2019 February - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Sign EJ Manuel, Sammie Coates

February 22nd, 2019 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have signed quarterback EJ Manuel and wide receiver Sammie Coates, according to a team announcement. They also inked receiver Davon Grayson and defensive back Dontae Johnson.

Manuel, 29 in March, has not suited up since his 2017 season with the Raiders. Before that, the former first-round pick spent the first four years of his career with the Bills. All in all, Manuel has a career 6-12 record, a 58.1% completion percentage, and 20 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. The Florida State product has not lived up to his draft billing so far, but he’ll look to impress in Kansas City and stick as a backup to star Patrick Mahomes.

Coates, 26 in March, made some noise with the Steelers as a youngster but has not done a whole lot over the last two years. He had six catches for 70 yards with the Browns in 2017 and had just one catch for 12 yards in his run with the Texans last year. Coates auditioned for the Colts and Cowboys towards the end of the 2018 season, but did not sign with either club.

Bears To Release Cody Parkey

February 22nd, 2019 at 4:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears will release Cody Parkey at the start of the league year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport hears that Parkey is embracing the fresh start and it doesn’t hurt that Parkey is still owed a guaranteed $3.5MM from Chicago in 2019.

The 27-year-old missed a potential game winner against the Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs, putting him on thin ice. His 43-yard try off the upright was a heartbreaker, though it wasn’t exactly Parkey’s fault as it was tipped by defensive tackle Treyvon Hester. After that, he may have put his job in further jeopardy when he made a guest appearance on NBC’s Today show to discuss the miss. The lighthearted segment rubbed head coach Matt Nagy the wrong way and drew the ire of many Bears fans.

“For me, you understand that we always talk about a ‘we’ and not a ‘me’ thing,” Nagy said. “We always talk as a team, we win as a team, we lose as a team. You know, I just, I didn’t necessarily think that that was too much of a ‘we’ thing.”

By discontinuing Parkey’s four-year, $15MM deal, the Bears will be left with a $4.4MM dead cap hit for the upcoming year.

Soon after Parkey’s national TV appearance, the Bears auditioned a group of six or seven kickers including Nick Folk, Blair Walsh, and Austin MacGinnis. They wound up signing one of the lesser-known names, Redford Jones, after the tryout.

Steelers Rumors: Brown, Bell, Ravens

February 22nd, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers are willing to explore Antonio Brown trade scenarios, but Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette senses that they would like to control where he winds up. He believes they would not want to trade him to divisional rivals (Ravens, Bengals, Browns), nor would they want to send him to the Patriots.

It’s not immediately clear whether Dulac has heard this first hand from the Steelers’ front office, but that certainly seems like a logical position for the Steelers to take.

Here’s more from Pittsburgh:

Le’Veon Bell passed on $14.544MM in 2018, and he’ll have a lot of trouble recouping that loss in free agency, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com opines. Bell, he notes, would have to sign a deal giving him $33MM in total compensation in Year 1 in order to effectively replace the money he lost out on by rejecting the Steelers’ offer. For reference, Todd Gurley‘s recent extension will pay him $28.5MM in his first new year (2020), and Gurley is younger. Bell is also said to be seeking $50MM through the first two years, which may be unattainable given that Gurley is set to make $37MM in that span. Currently, Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are the only two non-quarterbacks with a two-year cash flow of $50MM or more.
The Jets are the most likely destination for Bell, in the opinion of Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Armed with $100MM+ in cap space and an obvious need for Bell, the Jets make a ton of sense. The Jets are not necessarily in a position to win right away, but Bell would probably have to accept less money to join a contender such as the Packers. The Eagles, Buccaneers, and Raiders also made Slater’s top five.
On Friday, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told reporters that three teams have inquired on Brown.

Eagles Release Chris Maragos

February 22nd, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles released veteran defensive back Chris Maragos, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Maragos was once a standout special teamer for Philly, but it appears that he is no longer in their plans. The veteran was scheduled for free agency in March, so the transaction basically gives him a head start on his job search.

Maragos, 32, has been in the NFL for eight years and has spent the last four years with the Eagles. He never lit up the stat sheet as a special teams specialist, but he was considered to be an important locker room figure and a difference-maker in the third facet of the game.

Maragos was limited to just six games in 2017 thanks to a lingering knee injury and spent all of 2018 on the PUP list. It’s not immediately clear whether Maragos will look to play elsewhere or retire.

NFL Allows Banned Prospects To Interview

February 22nd, 2019 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will allow Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson, and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams to participate in “limited interviews” at the NFL Draft Combine, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Those three players are still barred from participating in drills, but they will be allowed to speak with teams and undergo medical testing.

However, the news doesn’t do much for Simmons, a projected first round pick. Simmons will not be able to attend the combine because of to his ACL, so clubs will have to wait before speaking with him (Twitter link).

For Ferguson and Williams, this is potentially good news. All three players were barred from doing drills at the combine due to red flags, but they’ll have an opportunity to clear the air with interested clubs.

Simmons, who stands 6’4″, 300 pounds, appeared in 37 total games in his three-year career with the Bulldogs, managing 159 tackles (30.5 for loss), six sacks, and five forced fumbles during that time. He was named first-team All-SEC in both 2017 and 2018, and this season won the Conerly Trophy as the top college football player in the state of Mississippi. He had buzz as a top-15 selection, but the ACL tear he suffered in training could lower his ceiling.

Patriots’ Jason McCourty To Continue Playing

February 22nd, 2019 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Safety Devin McCourty is set to continue playing in 2019, and so is his brother, cornerback Jason McCourty. Jason, who also said that he would consider retirement, wants to take the field again in the fall (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).

The two brothers are not necessarily in the same boat, however. Devin is set to earn a $9MM base salary with the Patriots in 2019. Meanwhile, Jason is scheduled for free agency in March.

Jason, 32 in August, appeared in 16 games with 12 starts for the Patriots last season. He registered 70 total stops and ten passes defensed, showing that he still has plenty left in the tank.

For his work, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL last season with an career-best score of 82.3.

NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks

February 22nd, 2019 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks to several teams, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The full rundown, which is below, includes two third-round picks for both the Rams and Patriots.

The NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained. As the NFL explains:

“Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. No club may receive more than four compensatory picks in any one year. If a club qualifies for more than four compensatory picks after offsetting each CFA lost by each CFA gained of an equal or higher value, the four highest remaining selections will be awarded to the club.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the number of compensatory selections to the number of clubs then in the League (32). This year, six clubs: the Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Rams, Giants, and 49ers qualified for compensatory selections under the net loss formula but will not receive those picks because the final numerical values of the CFAs who were lost by those clubs ranked 33^rd through 39^thamong the final numerical values of all compensatory selections. Each of those six clubs will receive compensatory selections for other CFAs lost whose final numerical values ranked within the top 32. “

Third Round

(No. 33 in third round-No. 96 overall) Redskins
34-97 Patriots
35-98 Rams
36-99 Rams
37-100 Panthers
38-101 Patriots
39-102 Ravens

Falcons Sign Blidi Wreh-Wilson To Extension

February 22nd, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons and Blidi Wreh-Wilson have agreed to an extension, according to a team announcement. The new deal is for one year and will keep the cornerback in the fold through the 2019 season.

“Blidi has been a very versatile player for us over the last three years,” coach Dan Quinn said in a release. “He has experience in our system and adds depth for both the defense and special teams units.”

Wreh-Wilson was initially set to hit the open market in mid-March. The new deal doesn’t give him much in long-term security, but it probably included enough in the way of guaranteed money for him to punt on free agency. This marks the third straight year in which the 29-year-old has signed a one-year deal with Atlanta.

For the Falcons, the deal gives them some semblance of consistency in the secondary. Earlier this offseason, the club cut The Falcons released starting cornerback Robert Alford and elected against tendering slot corner Brian Poole.

Three Teams Inquired On Antonio Brown

February 22nd, 2019 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Three teams have inquired on trading for Antonio Brown, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told NFL Network (via Yahoo Sports). Still, he does not expect a trade to come together right away.

Stressing that the process will take time, Colbert indicated that things could pick up over the next week or so as teams gauge the free agent wide receiver market, make their “own free agency evaluations,” and watch prospects at the combine.

Still, the Steelers don’t have all the time in the world. Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17 and it would make little sense for them to pay that bonus and then trade him. A deal could take time, but, realistically, the Steelers have less than a month to get something done.

Some NFL executives believe the Steelers won’t get more than a third-round pick for one of the game’s most dynamic talents. Naturally, the Steelers want more.

“By no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to Pittsburgh Steelers organization,” Colbert said recently.

Between Brown’s shots at the Steelers on social media and his other off-the-field issues, it will be interesting to see how much leverage the Steelers have in trade talks. Any team in the NFL would probably like to have Brown, but clubs also know that his relationship with the club appears to be irreparably damaged.

Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards and a league-leading and career-high 15 touchdown receptions.

Robert Kraft Charged With Soliciting Prostitutes

February 22nd, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting prostitution by Jupiter, Fla. police. A police spokesperson tells reporters that Kraft, and the others implicated in the sting, were caught on camera “in the act” at a massage parlor.

Kraft, 77, is alleged to have solicited a prostitute on at least two occasions. He was one of several men implicated in the sting, which lasted roughly eight months and led to the identification of more than 100 suspected “Johns.”

“The tentacles of this go from here to New York to China, in Florida from here to Orange County,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said earlier this week. “I think it’s very safe to say without any hyperbole that this is the tip of the iceberg.”

Kraft’s lawyers, meanwhile, deny any wrongdoing on the part of their client:

“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”

In a statement, the NFL said the league is “aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments. Kraft may be subject to league discipline, depending on how things unfold.

Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994. Since then, the franchise has won six Super Bowl championships and made ten overall Super Bowl appearances.

According to Forbes, Kraft is worth roughly $6.6 billion. Police say he will be charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the sting.