HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Panthers To Cut WR Russell Shepard?

May 14th, 2018 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Russell Shepard‘s time in Carolina will come to an end. The Panthers asked the wide receiver to take a pay cut and indications are he won’t take one, which likely will lead to his release, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. 

Shepard signed with the Panthers last offseason after spending the previous four years with the rival Buccaneers. The Panthers were reportedly one of six teams to pursue Shepard last year, but the Panthers won out with a three-year deal worth roughly $10.5MM. After just 17 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown, the Panthers are moving on. The Panthers will save $2.125MM against the cap with $1.4MM in dead money if they release Shepard.

The Panthers didn’t want to give up on Shepard entirely, but he simply wasn’t worth the money after the Panthers acquired veteran Torrey Smith and invested a first-round pick in D.J. Moore.

Last year, the Bills and Lions were among the clubs to express interest in Shepard. The Buccaneers also showed some level of interest in retaining him.

Jets Audition OL Byron Bell

May 14th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

Veteran offensive lineman Byron Bell will work out for the Jets on Monday, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bell has started in 74 games across six NFL seasons. 

Bell spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers before hooking on with the Titans in 2015. He missed all of 2016 with a foot injury, but returned in 2017 with the Cowboys where he appeared in 12 games at left tackle and made two starts. Bell’s 243 snaps last year were the lowest of any of his career seasons.

Bell hasn’t been a regular starter since 2015, but he could have an opportunity to unseat right tackle Brandon Shell in camp, which would put him opposite of Kelvin Beachum. Even if that’s not in the cards for Bell at this stage of his career, he could see some burn off of the bench at both tackle and guard.

So far this offseason, the Jets’ biggest additions to the offensive line have been on the interior. Former Redskin Spencer Long is the Jets’ new starter at center while ex-Lion Travis Swanson will serve as his backup.

Colts Meet With Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro

May 14th, 2018 at 9:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are taking a look at two of the best safeties left on the free agent market. Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccaro will meet with the Colts on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 

The market has been slow to develop for veteran safeties this year as many clubs opted to go for younger and cheaper alternatives in the draft. The Colts already have one high-potential safety in Malik Hooker and either Boston or Vaccaro would provide them with another quality starter in the secondary. Last week, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked both players in the top 10 of the remaining free agents on defense.

The Cardinals, Raiders, Browns, and Giants expressed interest in Boston back in March, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent weeks. Needless to say, it has been a frustrating offseason for the former Charger.

“It’s kind of unbelievable to me,” he said. “We’re talking about a position that’s needed more and more on the field in today’s game. “There are about five or six valuable starting safeties in free agency right now. But I guess it’s just trying to get us to take peanuts like the rest of them have. That’s just the business of the game.”

Vaccaro, meanwhile, met with the Dolphins in April, but left Miami without a deal. The lack of interest has been surprising given Vaccaro’s starting experience and ability to play slot cornerback, but he is coming off of a down season in New Orleans.

Neither player is without warts, but the Colts may have an opportunity to add one or both of them at an extremely discounted rate.

Poll: Which Rookie QB WIll Log The Most Playing Time In 2018?

May 13th, 2018 at 8:43pm CST by Ryan Posner

Six quarterbacks were taken in the first three rounds of the 2018 draft, including the Browns taking Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick.

Though teams spent high-value picks on quarterbacks in 2018, not every quarterback will be in a position to take over a starting role in 2018, though each seemingly has a decent possibility at finding the field in their rookie year. Along with the Browns selecting Mayfield, the Jets selected Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick, the Bills took Josh Allen with the No. 7 overall pick, the Cardinals took Josh Rosen with the No. 10 overall pick and the Ravens selected Lamar Jackson with the No. 32 overall pick. The Steelers also selected Mason Rudolph in the third round of the draft.

Each quarterback has a roadblock to finding playing time in 2018. The Browns acquired quarterback Tyrod Taylor via trade, the Jets re-signed Josh McCown and added Teddy Bridgewater, the Cardinals signed Sam Bradford and the Bills traded for A.J. McCarron. The Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger entrenched in the starting role, though he’s missed eight games over the last three seasons.

So, which quarterback do you think will receive the most playing time in 2018? Will injuries to Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco force Lamar Jackson or Mason Rudolph into action? Or can Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen or Allen win battles in crowded quarterback rooms?

Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

Extra Points: Luck, Hackenberg, Texans

May 13th, 2018 at 8:18pm CST by Ryan Posner

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has yet to resume throwing a football but has participated in the rest of the drills through the team’s offseason workouts, according to Mike Chappell of CBS4 (on Twitter). Luck’s biggest responsibilities without the throwing have been learning the intricacies of the team’s new-look offense under coach Frank Reich.

The Colts have done their part of late in providing protection for Luck, drafting guard Quenton Nelson with the No. 6 overall pick of last year’s draft and guard Braden Smith in the second round. They also signed free agent tackle Austin Howard this week, who is expected to slot in at right tackle.

Luck did not appear in a game last season after having shoulder surgery in the 2017 offseason. Jacoby Brissett started 15 game at quarterback for the Colts last season and the team also has quarterbacks Brad Kaaya and Phillip Walker.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • ESPN’s Rich Cimini expects the Jets to take four quarterbacks into their training camp, which means Christian Hackenberg will have the chance to earn a spot in a crowded Jets quarterback contingent. The team drafted former USC quarterback Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick of last month’s draft, re-signed Josh McCown and also added former Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. With the help of a personal quarterbacks coach, Hackenberg has developed a quicker, more compact throwing motion, per Cimini.
  •  The Texans announced that they’ve hired former Jets director of college scouting Matt Bazirgan as their director of player personnel and have hired former New England Patriots national scout James Liipfert as director of college scouting. The team dismissed assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel Jimmy Raye earlier this offseason. Former New Orleans Saints scout C.J. Leak has taken over as assistant director of pro scouting and Rob Kisiel will continue in his role as the director of pro scouting.
  • Earlier today, we learned that there have yet to be “substantive” talks between the Lions and Golden Tate toward a possible extension.

5 Key NFL Stories: 5/7/18 – 5/13/18

May 13th, 2018 at 6:51pm CST by Ryan Posner

Mark Ingram suspended. NFL suspended Saints running back Mark IngramThe for four games on Wednesday for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Ingram appealed the decision but the league has already denied the appeal. Ingram was a part of the Saints’ incredibly successful rushing attack this season, which featured rookie Alvin Kamara. Ingram set career highs in carries (230), yards (1,124), rushing touchdowns (12), and receptions (58) last season. It was also reported by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that the Saints may have been shopping Ingram throughout this offseason.

Brandon Marshall visits Seahawks. The Seahawks lost pass-catching threats this offseason in form of the free-agent departures of Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson. The team brought in free-agent wide receiver Brandon Marshall in for a visit on Thursday to possibly help fill the void. Marshall was cut by the Giants in April and his visit with the Seahawks is believed to be his first with another team. The six-time Pro Bowler played in just five games for the Giants last season after having October ankle surgery. He was last selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015 with the Jets when he had 1,502 yards receiving to go with a career-high 14 touchdown catches.

Colts sign Austin Howard. The Colts made another move to bolster their offensive line and protect quarterback Andrew Luck by signing free-agent tackle Austin Howard to a one-year $3.75MM deal, with $500K in incentives. Howard graded out as the No. 36 tackle in the league while with the Ravens last season, per Pro Football Focus, but was cut just one season into his three-year $16.5MM contract signed with the Ravens in the 2017 offseason. Howard has spent eight seasons in the NFL and has appeared in 98 games, starting 88 of them. The team drafted guard Quenton Nelson with the No. 6 overall pick of last month’s draft and took guard Braden Smith in the second round. All three are expected to start, with Howard slotting in at right tackle.

NFC East defensive linemen to undergo surgeries. Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins and Eagles former first-round pick Derek Barnett are both expected to undergo surgeries. Collins’ certainly appears to be the more worrisome of the two, as he broke his foot during the team’s offseason program this week. It was reported by the Dallas Morning News that Collins is slated to undergo surgery in the upcoming week and is expected to be sidelined for around three months, and could rejoin the team in the middle of training camp. Barnett already underwent his surgery to repair a hernia, which has a timetable to return of six weeks, though Barnett had the surgery shortly after the team’s Super Bowl victory.

Reuben Foster pleads not guilty. 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster pleaded not guilty to three felony domestic violence charges and is scheduled to begin trial on May 17. The charges are stemming from a February incident, though the defendant in the case has recanted her statement. If convicted, Foster could serve up to 11 years in prison and the 49ers have already said they would cut him if found guilty. Foster had a stellar rookie season on the field, as the Alabama product recorded 72 total tackles and started 10 games.

Patriots Rumors: Manziel, Bielema, Clayborn

May 13th, 2018 at 5:38pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Patriots’ drafting of former LSU quarterback Danny Etling in the seventh round of last month’s draft signaled an end to any chance of the team taking a chance on free-agent quarterback Johnny Manziel, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Reiss believes the team did its due diligence in scouting Manziel’s comeback attempt, including attending his workout at the University of San Diego pro day this year. The team even considered holding an additional workout for him outside of the pro day, per Reiss.

The Patriots traditionally carry three quarterbacks and by drafting Etling they’ve reached that number, with Tom Brady as the starter and Brian Hoyer backing him up.

Here’s more from the Patriots:

  • Former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has continued in his role with the Patriots following the conclusion of the draft, per ESPN’s Field Yate, and Yates also reports that he’s expected to be involved in coaching duties as the team begins its rookie minicamp Monday. Brett Bielema was fired as head coach of Arkansas last November after coaching the team for five seasons.
  • Adrian Clayborn has playing-time incentives written into his two-year, $10-million contract that are worth up to $1.5 million, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Clayborn can make $300,000 f0r playing up to 55 percent of the team’s snaps, $300,000 for 60 percent, $400,000 for 65 percent and $500,000 for 75 percent. Volin notes, though, that Clayborn never played more than 52 percent of the snaps during his first last three seasons with the Falcons.
  • We learned earlier Sunday that Patriots guard Joe Thuney is expected to undergo foot surgery but is expected to be back in time for training camp.

No “Substantive” Extension Talks Between Lions, Golden Tate

May 13th, 2018 at 4:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have not held any “substantive” extension talks with wide receiver Golden Tate, who is entering the final year of his current contract, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Tate joined the Lions on five-year, $31MM deal prior to the 2014 campaign, and has subsequently outperformed that contract by nearly any estimation. In four years with Detroit, Tate has averaged 93 receptions, 1,056 yards, and five touchdowns per season. Tate has also played like one of the league’s most efficient receivers: in 2017, for example, Football Outsiders ranked Tate 17th in DVOA, meaning he provides excellent value on a per-play basis.

In his contract season, Tate will earn a base salary of $7MM and count for roughly $9.4MM on the Lions’ salary cap. On an annual basis, Tate is now just the 34th-highest-paid wide receiver in the league, sandwiched between Marqise Goodwin and Travis Benjamin.

“The wide receiver market is very high right now, and it wasn’t very high when I came out when I was in free agency the first time, unfortunately,” Tate said. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s almost like, with these guys that are signing their first big deal, it’s been set. I would have never thought receivers today would be getting paid I guess what quarterbacks were getting paid just four years ago.”

The Lions have re-invested in the receiver position since signing Tate in 2014 (and seeing Calvin Johnson retire after the 2015 season). Marvin Jones is on a five-year contract that will keep him in Detroit through 2020, while the Lions used a third-round pick on Kenny Golladay a year ago.

Saints Work Out DLs Jay Bromley, Tyrunn Walker

May 13th, 2018 at 3:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran defensive linemen Jay Bromley and Tyrunn Walker are among the veterans participating in the Saints’ rookie miniamp, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link).

Bromley was never expected to re-sign with the Giants, as he wasn’t viewed as a fit for new defensive coordinator James Bettchers’ 3-4 defense. But it’s extremely surprising that Bromley has yet to land a new contract as the calendar has turned to May. The 25-year-old appeared in 47 games with New York over the past three seasons, appearing mostly in a rotational capacity. Heading into free agency, PFR ranked Bromley as the 15th-best defensive tackle on the open market — every other interior lineman on our list has since landed a new deal.

Walker, 28, is another potential interior addition for the Saints. He’s actually garnered a bit more interest than Bromley this offseason, as he auditioned for the Jets in late April. Walker has already enjoyed one stint with the Saints, appearing in 23 games for the club from 2012-14. In the years since, Walker has spent time with the Lions and Rams, and last year played about a quarter of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps.

In addition to Bromley and Walker, the Saints are also looking at former Ravens defensive back Matt Elam, former Falcons safety Sharrod Neasman, and veteran offensive lineman Michael Ola.

Chargers Sign Five Draft Picks

May 13th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

First-round safety Derwin James is now the only Chargers 2018 draft pick without a contract, as Los Angeles announced that the following selection have signed their rookie deals:

Third-round defensive tackle Justin Jones is also under contract, leaving James as the sole holdout. NFL rookie deals are now a breeze to negotiate thanks to the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, but James will likely sign his deal soon. First-rounders are often able to push for certain contractual issues, such as timing of bonus payments, but James is participating in the Chargers’ rookie minicamp even without a pact.

Most of the players signed by Los Angeles today will likely need to make their rookie mark on special teams duty, but Nwosu could have a chance at playing time in 2018. Although largely an edge rusher at USC, Nwosu probably won’t see much time as a pass-rusher given that the Chargers already employ Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. But the 6’2″, 240-pounder could find a role as a inside ‘backer, an area of weakness for the Bolts.

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