HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Rams Pick Up Options For Gurley, Peters

April 24th, 2018 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Some fifth-year option decisions are easier than others. On Tuesday, the Rams finalized a couple of no-brainer calls. The Rams will exercise their fifth-year options on running back Todd Gurley and cornerback Marcus Peters, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 draft, set new career highs in 2017 as he ran for 1,305 yards with a league-leading 13 rushing touchdowns. He also set new personal watermarks with 64 catches and 788 yards with six receiving TDs. The decision to keep him under contract for 2019 was an easy one, but the eventual discussions on a new long-term deal could be tricky. The Rams will have to address the contracts of several other key players – including Peters and defensive tackle Aaron Donald – and Gurley will command a whopping asking price, particularly if Steelers star Le’Veon Bell secures the mammoth contract he is seeking.

The Rams acquired Peters in February from the Chiefs in February in exchange for second- and fourth-round draft picks. Peters is one of the most talented young cornerbacks in the NFL, but a personality clash led to his exit from KC. The Rams, presumably, will want to see how Peters meshes with the coaching staff before discussing a long-term contract. For now, the Rams have Peters under contract through 2019 with the option to bail for any non-injury reason.

As shown on PFR’s 2019 fifth-year option tracker, Gurley is set to earn $9.630MM in 2019 while Peters is slated to make $9.069MM.

NFL Draft Rumors: Sweat, Giants, Patriots

April 24th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

FSU pass rusher Josh Sweat is a player to keep an eye on as the NFL Draft approaches. Sweat, a five-star, top-10 overall recruit nationally coming out of high school, impressed at the draft combine and drew the attention of evaluators across the league. However, his history of knee issues including ACL, MCL, PCL injuries have teams concerned, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Interestingly, his 2016 knee surgery was performed by Giants team doctor Russ Warren, and that leads Rapoport to wonder aloud if that could make New York a potential landing spot for him. Sweat has been widely projected as a third round possibility, but it sounds like he could find his way into the second round based on his potential.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:

Panthers In Talks With QB Derek Anderson

April 24th, 2018 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

The door remains open for a Derek Anderson return in Charlotte. The Panthers are in talks with the quarterback, GM Marty Hurney tells reporters (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). However, Hurney cited former Packers GM Ron Wolf’s belief that teams should take a quarterback in every draft, so it’s not a given that Anderson will return. Even if he does, he might not handed the No. 2 job behind Cam Newton. 

Aside from starter Cam Newton, the only other signal callers on Carolina’s roster are Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke. Combined, they have thrown exactly one NFL pass. That attempt belongs to Heinicke, who threw one pass for the Texans in relief of T.J. Yates against the Steelers in December. On the second drive of his career, Heinicke suffered a head injury as he was sacked and had to be taken off of the field.

Anderson has 76 career NFL appearances under his belt, but the Panthers can’t be blamed for exploring other backstops as he nears his 35th birthday. The veteran made a name for himself in 2007 when he led the Browns to a 10-5 record in his 15 starts, but he has not seen consistent action since his 2010 campaign with the Cardinals. For the last seven years, he has serve as Newton’s understudy.

Anderson’s last deal paid him $2.25MM per year and it stands to reason that he could earn a bit less on a new pact with the Panthers.

Giants HC: OBJ To Remain With Team

April 24th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

Despite trade chatter throughout the offseason, Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t going anywhere, according to Pat Shurmur. He will “absolutely” be a part of the team in 2018, the Giants head coach says (Twitter link via Kim Jones of NFL.com). Shurmur added that the has been in frequent contact with the wide receiver. 

Shurmur’s comments jibe with the latest we’ve heard on OBJ. Teams no longer believe that the Giants are looking to move the superstar receiver before or during the draft, despite concerns from the club about his off-the-field decisions. It appears the Giants are willing to move forward with Beckham Jr., though they’ll have to address his contract situation as he enters his walk year.

Beckham is reportedly pushing for a $100MM+ contract and the Giants will likely have to break the $90MM barrier to lock him up for the long term. However, the Giants can still control Beckham through the 2020 season via consecutive franchise tags. In theory, the Giants could even control OBJ through 2021 with three straight franchise tags, though the cost of a third tag would likely be prohibitive.

Beckham followed through on his plan to report to the Giants for offseason activities, which is perhaps a productive first step towards getting the contract he’s after. The new regime in New York will be watching Beckham closely as they consider his future with the club beyond 2018.

Browns Could Trade CB Jamar Taylor

April 24th, 2018 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

If the Browns take a cornerback early, cornerback Jamar Taylor is expected to be made available via trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. The Browns added three free agent cornerbacks this year and drafting one in the first or second round would likely squeeze Taylor out of the picture. 

[RELATED: Browns Considering Baker Mayfield With No. 1 Pick?]

Taylor, 28 in September, is set to enter the second year of his three-year, $15MM deal. The former second-round pick had the best year of his career in 2016 as he hauled in three interceptions and 57 total tackles, but he took a step back in 2017. New GM John Dorsey traded Jason McCourty to the Patriots for a late draft pick after a strong showing in ’17, so there’s little question that the Browns would be open to moving on from Taylor.

Already, Taylor sits no higher than third on the Browns’ CB depth chart after the signings of T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines. Meanwhile, newcomers Terrance Mitchell and Denzel Rice will push for time in support.

Giants Looking To Trade Ereck Flowers

April 24th, 2018 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

As the 2018 draft approaches, the Giants are looking to unload a former top 10 pick. The Giants have had trade discussions centered around former first round tackle Ereck Flowers, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears the Giants aren’t expecting a big return for him. The Giants believe a deal is possible, but they understand that they won’t get much in terms of compensation. 

Flowers, who doesn’t turn 24 until April, has not panned out for the Giants. The University of Miami product has earned poor grades in each of his three years as the Giants’ starting left tackle and new addition Nate Solder is expected to man the left side for the Giants in 2018. Flowers, in theory, could handle duties at right tackle, but the new administration led by Dave Gettleman would apparently prefer a fresh start.

Given the need for tackles around the league, the Giants can’t necessarily bank on finding a replacement for Flowers at No. 34 overall. It is expected that Connor Williams (Texas) and Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame) will be long gone by the time the Giants come up in the second round, so they may have to settle for lesser prospects like Tyrell Crosby (Oregon), Brian O’Neill (Pitt), and Kolton Miller (UCLA) if they want a tackle with that selection.

Browns Considering Baker Mayfield?

April 24th, 2018 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

For weeks, we’ve heard that the Browns will select either USC’s Sam Darnold or Wyoming’s Josh Allen with the No. 1 overall pick. Reportedly, it’s more than a two-horse race. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is “definitely” in Cleveland’s conversation to become the top choice, an NFL executive tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

It’s a little hard to parse out what news is real this time of year. But, taken at face value, it sounds like there could be a split of opinions within the Cleveland front office. None of this year’s quarterback prospects are considered to be slam dunks, so it’s possible that the Browns are wavering on which signal caller to take.

It’s also possible that the Browns are working to give the impression that they could take Mayfield or even one of this year’s non-QBs at No. 1 overall. If the Browns can give at least one team the impression they are going to select Mayfield, it could open the door to a trade-down scenario for Cleveland. The Jets, for example, are said to be high on Mayfield, and it is conceivable that they could make another move up in this year’s draft order to land him. The Bills, armed with the Nos. 12 and 22 picks in the first round, are also in the market for a QB but are likely out of range for this year’s top four signal callers.

Publicly, GM John Dorsey has indicated that he is not concerned about Mayfield’s lack of size, which has been the main knock on him from evaluators.

“The only thing I care about is, do guys win?” Dorsey said. “Does he have accuracy? Does he have a strong arm? Can he throw the ball in the red zone in tight windows? Can he drive the ball? At the end of the game, does he win? That’s what I look for.”

Whitney Mercilus Cleared To Return From Injury

April 23rd, 2018 at 9:28pm CST by Micah Powell

Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus has been cleared to return to the field from his pectoral injury, the player tells the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain. 

The pass-rushing linebacker had missed just two games in his first five seasons before suffering a torn pectoral muscle in the fifth game of the 2017 season vs. Kansas City. The injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.

“I got cleared about a month ago and I’m ready to rock and roll,” he said. “Despite the pec, having a year of recovery on the body, I feel fresh energized. I need somewhere to put this energy, so I can’t wait to put on the pads.”

With Mercilus and J.J. Watt fully healthy to go along with Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans have the makings of one of the top pass-rushing squads in 2018. The team’s ability to get after the passer was also a big reason why safety Tyrann Mathieu decided to sign with the team in free agency.

Cardinals To Exercise Fifth-Year Option on D.J. Humphries

April 23rd, 2018 at 8:06pm CST by Micah Powell

The Cardinals are expected to exercise the fifth-year option in left tackle D.J. Humphries‘ contract, AZ Central’s Kent Somers writes. 

Taken with the 24th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Humphries will be owed $9.625MM in 2019 with Arizona exercising the option.

The move isn’t a surprising one, as the Cardinals have been impressed with Humphries’ progress at the position after picking it up in 2017. Though he shows solid potential, he has had trouble staying on the field.

He was inactive for every game as a rookie and began the following season at right tackle before moving to the opposite side of the line. After playing in 13 games in 2016, Humphries was limited to just five games in 2017 after suffering a knee injury against the 49ers in November.

He underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL and dislocated knee cap and expects to return to the field at the start of the 2018 season.

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