2018 May - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers Place Ryan Shazier On PUP List

May 2nd, 2018 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have placed Ryan Shazier on the PUP (Phyiscially Unable To Perform) list. This was the expected course of action after GM Kevin Colbert announced in February that Shazier would not be able to play in 2018. The move means that Shazier will not count against Pittsburgh’s 90-man roster.

Shazier, of course, suffered a serious spinal injury against the Bengals in Week 13. He underwent successful spinal stabilization surgery in December, but as we saw from his on-camera appearance during the NFL Draft, he has a long way to go in his recovery. An eventual return to the field has not been ruled out, but Shazier will first focus on his general well-being and mobility.

“That’s a huge lift, for not only him, but for us,” said Colbert after watching Shazier walk across the NFL Draft stage to announce the Steelers’ first round pick. “To see where he’s come from to where he is and knowing where he might be able to go, it’s beyond inspirational. It’s just exciting. It’s really exciting for him.”

Shazier, meanwhile, said he was touched by the tremendous reaction he received in Dallas.

“It motivates you when you get the reaction you get from the crowd,” said Shazier. “The people at Ohio State loved me before I got hurt. The people at the Steelers loved me before I got hurt. Just the fact that I am going through this, so many people have been reaching out, praying and having their hands of protection around me. It really means a lot.”

Browns Trade TE Randall Telfer To Chiefs For LB Dadi Nicolas

May 2nd, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are trading tight end Randall Telfer to the Chiefs for linebacker Dadi Nicolas, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Browns were said to be shopping Telfer in recent days.

The Browns are well set at tight end with holdovers David Njoku, Seth DeValve, and free agent addition Darren Fells, so Telfer became expendable this offseason. The 2016 sixth-round pick started in 14 games for the Browns last season, but he caught just three passes for 36 yards and finished a distant third amongst Cleveland TEs in catches. The new regime didn’t see a place on the roster for Telfer, which is understandable since he is a blocking specialist and Fells is viewed as a better one.

Nicolas, 26 in September, appeared in eleven games for the Chiefs in 2016. Unfortunately, a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in January of last year cost him his entire 2017 season.

Bears Won’t Exercise Kevin White’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears won’t pick up wide receiver Kevin White‘s option for 2019, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). This was the expected move since White has been plagued by injuries so far in his young career.

As a wide receiver taken in the top ten of the 2015 draft, the extra year for White would have cost a whopping $13.9MM. He is now officially entering his contract year, which could give him an opportunity to line up a nice payday in Chicago or another city. Last year, the Bears declined cornerback Kyle Fuller‘s option due to his up-and-down performance and he responded with a strong showing in 2018 that resulted in a new four-year deal worth $56MM with $18MM in guaranteed money.

Before White can dream of a substantial multi-year deal, however, he’ll have to focus on his health. The talented West Virginia product missed his entire rookie season due to injury and has appeared in a combined five games over the last two years.

Wednesday marks the deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year option for eligible players. To keep track of all 32 decisions, check out PFR’s 2019 Fifth-Year Option Tracker.

Chargers Exercise Melvin Gordon’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Chargers have officially picked up Melvin Gordon‘s option for the 2019 season (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Chargers general manager Tom Telesco indicated last month that he would add the additional year to Gordon’s deal.

Gordon, the No. 15 pick in the ’15 draft, will earn $5.605MM in the 2019 season. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Chargers could theoretically bail on the extra year if Gordon’s performance slips for non-health reasons.

Gordon is coming off a career-high 1,105 yards on the ground, so the Chargers seem pretty likely to move forward with the fifth-year. Gordon also had 58 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns in 2017.

The Wisconsin product got off to a slow start in his NFL career as he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry as a rookie. Over the last two years, he has stepped that up to a more respectable 3.9 yards per tote average as the Bolts’ primary rusher. He has also shown the ability to perform in the red zone with 18 rushing TDs and six receiving TDs to his credit over the last two years.

Broncos To Decline Shane Ray’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos will not exercise Shane Ray’s fifth-year option for 2019, multiple sources tell Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). In recent days, we’ve been hearing that Denver was leaning in this direction.

The Broncos bolstered their pass rush by selecting Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, which crowded their outside linebacker group even further. Rather than overcommitting dollars to the OLB unit, the Broncos will allow Ray to play out the 2018 season with unrestricted free agency on the horizon next year.

The option for the former No. 23 overall pick would have cost Denver $9.232MM. He’ll carry a much more palatable cap number of $2.9MM in 2018 , making him an interesting trade chip for Denver. An acquiring team would take on just $1.678MM in base salary and, unlike other members of the 2015 draft class who have had their options declined, Ray has produced in the past. In his first two NFL seasons, the Missouri product tallied 12 sacks. Unfortunately, he took a step back last season as he missed time and recorded only one sack.

Bengals To Decline Cedric Ogbuehi’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals will not pick up offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi’s option for 2019, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former No. 21 overall pick in the 2015 draft is now on track to reach to free agency next year.

The Bengals were not expected to tack on the additional year to Ogbuehi’s contract given his struggles thus far. The 26-year-old has started at tackle over the last two seasons (the right side in 2016 and the left side last year), but he seems unlikely to start this season. This year, coaches say that he’ll compete with Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher for the starting tackle jobs, but that seems like a longshot, particularly when it comes to unseating Glenn on the left side.

The declining of his option could give Ogbuehi some extra incentive to perform, however. Even though his work so far has been underwhelming, there is a dire need for tackles all across the league and he could cash in with a strong year in 2018.

Giants Sign QB Alex Tanney

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have signed quarterback Alex Tanney. The journeyman broke the news himself via Twitter on Wednesday.

Tanney becomes the fourth quarterback on the Giants’ roster, joining starter Eli Manning, 2017 third-round pick Davis Webb, and 2018 fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta. Tanney comes with only limited NFL experience, but Lauletta is a late-round rookie and Webb did not throw a pass in his only pro season. As a holdover of the previous regime, Webb may be on shaky ground with GM Dave Gettleman, so Tanney may have an opportunity to stick on the roster.

Tanney, a product of Division III Monmouth College in Illinois, has bounced around the league since entering as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He has signed contracs with the Chiefs, Cowboys, Browns, Bucs, Titans (twice), Bills, and Colts. The Giants deal marks his ninth NFL pact and the eighth new jersey for his collection.

Tanney has 14 NFL passes to his credit (all coming in 2015), but he is perhaps best known for his trick shot highlight reel that went viral in 2011.

Titans Sign S Kendrick Lewis

May 2nd, 2018 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have signed safety Kendrick Lewis, according to a team press release. In a related move, the Titans released linebacker Denzel Johnson.

Lewis was out of football in 2017 but he offers a great deal of starting experience over the years. Out of 90 career games with the Chiefs, Texans, and Ravens, the safety was first-string for 81 of those contests.

Lewis turned in a standout season in 2014 with Houston as he finished the year with 84 tackles, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. His 2015 with Baltimore wasn’t too shabby either. In 2016, unfortunately, he only saw time in six games as a reserve and was limited due to injury.

It was a quiet offseason for Lewis up until his deal with the Titans. His only other previously reported workout came with the Saints in January and he left New Orleans without a deal.

Lewis, who has nine career interceptions, will look to make the Titans’ final cut. By the sound of it, Lewis is probably playing on a one-year deal with little or no guarantees.

Eric Reid Files Grievance Against NFL

May 2nd, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Former 49ers safety Eric Reid has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. He adds that Reid has hired attorney Mark Geragos, who has also represented Colin Kaepernick. In a statement, the NFLPA expressed support for Reid and indicated that the union will also explore other avenues in the legal process to support his fight.

Reid entered free agency as one of the best safeties available, but there hasn’t been much of a market for him so far. The NFL veteran personally believes that his participation in anthem protests has kept him from finding work.

“The notion that I can be a great signing for your team for cheap, not because of my skill set, but because I’ve protested systemic oppression, is ludicrous. If you think is, then your mindset is part of the problem too,” Reid tweeted in March.

Before the start of free agency, I ranked Reid as the 23rd best player available on our top 50 list with the caveat that Reid’s protest participation could hurt him. That does appear to be the case, as lesser free agents at his position have already found NFL homes for 2018. However, it should also be noted that Reid is not the only talented safety who is out of work. Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston are also floating in free agent limbo despite years of starting experience.

For his part, Reid believes that football evaluators are interested in signing him, but owners of teams are standing in the way of a deal. It’s unclear how Reid’s legal action will impact his bid to land with a club.

Chiefs To Decline Cameron Erving’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 8:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will decline Cameron Erving‘s fifth-year option, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). This means that Erving is entering his contract year and will be on track for unrestricted free agency in 2019.

This doesn’t come as a huge shock as Erving is not likely to start for the Chiefs in 2018. Erving can theoretically play anywhere on the offensive line, but Kansas City projects to start Eric Fisher, Bryan Witzmann, Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, and Mitchell Schwartz up front, as shown on Roster Resource.

The Browns selected Erving with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he turned out to be yet another high-profile draft bust for Cleveland. Last August, the Browns bailed on the Florida State product and shipped him to the Chiefs for a fifth-round pick.

Erving started in 13 games at center for the Browns in 2016, but Pro Football Focus ranked him among the game’s worst centers. Last year, Erving started just four times for KC and saw just 276 snaps in total.