HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Draft Pick Signings: 5/18/18

May 18th, 2018 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the rest of Friday’s draft signings.

  • Third-round pick Nathan Shepherd signed his Jets deal, the team announced. A defensive tackle out of Division II Fort Hays State, Shepherd is currently slated to shift to end in New York’s 3-4 look. With Shepherd’s contract finalized, 22 third-round picks remain unsigned. That comprises nearly a third of the unsigned picks. The CBA’s vague language regarding this round provides annual holdups on these agreements. Shepherd will sign for four years and $3.447MM and receive a $987K signing bonus. As a third-round pick, Shepherd’s only true guaranteed money will come from that bonus.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/18

May 18th, 2018 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves.

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers from Seahawks: DE Marcell Frazier
  • Waived: LB Austin Calitro

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Latest On Alliance Of American Football

May 18th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The teams that will comprise the Alliance of American Football are steadily being revealed. This week, Phoenix was announced as the latest city to land a franchise in the latest offseason football experiment league.

Rick Neuheisel will coach the Phoenix AAF franchise. He’ll join familiar names as head coaches in this upstart league, which is set to debut a week after Super Bowl LIII.

Former 49ers HCs Dennis Erickson and Mike Singletary with head up the Salt Lake City and Memphis operations, respectively, and ex-Redskins HC Steve Spurrier will return to coach in Florida — in Orlando. Brad Childress has enjoyed an interesting 2018, leaving the Chiefs’ staff in what was then viewed as a retirement move before joining the Bears as a consultant. He will also be a head coach in the AAF, running the Atlanta team.

Base salaries for AAF head coaches will be $500K, Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com tweets. Jurecki adds these coaches’ staff budgets will be $1.25MM total. Interestingly, AAF co-founder Charlie Ebersol said the players’ pay will be based on performance, with incentives appearing to play a big part of wages. Ebersol said, per Kevin Zimmerman of ArizonaSports.com, that “wins and statistics” will help determine salaries. Interestingly, so will fan engagement, per Ebersol. It’s unclear what the precise plan is for player compensation at this point.

West Rumors: Taylor, Carrie, Broncos, Hawks

May 18th, 2018 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The trade that will send Jamar Taylor to his third NFL team will come with an adjusted contract. Taylor will make less for the Cardinals this year than he was supposed with the Browns, with Kent Somers of AZCentral.com reporting (on Twitter) the veteran cornerback will earn $3.5MM in base salary — down from $4.25MM. The additional $750K will be pushed onto the Cards’ 2019 balance sheet. The Cardinals and Browns have been discussing a Taylor deal since the draft, Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com tweets, adding that the Bashaud Breeland avenue is likely closed after this trade. Taylor is under contract for two more seasons. Finding a capable Patrick Peterson counterpart has been a problem in Arizona for a while, and Taylor will have a decent chance to earn that No. 2 job. Now-well-traveled Bene Benwikere, former Jets corner Marcus Williams and one-time third-round pick Brandon Williams represent the top competition.

Here’s the latest from the West divisions, keeping with the subject of cornerbacks who have worn Browns colors recently.

  • Taylor and T.J. Carrie were Browns teammates for a little more than two months, and Cleveland has now traded both of its 2017 starting corners as John Dorsey enters his first full season as Browns GM. Carrie will factor in prominently in the Browns’ 2018 secondary, but Jon Gruden would have preferred the Raiders retain Carrie, per Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. It’s unclear how much the Raiders were willing to offer their 2017 slot corner, but Gruden and some members of his new staff did meet with Carrie just prior to free agency. And the Bay Area native wanted to stay. However, Bair mentions money guided him to northeast Ohio. It’s unlikely the Raiders’ offer was especially close to the Browns’ four-year, $31MM proposal.
  • It appears the Broncos are going to try Menelik Watson at guard. After the former Raiders tackle struggled mightily before his latest injury, allowing a career-worst 7.5 sacks despite playing in just seven Broncos games last season, the team’s putting him in competition with as-of-now starter Connor McGovern for its right guard job, Mike Klis of 9News notes. A sixth-year player, Watson is a career tackle. Denver, which has entered the past five seasons with five different right tackle starters, traded for Jared Veldheer to replace Watson on the edge. McGovern himself is a notable inclusion into the lineup, since Max Garcia has started at guard for two seasons. McGovern worked his way into Denver’s starting mix after being an injury replacement for Ronald Leary late last season.
  • After the Seahawks lost pro personnel director Dan Morgan to the Bills, they will replace him with Nolan Teasley. A former running back at Division II Central Washington, Teasley began his career as a scouting intern in 2013 but rose to the position of assistant pro personnel director in 2017.
  • By giving Patrick Mahomes a top-flight arsenal to work with as he begins his run as the Chiefs‘ starting quarterback, Andy Reid is taking a better approach to developing his most recent prized passing prospect compared to his work with Donovan McNabb, Geoff Mosher of The Score writes. McNabb was not given many notable pass-catchers early in his career, but Mahomes has plenty. With the $16MM-AAV Sammy Watkins deal representing a notable Chiefs about-face regarding their No. 2 wideout position, the franchise now has a quartet of weapons — Watkins, Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill — that rivals any it’s ever assembled. While the Chiefs’ defense may have some work to do after the Marcus Peters trade, Mahomes has far more to work with offensively than Alex Smith did when he arrived in Kansas City five years ago.

Saints Re-Sign OL Josh LeRibeus

May 18th, 2018 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh LeRibeus played in 16 games for the Saints last season and will attempt to carve out a spot on New Orleans’ 53-man roster for a second straight year.

The defending NFC South champions re-signed the free agent offensive lineman on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. LeRibeus signed a one-year deal with the Saints last year as well. He reached an agreement to return to New Orleans after working out for the 49ers earlier this month.

A former third-round Redskins pick in 2012, LeRibeus has mostly served as a depth component in his career. His lone season with consistent first-string opportunities came in 2015 for the Redskins. The 29-year-old blocker saw action in 217 snaps in 2017, profiling as a better pass-blocking lineman than helping create run lanes.

The Saints lost Senio Kelemete to the Texans in free agency but reacquired Jermon Bushrod and will have Andrus Peat back healthy. New Orleans also used fourth- and seventh-round picks on linemen, so it’s not a given LeRibeus will make the team again.

Julio Jones Wants Adjusted Contract

May 18th, 2018 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Julio Jones is entering the third season of a five-year, $71.25MM contract, but the All-Pro wide receiver wants the Falcons to make an adjustment to his deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

Jones is set to earn $10.5MM in base salary this season, and minimal guarantees remain on this deal. The 29-year-old wideout is not expected to be with his team for the start of OTAs, Rapoport reports. He’s been training on his own in Alabama throughout the offseason.

The Falcons do not view Jones’ absence from their voluntary workouts as a major issue, per Rapoport, and are also amenable to adjusting Jones’ deal. Jones is set to earn base salaries of $12.5MM and $11.43MM in 2019 and ’20, respectively. The per-year value of his deal ($14.25MM) has plummeted, and receivers with lesser pedigrees like Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry and Davante Adams are now signed to bigger deals.

This does not look to be an acrimonious situation, with Atlanta brass being strong Jones supporters. The Falcons’ top weapon has stacked together four straight seasons of 1,400-plus receiving yards, and from 2013-16, Jones averaged more than 100 air yards per game.

After giving Matt Ryan a record extension, the Falcons possess just more than $5MM in cap space entering OTAs, which begin Monday.

Latest On 49ers’ Reuben Foster

May 18th, 2018 at 3:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Reuben Foster case took a major turn on Thursday when his accuser admitted she lied about the allegations of domestic violence. Elissa Ennis’ testimony will make a Foster domestic violence conviction unlikely, and as of now, it would appear the former Alabama linebacker has a clearer path back to the 49ers.

However, Foster will not be with the team when it begins OTAs. The 49ers barred the second-year linebacker from these workouts while the case proceeds and will still begin them without him, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). San Francisco’s OTAs begin on Tuesday, and Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports (via Twitter) the ruling in this case will come a day later.

Upon being questioned by Foster’s defense attorney, Ennis confessed to accusing a previous boyfriend of domestic violence when he attempted to break up with her in 2011, per Barrows (on Twitter). Ennis also initially told police she’d sustained injuries in a physical altercation with another woman outside a bar, but when on the witness stand, she said this fight occurred after a road-rage incident.

Foster also faces a felony charge of possessing an assault weapon. Foster legally purchased this weapon, Sig Sauer 516, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, in Alabama. But the weapon is illegal in California. Prosecution argued Foster had not safely stored this weapon, with Ennis directing law enforcement to a bathroom floor where it was located. This charge could end up being dropped to a misdemeanor, per Maiocco.

Additionally, Foster is still facing a second-degree marijuana possession charge in Alabama after being arrested in January. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets that Foster is due in court June 20 for this less misdemeanor charge.

Raiders Sign Rookie Kolton Miller

May 18th, 2018 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders officially signed first-round offensive tackle Kolton Miller, according to a team announcement. Per the terms of his slot as the No. 15 overall pick, Miller will receive a four-year deal worth $13.5MM. 

On draft night, the Raiders the No. 10 pick to the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 15 selection, plus third- and fifth-round selections. The deal allowed them to add additional draft capital while securing Miller at a cheaper rate. Had they taken Miller at No. 10, the Raiders would have doled out an extra $4.1MM over the course of his four-year deal while also facing a more expensive decision on his fifth-year option for the 2022 season.

It seems likely that Jon Gruden had his eye on Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey at No. 10, but the 49ers beat them to the punch by selecting him ninth overall. Even though he’s a bit green, Miller is not a bad consolation prize, especially when considering the extra draft picks acquired in the trade.

Oakland’s initial offseason workouts involving rookies have featured Miller at left tackle, where Donald Penn remains a mainstay. Penn’s entering his fifth season as the Raiders’ starter there but is also coming into his age-35 season. And the Raiders have had issues at right tackle for a couple of seasons now, the undeniable weak link on what’s been a strong offensive line over the past few years, and it’s possible the UCLA product could begin his career there.

Vincent Jackson Retires From NFL

May 18th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Vincent Jackson is “very happily retired” from the NFL, a representative for the wide receiver tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Jackson has played in over a year-and-a-half, so the news was largely expected.

Jackson appeared in three Pro Bowls over the course of his 12-year NFL career with the Chargers and Buccaneers. His last NFL season in 2016, however, did not go according to plan. That campaign ended after just five games due to a serious knee injury.

Now focused on community and business work in the Tampa, Florida area, the 35-year-old has fully transitioned into post-NFL life. He leaves the game with 9,080 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns and six individual seasons with 1,000 yards or more.

Jackson entered the league as a second-round pick of the (then San Diego) Chargers in 2005. Injuries hampered him as an NFL freshman, but he eventually blossomed into a dangerous receiving threat. A contract dispute later soured his relationship with Bolts brass, leading him to sign a five-year, $55.55MM free agent deal with the Bucs in 2012. Things started with a bang in Tampa as he enjoyed a career year with 72 catches for 1,384 yards and eight touchdowns. His eye-popping of 19.2 yards per catch led the NFL that year.

After a successful and lucrative NFL career, Jackson has decided to focus on other endeavors. It sounds like he’s settled into post-football life, even if Jon Gruden calls him up.

Browns To Trade Jamar Taylor To Cardinals

May 18th, 2018 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals are finalizing a trade for Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Cardinals have long had a glaring need at cornerback and Taylor figures to step in as the team’s new No. 2 CB alongside Patrick Peterson. Arizona will send a 2020 sixth-round pick to Cleveland in the deal, according to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). The deal is expected to be finalized after 4pm ET/3pm CT on Friday.

The belief before the draft was that the Browns would look to unload Taylor if they selected a cornerback early on. After the Browns selected Ohio State’s Denzel Ward with the No. 4 overall pick, his fate was all but sealed. The Browns have moved on from both of their starting cornerbacks from last year after trading Jason McCourty to the Patriots for a late draft pick. The Browns’ revamped secondary will see free agent pickup T.J. Carrie start opposite of Ward with newcomers E.J. Gaines and Terrance Mitchell among those in support at cornerback.

Taylor had the best year of his career in 2016 as he hauled in three interceptions and 57 total tackles, but he was not quite as sharp in 2017. If he can revert to his old form, then the Cardinals will be getting a quality starter in the trade. In ’16, Taylor ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19 ranked overall cornerback in the NFL and excelled in the slot, where he played 32% of his snaps.

The acquisition of Taylor could impact the Cardinals’ pursuit of free agent Bashaud Breeland. Then again, the Cardinals have signed the majority of their draft class and they still have upwards of $16MM in cap room, so there could be room for both players. Theoretically, Breeland could be signed to start at outside corner while Taylor mans the slot with occasional snaps on the outside.

Taylor restructured his contract in order to make a trade more palatable for the Cardinals, Rapoport hears (Twitter link), so there should still be plenty of breathing room for GM Steve Keim & Co. Originally, Taylor was slated to take up $5.25MM in cap space this year and $5.1MM in 2019. The revised terms of his deal are not yet known.

The Cardinals’ release of Tyrann Mathieu left them with a glaring need for slot help this offseason. The acquisitions of cornerbacks Bene Benwikere, Marcus Williams, Louis Young, and sixth-round pick Chris Campbell may provide depth, but that leaves much to be desired in Arizona’s secondary.

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