HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hicks, Giants

August 3rd, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

This is a make-or-break season for Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, as Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. Hicks is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’ll have to prove himself after finishing two of his three NFL seasons on IR.

In 31 career games, Hicks has seven interceptions, making him one of just four linebackers who have at least seven interceptions in the last three seasons. He joins Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Ryan Shazier as ‘backers with that distinction, and yet he has played in less games than all of them.

Despite his accomplishments, the Eagles are likely wary about overcommitting to him given his injury history. In college, Hicks suffered a groin injury (2012) and an Achilles tear (2013). Then, in the NFL, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle (2015) and another torn Achilles (2017).

If Hicks continues to perform at a high level and can turn in a full NFL season, he could be in line for a lucrative new deal. The Eagles have shown a willingness to do major extensions during the year – such as the deal they completed with Alshon Jeffery last December – so Hicks could secure his future with the Eagles before the calendar flips to 2019.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Eagles signed linebacker Corey Nelson in March with the notion that he would compete for a starting job. However the odds of that happening seem slim as both Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry have leapfrogged him on the depth chart, so Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com projects that he will be released before the final cut in September. If the Eagles release Nelson, they’ll save $1MM against the cap.
  • Shorr-Parks also writes that offensive guard Chance Warmack could be left off of the final roster, despite signing a one-year extension with the Eagles last fall that has a base value of $2.5MM with a max value of $5MM. Warmack, a former top-10 draft pick, does not offer much versatility and hasn’t been performing well at the guard position this summer.
  • Giants wide receiver/kick returner Kalif Raymond is having as good of a training camp as anyone as he pushes to make the team, Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record writes. Drops have hurt Raymond as a returner and receiver with both New York teams, but he purchased his own JUGS machine this year in order to improve his concentration and execution. The hard work is paying off, and Raymond has a shot at making the cut despite the Giants’ depth at wide receiver.

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

August 3rd, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

If you enjoy PFR on your smartphone or tablet then you’ve got to download the free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Pro Football Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Hoops Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app.
  • Customer service! If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download now!

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Matthews, Jets

August 3rd, 2018 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

After Jordan Matthews was released by the Patriots and Stefon Diggs signed a five-year, $72MM extension with the Vikings, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) notes that timing is everything in the NFL.

Over the last two seasons, Diggs has averaged 13.5 games played, 74 catches, 876 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns. Meanwhile, in Matthews’ final two seasons with the Eagles, he averaged 15 games, 79 receptions, 901 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns. With one year to go on his contract, Diggs inked a deal that will give him $14MM per year in new money. Matthews, meanwhile, is out of a job as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Seahawks Notes: Thomas, Brown, Allen

August 2nd, 2018 at 9:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Seahawks safety Earl Thomas today penned an essay in the Players’ Tribune regarding his ongoing holdout, the veteran’s piece hasn’t exactly changed the facts of the situation at hand, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Not only have no new negotiations taken place, but no club has sent a viable trade offer for Thomas. Thomas, of course, is seeking either a new contract or a trade, but the Seahawks don’t seem particularly inclined to work out a fresh contract. Trade talks, meanwhile, have mostly been centered around the Cowboys, but nothing has yet come to fruition. Thomas, 29, is entering the final year of his current contract, during which he’s scheduled to collect a base salary of $8.5MM.

Here’s more from Seattle:

  • As noted above, the Seahawks aren’t likely to renegotiate Thomas’ pact any time soon, and that’s in part due to team owner Paul Allen, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Allen “doesn’t get emotional or worried” about potential holdouts, per Florio, and that was evident during Seattle’s talks with safety Kam Chancellor in 2015. The Seahawks didn’t move an inch at that time, and Thomas’ holdout isn’t expected to result in a new deal this time around. Thomas, it seems, is willing to play hardball in order to land the contract he feels he deserves, but the Seahawks might be open to doing just the same.
  • More details are now available on left tackle Duane Brown‘s three-year extension with the Seahawks, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports the veteran offensive lineman received a signing bonus of $8MM and a full guarantee of $16MM. Brown only gets $1.75MM of his 2019 salary guaranteed for injury, but it becomes fully guaranteed after the Super Bowl, meaning Seattle will need to make a quick decision on Brown’s future. Even if the Seahawks do cut Brown next spring, they’d be forced to carry $7.75MM in dead cap.
  • In case you missed it, Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for most of the preseason, although his availability for Week 1 of the regular season doesn’t seem to be in peril.

Latest On Packers OT Bryan Bulaga

August 2nd, 2018 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Given that he ended the 2017 season on injured reserve, Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga wasn’t considered a lock to earn a spot on Green Bay’s roster for the upcoming campaign. However, Bulaga’s recovery has reportedly been “impressive,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and the 29-year-old offensive lineman is no longer on the Packers’ roster bubble.

Bulaga has been no stranger to poor injury luck during his NFL career, and his 2017 ACL tear was the second of his pro tenure (he missed the entire 2013 season with same injury). Indeed, Bulaga has only appeared in all 16 games twice during his eight-year run: once during his rookie year in 2010, and again in 2016. Due roughly $8MM in cap charges in each of the next two seasons, Bulaga could have also been viewed as a potential cap casualty, as Green Bay would save more than $6MM in both 2017 and 2018 by cutting him now.

At his best, Bulaga is one of the league’s top right tackles. A former first-round pick, Bulaga received top-seven tackle grades from Pro Football Focus in both 2014 and 2016. And while he slipped to No. 39 in PFF’s rankings a season ago, a multitude of injuries — even before the campaign-ending ACL tear — likely contributed to Bulaga’s ineffective play.

Although Bulaga is currently on the active/physically unable to perform list, he’s expected to be ready for Week 1. If he’s not available at any point during the season, the Packers would turn to veteran Byron Bell, Jason Spriggs, or Kyle Murphy to play right tackle.

Packers Considered LB NaVorro Bowman

August 2nd, 2018 at 7:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing linebacker Jake Ryan for the season due to a torn ACL, the Packers considered NaVorro Bowman and a host of other veteran linebackers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, it appears Green Bay will hold off on signing a new linebacker for the time being.

Bowman spent the entire 2017 campaign in the Bay Area, but split his time between two clubs thanks to a midseason trade that sent him from the 49ers to the Raiders. The 30-year-old Bowman hasn’t garnered much interest since the free agent market opened in March, although the Raiders have expressed a desire to re-sign him despite adding other veteran ‘backers such as Derrick Johnson, Tahir Whitehead, and Emmanuel Lamur during the offseason.

The Packers are keeping a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Mike Pettine, so Bowman would likely be comfortable in a scheme he’s played for most of his career. But Green Bay instead wants to give its younger players a chance to play, per Pelissero. Rookie third-round pick Oren Burks looks like a clear candidate to receive playing time next to Blake Martinez, while Pelissero indicates Ahmad Thomas (whom the Packers picked up last November) is also an internal favorite.

If Green Bay does end up looking at other free agent linebackers (instead of Bowman), a few options might stand out. Gerald Hodges is familiar with a 3-4 system (and recently took a visit with the Cardinals), Karlos Dansby played under Pettine with the Browns, and Lawrence Timmons offers 140 starts worth of experience.

Latest On Bears LB Roquan Smith’s Holdout

August 2nd, 2018 at 6:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears are no longer fighting first-round linebacker Roquan Smith on contract language that would void his guaranteed money were he to be suspended under the NFL’s new helmet contact rule, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.

However, Smith — the final rookie without a contract in place — is not attending Chicago’s training camp as his agents are still reticent about certain language in the Bears’ proposed pact, per Haugh. Smith’s agents want him protected in the event he’s suspended for an event that’s considered “outside the realm of a football play”: a late hit, for instance. The Bears aren’t willing to begin a new contractual precedent by including such language, although a team source tells Waugh that disinclination has nothing to do with Smith’s character.

Chicago has reportedly been adamant that it wouldn’t attempt to void Smith’s future guarantees over a “football play,” per Haugh. As evidence, the club has provided its reaction to linebacker Danny Trevathan‘s illegal hit on Packers wideout Davante Adams in 2017. After that incident, the Bears never made any attempt to recoup money from Trevathan or void his remaining guaranteed money.

Per Haugh, only eight teams have acceded to rookie demands of language that would protect their guarantees in the event of a helmet-related suspension. However, just four clubs have allowed the protection that Smith wants, so it’s unlikely the Bears want to create a new precedent given that most of the NFL has not given in.

Titans To Host S Eric Reid

August 2nd, 2018 at 4:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans aren’t leaving any stone unturned as they search for Johnathan Cyprien‘s replacement at safety. Tennessee will meet with former 49ers defensive back Eric Reid on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier today that his club would consider Reid after losing Cyprien to a torn ACL, so Reid’s visit doesn’t come as a total surprise. In addition to Reid, Tennessee will take a look at fellow safeties Kenny Vaccaro, Lardarius Webb, and Mike Mitchell. As Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com speculates (via Twitter), the Titans could conceivably sign two defensive backs following tomorrow’s tryouts, especially given that backup Kendrick Lewis is also battling an injury.

Reid, of course, hasn’t had much success garnering interest this offseason, and that’s likely due to his intention to signal protest during the national anthem. He met with the Bengals earlier this year, but subsequently filed a collusion grievance after Cincinnati reportedly asked him to end his protests.

Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/18

August 2nd, 2018 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: G Nick Callender

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Waived/injured: G Nate Theaker

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Titans To Meet With Lardarius Webb

August 2nd, 2018 at 4:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have a full docket for Friday. In addition to meeting with safeties Mike Mitchell and Kenny Vaccaro, they’ll also have defensive back Lardarius Webb in for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Webb, 33 in October, has reportedly garnered a few offers this offseason. He was used mostly off the bench last season, but he’s made 85 starts with Baltimore and suited up for 127 regular-season games. He’s also seen action in six playoff games for the Ravens, though an injury prevented him from suiting up during the Ravens’ four 2012 playoff contests. In Baltimore’s near-Super Bowl run during 2011, Webb intercepted eight passes with five in the regular season and three in the postseason.

Webb could improve the Titans’ depth in the wake of safety Johnathan Cyprien‘s season-ending ACL tear. It’s unlikely that he’d slide into the starting lineup, but he could provide support at both safety and corner.

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