2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Contract Details: Jackson, Verrett, Roberts, Williams, Paulsen

March 16th, 2019 at 8:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:

Malik Jackson, DT (Eagles): Five years, $50MM, $17MM guaranteed. $9MM signing bonus, $1MM 2019 salary guaranteed. $7.6MM salary in 2020, $4.6MM of which is guaranteed. Base salaries of $9MM, $10MM, and $11MM in 2021-2023. Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
Jason Verrett, CB (49ers): One year, cap charge of $1.5MM. $1.1MM salary of which $600K is guaranteed, plus $400K signing bonus. Verrett “can earn up to $3 million for the season if he is active for all 16 games. It’s $31,250 per game on 53-man roster (up to $500k) and an additional Roster Bonus of $62,500 per game on 46-man game day roster (up to $1 million)”. Twitter links via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
Darryl Roberts, CB (Jets): Re-signed. Three years, $18MM max value, but essentially only a one year deal according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. There’s $6MM in guaranteed money, with another $2MM of his 2020 salary guaranteed for injury only. $5MM salary in 2020, $6.5MM salary in 2021, and zero dead money in either year if they want to cut him.
Tyrell Williams, WR (Raiders): Four years, $44MM. There was originally reported to be $22MM in guaranteed money, but that’s apparently not true. There’s only $10MM in guaranteed money in the contract, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Logan Paulsen, TE (Falcons): Re-signed. Paulsen’s one year deal will have a base salary of $930K. Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

Johnny Manziel Signs With AAF

March 16th, 2019 at 7:14pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

UPDATE, 8:48PM: Manziel will officially be heading to the Memphis Express, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). He’ll be playing for former 49ers coach Mike Singletary in Memphis.

7:14pm: Johnny Football is back. Johnny Manziel has signed a contract with the new upstart league the Alliance of American Football, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

This news comes a little over two weeks after Manziel was released by his CFL team. Schefter writes Manziel has “signed the Alliance of American Football Standard Player Agreement.” The AAF gives every player the same contract, for three years and $250K. It pays $70K in the first year, $80K in the second, and $100K in the third.

In a follow-up tweet Schefter writes that the San Antonio Commanders, the team who held Manziel’s rights based on where he played college ball, passed on signing him. Manziel will now enter the league’s waiver system, which will allow the team with the lowest winning percentage to submit a claim first and so on. The team currently with the lowest winning percentage is the Memphis Express, who currently has former NFLer’s Christian Hackenberg and Zach Mettenberger on the roster.

Manziel was a first round pick of the Browns back in 2014, but flamed out after just two seasons in the NFL. The former Heisman Trophy winner spent a while out of football, but has since been working on a comeback. His time in Canada didn’t go particularly smoothly, and now he’s looking to prove he can still play stateside.

The AAF offered him a workout shortly after he was cut by the CFL, and an arrangement between the two sides always made a ton of sense. Manziel will get a platform to showcase his abilities alongside a bunch of former NFL players as he tries to get back to the league, and the AAF will get a huge boost in visibility and interest.

Latest On Tyreek Hill

March 16th, 2019 at 5:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Yesterday we heard that Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was being investigated for an alleged battery of a minor. Details were and are still light on the situation, but we do have a few more notes on the case.

The incident occurred at Hill’s home, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic (Twitter link). The initial report from Brooke Pryor and Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star has been updated to report that the victim in the case is Hill’s son, and that his injuries included a broken arm. This apparently wasn’t the first instance of trouble at Hill’s home.

On March 5th, officers were called to Hill’s home to investigate a difference incident of “child abuse or neglect,” according to Angie Ricono, Emily Sinovic, and Chris Oberholtz of KCTV 5. KCTV 5 reports that Hill’s name was listed on that police report, but the “report was closed three days later when prosecution was declined.”

The fact that the cops had to be called to Hill’s home just ten days prior to this news breaking about the second incident does not bode well for the young wideout. Hill, of course, fell to the fifth round of the draft back in 2016 because of his arrest for domestic violence while he was at Oklahoma State. That arrest in college could come back into play here, and make a potential suspension from the league even lengthier, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

Florio writes that the previous arrest, which Hill was not punished by the league for since it took place before he was drafted, could be an “aggravating factor” that would allow the league to impose a tougher than usual suspension. Florio floats the possibility that the league could ban him altogether.

Less than two weeks ago we heard that the Chiefs were negotiating an extension with Hill, but this incident has surely killed those talks. Hill is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2019, and it seems to be very much an open question now as to whether or not he’ll ever play another game for the Chiefs. We should know a lot more soon.

NFC Notes: Giants, Diggs, Easton

March 16th, 2019 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eli Manning collected his $5MM roster bonus Saturday afternoon, essentially ensuring he will be with the Giants for a 16th season. This confirms what has been reported throughout the offseason. Less certain: whether or not this will be the year the Giants draft a true option to be Manning’s successor. After early indications that move would be coming this year, that now appears far from a locked-in strategy. Not only are the Giants not believed to be looking to package their Nos. 6 and 17 picks to move into the top five for a quarterback, sources informed The Athletic’s Mike Lombardi the team is not enamored with any of the passing prospects in this year’s draft (subscription required). This follows an SNY report that pegged the Giants as less bullish on Dwayne Haskins, the most popular Giants mock pick at this point. Issues with Kyler Murray‘s height also may persist among Giants brass, though that may be a moot point given that Murray could be the No. 1 overall pick.

The Giants may be looking to solidify their defense, which is full of holes, instead of using a first-round selection on a quarterback. Shifting away from the Giants, here is the latest from the NFC:

Interesting NFL art emerged this weekend. Stefon Diggs‘ brother shared an image of the Vikings wide receiver in a Redskins uniform, but this does not appear to be an indication of another wide receiver trade. A Vikings source emphatically informed ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter there has been no talk of dealing Diggs to Washington (Twitter link). (A Redskins source informed ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini, via Twitter, they may not be in position to make such a move.) The Diggses are from Maryland, which may be at the root of this Photoshop job.
Three teams remain in the mix for Nick Easton, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings submitted an offer to their two-year starter, who also visited the Saints. These two comprise two-thirds of the interior lineman’s suitor list, with an unnamed third team also in the mix, per Tomasson. Easton wants to make his decision by Monday. It’s possible Max Unger‘s retirement prompts the Saints to make a stronger push for Easton, but they have two veteran salaries and Andrus Peat‘s fifth-year option price allocated to their offensive line.
In case you missed it, the Rams are set to host five-year Jaguars starter Blake Bortles on a visit.

Raiders Release Donald Penn

March 16th, 2019 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Donald Penn‘s run with the Raiders will end after five seasons. Days after signing Trent Brown, the Raiders are planning to release Penn, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. The Raiders and Penn confirmed the move.

Penn’s Twitter post about his Raiders exit indicates he does not plan to retire. It also appears to state, through some additional capitalized letters, a desire to return to left tackle in 2019.

Involved in contract issues with the Raiders in each of the past two summers, Penn nevertheless retained his spot on their starting offensive line. Jon Gruden moved him from left to right tackle last season. The Raiders drafted tackles with their first two 2018 picks and authorized a tackle-record deal for Brown earlier this week. This pretty well indicated Penn’s time in Oakland was ending.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old blocker had $7.2MM coming his way this season. The Raiders will save $5.5MM by making this move. Penn’s redone contract guaranteed him $1.75MM in 2019, but he will have to continue his career elsewhere. For the Raiders, this bumps them back above $35MM in cap space.

Penn’s Raiders tenure included two Pro Bowls, in 2016 and ’17, but ended with an early-season injury in 2018. He started just four games last season, the injury leading second-round pick Brandon Parker into the starting lineup. Parker may now be set for a swing role, with Brown and Kolton Miller seemingly entrenched as the Silver and Black’s starters.

A longtime Buccaneers blocker, Penn arrived in Oakland in 2014 and was soon part of a top-tier offensive line. The Raiders in 2016-17 deployed three Pro Bowlers — Penn, Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson — and in ’16 featured higher-end right-side blockers in Gabe Jackson and Austin Howard.

Penn, who also caught two touchdown passes as a Raider, started 66 games during his five-season run in Oakland. After this move and Osemele being traded to the Jets, only Hudson and Jackson remain from the Raiders’ 2016 playoff line.

Saints C Max Unger To Retire

March 16th, 2019 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ starting center for the past four years, Max Unger will call it quits. The 10-year veteran will announce his retirement, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Unger now resides on the reserve/retired list, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Unger made the Pro Bowl this past season and had one year remaining on his contract. The soon-to-be 33-year-old blocker had only missed one game during his Saints tenure.

Traded from Seattle to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham-headlined deal four years ago, Unger became one of the Saints’ constants. His 2018 Pro Bowl was the third of his career, with the other two such honors having come when he was a Seahawk.

A 2009 second-round pick, Unger started all 130 games in which he played. He was a key part of the Saints’ revitalized running game, helping Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram form one of the league’s best backfield tandems in years. The Saints still have the other four members of their past two starting offensive lines under contract — Terron Armstead, Larry Warford, Andrus Peat and Ryan Ramczyk — but now have a need at center. This comes after Peat’s fifth-year option salary ($9.6MM) became fully guaranteed earlier this week.

The Saints appear to have known about this for a bit, considering the team hosted free agent interior lineman Nick Easton on a visit. Easton, who has played center and guard, has yet to decide on his next home. However, the Vikings submitted an offer late this week.

Unger’s retirement stands to free up $6.95MM in cap space. In the final season of a four-year, $24.9MM contract, Unger was to count $8.7MM against New Orleans’ cap.

Cameron Tom and Will Clapp, a 2017 UDFA and a 2018 seventh-round pick, respectively, reside as the other centers on the Saints’ roster. They have a combined two games’ worth of starting experience. Though, turning to one of these two (or a to-be-determined rookie) would help the two-time reigning NFC South champions devote some additional resources elsewhere, with their line still housing two veteran salaries and now a fifth-year option price tag.

Bills Add T LaAdrian Waddle

March 16th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

A swing tackle for recent Patriots teams, LaAdrian Waddle will head to another AFC East franchise. The Bills will sign the free agent offensive lineman, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.

Waddle generated interest from the Dolphins but will instead trek to Buffalo, which has been busy revamping its offensive line this week.

The Bills have signed Spencer Long, Mitch Morse, Ty Nsekhe and Jon Feliciano. More than half of Buffalo’s offensive line group may well be new in 2019. Waddle, 27, may end up serving in a backup role again but has been a capable fill-in with the Patriots for the past two seasons.

His run as a Lions starter did not produce a long tenure in Detroit, and after being waived in 2015, Waddle landed in New England. He was a part of two Super Bowl champions, the second such run including three starts. This continues the exodus of recent Patriot tackles, with Waddle’s defection following those of Nate Solder, Cameron Fleming and Trent Brown.

The Patriots still have right tackle starter Marcus Cannon under contract but will likely have to add some help for depth purposes, especially considering potential left tackle starter Isaiah Wynn missed all of his rookie season due to having torn his Achilles’ tendon.

Giants Wanted 49ers’ No. 2 Overall Pick For Odell Beckham Jr.

March 16th, 2019 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

More consistently interested in acquiring Odell Beckham Jr. than the Browns, the 49ers again pursued the superstar wide receiver this offseason. But the Giants’ asking price was high.

The Giants wanted the 49ers’ No. 2 overall pick for Beckham, Jay Glazer of The Athletic reports (subscription required). The 49ers were not willing to deal that high-value selection away.

San Francisco had targeted Beckham during the 2018 offseason and then once the season started, per Glazer, but the Giants stood pat. They ended up acquiring the Browns’ Nos. 17 and 95 picks, along with Jabrill Peppers. Other teams with whom Glazer spoke categorized the Giants’ initial asking price as too high.

The 49ers’ lone receiver move this offseason has been Jordan Matthews, whom the Eagles picked up as a street free agent in September. Kyle Shanahan‘s team may be targeting a wideout with one of its non-first-round picks, or another via trade, but for now, its top targets remain Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis.

As for the Giants’ reasoning to deal one of the most talented players in franchise history, Glazer attributes the move to the team souring on its three-time Pro Bowl talent — at least, from an off-field perspective — and wanting to gear their offense more around Saquon Barkley. Pat Shurmur intervened last year to scuttle trade talks, and Beckham was on board with the new coach’s regime, Glazer adds. As the team started slowly, Beckham’s comments about Eli Manning had Shurmur “furious”, perhaps helping the Giants’ relationship with Beckham become, as Glazer describes, “fragmented” to the point the team was ready to move on.

With Beckham gone, the Giants now have Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard atop their wideout depth chart. The team will eat $16MM in dead money because of the Beckham deal. New York holds just more than $16MM in cap space currently.

Lions To Re-Sign CB Marcus Cooper

March 16th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having been cut midway through last season, Marcus Cooper changed NFC North allegiances recently. He will stay with his second 2018 team.

The Lions are re-signing Cooper, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. The veteran cornerback arrived in Detroit via waiver claim in November and looks set to stay in the Motor City as a depth piece.

Cooper played just 39 snaps last season, being buried on Chicago’s depth chart. With Detroit, he figures to compete for time as a backup and contribute on special teams. With the 2017 Bears, Cooper started four games but was benched during that season. He was a full-time player with the 2016 Cardinals, leading to a mid-level Bears contract a year later.

The 29-year-old defender has made 28 starts in a six-season career, having intercepted seven passes. All of those picks came during his two most prominent years as a corner — 2013 in Kansas City and 2016 in Arizona. The Lions added Justin Coleman earlier this week but still have some uncertainty beyond he and Darius Slay, so it would not be surprising if more additions arrived later this offseason.

Jaguars To Sign LB Jake Ryan

March 16th, 2019 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars are signing linebacker Jake Ryan, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical, and the terms of the deal aren’t yet known.

The former fourth-rounder once looked to be a future cornerstone of the Packers’ defense. Ryan compiled at least 80 tackles in both 2016 and 2017, and Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 19 among linebackers following that latter campaign. In total, the 27-year-old started 27 games during his three healthy seasons with Green Bay.

Unfortunately for Ryan, he tore his ACL during 2018 training camp, forcing him to sit out the entire campaign. While the linebacker was once eyeing a lucrative contract ahead of his walk year, he’ll likely have to settle for a shorter deal with Jacksonville.

Myles Jack and Telvin Smith seem like locks for the Jaguars’ starting lineup, but a healthy Ryan could easily supplant Leon Jacobs. Assuming Ryan continues playing on the outside, he’ll also be competing with Lerentee McCray, Blair Brown, and Christian Kuntz for playing time in Jacksonville.