HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Cardinals Unlikely To Extend David Johnson Before Week 1

September 7th, 2018 at 11:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals aren’t likely to work out a long-term contract with running back David Johnson before the season gets underway on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported last week that the two sides were not close to a new deal.

However, Johnson could still hammer out a pact in-season, as Rapoport indicates talks won’t come to a close just because the season is starting. Johnson recently said he’s been “encouraged” by negotiations with Arizona, and general manager Steve Keim said today Johnson’s health question marks — he missed most of the 2017 campaign with a dislocated wrist — won’t play into discussions, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.

Johnson, of course, was arguably the NFL’s best offensive player during the 2016 season. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro, Johnson managed 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns plus 80 receptions, 879 yards, and four more scores in the passing game.

Rams running back Todd Gurley reset the running back market last month by agreeing to a new deal which contains a $14.375MM annual value and $21.95MM in guarantees, but it’s difficult to see Johnson approaching that figure. Not only is Johnson coming off a lost season, but he’s nearly three years older than Gurley. Still, a contract which tops double-digits annually should be expected for Johnson, who will earn just $1.907MM in 2018.

Cowboys Place Parker Ehinger On IR

September 7th, 2018 at 11:20am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have taken another hit on their offensive line, as the club announced it’s placed recent trade acquisition Parker Ehinger on injured reserve and signed fellow offensive lineman Kadeem Edwards.

Dallas picked up Ehinger from the Chiefs late last month in exchange for defensive back Charvarius Ward. With Travis Frederick sidelined by Guillian-Barre syndrome, and Zack Martin working his way back from a knee injury (he’ll play in Week 1), the Cowboys were searching for interior offensive line depth. Ehinger, a former fourth-round pick who appeared in six games for Kansas City from 2016-17, was thought to be just that, but he’s now down for the count with his own knee issue.

Edwards, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, but he’s yet to appear in an NFL game. He’s bounced around the league, spending time with the Buccaneers and Jaguars before landing with the Cowboys in 2016. Edwards was on Dallas’ practice squad for much of the past two years, so he’s certainly familiar with the club’s blocking scheme.

Play Team Pick’em For Free At DraftKings

September 7th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Tim Dierkes

DraftKings has launched an exciting new game: Team Pick’em! Just choose the outright winner of each game, and if you get more than half correct, you could win a cash prize! Pro Football Rumors users can now play free and have a shot to win a share of $1 MILLION for Week 1. Click here to enter!

Make sure to get your FREE picks in by 1:00 PM EST on September 9th before the contest locks. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

This is a sponsored post from DraftKings.

Saints, Teddy Bridgewater Restructure Contract

September 7th, 2018 at 9:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have created $2.71MM in cap space by restructuring quarterback Teddy Bridgewater‘s contract, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Bridgewater, whom New Orleans acquired (along with a sixth-round pick) from the Jets last month in exchange for a third-rounder, had been due a base salary of $5MM. The Saints converted just over $4MM of his salary into a signing bonus, but because Bridgewater is on a one-year deal, the club also had to add two voidable years to the end of the contract. That allows New Orleans to spread out some of Bridgwater’s cap hit (for now).

The Saints’ front office is known for kicking the can down the road financially, and while moving a bit of Bridgewater’s money to future years isn’t as odious as some of the club’s previous contract errors, his salary will hit New Orleans’ cap at some point. Specifically, the Saints will be docked cap space in 2019 when Bridgewater’s one-year deal voids after the season.

Bridgewater will serve as Drew Brees‘ backup in 2018, but it’s unclear if the Saints view Bridgewater as Brees’ heir and therefore want to sign him to an extension. If Bridgewater is forced to play this season, he could earn up to $9MM via performance and playtime incentives.

Giants Rework CB Janoris Jenkins’ Contract

September 7th, 2018 at 9:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have created $3MM in cap space by reworking the contract of veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Jenkins had been scheduled to earn a $10.9MM base salary in 2018, but he agreed to convert $4.5MM of that total into a signing bonus. It’s a positive both for Jenkins, as he’ll get a portion of his money immediately, and New York, who had only about $5.5MM in available salary cap space before today’s move.

The Giants needed the extra funds, as certain issues — injured reserve players, adding reinforcements — will arise throughout the season, but restructuring Jenkins’ deal will make him all the more difficult to release down the line. Signing bonuses are prorated over the life of a contract, so Jenkins’ cap charge (and hypothetical dead money) will increase by $1.5MM in both 2019 and 2020.

Jenkins had an eventful campaign in 2017, as he missed seven games due to injury and a team-imposed suspension. When he was on the field, Jenkins graded as an average cornerback per Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 60th among 120 qualifiers. He finished 24th in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping receivers short of the sticks.

Carson Wentz, Alshon Jeffery Still Multiple Weeks Away

September 7th, 2018 at 8:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery are still multiple weeks away from playing as they recover from injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link).

Wentz is roughly nine months removed from tearing his ACL, so it’s no surprise Philadelphia is taking a cautious approach with its franchise signal-caller. While he’s been cleared for 11-on-11 drills, Wentz isn’t allowed to practice with full contact just yet. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has previously indicated Wentz will need a week of full contact practice before he’ll be re-inserted as the club’s starter.

Philadelphia has the luxury of deploying Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles under center until Wentz is healthy enough to play. The Eagles managed to win the season opener on Thursday night, but Foles wasn’t very effective in the ugly victory. He completed 19-of-34 passes for just 117 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

Jeffery, meanwhile, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and was at one point considered a candidate for the physically unable to perform list, which would have forced him to miss the first six games of the season. Instead, the Eagles opted to keep Jeffery on the active roster, and recent reports have indicated he could return by Week 3.

Cowboys Notes: Jones, Lawrence, Gathers

September 6th, 2018 at 9:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As he enters his mid-seventies, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is slowly handing over control of the franchise to his son, Stephen Jones, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The younger Jones is currently Dallas’ executive vice president, CEO, and director of player personnel, so he’s more than prepared to take on a larger role. Stephen Jones takes a more conservative financial stance than his father, per Moore, which could indicate the Cowboys will have their cap in better order when he eventually takes over. Notably, Stephen pushed the Cowboys to eschew drafting Johnny Manziel in 2014, and lobbied instead to select guard Zack Martin, a win for the club.

  • Free agent guard Xavier Su’a-Filo worked out for the Cowboys on Thursday, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. A former second-round pick Su’a-Filo spent four years with the Texans before inking a deal with the Titans earlier this year. He didn’t make it through final roster cuts, which is perhaps unsurprising given that he finished as a bottom-three guard in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. Dallas, though, needs depth along the interior of its offensive line given injuries to Zack Martin and Travis Frederick, so Su’a-Filo could be an option for the club.
  • Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is paying attention to the recent extensions signed by fellow defenders Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack, and said his free agent price is rising correspondingly, per Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Lawrence will earn $17.143MM under the franchise tender in 2018, but has already said he’s not open to playing on the tag in 2019 (not that he’ll have much of a choice if the Cowboys opt to deploy it again). Now that both Donald and Mack have crossed the $22MM/year threshold, the sky is the limit for Lawrence, who will aim to build on an excellent 2018 campaign that included 14.5 sacks.
  • Further details have emerged regarding tight end Rico Gathers‘ recent arrest for marijuana, as Kate Hairopaulos of the Dallas Morning News details. Gathers was arrested after he and a female companion were discovered smoking in Central Park in Frisco, Texas, and police found 0.078 ounces of marijuana on the former collegiate basketball player. Gathers’ arrest became public on Saturday just prior to roster cutdowns, but Dallas decided to keep him around nevertheless. He could potentially serve a brief league-imposed suspension down the line.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/6/18

September 6th, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New York Jets

North Rumors: Steelers, Vikes, Ravens, Lions

September 6th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While Le’Veon Bell has given no indication as to when he’ll report to the Steelers, those involved in the matter “estimate” Bell will arrive on Saturday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s far from a declarative report, but showing on Saturday would allow Bell to receive his game check for Pittsburgh’s Week 1 contest, even though he almost certainly won’t play in the game. The Steelers won’t rescind Bell’s franchise tag, which is scheduled to pay him roughly $14.5MM for the 2018 season, nor will they trade the All-Pro running back, per Rapoport. Bell’s agent suggested workload is a concern for the superstar, but head coach Mike Tomlin says he won’t discuss Bell’s projected usage with the latter’s representation, per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • After years of moonlighting as the Vikings‘ defensive play-caller, head coach Mike Zimmer admits he’s considered handing duties off to coordinator George Edwards, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. However, Zimmer is confident is his ability to make adjustments late in games, and also doesn’t want to constantly second-guess Edwards. “I have a style of how I call a game. George, even though he tries to do it like I do it, I don’t want to tell him, ‘Oh I hate that call’ or ‘You should’ve called this,'” said Zimer. “I don’t think that’s fair to him. If I want something called, I should call it.”
  • Ravens kicker Kaare Vedvik, who was hospitalized with severe head injuries over the weekend, is now visiting the club at its facility, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Vedvik, who had injuries consistent with an assault, was placed on the non-football injury list. Rival teams were reportedly interested in the rookie kicker heading into roster cutdowns, and a trade market could have existed. Vedvik won’t be eligible to play this season, but could compete for a role in 2019 if he’s fully healthy.
  • The Lions didn’t have a single player they cut over the weekend land on another roster via a waiver claim or a free agent signing, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. While that could indicate Detroit made all the correct decisions on Saturday/Sunday, it could also mean the Lions have a weakness at the back of their roster. With that in mind, the Lions and general manager Bob Quinn could make adding depth a priority over the next few weeks.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/18

September 6th, 2018 at 6:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad transactions:

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Load More Posts