HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Bears To Release OL Earl Watford

August 26th, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are releasing offensive lineman Earl Watford, who was reportedly the subject of trade talks, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). 

The former fourth-round Cardinals pick signed with the Bears in April and was expected to have a shot at the starting lineup. Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way for him, despite Kyle Long‘s injury history and the departure of Josh Sitton.

Watford started nine games for the Cards last season and eleven in 2016. Pro Football Focus has graded Watford as one of the worst full-time blockers in the game over the past two seasons, however, but the 28-year-old has made 22 starts over the past three years in spite of that.

The Bears project to start Charles Leno, James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, Long, and Bobby Massie on the front line in Week 1.

Texans Working Out CB Kayvon Webster

August 26th, 2018 at 4:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent cornerback Kayvon Webster met with and worked out for the Texans on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Webster’s visit with Houston shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Schefter originally reported last week that Webster was set to sit down with the Texans, Bills, and Lions this week. Houston apparently arranged the Webster’s first visit, and given that no contract has yet been announced, it’s fair to assume the 27-year-old will continue his free agent tour.

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 which reunited him with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. He started 11 games before going down in December with a torn Achilles, and played like a serviceable starter.

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.

Given the timeline of his Achilles injury, the Texans will surely want to evaluate Webster’s current health. But he could potentially join a Houston cornerback depth chart that includes Johnathan Joseph, Aaron Colvin, and Kevin Johnson, adding depth in the secondary and on special teams.

Meanwhile, while a hypothetical reunion between Webster and his old Broncos club has been speculatively mentioned, Denver did not make Webster an offer before signing fellow cornerback Adam Jones earlier today, tweets Troy Renck of Denver7.

PFR Originals: 8/19/18 – 8/26/18

August 26th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff over the past week:

Raiders Not Ruling Out Khalil Mack Trade

August 26th, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have not “slammed the door” on the concept of trading edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds four unknown teams are “seriously” exploring a potential Mack acquisition.

A number of teams have reportedly inquired on Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, but it sounds as though a small group of clubs are interested in taking talks to the next level. Any negotiations involving Mack would surely involve at least one first-round pick, but Florio reports Oakland is playing “coy” regarding its asking price.

As of late July, the Raiders hadn’t made Mack an offer. Mack, for his part, could be waiting for Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald to end his holdout and sign a contract making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender, a deal that Mack could then build upon and surpass. Oakland does not expect Mack to report to the club until he has a contract in hand.

Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.

Thus far, the only team that’s been definitively linked to Mack is the Jets, who have asked about not only Mack, but Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler.

Titans Activate WR Rishard Matthews

August 26th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans have activated receiver Rishard Matthews from the physically unable to perform list and placed fellow pass-catcher Michael Campanaro on injured reserve, the club announced today.

Matthews reportedly underwent a meniscus operation earlier this month, but was expected to be removed from Tennessee’s PUP list at some point this week. The 28-year-old agreed to an odd one-year extension last week, a self-negotiated deal that will tack on what is essentially a 2019 option onto his current pact. Matthews can earn $7.75MM next season, but there’s no guaranteed money associated with that year.

In 2017 (his second season with the Titans), Matthews posted 53 receptions for 795 yards and four touchdowns, all of which were tops among Tennessee’s receivers. This year, Matthews is projected to start alongside 2017 first-rounder Corey Davis, while another 2017 rookie — third-round pick Taywan Taylor — should enter in three-wideout looks.

Campanaro, meanwhile, inked a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with the Titans in April, but rarely participated in either camp or Tennessee’s preseason contests. Primarily a return man, Campanaro could conceivably be released from injured reserve in the coming weeks if he works out a settlement with the Titans.

Vikings Acquire C Brett Jones From Giants

August 26th, 2018 at 3:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have traded center Brett Jones to the Vikings in exchange for a 2019 draft pick, New York announced. New York will acquire a 2019 seventh-round choice, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.

Minnesota is in desperate need of help on the interior of its offensive line, as projected starting guard Nick Easton is already done for the season after undergoing neck surgery, while center Pat Elflein has been on the physically unable to perform list for the duration of training camp. Elflein is dealing with shoulder and ankle injuries, but Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer says Elflein won’t begin the regular season on the PUP list, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

A former undrafted free agent, Jones started 13 games in place of the injured Weston Richburg a season ago. Jones, who joined the Giants in 2015 after spending time in the Canadian Football League, graded as the NFL’s No. 18 center among 37 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. However, the 26-year-old was expected to lose New York’s starting center job to Jon Halapio, making him expendable in the Giants’ view.

The Giants re-signed Jones this offseason on a one-year, $2.941MM second-round restricted free agent tender, and the Vikings will now assume the entirety of that contract. At last check, New York possessed only ~$1.5MM in cap space, so moving Jones and his salary off its books will give the club a little financial breathing room.

5 Key NFL Stories: 8/19/18 – 8/26/18

August 26th, 2018 at 3:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Redskins add Adrian Peterson. Washington is dealing with numerous injuries at the running back position (including a season-ender to rookie Derrius Guice), so the club opted to take a chance on Peterson, who signed for the league minimum. Peterson, 33, will compete with Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine for early-down work in the nation’s capital. He played in the Redskins’ Friday night preseason game, managing 56 yards on 11 rushes, and is considered a “stone-cold lock” to make Washington’s roster.

Former stars retire. Victor Cruz ended his career in a Bears uniform, but he’ll always be remembered for his excellent years with the Giants. From 2011 through 2013, the former undrafted free agent averaged 80 receptions 1,209 yards, and eight end zone salsa dances per season. Former Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson also hung up his cleats last week, retiring after an 11-year career with the Panthers. He’ll leave the NFL with 62.5 sacks, second in Carolina history to only Julius Peppers.

Dez rejects Browns’ offer. The Dez Bryant-to-Cleveland saga appears over, at least for now, after Bryant reportedly rejected the Browns’ offer, which was for less than $5MM. Cleveland is searching for another wideout to team with Jarvis Landry, Josh Gordon, and Antonio Callaway, and while Bryant came in for a meeting with the club recently, he couldn’t reach a deal with the Browns. However, Cleveland is still interested in Bryant, but presumably only at a price of its choosing.

Cowboys lose their center. Travis Frederick had been dealing stingers in his neck, but a recent diagnosis revealed an even more serious condition. Frederick has Guillain Barre Syndrome, a rare auto immune disease that is expected to cost him time. While Frederick is not expected to miss the entire season, he’s likely to be placed on injured reserve to begin the year. Such a transaction would sideline Frederick for at least eight games, but give him the opportunity to return later in 2018.

George Iloka reunites with Mike Zimmer. Three days after being unexpectedly released by the Bengals, Iloka signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. Instead of waiting out what has already been a stagnant safety market, lloka quickly landed with Minnesota, reuniting with Zimmer — formerly Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator — on a contract that will pay just the league minimum. Iloka figures to start over Andrew Sendejo with the Vikings, although both defenders could see action opposite Harrison Smith.

Patriots WR Eric Decker To Retire

August 26th, 2018 at 2:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Patriots wide receiver Eric Decker today announced his intention to retire from the NFL, according to a post from his Instagram account.

“It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football,” reads Decker’s statement, in part. “I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff. This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but I know now this is time to hang my helmet up and start a new chapter in my life.”

Decker, 31, inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with New England earlier this month, but he’d been facing an uphill battle to earn a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. New England, which released fellow pass-catcher Kenny Britt earlier this week, is now down to Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, among others, as it waits for Julian Edelman to return from a four-game suspension.

A third-round pick in 2010, Decker became a starting receiver for the Broncos in 2011, but his career took off the following season when Denver added Peyton Manning under center. Decker averaged 86 receptions, 1,176 yards, and 12 touchdowns per year with Manning, and subsequently inked a five-year, $36.25MM pact with the Jets.

Decker was excellent through two seasons in New York, but injuries limited him to three games in 2016 and led to his release. A one-year accord with the Titans followed, and Decker posted 54 catches, 563 yards, and one score in what will become his final NFL action.

Interestingly, Decker’s name had recently appeared in trade talks, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Decker had reportedly been struggling with the Patriots, so it’s unclear what kind of market may have existed for the veteran receiver.

Broncos Sign CB Adam Jones

August 26th, 2018 at 1:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos are signing free agent cornerback Adam Jones after working him out Sunday morning, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was the first to tweet Jones was auditioning for Denver and was likely to land with the club.

Jones received a one-year deal for the 10-year veteran minimum ($1.015MM), according to Mike Klis of 9News. The pact likely qualifies for the minimum salary benefit, meaning that while Jone will collect his full salary, the Broncos will only see the minimum for a two-year veteran ($630K) hit their salary cap.

Denver is in the market for a third corner after trading Aqib Talib to the Rams earlier this year. While the Broncos project to start Chris Harris and Bradley Roby in their base defense, Harris tends to move to the slot in nickel packages, so Denver needs a cornerback capable of playing the outside on nearly 75% of its defensive plays. Veteran Tramaine Brock is competing for that role, but Jones would give the Broncos another option.

Jones should be familiar with Denver’s defensive scheme, as Broncos head coach Vance Joseph served as the Bengals’ defensive backs coach from 2014-15, guiding Jones and the rest of Cincinnati’s secondary during that time. With the regular season just around the corner, that level of comfort could prove crucial.

The Bengals declined Jones’ 2018 option earlier this year, and he hasn’t drawn much interest since that time, with a July Browns workout representing his only known visit. Jones, 35 next month, was limited to just nine games with the Bengals in 2017, and didn’t fare particularly well on 299 defensive snaps.

Pro Football Focus assigned Jones the worst mark (47.1) of his entire career, although he performed relatively better in recent years. Aside from his work on defense, Jones can also be a factor in the kicking game, as he’s posted more than 300 combined kick and punt returns during his NFL tenure.

Browns Notes: Mayfield, Dez, Gonzalez

August 26th, 2018 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Parks

This does not come as a great shock, but 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield will open the season as the Browns’ backup signal-caller, as Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald tweets (though head coach Hue Jackson wants to inform his team of his decision before making it official). It was always understood that Tyrod Taylor, whom the Browns acquired in an offseason trade with the Bills, would serve as the team’s starting quarterback at least until Mayfield is deemed ready, and we recently heard that Cleveland is allegedly open to extending Taylor’s contract (he is eligible for free agency at season’s end).

The decision to name Mayfield the No. 2 QB, then, is actually more about the battle between Mayfield and Drew Stanton — Jackson said last week that he was still undecided as to which player would serve as the backup — than the “battle” between Mayfield and Taylor. Stanton, the long-time second-stringer who signed a two-year pact with the Browns in March, will be the team’s No. 3 quarterback, assuming Cleveland elects to keep three QBs.

Now let’s take a look at several more notes out of Cleveland:

  • Josh Gordon will not play in the Browns’ preseason finale due to hamstring discomfort, but Jackson says the embattled wideout — who is expected to be ready for Week 1 — is “getting close,” per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).
  • In her weekly mailbag, Cabot says the Browns have not ruled out signing Dez Bryant, who recently rejected the team’s contract offer. She says Bryant liked the Browns and clearly the team had interest in him, so things could change at any time.
  • Cabot also suggests in her mailbag that Shon Coleman, who was given the first chance to succeed Joe Thomas at left tackle, could well be on the roster bubble.
  • Jackson says he “thinks” Zane Gonzalez is in the lead in the Browns’ kicking battle, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
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