2018 May - Pro Football Rumors

Redskins Waive/Injured G Arie Kouandjio

May 22nd, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have waived/injured guard Arie Kouandjio. To take his place on the roster, they have signed fellow guard Isaiah Williams.

This was the expected move after it was learned that Kouandjio would miss the entire 2018 season with a torn quadriceps muscle. If Kouandjio goes unclaimed on waivers – which is the likely outcome – he will land on the Redskins’ injured reserve list. From there, the Redskins can either keep him on IR or negotiate a settlement for his release.

Before the injury, Kouandjio was said to be performing well on the practice field and figured to be a staple in the rotation on the interior line. Without him, Shawn Lauvao appears to be a shoe-in to start at left guard with standout Brandon Scherff manning right guard.

The former fourth-round pick out of Alabama appeared in 17 games with Washington over the last three years and started in the final six games of last season.

Williams is no stranger to Washington. He entered the league with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spent the year on their practice squad. Since then, he has spent time with the Chiefs and Colts.

Jets Trade Christian Hackenberg To Raiders

May 22nd, 2018 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Christian Hackenberg is headed to the opposite coast. The Jets have traded the quarterback to the Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick, coach Todd Bowles announced.

Hackenberg was considered to be an extreme longshot to make the Jets’ final cut following the re-signing of Josh McCown, the free agent addition of Teddy Bridgewater, and the drafting of Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick. The waiving of Bryce Petty gave the former Penn State signal caller some reason for hope, but the Jets probably saw little need to keep Hackenberg around after Bridgewater took the practice field on Tuesday with no ill effects from his surgically-repaired knee.

Hackenberg, the No. 51 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has yet to throw an NFL pass. In an effort to get his career on track, Hackenberg recently revamped his throwing motion – without first consulting Jets coaches.

“[Hackenberg] hasn’t talked to me about it,” Bowles said earlier this month. “He’s just worked on it and I learned about it after the fact.”

Hackenberg’s odds of making the Raiders’ final cut are stronger than they were in New York, but it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll be in Oakland come September. The Raiders already have EJ Manuel and Connor Cook battling for time behind starter Derek Carr.

Eagles’ LB Paul Worrilow Suffers ACL Tear

May 22nd, 2018 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles’ worst fears have been confirmed. Linebacker Paul Worrilow has been diagnosed with a torn ACL hours after being carted off of the practice field (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Needless to say, the ACL tear will rule Worrilow out for the 2018 season.

The Eagles signed Worrilow in early April with the hope that he would be a regular member in the team’s middle linebacker rotation.

Worrilow, 27, played on the majority of the Falcons’ snaps from 2013-15, but has since been relegated to backup duty. A former undrafted free agent, Worrilow spent the 2017 campaign with the Lions, where he started eight games but saw only 25% playtime, third-most among Detroit linebackers. Instead, most of his action came on special teams, where Worrilow played more than 60% of the Lions’ snaps. All told, Worrilow managed 20 tackles, one fumble recovery, and one pass defensed during his lone season in the Motor City.

Over the course of one day, the makeup Eagles’ linebacker group has shifted dramatically. In addition to losing Worrilow for the year, the Eagles have also released longtime linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The Eagles are likely to scour the linebacker market as they look for help alongside and behind starters Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks.

Eagles Release LB Mychal Kendricks

May 22nd, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles releasing linebacker Mychal Kendricks, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Kendricks has spent the last six years with the Eagles, but he has been the subject of trade rumors for years.

Kendricks is expected to draw interest on the open market, though teams will want to take a close look at his ankle after he underwent a minor operation this offseason.

Kendricks’ place on the roster was once again put into flux this year when the defending champs re-signed linebacker Nigel Bradham. Bradham’s deal is worth $40MM over five years, which made Kendricks’ $5.85MM scheduled salary unpalatable. By releasing Kendricks, the Eagles will save $4.4MM in cap space with $3.2MM in dead money.

Kendricks, 28 in September, amassed 73 tackles and two sacks in 15 games in 2017. He also added 16 tackles in the postseason as the Eagles captured their first ever Super Bowl title.

It was arguably the best season of the veteran’s career as he placed as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked linebacker in the NFL, ahead of notables like NaVorro Bowman, Vontaze Burfict, and Danny Trevathan.

Without Kendricks, the Eagles may try Corey Nelson, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and rookie Josh Sweat at strongside linebacker. It also wouldn’t be surprise to see them look at the free agent market for linebacker help, particularly after middle linebacker Paul Worrilow was diagnosed with a torn ACL.

DRC Hopes To Continue Playing

May 22nd, 2018 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is still without a team, but he hopes to continue his NFL career. The former Giants cornerback also says that he has drawn interest from clubs, though we haven’t heard much about DRC since the Redskins and Saints kicked the tires on him in March.

“I’m good, ya dig? Yeah [I’m going to] play,” DRC told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “Teams told me to wait ’til training camp. I can sign, but I will wait. No rush.”

Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie turned in what was arguably the worst season of his career to date. He also clashed with Giants coaches, which probably isn’t helping his market. He was handed an indefinite suspension after an argument with then-head coach Ben McAdoo in 2017, though he wound up missing only one game after a quick reinstatement.

Rodgers-Cromartie earned a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus last year, which was his lowest since 2012. He graded out the No. 58 cornerback in the league, which indicates he’s on the fringe of starter value.

It’s not clear which teams have reached out to DRC, but the Broncos were not interested in a reunion at the time of his release in March.

Giants Notes: Beckham, Apple, D-Line

May 22nd, 2018 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Now that Odell Beckham Jr. has reported to the team, it’s time for the Giants to pay the star wide receiver, Steve Serby of the New York Post opines. Ultimately, he thinks that they’ll get a deal done, even though they do not want to give the impression that they are fearful of a potential Beckham holdout.

For now, Beckham is under contract for one more season at a rate of $8.5MM. A new deal would cost the Giants significantly more and could eclipse Antonio Brown‘s position-leading $17MM/year average. If Beckham shows that he’s on the same page with the Giants’ new regime, it’s hard to see a scenario where they do not get a deal done, even if it costs nearly $100MM in total.

Here’s more on the G-Men:

The Giants upgraded several position groups this offseason, including quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and offensive line. However, they have yet to improve at tight end, defensive line, cornerback, and safety, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. The absence of Jason Pierre-Paul on the defensive line is particularly glaring after the Giants shipped him to the Bucs without an obvious replacement, though Damon Harrison will return to anchor the three-man front.
Last year was rocky, to say the least, for former first-round pick Eli Apple. However, the cornerback says that he has been assured by GM Dave Gettleman & Co. that he has a “clean slate” with the team (via John Healy of the New York Daily News). Apple has two years to go on his rookie contract with cap numbers of $4.132MM and $4.821MM. If Apple plays up to par in 2018, the Giants may consider exercising his fifth-year option, which would keep him under team control through the 2020 season.

NFL Approves David Tepper’s Panthers Purchase

May 22nd, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here. On Tuesday, NFL owners voted to approve hedge fund manager David Tepper as the new owner of the Panthers.

Tepper is no stranger to the NFL community thanks to his time as a minority owner of the Steelers, so his approval at the Atlanta meetings was viewed as a mere formality. Between now and the finalization of his purchase – which is expected to take place in July – he’ll sell his 5% stake in the Steelers.

Tepper is paying $2.2 billion in cash for the club, plus another $75MM in deferred payment, bringing the total purchase price to a league record $2.275 billion. Tepper’s bid may not have been the highest of the bunch as there have been rumblings of bids in the $2.5 billion range.

The transaction sets a new watermark for the league and bodes well for future club values as television rights are expected to increase. The country’s relaxation of sports gambling laws should also aid the league’s growth and the next owner to sell his franchise could conceivably receive $2.5 billion.

The sale to Tepper also allows the league to quickly move on from the Jerry Richardson scandal of 2017. On Tuesday, Richardson will give a farewell address to his colleagues.

Johnny Manziel: I Was “Close” To NFL Deal

May 22nd, 2018 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel is heading north of the border to suit up with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Before agreeing to play in Canada, Manziel believes that he was on the cusp of landing an NFL contract.

“I think it was close,” Manziel said (via PFT). “I did reach out and talk to multiple teams and coaches I had met in my first couple years in the league.”

Ultimately, Manziel says he did not want to squander his opportunity to get things going in the CFL given the time that has passed since his last professional snap. In theory, Manziel could have waited for something to materialize in the NFL, or for a non-binding short-term deal in the Alliance of American Football in 2019, but he did not want to sit on the sidelines any longer.

“It was really the wait,” he said. “I didn’t want to get into something down the road where I’m waiting until August, waiting until training camps open, and then if something doesn’t transpire I’m getting here late.”

Manziel agreed to sign a two-year deal with the Ti-Cats – the minimum length of a deal in the CFL – and it contains no possible outs for the NFL, as stipulated by league rules. In theory, the Ti-Cats could grant a request for release between now and 2020, but they are under no obligation to do so.

For now, it looks like Manziel will not resurface in the NFL before the end of this decade.

Latest On Jets’ Teddy Bridgewater

May 22nd, 2018 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

For the first time in two years, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is participating fully in OTAs (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Bridgewater took the field on Tuesday morning as the No. 2 QB behind last year’s starter Josh McCown. The early word is encouraging as he ran a few bootleg passes and showed no signs of favoring his surgically-repaired knee.

The Jets signed Bridgewater to a one-year, $6MM in March with the potential to make significantly more based on playtime and performance. However, the $500K signing bonus in the deal represents the only guaranteed portion of the deal. Considering the presence of McCown and No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold, it seems like Bridgewater will have to show that he is no less than 100% healthy in order to keep his place on the roster.

During his two years as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, Bridgewater was competent, but not a world-beater. In 28 starts, Bridgewater completed 65% of his passes and averaged 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Since 2015, he has attempted just two passes in live action.

While Bridgewater was able to take the field on Tuesday morning, fellow newcomer Terrelle Pryor was not a participant thanks to an ankle injury.

Jets’ Terrelle Pryor Dealing With Injury

May 22nd, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Jets wide receiver Terrelle Pryor suffered another ankle injury this offseason and was unable to join his team for OTAs on Tuesday morning, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. The severity of the injury is not yet known, but it’s not a great sign for the Jets newcomer after he underwent ankle surgery in November.

Pryor joined the Jets on a one-year, $4.5MM deal this offseason after a disappointing year with the Redskins. Pryor had just 20 catches, 240 yards, and one touchdown in nine games for Washington last year, but the Jets took a small gamble on him with the hope that he could reprise his 2016 showing with Cleveland when he posted more than 1,000 yards receiving.

On paper, the Jets have a solid group of receivers headlined by Pryor, Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, and a healthy Quincy Enunwa. However, Pryor’s health and Anderson’s ongoing legal issues could put the Jets behind the 8 ball as the season starts.

If Pryor or Anderson miss time, that could open up opportunities for veteran Andre Roberts as well as 2017 picks ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen. For a complete look at the Jets’ depth chart, you can check out their page on Roster Resource.