HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Extra Points: Anthem, Giants, Rams

June 21st, 2018 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Last month, the NFL changed its rules regarding the national anthem, allowing players who choose to not stand to remain in the locker room. So far, the new policy has not been well-received, and this week a group of civil rights organizations asked the NFL to eliminate the new rule.

“This policy represses peaceful, non-disruptive protest of police violence against unarmed African Americans and other people of color,” the various groups wrote (via USA Today). “It is disappointing that a league built on grit and competition lacks the constitution to stomach a call for basic equality and fairness.”

The groups want to meet with Roger Goodell to discuss the situation, but it’s not clear whether he’ll take them up on their offer, or if the league is willing to change course on its decision.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Gronk, Bills, Jets

June 21st, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Given what Rob Gronkowski brings to the field, he could make a legitimate case that he has transcended the tight end position and should be compared to game’s best pass catchers, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry writes. A deal like that is out of the question given that Antonio Brown paces wide receivers with a $17MM/year deal, but it’s still food for thought as Gronk pushes for a revised contract.

Right now, Jimmy Graham is the league’s only $10MM/year tight end and Gronkowski can certainly make a case to earn more than him. And, if Gronk wants to weigh himself against wide receivers, his camp can point to the top of the second tier of the WR market which is in the $13MM/range with roughly $25-$30MM in guarantees.

Of course, the Pats still hold the cards as remains under contract through 2019 with base salaries of $8MM and $9MM in each of the next two seasons. Unless Gronk wants to start up the retirement talk again, or try to force his way out via trade, it seems unlikely that his next contract will be in line with the T.Y. Hiltons of the world.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson has gotten the sense that he could be traded this year if he does not step his game up. “Shoot, I’ve been on the trading block I feel like,” Lawson said (via Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic). “I’ve just been seeing it. Yeah, it’s been a wake-up call. I’ve been hearing trade rumors and then I kind of realized, ‘I’m a first-round pick, third-year now. It’s time to wake up.’ I know I’m a good player. I just have to put it all together and be not just a talented player but a talented player who works hard and works on his craft and skill all together.” Lawson probably has good reason to worry about his security in Buffalo. This offseason, the Bills signed Trent Murphy, who will likely squeeze him out of the starting lineup when he and Jerry Hughes are healthy. Meanwhile, the Bills have already shipped out a number of players from the Doug Whaley era, including Marcell Dareus, Sammy Watkins, Ronald Darby, Reggie Ragland, and Cardale Jones.
  • The CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos have added former Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg to their negotiating list, according to Justin Dunk of 3DownNation.com. It’s unclear whether the former second-round pick is willing to play in Canada, but it’s also unclear as to whether he’ll get another NFL opportunity this year. The Raiders released Hackenberg shortly after acquiring him from the Jets and a recent visit with the Patriots did not result in a deal.

Broncos To Sign Bradley Chubb

June 21st, 2018 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

Rookie defensive end Bradley Chubb is finalizing a contract agreement with the Broncos, a league source tells Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Chubb’s No. 5 slot dictates that he’ll earn a $17.914MM signing bonus on a four-year deal worth about $27.27MM in total. 

Chubb was regarded by many as the best overall talent in this year’s draft. Luckily for the Broncos, the Browns (pick Nos. 1 and 4), Giants (No. 2), and Jets (No. 3) all had bigger needs to address elsewhere.

In his final year at N.C. State, Chubb won the Hendricks (best defensive end) and Bronko Nagurski (best defender) Awards while also earning first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors. After tallying 26 tackles for loss and ten sacks, he solidified his place as one of the very best prospects in the 2018 draft.

Chubb will be a Day 1 starter for the Broncos, lining up at defensive end opposite of Derek Wolfe. With the support and mentorship of Von Miller behind him, the Broncos are ecstatic about what Chubb can bring to the table this year and in the long run.

With Chubb taken care of, third-round running back Royce Freeman stands as the Broncos’ only unsigned selection. For a complete look at which rookies have signed and which rookies have not signed their deals, check out PFR’s tracker.

Jets’ Robby Anderson Receives Probation

June 21st, 2018 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson pled no contest to charges of reckless driving this week, attorney Ed O’Donnell tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). As a result, he’ll get six months of “non-reporting” probation. With that, all of the charges from Anderson’s two arrests have been addressed. 

This particular arrest was for Anderson’s speeding incident, in which he was pulled over for driving 105 mph in a 45 mph zone. The 25-year-old was hit with nine charges in total after he threatened to sexually assault the wife of the arresting officer. The majority of those charges were dropped, which was good news for Anderson since three of the nine charges were felonies.

This incident is not to be confused with the one at a Miami music festival in which Anderson was said to have resisted arrest with violence after getting into a fight. Last month, Florida prosecutors dropped the felony charges associated with that incident.

Legally speaking, Anderson is pretty much in the clear. However, it’s possible that he will face league discipline after the NFL completes its investigation into both incidents.

Losing Anderson for any period of time would be tough for the Jets, but they do have some depth at the wide receiver position. Jermaine Kearse, Terrelle Pryor (if healthy), Quincy Enunwa, ArDarius Stewart, and Andre Roberts are among those who can pick up the slack if Anderson misses time.

Half Of Teams Have Wrapped Draft Class

June 21st, 2018 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

Half of the NFL’s teams have wrapped up their NFL draft classes, as shown in PFR’s tracker. There are still 16 teams with at least one draft pick left to sign, but the following clubs have no more work left in that area as we get ready for training camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Yet To Begin Serious Extension Discussions

June 20th, 2018 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Odell Beckham Jr. having become extension-eligible in January 2017, he and the Giants aren’t far along in contract discussions.

The Giants have held preliminary talks with Beckham about what would have to be a monstrous re-up, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports no serious negotiations have begun. This comes on the heels of Beckham saying he’ll be at Giants camp, but some caveats exist regarding that pledge. The sides have not been close on terms in these early conversations.

Beckham’s camp, per Vacchiano, does not believe the Giants are willing to participate in serious talks at this time, despite the wideout’s status and contributions to the team. The Giants want to see their top weapon on the field to make sure he’s the same player after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery last year.

Beckham’s side would like the Giants to open serious discussions and be amenable to meeting the wideout halfway regarding his deal demands, Vacchiano reports. It’s been reported Beckham’s had a good rapport with New York’s new coaching staff, but at this juncture, it does not appear that’s translating into legitimate extension talks.

Pat Shurmur said Beckham had been cleared for minicamp action, but Beckham did not participate in team drills last week. He has, however, been present for most of the Giants’ offseason workouts, while fellow extension-anglers Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald have not shown up at their respective teams’ sessions.

Vacchiano writes that a Beckham holdout half-measure could involve the wideout refusing to participate in team drills at training camp, which would be approximately nine months since his surgery. Beckham did not look limited by his surgically repaired ankle during his individual drills, so the Giants would surely take that as a sign of discontent if he were to take this route. Shurmur said he expects Beckham to be 100 percent by the time the Giants begin camp.

Beckham’s on pace to become the greatest wide receiver in this franchise’s near-100-year history. His three full seasons all rank in the top five in Giants history, with only Victor Cruz‘s 2011 outpacing Beckham’s best work. But his demands have long been believed to be immense, which makes sense given his age and superstar status.

Latest On Birmingham, San Antonio AAF Franchises

June 20th, 2018 at 9:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, then-Eagles executive Trey Brown interviewed for the Bills’ GM job. Last month, however, Brown was no longer listed on the Eagles’ front office roster.

Now, the experienced scouting exec will latch on with an Alliance of American Football Franchise. The 33-year-old Brown will be part of the AAF’s Birmingham franchise, serving in its front office, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports (on Twitter).

Additionally, the Birmingham franchise will hire former Giants and Steelers defensive coordinator Tim Lewis as its first head coach, per Marvez. Lewis’ most recent NFL job was 49ers DBs coach in 2015. Former Browns, Panthers and Bills OC Joe Pendry will also serve as a Birmingham exec, Marvez reports.

As for the San Antonio franchise, former Cowboys fullback and current Fox analyst Daryl Johnston is expected to be named GM, Marvez tweets. Former Chargers head coach Mike Riley is expected to be the San Antonio HC.

Brown spent eight seasons as an NFL scout/exec, breaking into the league with the Patriots in 2010 and spending five years with the Eagles. He earned multiple promotions, one involving a climb to the post of Eagles director of college scouting in 2016, and was viewed as a rising star in the executive ranks. This led to the Bills interviewing him for the GM job that went to Brandon Beane.

Lewis interviewed to become the Redskins’ secondary coach in 2017 and the Cowboys’ DBs boss in 2016. The 56-year-old coach spent nine seasons on Bill Cowher‘s staffs from 1995-03 and was Tom Coughlin‘s first DC with the Giants.

The Chargers’ HC from 1999-01, Riley just recently accepted a job as an assistant head coach at Oregon State. He served as the Beavers’ HC from 2003-14 before serving as Nebraska’s head coach for three seasons. His last NFL gig came as a Saints assistant in 2002. Pendry’s previous pro coaching gig came as Texans offensive line coach in the 2000s.

West Rumors: Bryant, Butler, Broncos

June 20th, 2018 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Somewhat recently, Dez Bryant connected himself to the 49ers as he scanned the landscape in hopes of latching on with a second NFL franchise. Now, others may be pointing in that direction as well. The 49ers have been the team to which Bryant’s been most connected, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes. The 29-year-old wide receiver turned down an offer from the Ravens, and they moved on to Willie Snead. Now, Bryant is not expected to sign with a team before training camp. The 49ers made a concerted effort to avoid high-profile wideouts in free agency. However, Bryant’s price tag will not be what Sammy Watkins or Allen Robinson — two players the 49ers made a point to steer clear of — commanded, perhaps inducing the Niners to make an exception. San Francisco holds more than $46MM in cap space; that’s the third-most in the league. And without a proven tight end or much size at the receiver spot (none of the current cast expected to make the team is over 6-foot), they could be in need of a red zone threat like Bryant.

This will focus on wide receiver situations out west. Here’s the latest:

  • Although Brice Butler signed with the Cardinals a few months ago, he’s experienced a shaky offseason in the desert. He may not be a lock for their 53-man roster, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. The Cards have a void opposite Larry Fitzgerald after losing multiple contributors, but they still have JJ Nelson and 2017 third-rounder Chad Williams, and drafted Christian Kirk. And the Cards just signed Greg Little as well, perhaps indicating they’re not happy with their receiver situation at present. Butler chose Arizona over a host of other suitors.
  • The Broncos added two receivers in the draft this year, and both Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton are locks to make the roster. This could leave a player the team was once high on out of a job. Carlos Henderson did not see the field as a rookie, spending all year on IR with a thumb injury. The 2017 third-round pick is now dealing with a hamstring malady, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic notes (subscription required). “(The injury) started in Phase 2 and hasn’t gotten better,” Vance Joseph said, via Jhabvala. “He’s got to get back on the field if he wants to make this football team.” Denver also has Jordan Taylor and Isaiah McKenzie vying for roster spots, with one of those two likely sticking around as the primary return man. Henderson produced eye-popping numbers at Louisiana Tech, and it would be a tad early for a team to give up on a third-rounder, but the slot target could be in danger of being cut by his first NFL team without having played in a regular-season game.
  • Speaking of injuries affecting camp battles, Brandon Marshall also had toe surgery this offseason, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. The Seahawks already shelved the 13th-year pass-catcher in minicamp because of a hamstring issue, and it appears Marshall — who missed most of 2017 due to ankle surgery — may have a tough time on multiple fronts in making the team. Beyond Doug Baldwin, the Seahawks have Tyler Lockett and now Jaron Brown. They drafted Amara Darboh in the third round last year, and Henderson notes they are high on 2017 seventh-rounder David Moore.

Giants Reshuffle Front Office

June 20th, 2018 at 6:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Six months into the Dave Gettleman regime, the Giants reorganized their front office on Wednesday. The headline move involved longtime Giants exec Kevin Abrams moving from the assistant GM title to the VP of football operations. But Big Blue made many other moves as well.

Former Panthers exec Mark Koncz joined his former boss as a consultant this offseason, but Gettleman established the longtime Carolina staffer as the Giants’ new director of player personnel, the team announced. Additionally, Chris Pettit is now the Giants’ director of college scouting, moving to that role after spending 13 years as an area scout.

Koncz worked for the Panthers from 1994, a year before their first season, until he was fired one week after Gettleman’s ouster last summer. Koncz served as Carolina’s director of player personnel during Gettleman’s tenure and spent nearly 15 years as the franchise’s director of pro scouting. Pettit’s worked in a full-time role with the franchise since 2005 but began his run with the Giants as an intern in 1998.

Former Giants linebacker Jessie Armstead will serve as special assistant to Gettleman, Patrick Hanscomb will shift from a role in the pro personnel department to a job as an area scout, specializing in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the Giants hired Marcus Cooper over from the Bills. He’ll serve as an area scout as well, working in the southeast. Cooper worked with the Bills for seven years, most recently serving as Buffalo’s Combine scout.

Ed Triggs will work as the Giants’ football operations coordinator, with Ty Siam assigned to football ops/data analytics. Charles Tisch will be a football operations assistant.

With Gettleman being diagnosed with lymphoma, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post anticipates Abrams’ role increasing and sees the team’s cap expert and chief negotiator looming as a logical successor to the current GM at some point.

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