land him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

It’s only logical that a blockbuster trade for Thomas would have to involve picks from Day 2 of the draft. The Cowboys are not willing to sell out for Thomas, as Ed Werder detailed earlier this week, but they do have a second round pick (No. 50) and a third round pick (No. 81) to work with if a deal is within reach. Still, Rapoport classifies the odds of a deal coming together as something of a longshot.

Last month, it was reported that the Seahawks were seeking a first round pick and a third round pick for the six-time Pro Bowler. The ship has sailed on netting a 2018 first-round choice, but Seattle, in actuality, could be willing to take less.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys will have to consider the cost of a new contract for Thomas in any potential trade. The safety is entering the final year of a four-year, $40MM deal and they’d probably have to hammer out a sizable extension before pulling the trigger on a deal.

Patriots Notes: Brown, Evans, Ragnow

April 27th, 2018 at 9:04am CST by Zachary Links

Some news on a potential Patriots trade target + more out of New England:

The Patriots will have to do their medical homework on tackle Trent Brown before pulling off a trade for him with the 49ers. Brown was terribly out of shape at minicamp and San Francisco has reservations about him coming off of shoulder surgery, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com (on Twitter) hears. The Niners’ concerns over Brown prompted them to select Mike McGlinchey with the No. 9 pick.
The Patriots had interest in linebacker Rashaan Evans at the No. 23 pick and the Steelers were looking to trade up to get the Alabama product, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. Ultimately, the Titans gave up a fourth-round pick to move up three spots and leapfrog two AFC rivals. Tennessee also received a sixth-round pick in that swap.
The Patriots also had Frank Ragnow as a top target at No. 23 overall and tried to move up to get him, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press hears. The Bengals also had the Arkansas center as a top target, but the Lions pounced on the opportunity to take him at No. 20 overall.

Patriots, 49ers Discussing Trent Brown Deal

April 27th, 2018 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots and 49ers are talking about a possible trade for that would send offensive tackle Trent Brown to New England, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear what the Pats would give up in a trade, but it’s safe to assume that it would involve picks from Day 2 of the draft.

The Patriots own two second round picks (No. 43 and No. 63 overall ) as well as a third round pick (No. 95). The 49ers, meanwhile, won’t be called until the back end of the second round (No. 59), though they do possess the Nos. 70 and 74 overall picks in the third round.

Brown’s future is in flux after the Niners selected Mike McGlinchey No. 9 overall on Thursday night. He has one year left on his rookie contract and he’s no longer an extension candidate given the Niners’ crowded offensive line. Brown is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, but the Pats are apparently intrigued by his size and ability to protect on passing downs.

Last year, Brown received the eighth-highest pass protection score of any tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and placed 21st overall. For what it’s worth, Nate Solder placed 32nd overall last year with New England.

The Patriots found a tackle of their own on the first night of the draft by selecting Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn with their No. 23 choice. At No. 31, the Patriots found a replacement for Dion Lewis when they snagged Georgia’s Sony Michel.