2019 February - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Raiders’ Oakland Discussions

February 16th, 2019 at 2:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have missed the NFL’s Super Bowl LIII deadline for resolving their 2019 stadium situation, but they may be closing in on finalizing this saga.

The likelihood that, after all of the talk of a move elsewhere following Oakland’s lawsuit, the Raiders will play in Oakland has increased. More discussions are on tap next week, with a near-future resolution in sight.

“We’ll talk against next week. Again, this will come to a conclusion one way or another in the next week or so,” Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority Board executive director Scott McKibben said, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s fair to say that discussions have been meaningful and productive and, after the update with our board, things are progressing.”

Oakland and the Raiders had been discussing a $7.5MM lease for 2019, the franchise’s final lame-duck season before its Las Vegas move. Although the Raiders previously walked away from that deal after the city’s lawsuit, playing at the Coliseum for the $7.5MM amount is back on the table.

It appears the prospect of the Raiders playing at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park home has been scuttled. The 49ers refused to waive their territorial rights. Although, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes NFL bylaws indicate the league’s 30 non-Bay Area owners could supersede the 49ers in this case, that is not expected. Normally, relocations require a two-thirds majority vote; in this case, all 30 other teams would have to approve of the Raiders playing in San Francisco. A precedent of teams moving into markets already housing other teams is not one the NFL wants, per Maiocco.

Additionally, the seven opponents set to face the Raiders in the Bay Area may well have objected to sharing a sideline with the Raiders on game day, Maiocco adds. That would have been the case at Oracle Park.

This Date In NFL Transactions History: Mario Williams, Arian Foster

February 16th, 2019 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Two years ago today, the Dolphins let go of a pair of former Pro Bowlers. The Dolphins terminated the contracts of defensive end Mario Williams and running back Arian Foster, two players who were expected to play bigger roles during their tenures in Miami.

Williams, a former first-overall pick, joined the Dolphins during the 2016 offseason after having been released by the Bills. Miami inked the lineman to a two-year, $17MM deal that included $11.98MM in guaranteed money, an indication that the organization was expecting at least starter-quality production from the four-time Pro Bowler.

Unfortunately, Williams’ lone season with the Dolphins proved to be a dud. Williams appeared in 13 games with the Dolphins, finishing the campaign with only 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one pass defended. Miami released the defensive end on this date in 2017, marking the last time he’s been on an NFL roster. Considering he’s 34 years old and hasn’t played in the NFL in two seasons, his NFL career is presumably over.

The Foster move wasn’t as unexpected nor disappointing as the Williams transaction. Following a standout (albeit injury-riddled) tenure with the Texans, Foster joined the Dolphins to be a backup to Jay Ajayi. The veteran struggled in four games, compiling 55 yards on 22 carries (good for a 2.5-yard average) before being supplanted by rookie Kenyan Drake on the depth chart. Foster ended up announcing his retirement in mid-October, making his subsequent release predictable.

These weren’t the only two moves the Dolphins made two years ago today. The team also let go of defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, who has proceeded to play in 30 games for the 49ers over the past two seasons. The team also waived cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who hasn’t earned an NFL gig since that day.

Packers Add Two Coaches To Staff

February 16th, 2019 at 11:04am CST by Ben Levine

The Packers coaching staff continues to take shape. The Packers have hired Kevin Koger as their offensive quality control coach and Jason Vrable as an offensive assistant, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com.

Koger has spent the past three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Eastern Kentucky, and he also served as the special teams coordinator during the 2018 campaign. The 29-year-old also had coaching stints at Michigan and Tennessee.

The former tight end was a standout at Michigan between 2008 and 2011, but a torn Achilles tendon seemingly ended any chance he had of making the NFL. Now, he’ll have a chance to make his mark as a coach under Matt LaFleur.

Vrabel has spent six seasons coaching in the NFL, including the past two years as an offensive assistant with the Jets. He was previously the offensive quality control coach for the Bills, and he had a brief stint as Buffalo’s running backs coach. Vrabel will now play an important role on offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett‘s staff.

Bengals RB Mark Walton Arrested

February 16th, 2019 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

Mark Walton‘s offseason has gotten off to a poor start. The Bengals running back was reportedly arrested in Miami last night (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).

It’s uncertain whether Walton was arrested on Friday night or early Saturday morning. Either way, the running back is reportedly facing a battery charge. David Ovalle of the The Miami Herald tweets that the Walton was taken into custody and has already posted bond.

Following a standout career at Miami, the Bengals selected Walton in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The 21-year-old was slotted behind Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard during his rookie campaign, running for 34 yards on 14 carries in 14 games. He also added another five receptions for 41 yards, and he compiled five tackles on special teams.

Walton could face punishment from the NFL, putting at least the start of his 2019 campaign in doubt. The Bengals have all of their 2018 running backs under contract for next season, including undrafted rookie Quinton Flowers.

Broncos Notes: Flacco, Draft, Marshall

February 16th, 2019 at 9:18am CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos may have acquired veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco earlier this week, but that doesn’t mean the organization won’t draft a quarterback in this year’s draft. A Broncos source told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that the team wouldn’t balk at taking one of the top quarterback prospects.

“We’re going to take the best player on our board when the pick comes up,” the source said. “Period.”

Of course, that quote indicates that the team won’t specifically target a quarterback, but it also shows that the team will be flexible heading into the draft. As Miller notes, the Broncos have been connected to Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, although the prospect isn’t projected to be a top-10 pick (Denver’s slotted in at the 10th-overall pick).

Let’s check out some more notes out of Denver…

The Broncos will be searching for some help at cornerback this offseason, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. Bradley Roby, Tramaine Brock and Jamar Taylor are all set to hit free agency, meaning the team will need to search for someone to play opposite Chris Harris. The veteran defensive back recognizes that his team will be seeking reinforcement in the secondary, and he’s confident that new head coach Vic Fangio will help to revitalize the entire unit. “It’s like I’ve said, I think we just haven’t evolved here,” Harris said. “You know, after the Super Bowl [in 2016], it’s like we kind of just got stagnant. We haven’t evolved. We’ve got to evolve with everything … get better as players, all of us. I just think this past year we were kind of behind.”
We learned yesterday that the Broncos weren’t going to be picking up linebacker Brandon Marshall‘s option, making him a free agent. The 29-year-old emerged as a starting-caliber player during his tenure in Denver, and he’s been productive in both a 4-3 and 3-4 scheme. Marshall believes that versatility will help him as he searches for his next gig. “I think that’s going to help me a lot (in free agency),” he told Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post. “I was in a 4-3 my first year starting in Denver and playing a 3-4 will let teams know I can do it all.”
Back to Flacco, we heard earlier this week that the team doesn’t intend to re-work the veteran’s contract. The 34-year-old is under contract in each of the next three seasons at base salaries of $18.5MM, $20.25MM, and $24.25MM, although none of that money is guaranteed.

Extra Points: Beckham Jr., Giants, Lions, Patriots

February 15th, 2019 at 10:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Odell Beckham Jr. signed a mega-deal this past Summer that seemed to put all of the trade rumors surrounding the young wideout to rest. But the Giants’ superstar is starting to pop up in trade buzz yet again, after another drama-filled season. The team reiterated that they were committed to Beckham longterm at their year-end press conference, but Jay Glazer of The Athletic predicts that he’ll end up getting traded this offseason.

Beckham made headlines this past season for his thinly veiled criticism of Eli Manning, and yet again for his sideline antics during games. Beckham had health issues for the second straight season, missing four games with a quad injury. If the Giants were to put him on the trade block, there’d be no shortage of trade suitors. He’s still only 26, and would likely fetch multiple early draft picks if New York finally decided to pull the trigger.

Here’s more from around the league:

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said the tight end position “is definitely a priority” for the team this offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Quinn further emphasized it was a “position of need” and said they’re deep into scouting the tight end’s available in this year’s draft. Detroit got pretty much nothing out of their tight ends this year, so this isn’t a surprise. The team drafted Eric Ebron tenth overall back in 2014 but let him walk in free agency this past year, only to watch him have a career year with the Colts and make the Pro Bowl. Adding a real tight end would be a massive boost to the Lions’ offense.
Speaking of the Lions, they lost an assistant coach. Assistant special teams coach Devin Fitzsimmons is leaving to take a job at Vanderbilt, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News (Twitter link). Fitzsimmons had been with Detroit for the past five seasons. After the Lions fired Joe Marciano midway through last season, Fitzsimmons served as the team’s interim special teams coordinator for the final eight games.
The Lions aren’t the only team who made an assistant coaching change. The Patriots are hiring Youngstown State offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo to be their new assistant offensive line coach, according to Brian Dzenis of The Vindicate. Dzenis writes that Patriots coach Bill Belichick called Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini earlier this week, and Belichick has some connections to the area.

AFC Notes: Brown, Brady, Bills, Jets

February 15th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Antonio Brown saga continued today with a new dose of drama. The All-Pro receiver liked several tweets referencing past accusations of sexual assault against Ben Roethlisberger, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The team has attempted to calm tempers and dial things back the past couple of weeks, but Brown has only gotten more aggressive in his demands to leave the team.

It had looked for a while recently like a reunion between the two sides was a real possibility, but actions like this are making those chances seem slimmer by the second. Roethlisberger isn’t going anywhere, and an argument between Brown and his longtime quarterback is apparently what sparked all of this back in Week 17. Crazier things have happened, but even though Brown will reportedly meet with Steelers owner Art Rooney soon, it still seems like a trade is inevitable.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Tom Brady has famously taken somewhat of a discount on his contracts to help the Patriots build winning teams around him, and he’s in line for another new contract soon. The 41-year-old plans to keep playing until he’s 45, and is heading into the final year of his current deal in 2019. Former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry took a look at what an extension for Brady might look like, and what type of discount he might be willing to take this time around. Corry writes that it’s “extremely unlikely Brady will exploit his leverage” in negotiations, and that it’s only a “matter of how big of a discount he’ll give the Patriots.”
Speaking of the AFC East, two of the Patriots’ longtime rivals will be in position to make some major moves this offseason if they want to. The Bills “top the list of expected spenders with what should be close to $89 million to spend on free agents” this offseason, while the Jets are in second place “with about $88 million”, writes cap expert Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com. The Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan haven’t been shy about their desire to make a splash in free agency, while Buffalo will likely be much more conservative. New York has been frequently mentioned as a potential landing spot for Le’Veon Bell, and it’ll be very interesting to see what they do with all that money.
In case you missed it, former Jets offensive coordinator John Morton resurfaced with the Raiders yesterday.

Bengals Requested Interview With Ohio State DC Jeff Hafley

February 15th, 2019 at 6:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bengals have struck out on yet another name in their seemingly never-ending search for a defensive coordinator. The team wanted to interview Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for the position but Hafley turned them down, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Hafley is currently the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, a job he took just last month. Sources told Garafolo that Hafley didn’t want to “renege on his commitment” to the Buckeyes. Before joining Ohio State, Hafley had been a defensive assistant in the NFL since 2012, most recently serving as the 49ers’ secondary coach for the past three seasons.

It’s yet another blow to Cincinnati as new head coach Zac Taylor looks to fill out his inaugural staff. Just yesterday they were blocked from interviewing Saints assistant Aaron Glenn. Earlier yesterday they were shot down by Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who had initially appeared very likely to take the job. They had previously offered the job to and been turned down by former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

The Bengals are likely looking at a rebuild, which could be scaring off veteran coaches. They do have some talent on defense, and it’s pretty surprising that they haven’t found somebody yet. They were granted permission to talk to Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant earlier this week, so perhaps they circle back to him.

NFL To Let Players Banned From Combine To Attend Some Parts

February 15th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The NFL is softening its stance toward the college players they initially barred from the combine. “The NFL sent a memo to GMs and coaches informing them LA Tech DE Jaylon Ferguson, MSU DT Jeffery Simmons, and CSU WR Preston Williams will be permitted to travel to Indy to undergo the same comprehensive medical evaluations given to invited prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine”, tweeted Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport noted in a followup tweet that “These players will get transportation to Indy, along with meals and a hotel if they are required to stay overnight. These prospects will not be permitted to participate in any other Combine evals or events.” The players had previously been banned from attending the combine at all. They’ll be evaluated by doctors in Indianapolis so that teams can have full confidence in their medicals, but they won’t be participating in the televised on-field drills.

All the players will do most of the drills they would’ve done at the combine at their pro days anyway, so it likely won’t have too much of an impact on their draft stock. Simmons’ draft stock already tanked earlier this week when he tore his ACL while training for the draft. He had been projected to go in the top-half of the first round, but will now likely fall out of the first day entirely.

Simmons and Williams had their bans announced weeks ago, but Ferguson’s was a much more recent development. Just two days ago, he surprisingly had his invitation rescinded. All three players were being disciplined under the league’s recently instituted policy that any player found to have been convicted of a felony, or of a misdemeanor that involved violence, wouldn’t be admitted to the combine. Ferguson’s incident is viewed to have been minor, and Rapoport tweeted at the time that teams see it as “certainly not disqualifying.”

Chargers Re-Sign DB Jaylen Watkins

February 15th, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chargers are re-signing defensive back Jaylen Watkins to a one-year deal, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.

Watkins, who can play both cornerback and safety, had signed with the Chargers last Spring, but went down with a torn ACL in Los Angeles’ second preseason game that ended his season. Rapoport notes in his tweet that Watkins was having a “very promising preseason” before getting hurt. He was originally drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round back in 2014.

The Florida product spent most of the next four years in Philadelphia, and was a part of the team that won Super Bowl LII. For his career, Watkins has tallied 56 tackles and eight passes defended, and was a major part of the Eagles’ secondary in 2016 and 2017, starting games each year. The Chargers already have a very talented secondary, so he’ll likely be little more than depth assuming he makes the team. Watkins is also the older half-brother of Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins.