2018 August - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Sign G Shaq Mason To Extension

August 27th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots and guard Shaq Mason have agreed to a massive new deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Herbie Teope of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new five-year contract includes $23.5MM guaranteed and can be worth up to $50MM in total.

Mason, who will earn close to $30MM over the first three years of new deal, has greatly outperformed his status as a former fourth-round pick. In terms of new money, he’s now in the top ten for guards in the NFL.

At a rate of $10MM per year, Mason matches David DeCastro of the Steelers and Kyle Long of the Bears in terms of average annual value. That’s good for fifth amongst right guards, behind Zack Martin, Kevin Zeitler, Trai Turner, and Gabe Jackson.

Mason is one of the better guards in the game today and also has age on his side. The 2015 fourth-round pick turns 25 on Tuesday and should have plenty of quality football ahead of him.

Last year, Mason graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked guard in the NFL. While the Pats have cast aside other notables such as Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Dion Lewis, and Malcolm Butler, they felt that Mason was worth the major expenditure.

Jaguars WR Marqise Lee Out For Season

August 27th, 2018 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee will miss the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury suffered in Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Falcons. Lee will soon be placed on IR, opening up a spot on the club’s 90-man roster.

It’s a devastating blow to the Jaguars, particularly after they allowed Allen Robinson to walk in free agency this year. Lee had the most catches of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns.

The Jaguars rewarded Lee with a new four-year deal worth up to $38MM this offseason, a pact that includes $18MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait until 2019 to see him back in action.

Without Lee, the Jaguars are left with a group that is headlined by Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Clark, and Donte Moncrief. It’s still a talented bunch, which explains why head coach Doug Marrone said he’s “comfortable” with his receivers when asked about the possibility of signing Dez Bryant (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).

Lions To Sign DE Robert Ayers

August 27th, 2018 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have signed Robert Ayers to a one-year deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With less than a week to go before final cuts, the defensive end will work to impress coaches and make his case to aid in Detroit’s pass rush.

Ayers will turn 33 on Sept. 6, but he’s still an outstanding pass rusher. While he posted only two sacks a season ago, he managed 28 pressures (a better indication of production) and graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 10 edge defender. Ayers also offers experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, so he may be an ideal fit for defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, who likes to switch between both.

The only major strike against Ayers is his injury history. He’s played in only ten games in each of the past two seasons for the Bucs.

Falcons Sign K Giorgio Tavecchio

August 27th, 2018 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have signed former Raiders kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, according to a team announcement. The move gives the Falcons three kickers on their roster for the time being.

Tavecchio, 28, was released by the Raiders this year, despite a decent 2017 season in which he made 16 of 21 field goal attempts, including three from 50-plus yards. He also made 33 of his 34 extra point attempts last year.

Tavecchio will compete with Matt Bryant – the Falcons’ all-time leading scorer – and Georgia product David Marvin for the team’s kicking job. The game of musical chairs won’t last long with roster cuts coming on Saturday.

The Falcons inked Bryant to a three-year, $10.5MM extension in March to make him one of the ten highest-paid kickers in the NFL. The deal included a $2MM signing bonus, so that would be a sunk cost for Atlanta if they release him.

Last year, Bryant nailed 87.2% of his field goals, good for 12th in the NFL. He also sank eight-of-nine attempts from 50 yards or more.

Ravens Place Jaleel Scott On IR

August 27th, 2018 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens placed fourth-round wide receiver Jaleel Scott on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. To take his place on the roster, they brought back Robertson Daniel, a cornerback who has spent parts of the last two seasons on the practice squad.

As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (on Twitter), the Ravens have never cut a rookie fourth-round pick before the season opener, but that was a possibility for Scott after he struggled mightily this offseason. However, the undisclosed injury rendered that issue moot.

Scott, a product of New Mexico State, hauled in 76 catches for 1,079 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Despite his athleticism and strong hands, he was unable to get the hang of things in practice. He’ll now focus on his recovery before trying again in 2019.

With Scott fully out of the picture, Jordan Lasley, Tim White, Janarion Grant, and Breshad Perriman will compete for the final wide receiver spot(s) on the roster. The top four WR jobs have been secured by Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, and Chris Moore.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Bridgewater, Patriots, Dolphins

August 26th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are some assorted notes from around the AFC as we wrap up the weekend…

The Broncos will have two major roster questions to answer prior to Saturday’s roster cut-down deadline, opines Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post. First, the team has to figure out what to do with injured safety Su’a Cravens. The defensive back hasn’t practice since early August due to knee soreness, and he hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since late 2016. O’Halloran wonders if the team will have the roster space or patience to stash Cravens again. Meanwhile, the team will also have to decide on quarterback Paxton Lynch, who was recently demoted for Chad Kelly. The writer wonders whether the Broncos would rather keep the former first-rounder, replace him with a veteran backup, or roll with two quarterbacks for the start of the season.
Unless they receive an offer they can’t refuse, ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes the Jets should hold on to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The team should be focused on maintaining their depth, and the writer believes the signal-caller has more value to the team as a backup than a trade chip. If the Jets accept an offer that doesn’t include a third-rounder or better, Cimini believes it’d be a mistake. The writer also looks at several former Jets draft picks who are on the roster bubble, including linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, wide receivers Charone Peake and Chad Hansen, and cornerback Juston Burris.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss can’t envision the Patriots adding wideout Dez Bryant. While the team could certainly use some reinforcement at the position (especially following Eric Decker‘s decision to retire), the writer question whether Bryant would be able to fit into the culture or system. If the team did want to add another wideout to their roster, Reiss believes that free agent (and former Patriot) Brandon LaFell would be a more logical target. Even in that case, the writer can’t see the team making a move unless there’s an injury at the position.
While the pairing of David Fales and Brock Osweiler may be relatively underwhelming, Dolphins coach Adam Gase isn’t expecting to add another backup quarterback behind Ryan Tannehill. While the coach would like to see some improvement from his co-second-stringers, he’s not concerned about their lackluster preseasons. “I think there’s room for improvement for sure,” Gase said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com), “but it’s hard to put it all on them when you get the ball and you’re not expecting it or we’re not blocking the guys. That’s why it’s hard to evaluate quarterbacks sometimes in preseason games and you have to use all your practice time and what you know about guys’ history, and that’s what makes it tough to evaluate them sometimes.”

Injury Notes: Ravens, Vernon, Elflein, Jets

August 26th, 2018 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens were expecting big things from defensive tackle Willie Henry this season, but they may have to wait a few weeks to see him contribute. Head coach John Harbaugh said on Saturday that the 24-year-old recently underwent surgery to repair an umbilical hernia.

“It’s not football related, but maybe had been there and just kind of opened up on him a little bit. He had surgery for that, so he’ll be a few weeks,” Harbaugh said (via Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com).

After sitting out his entire rookie campaign, the 2016 fourth-round pick showed some promise in 2017 after sitting out his entire rookie campaign. In 14 games (three starts), Henry compiled 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and five passes defended. With Henry out of the starting lineup, the Ravens will likely turn to Chris Wormley or rookie Zach Sieler.

Henry won’t be the only Ravens player forced out of the lineup. Harbaugh also said tight end Hayden Hurst recently had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot, and recovery could take three to four weeks.

Let’s check out some more injury updates from around the NFL…

Olivier Vernon was carted off the Giants practice field today after suffering a left ankle injury. However, it sounds like the talented outside linebacker will be alright, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Vernon’s x-rays came back negative. If the 27-year-old is forced to miss any time, it’d be a big loss for the Giants. The linebacker has compiled 15 sacks in two seasons with the team, including a 2017 campaign when he collected 37 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 12 games.
Vikings center Pat Elflein is currently dealing with shoulder and ankle injuries, but head coach Mike Zimmer recently said that the lineman wouldn’t begin the season on the PUP list. However, that might not end up being the case. Chris Tomasson of St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the organization is set to get a medical update on Elflein tomorrow. According to the reporter, the team now isn’t expecting the lineman to be ready for the start of the regular season. The center started all 14 games as a rookie last season. The Vikings recently traded for Brett Jones for some reinforcement at the position.
Jets running back Elijah McGuire won’t be ready for the start of the regular season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged that the team is considering placing the 24-year-old on the short-term injured reserve to start the year. McGuire looked solid during his rookie season, compiling 315 rushing yards and one touchdown on 88 carries (he also hauled in 17 catches for 177 yards and one score). The running back’s injury may allow the team to hold onto another player at the position behind Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, and Thomas Rawls.

Patriots Release S Eddie Pleasant

August 26th, 2018 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are letting go of another veteran, but this time it’s on the defensive side of the ball. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the team will be releasing veteran safety Eddie Pleasant.

The 29-year-old joined the Patriots earlier this offseason after having spent his entire six-year career with the Texans. The former undrafted free agent out of Oregon developed into a reliable special teamer and backup safety during his tenure in Houston, compiling 79 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, and 17 passes defended in 78 career games. He ultimately appeared in 76 of 80 possible regular season games since his sophomore season.

In New England, Pleasant was expected to be reliable veteran on special teams, and he was even serving as a second-team safety during the early parts of camp. However, the veteran was signed late in the offseason, leaving him little time to learn the playbook. The defensive back ended up playing sparingly during the team’s first three postseason games, compiling only four tackles (all of which came during the team’s opener).

With Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, and key special-teamer Nate Ebner presumably locked into the roster, the Patriots will now turn to the other safeties for one of their final roster spots. That grouping includes Jordan Richards, Brandon King, and Damarius Travis.

Latest On Rams, Aaron Donald

August 26th, 2018 at 5:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the Rams and Aaron Donald are still on the verge of completing an extension. Despite the lack of updates in recent days, the two sides are still on course for a deal that will make Donald the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT.

There has been talk of a deal coming together soon, but head coach Sean McVay also recently denied that a deal is around the corner. Despite the misdirection, the deal still seems to be something of an inevitability. Even though the Rams gave their defense the Hollywood treatment this offseason, they recognize Donald’s value and will likely find a way to give him a history-making contract.

When all is said and done, it is expected that Donald’s deal will average about $22MM/year with up to $80MM guaranteed overall. Of course, the overall guarantee is different from the fully guaranteed amount at signing, and that will be a key metric in evaluating the deal.

Texans To Sign CB Kayvon Webster

August 26th, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are set to sign cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Ram will receive $2MM on a one-year deal.

Webster worked out for the Texans on Sunday afternoon and it did not take long for a deal to come together. The 27-year-old was also set to meet with the Bills, and Lions this week, but those visits have been 86’d.

Webster spent the first four years of his career as a reserve with the Broncos, but signed a two-year deal with the Rams last spring. The reunion with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips did not go as planned. He started eleven games, but his season ended in December thanks to a torn Achilles.

Although Pro Football Focus ranked Webster in the bottom half of its cornerback grades, Webster finished 31st among 81 CBs in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping wide receivers short of the sticks. FO also charted Webster with allowing 6.8 yard per pass, 38th among cornerbacks.

Webster joins a Houston cornerback depth chart that includes Johnathan Joseph, Aaron Colvin, and Kevin Johnson, where he’ll add depth in the secondary and on special teams. If he is fully recovered from his Achilles injury, the deal could prove to be a tremendous value for Houston.