2018 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Buccaneers Sign First-Round Pick Vita Vea

May 24th, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers announced that they have signed first-round pick Vita Vea. As the No. 12 overall selection in this year’s draft, Vea will receive a four-year $14.824MM deal with a fifth-year option at a yet-to-be-determined rate.

The Bucs were extremely high on Vea coming into the draft and placed a top-five grade on the Washington product, GM Jason Licht said recently. The Buccaneers took a chance by trading the No. 7 pick to Buffalo, but they were able to come away with a player they badly wanted while picking up two second round picks.

Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea – or Vita Vea for short – tallied 43 total tackles (5.5 for a loss) and 3.5 sacks in his final year on campus. Although he is considered to be somewhat raw and will have to keep his weight under control, the Buccaneers believe that he can be a highly effective run stuffer in both 4-3 and 3-4 sets.

When lining up in their base 4-3, the Bucs project to start Vea and Gerald McCoy in the middle with Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry bookending them. On paper, the that projects to be one of the most menacing front lines in the league.

Scot McCloughan No Longer With Browns

May 24th, 2018 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

This offseason, new Browns GM John Dorsey brought Scot McCloughan on board as a consultant. But, after a front office shakeup, the former Redskins GM is no longer exclusive to the team, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.

McCloughan, who helped steer the Browns towards selecting quarterback Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick, has returned to consulting for multiple teams through his private company. Despite a messy divorce with the Redskins, it would not be surprising to see McCloughan back in the GM conversation for another team down the line.

While several long-time Browns scouts have been pushed out, Browns Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry remains safe thanks to his relationship with team owners, Cabot hears. However, something will have to give as the Browns have three player personnel VPs in Berry, Alonzo Highsmith, and Ken Kovash.

The new-look Browns still have work to do as they sort out their front office, including talks on a new deal with running back Duke Johnson.

Extra Points: Anthem, Kaepernick, Manziel

May 24th, 2018 at 12:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s new anthem policy has received a great deal of backlash, but another idea previously considered by owners also would have faced some opposition. Team owners considered a 15-yard penalty against teams that partake in anthem protests, but that move wouldn’t have necessarily gone over well with the league’s officials.

“It would not be in my DNA to throw a flag on someone for their personal protest regardless of whether or not I agreed with them,” former ref Mike Pereira told Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, players are up in arms about the policy that was enacted on Wednesday. Klemko hears (Twitter link) that players who weren’t planning demonstrations for next season are now discussing ways to skirt the new rules “just to spite the NFL.”

Bills Notes: Jones, McDermott, Stadium

May 24th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

Bills wide receiver Zay Jones underwent knee surgery, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters. Jones will miss the remainder of the offseason program, but the good news is that the team believes he’ll be good to go in time for the start of the regular season.

The Bills are certainly hoping that Jones will be healthy come September given their lack of depth at wide receiver. After the departures of Jordan Matthews and Deonte Thompson this offseason, the Bills’ have an iffy group at WR beyond star Kelvin Benjamin. Veterans Andre Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, Kaelin Clay, and Rod Streater are fighting for roster spots along with late-round rookies Ray-Ray McCloud and Austin Proehl.

If Jones is in for a lengthier recovery than expected, the Bills could theoretically look into signing Dez Bryant to help fill the gap. However, GM Brandon Beane didn’t sound gung-ho about the idea back in April.

“We have looked at Dez on tape, but I wouldn’t take it any further and I don’t know where that would go,” Beane said. “We’re looking to get better at all positions and receiver is one, so if we thought that was the right fit for us we would potentially pursue it.”

Here’s more out of Buffalo:

Bills owner Kim Pegula says the financial outlook for a new stadium does not look promising, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “I don’t even know if we can get there,” Pegula said. “I know fans in Buffalo don’t want higher ticket prices, they don’t want [personal seat licenses]. The state [of New York] doesn’t want to give you any money, the city doesn’t. … We don’t have a billion-and-a-half dollars sitting around. We used it to buy the team.” The Bills’ current lease expires in the summer of 2023, but the Bills can opt out in 2020. Given the Pegulas’ ties to Buffalo, it seems unlikely that the team would threaten to move, but it is a situation worth watching.
On Wednesday, former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito was placed on involuntary psychiatric hold by Florida police.

Falcons’ Ricardo Allen Wants New Deal

May 24th, 2018 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

Ricardo Allen has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender, as D.Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The Falcons free safety says he’s waiting things out as he pushes for a multi-year deal.

“I have a tender,” Allen said. “I haven’t signed it yet. That’s what you all hope for (a long-term contract)…I just take it day by day. I come out here and do my best for the team. I put myself in a good situation and I want to keep going.”

By not signing his $2.914MM tender, Allen is technically putting himself at risk for the Falcons to rescind the deal. From a football standpoint, that’s not much of a gamble after he started 15 games in 2017 and at least 14 games in each of the last three seasons. However, if he were to suffer an injury, that would make his situation a little less certain.

Allen’s position as the only player yet to sign his RFA tender in the NFL this year is a bit curious since the Falcons have some history of signing players to extensions after they ink their tenders. Last year, right tackle Ryan Schraeder inked his second-round tender in March and received a five-year, $31.5MM ($12.5MM guaranteed) extension in November.

Then again, Allen may feel compelled to make noise after the Falcons stated that left tackle Jake Matthews and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett are up next for new deals after Matt Ryan‘s mammoth extension. Wide receiver Julio Jones has also taken notice of Ryan’s new deal and is pushing for a new multi-year contract of his own.

Allen played cornerback at Purdue, but he has responded well to his move to safety under head coach Dan Quinn. In four seasons with the Falcons, Allen has played in 46 games, including 45 starts. All in all, he has made six interceptions, ten deflected passes, one fumble recovery and 158 tackles.

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

May 23rd, 2018 at 9:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the NFL announced its new national anthem policy as a unanimous decision, only 31 teams actually voted on the measure. 49ers owner Jed York said his club abstained from voting on the change, which will penalize teams if any of their players do not stand for the national anthem, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. In a related move, York indicated the 49ers will close concession stands during the anthem. “I don’t think we should profit during the national anthem if we’re going to ask people to be respectful,” York said, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com (Twitter link). York supported his former quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as the progenitor of the national anthem protest movement, so his stance on the matter at hand shouldn’t be too surprising.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

While the Rams seemingly upgraded at nearly every conceivable position this offseason, the club’s linebacker depth chart is still relatively weak after it traded Alec Ogletree to the Giants earlier this year. Nevertheless, don’t expect Los Angeles to be a major suitor for free agent ‘backer Mychal Kendricks, who was released by the Eagles on Monday, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Cory Littleton, Ramik Wilson, and rookie fifth-rounder Micah Kiser are among the candidates to play opposite entrenched starter Mark Barron, and the Rams are content to let those contenders battle for playing time. Kendricks, for his part, shouldn’t want for interest, as he’s the most coveted linebacker on the open market at present.
Seahawks offensive tackle George Fant, who suffered a torn ACL last August, is progressing normally and should be available for the start of the 2018 campaign, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes. Fant may even be ready for training camp, as the early nature of his injury has allowed him to recover in time for this summer’s activities. Seattle’s starting left tackle for 10 games in 2016, won’t have any chance of re-claiming that spot during the upcoming season, as the Seahawks have since acquired veteran Duane Brown to hold down the blindside. However, Fant will work as a reserve on the left side, and could even compete with former first-round pick Germain Ifedi for playing time at right tackle.
Reuben Foster will now be welcome back to the 49ers’ facilities after the domestic violence charges against him were dropped earlier today, and San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan had been in regular contact before today’s decision, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Shanahan revealed he’d been talking to Foster once or twice per week during his ongoing legal case, enabling him to check in on the linebacker’s state of mind.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Dez, Vikes, Barr

May 23rd, 2018 at 8:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Packers have been linked to a possible Dez Bryant addition, quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t see a fit, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. “Well, we like young receivers, so I’m assuming that’s the way they’re going to keep going,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know why you’d cut Jordy [Nelson] and bring in Dez, but he’s a talented player. He’s going to end up somewhere. If he ends up here, we’ll obviously welcome him with open arms and get him up to speed as quick as possible.” Green Bay drafted three wideouts to team with incumbents Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison, so as Rodgers notes, there’s probably not room for a veteran like Bryant on the club’s roster. The Packers, despite having been loosely connected to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, are not currently pursuing the 29-year-old pass-catcher.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

Linebacker Anthony Barr was not present for the Vikings‘ organized team activities this week, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Under the terms of his fifth-year option, Barr is fully guaranteed a base salary north of $12MM for the 2018 season, but he likely still doesn’t want to place himself in undue injury peril given that he doesn’t have a long-term contract in place. Barr’s fifth-year option doesn’t contain any sort of workout clauses, so he’s not costing himself money by not attending voluntary sessions. As Goessling tweets, Barr was present for a Mike Zimmer football camp at the Vikings’ facility over the weekend, suggesting there is no acrimony in talks with Minnesota.
New Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst attempted to hire Ravens scout Milt Hendrickson as his assistant GM earlier this year, but Baltimore and GM Ozzie Newsome denied the request, as Bob McGinn of BobMcGinnFootball.com reports (Twitter link). Hendrickson has been with the Ravens since 2006, writes Zach Kruse of PackersWire.com, who adds Hendrickson worked alongside Gutekunst at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Hendrickson still lives in La Crosse, per McGinn, and could join the Packers’ staff in 2019.
Former Buccaneers defensive line coach Jay Hayes will serve as a Packers defensive consultant through at least training camp, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). While Hayes’ assignment currently only lasts through training, it sound as though there may be an opportunity for Hayes to stick around further. Hayes, who was fired by Tampa Bay in Feburary, previously served on the Bengals’ coaching staff for 13 years.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Foles, Cowboys

May 23rd, 2018 at 7:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles reworked backup quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles‘ contract earlier this year, adding incentives to the deal while also tacking on a mutual option for the 2019 season. Initial reports indicated Foles will collect $250K per start and an additional $250K per win if he serves as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback, but he can earn even more than that during the postseason, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com. For every playoff game in which Foles plays 33% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps, he’ll take home $500K. If the Eagles win a postseason contest with Foles under center, another $500K goes in his pocket.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

While the terms of Foles’ deal could allow him to collect extra cash in 2018, Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams‘ contract language might enable Dallas to escape his pact with no financial penalty, as Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram writes. Williams, of course, was arrested last week for public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident, charges which Williams disputes. Nevertheless, if Williams is convicted for any sort of alcohol-related offense, he’ll almost certainly face a league-imposed suspension, and “all” Cowboys players have void provisions in their contracts related to bans, per Williams. At present, Williams is scheduled to earn a fully guaranteed $3.5MM base salary in 2018, and Dallas would take on $7.25MM in dead money by releasing him.
Head coach Doug Pederson would like the Eagles to re-sign safety Corey Graham “if it works out,” per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Graham will be 33 years old when the 2018 campaign gets underway, but PFR ranked him as one of the 10 best available safeties before the free agent market opened in March. Although Graham has yet to garner any known interest over the past several months, the safety market has been infamously slow to develop, so the lack of Graham suitors is perhaps unsurprising. Graham played 367 snaps in 2017 as Philadelphia’s third safety behind starters Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins.
The Eagles have announced a series of hirings and promotions within their front office. Of note, Jake Rosenberg was named vice president of football administration, Jon Ferrari was named director of football operations, Andy Weidl was named director of player personnel. Meanwhile, Trey Brown — whom you may remember from recent Microsoft Surface commercials and last year interviewed for the Bills’ general manager position — is no longer listed among Philadelphia’s front office roster, as Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets.

Judge Dismisses Domestic Violence Charge Against Reuben Foster

May 23rd, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A judge has dismissed a domestic violence charge against 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Judge Nona Klippen has also dismissed another charge relating to Foster purportedly smashing his ex-girlfriend’s cell phone as she was attempting to contact police, and reduced the weapons charge against Foster from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Foster’s ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, testified last week that she fabricated allegations against Foster. After originally claiming Foster had beaten her and thrown her down stairs, Ennis admitted that her visible injuries had actually been suffered during a fight with another woman. Ennis, angry over a reported breakup between she and Foster, wanted to take Foster “down” by pinning domestic violence charges on him.

Although Ennis recanted her allegations, the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office did not drop charges against Foster. Nevertheless, Judge Klippen made “multiple references” to insufficient evidence in her ruling, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, an indication that she was satisfied with Ennis’ re-telling of events.

The 49ers had been adamant that they would quickly release Foster if any domestic violence accusations were proven true, but that doesn’t appear to be an issue any longer. Foster will need to appear in court for his now-misdemeanor weapons charge, and is also facing a marijuana charge in Alabama. While neither offense may result in much legal action, Foster could still be subject to an NFL-imposed suspension.

Now that the domestic violence charges against Foster have been dropped, he will be allowed to rejoin the 49ers as early as Thursday, the club announced today.

Raiders Waive CB Senquez Golson

May 23rd, 2018 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Senquez Golson‘s time in Oakland is already through. The Raiders waived the cornerback on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

The Raiders signed Golson just seven weeks ago to what was likely a one-year deal with little or no guaranteed money. The former second-round pick of the Steelers apparently didn’t show much in camp, leading to a quick release.

Steelers had high hopes for Golson when selecting him in 2015, but he never played a down for them and spent the first two years of his career on injured reserve. Golson suffered another injury in the 2017 preseason and was subsequently waived. He was signed to the Buccaneers’ practice squad last year, but was cut shortly after and has yet to appear in a regular season NFL game.

The Raiders have overhauled their secondary this offseason by signing cornerbacks Rashaan Melvin, Leon Hall, Shareece Wright, and Daryl Worley as well as safety Marcus Gilchrist. With fourth-round pick Nick Nelson now also in the mix, things are even more crowded at cornerback.

Per league rules, Golson will now be subject to the waiver wire. If no teams claims him by the end of business on Thursday, he will be free to sign with any club of his choosing.

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