2019 February - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars Balked At Nick Foles Trade

February 27th, 2019 at 1:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

News of the Eagles’ franchise tag-and-trade plan failing emerged because of the Eagles’ inability to talk the Jaguars into making a bid for Foles.

The Jaguars were not interested in trading for Foles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link), and that led to Howie Roseman shutting down the tag-and-trade process. The Eagles had hoped to place a $25MM tag on their popular backup quarterback, but once the Broncos opted for Joe Flacco and the Jags said they did not want to acquire Foles via trade, Roseman agreed the Eagles would let Foles walk. A 2020 third-round compensatory pick will almost certainly come Philadelphia’s way.

However, the Jaguars remain interested in Foles as a free agent, per Rapoport. They are the favorites to sign him in free agency, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Given the marketplace, this is unsurprising. The Jaguars have a veteran defense that in 2017 proved capable of elevating a team with a low-end quarterback to the Super Bowl precipice. The Redskins are unlikely to commit franchise-quarterback-level dollars to finding another passer, with Alex Smith on their 2019 books for more than $20MM, and the Dolphins have not given an indication they are looking to spend big here either. The Giants are, as expected, moving forward with Eli Manning — despite Pat Shurmur’s history with Foles.

This leaves the Jags in an interesting spot. And the fact that they may be a strong favorite likely impacted the team’s decision to avoid giving up a draft choice in a tag-and-trade scenario. Jacksonville’s standing on this front could also affect how much Foles can command as a free agent.

John DeFilippo is now the Jags’ OC, and the team has soured on Blake Bortles after a five-year run did not produce what the franchise hoped. It would be an upset if Foles did not end up in north Florida next season, though thanks to the ill-advised Bortles contract leading to a $16MM dead-money charge, the Jaguars making this quarterback switch will be costly.

Montreal Alouettes Release Johnny Manziel

February 27th, 2019 at 1:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Johnny Manziel‘s time with the Montreal Alouettes is over, and it’s possible the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback’s run in the CFL is as well.

The Alouettes, who traded two first-round picks to acquire Manziel last year, released him on Wednesday, the team announced. The CFL also announced it will not approve a Manziel contract if another team plans to sign him.

Manziel violated his Montreal contract, according to the team. It is not clear how. But the quarterback is now a free agent, though he did not contribute much in Canada. He played in eight Alouettes games last season, throwing five touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions.

“We are disappointed by this turn of events. Johnny was provided a great deal of support by our organization, in collaboration with the CFL, but he has been unable to abide by the terms of his agreement,” Montreal GM Kavis Reed said. “We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who was unwilling to proceed.”

The former Browns first-round pick has an extensive history of off-field trouble, but it remains to be seen what led to his departure after one CFL season.

This obviously comes at an interesting time, considering the Alliance of American Football has begun play and XFL 2.0 is reaching out to players about being part of its 2020 return. Although Manziel is far removed from being a productive quarterback, he remains a big name and could attract interest in one of the two American winter-spring leagues.

AFC North Notes: Brown, Ravens, Johnson

February 27th, 2019 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers‘ plan remains to trade Antonio Brown. But Kevin Colbert reiterated they will not pull the trigger if they do not believe the compensation is appropriate.

“We will only make a trade if it benefits the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Colbert said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “He knows that. His representation knows that. That’s been clearly explained, and we’re willing to take a look. If there’s something that can be done to benefit both sides, great. If not, then we’ll deal with that when we get to it.”

Pittsburgh still wants to trade Brown to the NFC, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets the organization is prioritizing compensation over a preferred destination. Colbert said an intra-division trade is not ideal but did not put the Bengals, Browns or Ravens as non-starter suitors, saying “we haven’t eliminated anybody” from the trade picture. Colbert added more teams have reached out, which makes sense with all 32 teams in Indianapolis for the Combine. The Steelers would seemingly prefer to deal Brown before March 17, when his $2.5MM bonus is due, but Colbert said (via Pro Football Talk, on Twitter) the team is open to paying him the bonus and trading him later.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

New Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has said the team wants C.J. Mosley back, and a report indicated they also want to re-sign Terrell Suggs for a 17th season. DeCosta on Wednesday said he expects Brandon Carr to stay put. However, the new front office boss was not as certain on Jimmy Smith and Eric Weddle joining Carr in the 2019 Baltimore secondary, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic tweets. Carr, who will be 33 in May, is due $7MM. Weddle, 34, has one season left on his four-year deal. It would save the Ravens $7.5MM by cutting him. After indicating he would want to retire if the Ravens didn’t want him back, Weddle recently changed his tune. Smith is just 30, and a release would cost the Ravens more than $6MM. But they could save $9MM-plus by making him a cap casualty. Baltimore currently holds barely $20MM in cap space.
With Kareem Hunt now in the fold, the Browns‘ backfield is crowded. Nick Chubb will likely be the Cleveland starter for much of this season, with Hunt in line for a suspension that could comprise more than half of the 2019 season. Duke Johnson remains, too, and although he has done his best work in the passing game, Freddie Kitchens said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, on Twitter) the team is not planning to move its passing-down back to wide receiver.
The Bengals refuted a report that they are trying to deal 2017 first-rounder John Ross.

Broncos Plan To Keep Emmanuel Sanders

February 27th, 2019 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

By releasing Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos could create more than $10MM in cap space. However, they would create a major need at wide receiver by doing so. It does not appear they plan to go in this direction.

Vic Fangio said Wednesday (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post) Sanders is expected to have a major role next season. The new Denver HC also said the Broncos are expected to have Sanders back in the lineup by Week 1. This would be significant, considering the Pro Bowl wideout tore an Achilles’ tendon in early December.

John Elway confirmed Wednesday afternoon the team will pick up the options of both Sanders and Derek Wolfe, who has a $1MM option.

Sanders, who will turn 32 next month, recently balked at a potential pay cut. The Broncos, however, have not asked for this. They have Sanders under contract for one more season — at $10.15MM — and have a $1.5MM option to pick up soon. This looks set to happen, and Sanders will continue his rehab with an apparent goal of returning some point during training camp.

Demaryius Thomas‘ longtime running mate is the final skill-position player remaining from the Broncos’ Super Bowl champion team. The Broncos traded Thomas at last year’s deadline, with his contract more expensive than Sanders’ and the latter having surpassed him as the team’s No. 1 option — at least during the 2018 season. Sanders was on pace for more than 1,100 receiving yards before going down in early December. Denver lost Sanders and Chris Harris within a span of four days, and its three-game midseason win streak gave way to a four-game, season-ending skid.

Denver drafted Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton last year, and UDFA Tim Patrick showed promise. But the Broncos are, barring something unexpected, planning to have Sanders around for the start of Joe Flacco‘s tenure.

Jaguars To Exercise Jalen Ramsey’s Fifth-Year Option

February 27th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the surface, the Jaguars making the decision to pick up Jalen Ramsey‘s fifth-year option is not surprising. They indeed plan to exercise the All-Pro cornerback’s 2020 option, Dave Caldwell said Wednesday (Twitter link).

However, with recent noise indicating an uncertain future for the standout defender in Jacksonville, it is somewhat notable. The Jags were connected to Ramsey trade talk as recently as December. The No. 5 overall pick in 2015, though, wants to stay in Jacksonville.

Ramsey is set to make $3.6MM in 2019; his salary will spike to eight-figure territory in 2020. The Jaguars are not in the best cap shape, at least compared to how they stood in recent offseasons, but Ramsey is arguably their best player. He has obviously been outspoken and received a team-imposed suspension last year. Though, he did not miss any regular-season games and has played all 48 regular-season contests since arriving in north Florida.

The former Florida State standout earned his second Pro Bowl nod this past season, intercepting three passes. In addition to Ramsey, the Jags have young defenders Myles Jack and Yannick Ngakoue in line for extensions. All three are now extension-eligible, their third seasons having concluded.

Bengals: We’re Not Shopping John Ross

February 27th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Multiple reports indicate the Bengals are looking to trade John Ross, but the club says that’s not accurate. On Wednesday, Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin called those rumors “fake news,” and added that the club has no plans to trade the wide receiver.

“We have had no discussion about [Ross],” Tobin said (Twitter link via Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly). “That’s from the ‘ready, fire, aim’ school of journalism.”

Just two years ago, Ross turned heads as an ultra-speedy prospect out of Washington. Unfortunately, injuries sidetracked him as a rookie and his usage was inconsistent in 2018. It seems unlikely that Ross is a major part of the Bengals’ plans moving forward, so Tobin’s denial should be taken with a grain of salt.

Instead, Tobin’s comments at the combine could be a last ditch effort to salvage Ross’ trade value. After investing a top 10 pick in Ross, the Bengals do not necessarily want to trade the speedster for pennies on the dollar. This year’s free agent wide receiver class is lackluster, so the Bengals could be holding out hope for an OK return via trade.

Eagles Won’t Franchise Tag Nick Foles

February 27th, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

Nick Foles will be a free agent in March. On Wednesday, Eagles GM Howie Roseman confirmed that the team will not be placing the franchise tag on the quarterback.

“He deserves an opportunity to lead a team,” said Roseman (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com), adding that it was a hard decision for the Eagles.

With Carson Wentz entrenched as the starter and little in the way of cap space, franchising Foles was not a real option, unless the Eagles were willing to thin themselves out in other areas. A tag-and-trade scenario could have allowed them to recoup something for Foles, but it sounds as though the league’s other QB-needy teams sat on their hands with a belief that this would be the ultimate outcome.

Foles spent the bulk of his career as a backup, but wound up as the Super Bowl MVP following the 2017 season. It stands to reason that he’ll cash in next month since he is far and away the best starting option available.

Foles, 30, was once again called upon in 2018 as Carson Wentz was once again sidelined by injury. He went 4-1 in his five starts and completed 72.3% of his passes, his highest mark in any of his NFL seasons. He also threw for seven touchdowns against four interceptions.

This year’s free agent QB crop is slim, as per the usual. Foles is expected to draw the interest of teams like the Jaguars, Dolphins, and Redskins en route to a deal that should pay him higher than the league average starting QB.

Vikings Sign Mike Zimmer To Extension

February 27th, 2019 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

Mike Zimmer is no longer a lame duck for 2019. The Vikings exercised his option for the 2020 season, GM Rick Spielman confirms (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin).

Zimmer, 63 in June, has led the Vikings to two playoff appearances (and two divisional crowns) over his five seasons. In 2017, the Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game where they were stopped by the Eagles. Last year, the Vikings fell short of expectations with a 8-7-1 finish, but they still believe Zimmer is the best man for the job.

If the Vikings can get more out of high-priced quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2019, there’s every reason to believe that they’ll be able to contend. The Vikings still boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and they have opportunities to clear out a bit of cap space, despite having just $10MM projected at the moment.

Giants Want Eli Manning Back

February 27th, 2019 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur says quarterback Eli Manning will return to the Giants in 2019, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Things have been trending in that direction, but this marks the first real confirmation we’ve heard on the matter.

“Well, I think Eli can help us win games,” Shurmur said. “He proved, when the players around him started playing better, that he can play at a very high level and help us win games. Yeah, at this point I want Eli back. He’s back. Get ready to go with him.”

Last season, Manning raised his completion rate to a career-high 66% and his 7.5 yards-per-attempt average was considerably higher than it was in the previous two seasons. He also dropped his interceptions total (11) to the lowest its been during his 14 seasons a full-time starter. The Giants also won four of five games during a midseason stretch behind improved play from Manning.

If Manning is on the Giants’ roster on March 15 – and it sounds like he will be – he’ll receive a $5MM roster bonus. His 2019 cap figure is set to be $23.2MM, which is no longer a top number for QBs.

Buccaneers’ DeSean Jackson Hires Agent

February 27th, 2019 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson has an agent once again. After parting ways with Joel Segal sometime during the offseason, Jackson has hired Brad Cicala of Terra Firma Sports to represent him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

At this juncture, it would have been foolish of Jackson to proceed without an agent. He’s under contract with the Bucs for one more season at a $10MM cap number, but that could be too costly for team brass. Meanwhile, Jackson has been non-committal on his future in Tampa while suggesting that he would be a strong fit with the Rams.

“If anything, I would like to kind of end up in L.A., being a Ram,” Jackson said in late January. “Sean McVay, you know, we got some connection from when I was in D.C., but we’ll see how it plays out, man. Right now, I got another year in Tampa. So we’ll see how it plays out, man.”

Last year, Jackson averaged 18.9 yards per reception and led the league in the category for the fourth time in his career. His overall stat line – 41 catches for 774 yards and four touchdowns – was far below his career average, but Jackson still profiles as one of the NFL’s best deep threats. There are clearly issues to be worked out between Jackson and the Bucs, but it’s possible that he’ll want to play under new head coach Bruce Arians. Arians, for his part, wants DJax back.