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Month: December 2024

Bucs Rumors: Brown, Steelers, Smith

February 27th, 2019 at 6:52pm CST by Zachary Links

We could see a lot of change in Tampa this year, but do not expect the Buccaneers to pursue Antonio Brown, GM Jason Licht says (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert).

From a talent perspective, the Bucs would surely like to have Brown on the roster. However, a Brown trade would require the forfeiture of significant draft capital and would hurt the team’s cap room, effectively forcing them to mortgage the future for a soon-to-be 31-year-old.

For now, the Bucs seem intent on keeping deep threat DeSean Jackson, though it remains to be seen whether they can hang on to pending free agent Adam Humphries.

Here’s more on the Bucs:

  • “I don’t envision Donovan Smith being anywhere else but the Bucs, at least for next year,” Licht said on SiriusXM (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic). He added that the franchise tag is “more than likely” for the left tackle. This jibes with what we’ve heard previously. if the Bucs follow through on that plan, they’ll be even less likely to keep their hands on Humphries.
  • Bruce Arians’ recent chat with Jackson went well, according to the Bucs’ new head coach. “It went great. We had a long sit-down. From my perspective, it couldn’t have been any better,” Arians said (via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com). “You’d have to talk to DeSean to find out what his perspective is. But I thought it was great. I look forward to working with him. Ton of respect for him as a player … and a person.” Licht, meanwhile, was non-committal when asked about D-Jax.
  • Licht was similarly non-committal when asked about six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, who carries a $13MM cap hit in 2019 and is under contract through 2021. “Gerald’s been a real productive, successful player for the Bucs — one of the Bucs’ all-time best defensive players, you could argue,” Licht said. “He’s under contract. Ideally, [we’d] love it if he continued to be a Buc.” For what it’s worth, rumor has it that the Bucs see McCoy as a good fit, even as they transition to a 3-4 scheme.
  • Rising sophomore M.J. Stewart will get looks at several positions but “we’d love to see him at safety,” Licht said (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). Last year, the 2018 second-round pick spent the bulk of his eleven games (five starts) at cornerback. He finished out with 33 tackles and three passes defensed.
  • Licht noted that the Bucs can keep running back Peyton Barber with a high tender in order to keep him from free agency, which may give some insight into the team’s plans (via Auman). A second-round tender at just over $3MM should ward away other interested clubs.
  • Caleb Benenoch struggled in 2018 as the team’s right guard and Licht believes that a switch to tackle is in his future, Auman writes. The change would mean a backup role, so Auman wonders if his job will be safe given his scheduled $2MM salary for ’19.

Jaguars Won’t Trade Jalen Ramsey

February 27th, 2019 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Jalen Ramsey has been vocal about his desire for an extension and has clashed with team brass in the past, but he won’t be traded this offseason, GM Dave Caldwell says (via PFT). The Jags also intend on exercising the defensive back’s fifth-year option, so it appears that he’s in their plans moving forward. 

[RELATED: Jaguars Balked At Nick Foles Trade]

“We’re not going to trade Jalen,” Caldwell said. “When you have a player that’s one of the top at his position, it’s hard to replace that player.”

Last year, the 24-year-old (25 in October) tallied 65 total tackles and three interceptions en route to a second career Pro Bowl nod. He had similar numbers in 2017, leading him to a First-Team All-Pro nod.

His outbursts aren’t necessarily well-received in Jacksonville, especially since old-school football figure Tom Coughlin sits above Caldwell, but the team is willing to take the good with the bad.

“He’s highly competitive and I think sometimes that might get the most of him,” Caldwell said. “He just had to learn to curtail some of that stuff.”

Colts Rumors: Doyle, Geathers, Brissett

February 27th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts will likely be without tight end Jack Doyle for the bulk of the offseason, GM Chris Ballard told reporters on Wednesday. Doyle, of course, missed significant time in the 2018 season thanks to a hip injury and finished out the year on IR thanks to a kidney injury that required surgery.

In six games last year, Doyle caught 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Eric Ebron picked up the slack with 66 grabs for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Colts hope to have both players in the mix in two tight end sets, but if Doyle misses time, they have a deep TE unit to draw from including the recently re-signed Ross Travis and former basketball player Mo Alie-Cox.

Here’s more from Indy:

  • The Colts want to re-sign safety Clayton Geathers, GM Chris Ballard says (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX 59). Geathers, 27 in June, amassed 89 tackles and three passes defensed as the Colts’ starting strong safety. However, he missed four games and earned a so-so 67.4 score from Pro Football Focus, positioning him as just the 51st best overall safety in the NFL.
  • Geathers, cornerback Pierre Desir, and wide receiver Dontrelle Inman will be allowed to test the market in March, even though there is interest in bringing each player back, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) hears. Holder adds that safety Matthias Farley will likely be tendered and should return to the squad in 2019.
  • The Colts are still exploring backup quarterbacks and those conversations almost led them to signing Calgary Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell recently, Holder hears (Twitter link). Still, Holder does not expect those conversations to have any direct impact on Jacoby Brissett‘s status for the coming year. The Colts say they’re not shopping Brissett, but if they do, they should find a decent market for his services.

Giants Interested In Nick Foles?

February 27th, 2019 at 6:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur says the team will be moving forward with Eli Manning as the starting quarterback, but not everyone is convinced. For weeks, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com (on Twitter) has been hearing that the Giants are very interested in Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. 

[RELATED: Latest On Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.]

For the Giants, it was simply a matter of whether the Eagles would franchise tag the QB or allow him to become a free agent. With Wednesday’s news that the Eagles will allow Foles to explore the open market, the stars could be aligning for the Giants to pursue Foles. Of course, the Manning question still needs answering.

Shurmur coached Foles in Philadelphia, so it would only make sense for the Giants to consider him. Meanwhile, GM Dave Gettleman isn’t ruling out a veteran signing and Foles represents the best free agent QB option by far. Teddy Bridgewater will also hold appeal for teams, but unlike Bridgewater, Foles has recent game tape and a Super Bowl ring on his hand.

Raiders To Keep A.J. McCarron?

February 27th, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders quarterback A.J. McCarron is scheduled to receive a $3MM bonus if he’s on the roster on March 15. In theory, the Raiders can cut him in the next two weeks to avoid that expenditure, but it sounds like he’s still in the team’s plans for 2019. 

“I think Jon [Gruden] and I both believe that the backup quarterback is one snap away from playing. It’s important to have someone like McCarron ready to go,” GM Mike Mayock said (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal).

In addition to his $3MM bonus on March 15, $1.1MM of McCarron’s $1.8MM salary will become fully guaranteed on March 17. McCarron, who moved between the Bengals, Bills, and Raiders last offseason, will probably be happy to take his coat off and stay a while.

When signed by the Bills in March of last year, McCarron was expected to serve as the successor to Tyrod Taylor. Unfortunately for him, things changed in April when the Bills drafted Josh Allen to be their QB of the future. Just before the start of the season, the Bills shipped McCarron to Oakland for a fifth-round pick.

McCarron probably still aims to be someone’s starter, but for now, he’ll be one snap away from anchoring the Raiders’ offense.

Giants Notes: Collins, Foles, Manning

February 27th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

All signs have been pointing to the Giants using the franchise tag on Landon Collins, but that’s far from a done deal, according to GM Dave Gettleman (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). The Giants are “still evaluating” whether to use the tag on the safety, so it’s a situation to monitor between now and the March 5 deadline.

“These decisions aren’t made in a vacuum,” said Gettleman when asked about the safety who is less-than-pleased with the notion of the tag. “So many things come into play.”

Collins may or may not have cleaned out his locker earlier this month, but the 25-year-old has already made it clear he doesn’t want to be cuffed by a one-year, $11.2MM tender.

“So let’s go to the conversation of eliminating distractions,” he said. “You tag a guy. He’s mad. And that’s all you guys are going to write about. For six months it’s what it’s going to be. So I have to say to myself, ‘Is it worth it?‘”

While Gettleman mulls that question, here’s more on the G-Men:

Latest On Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.

February 27th, 2019 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Dave Gettleman saying in January Odell Beckham Jr. was not on the trade market, rumors persisted about the Giants moving their superstar wide receiver.

Gettleman on Wednesday reaffirmed his stance, saying (via Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group, on Twitter) “We didn’t sign Odell to trade him. That’s all I need to say about that.”

Beckham is barely six months removed from the wideout-record five-year, $90MM deal he signed. As presently structured, Beckham’s deal calls for $21MM in 2019 — the highest of the cap numbers involved with this pact. The Giants have a middling $28MM in cap space, but jettisoning their most proven weapon may not be a good choice considering they are planning to bring Eli Manning back next season.

The Athletic’s Jay Glazer predicted a Beckham trade would occur, and Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson does not believe Gettleman’s language locks down the 26-year-old receiver in the Big Apple. But Gettleman again attempted to fend off the trade talk surrounding Beckham, who remains a popular player in the Giants’ locker room.

Packers To Be More Active In Free Agency

February 27th, 2019 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps the least active team in free agency for many years, the Packers made some notable moves last year. Despite the Jimmy Graham and Muhammad Wilkerson signings not producing what the team hoped, second-year GM Brian Gutekunst is not ready to revert to the organization’s old ways.

Gutekunst hopes to be active in free agency and said the Packers are ready to turn the page from the Ted Thompson years in terms of augmenting their team on the veteran market.

“I’d like to be really active,” Gutekunst said during an appearance on the RapSheet and Friends podcast (Twitter link). “The draft is how we build our team, but our team is ready to move in the free agent areas more than we have.”

Green Bay holds $36MM-plus in cap space, which is a middle-of-the-pack number. But the franchise largely avoided non-street free agency during the years leading up to Thompson’s retirement. It appears the Packers will attempt to compete on this front come March.

Missing the playoffs for the second straight season — the first time this has occurred since the 2005-06 campaigns — the Packers in 2018 finished with a lower-echelon defensive performance, continuing a years-long trend. They have needs at their outside linebacker and safety positions, and potentially some of the team’s skill-position spots could be enhanced.

Broncos Rumors: Murray, Paradis, Keenum

February 27th, 2019 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos agreed to acquire Joe Flacco, they will still be linked to this year’s top rookie quarterbacks — as they were last year. If Kyler Murray is available at No. 10, they may serve as a spot for teams looking to trade up. John Elway does not appear to believe the shorter passer would be a fit for an offense that will use plenty of under-center looks under new OC Rich Scangarello, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). The Broncos passed on Josh Allen and Josh Rosen last year and have been connected to Drew Lock. If Denver sticks at No. 10 and chooses a non-quarterback, the team will have had back-to-back top-10 picks without addressing its long-term QB need with one of them. The 2020 draft is expected to have high-profile passers, but it’s obviously no lock the Broncos will be in position to draft or trade up for one.

Here is the latest from Denver (via Indianapolis):

  • Despite the Flacco deal, Elway’s preference is to keep Case Keenum. It would take a restructured deal, though, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. Keenum is attached an untenable $21MM cap number. With Flacco set to bring an $18.5MM figure to Denver, it is hard to see Keenum staying due to the pay cut it would require. The 30-year-old incumbent has not requested a trade, Elway said (per the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran, on Twitter), adding the Broncos would allow him to seek one.
  • Matt Paradis probably looms as the Broncos’ top free agent priority. Elway has spoken with the Broncos’ center of the past four years and informed him they would like him back, Jhabvala tweets. But Paradis’ injury and price point will be a factor. The 29-year-old snapper has been expected to reach free agency, where a new market-setting deal may well await him — considering teams’ need for higher-end linemen. However, multiple executives predicted (via O’Halloran, Twitter link) Paradis will end up back in Denver on a one-year deal because of the broken fibula that ended his season last November.
  • The Broncos’ need for a cornerback is as great as it has been in five years, and Elway acknowledged (via Klis, on Twitter) the team needs to find a No. 2 corner to team with All-Pro Chris Harris. This would seem to point to Bradley Roby departing, which has been the expectation. Vic Fangio said (via Jhabvala) the Broncos will let Roby test free agency, a good sign he will not be back in 2019.
  • As for Harris, Elway said the team has not considered an extension yet and whether or not the Broncos do go in this direction will depend on their free agency period, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). However, Renck added earlier (Twitter link) the expectation is the Broncos will meet with Harris’ agent at the Combine. The 29-year-old corner has been one of Denver’s cornerstone players this decade, and with Roby likely to leave and Aqib Talib having been traded, Harris represents the Broncos’ only surefire option at corner. Denver is also set to let Tramaine Brock walk.
  • On its offensive line, Denver will bring back Ronald Leary, Elway confirmed (via Jhabvala, on Twitter). Leary has more than $5MM in injury guarantees due if he cannot pass a physical by March 17. It’s been previously reported the veteran guard will be unable to pass said physical by then. Leary has seen both of his Denver seasons end early because of injury. Also on the Broncos’ O-line: Elway said (per Renck, on Twitter) the team would like to re-sign right tackle starter Jared Veldheer and utility blocker Billy Turner. If Veldheer departs, the Broncos would have a sixth Week 1 right tackle starter in six years.

Eric Berry Won’t Undergo Offseason Surgery

February 27th, 2019 at 2:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Berry missed most of the past two seasons, being sidelined for much of 2018 because of a painful heel issue. But the Chiefs’ plan for their All-Pro safety evidently does not include surgery.

The 30-year-old defender is not slated to undergo an offseason procedure to address his nagging heel concern, Andy Reid said (via Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star, on Twitter).

Surgery is sometimes recommended for people dealing with Haglund’s deformity, but for the time being, it looks like Berry will attempt to shake this persistent problem with rest and rehab. He returned for the Chiefs late in the season and was on the field for pivotal snaps against the Patriots in the AFC championship game. But Berry has not been himself since Week 1 of the 2017 season, when a season-ending Achilles injury sidetracked his career.

Thanks to signing the former top-five pick to a safety-record contract back in 2017, the Chiefs have Berry under contract through 2022. Kansas City had issues in its secondary throughout last season, Berry’s injury chief among them.

The Chiefs, who were interested in Earl Thomas before he was lost for the season, likely will attempt to upgrade at this position this offseason. Berry has dealt with this heel condition for nearly two years, though his Achilles injury damaged his other foot. He is set to take up $16MM of Kansas City’s 2019 cap.

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