2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots, Steelers Interested in Golden Tate

March 14th, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Steelers and Patriots are both looking for receivers, and they might have their sights set on the same big name. Pittsburgh and New England both have interest in free agent Golden Tate, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Steelers were reportedly in on Tyrell Williams before he signed with the Raiders, and recently added Donte Moncrief while re-signing Eli Rogers. The Patriots are also sniffing around the available wideouts, bringing in Bruce Ellington and Maurice Harris for visits. The Steelers, of course, are looking to replace Antonio Brown while New England faces some uncertainty with their pass-catchers as well.

It’s anyone’s guess if Josh Gordon will be able to play next season, and Rob Gronkowski‘s status is still very much up in the air. Tate split his time between Detroit and Philadelphia last year after a trade deadline deal sent him from the Lions to the Eagles. He didn’t have a terrible season by any means, but he didn’t fit in quite as well as the Eagles had hoped after he joined the team.

In total, he caught 74 passes for 795 yards and four touchdowns. It was the first time he failed to crack 800 yards since the 2012 season, his first year as a starter. The ex-Seahawk is still only 30, and is one of the biggest names still on the market. The fact that he’s available after the first wave of free agency could suggest he isn’t getting the type of offers that he wants.

The Lions traded him because they didn’t want to pay him, and he’s surely seeking a massive pay day. A 1,000 yard receiver as recently as 2017, Tate would be a big addition for either team. He wouldn’t quite replace Brown, but he’d form an enviable one/two duo with JuJu Smith-Schuster in Pittsburgh.

Cowboys To Re-Sign WR Tavon Austin

March 14th, 2019 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are keeping wide receiver Tavon Austin, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Clarence Hill Jr. of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that it’s a one-year deal, although financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

The Rams made Austin the No. 8 overall pick in the 2013 draft after being blown away by his blazing speed. So far, Austin has yet to live up to his draft billing, but the Cowboys are still intrigued by his ability. Last year, Austin notched just eight catches in seven games, but he averaged 17.5 yards per grab.

He also has the ability to make plays out of the backfield, as evidenced by his career 6.8 yards per carry average. The Cowboys talked up Austin relentlessly last offseason, and insisted they were going to get him involved on offense after acquiring him. That never really materialized, but they’re willing to give it another shot in 2019.

He can also contribute on special teams, and had a 51-yard punt return in the playoffs this past season that almost went for a touchdown. With Cole Beasley gone to Buffalo, Austin should be the team’s primary punt returner in 2019. Austin struggled with a groin injury in 2018 that ended up costing him nine games.

Giants To Meet With Mike Remmers

March 14th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants will meet with offensive tackle/guard Mike Remmers on Thursday, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter).

As Tessler points out, Remmers played under current Giants coach Pat Shurmur in Minnesota, when Shurmur was his offensive coordinator. The Vikings released Remmers a few days ago after a two year stint in Minnesota. He started all 16 games for the Vikings last year, but his salary proved to be too expensive to keep him around. He was cut with an failed physical designation, as he’s apparently dealing with an unknown injury. Remmers had been the Panthers’ starting right tackle in 2016, then signed a five-year $30MM deal with the Vikings in March of 2017.

Offensive line has been a concern for New York for a while now, so it makes sense why they’re interested. The Giants have indicated they plan on rolling with Eli Manning for at least another year, and if they want to get him back to a serviceable level he’ll need to be well-protected.

Remmers transitioned from tackle to guard during the 2017 season, and then played exclusively at right guard last year. He can play either inside or outside, so he’s a nice depth option. He received average marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their 48th-best guard.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Markus Golden

March 14th, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are among several teams who have shown interest in former Cardinals edge rusher Markus Golden, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter). Golden has already fielded multiple offers and he’s currently weighing his options. The Buccaneers are also interested in Golden’s services (Twitter link via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com), and Vic Tafur tweets that the Chiefs are in on him as well, as they seek to strengthen a suddenly depleted pass rush.

The Raiders have been extremely active in March, but they could still use some additional firepower in the pass rush department. Golden would help on that front, though the Raiders are still expected to address that area in the draft next month. The Bucs are in better shape as far as pass rushers are concerned, but they still ranked in the bottom half of the league in total sacks last year and were one of the worst teams against the pass.

In 2016, Golden notched 12.5 sacks for the Cardinals. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended his 2017 campaign early and cost him time in 2018. He managed to return for eleven games last year, but he wasn’t the same player – Golden had just 2.5 sacks and 30 tackles and graded out as one of the lowest-ranked edge defenders in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

The Giants and defensive coordinator James Bettcher also reportedly have Golden on the radar, which Tafur confirmed.

Steelers To Re-Sign DT Dan McCullers

March 14th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers will re-sign defensive tackle Daniel McCullers to a two-year, $2.75MM deal, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Steelers will have Big Dan back for a sixth season with the team, and possibly a seventh.

McCullers doesn’t play a ton, but the team likes having him around. An old-fashioned run-stuffing nose tackle, McCullers checks in at 352 pounds. He played only around 10% of the defensive snaps last year, and had five tackles with one sack while clogging up the occasional running lane.

A Tennessee product, the Steelers took McCullers in the sixth round of the draft back in 2014. McCullers barely played last year, and his most meaningful role was in 2016, when he played 17.5% of the defensive snaps. It’s not a bad chunk of change for a player used so sparingly.

Falcons Sign TE Luke Stocker

March 14th, 2019 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have signed tight end Luke Stocker, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Stocker previously played under Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter with the Buccaneers, so it shouldn’t take long for him to learn the playbook.

Stocker entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bucs in the 2011 draft. Just after Thanksgiving in 2017, the Bucs waived him, but he was quickly scooped up by the Titans. The Titans exercised the 2018 option on his deal and mostly utilized him as a blocker.

Stocker has never caught more than 16 passes in a season, but his blocking acumen has kept him employed over the years. Last year, he graded out as the fifth-best tight end in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranked among the best pass blockers in the league.

With the Falcons, Stocker may appear in two tight end sets along with Austin Hooper.

Cowboys To Sign DL Christian Covington

March 14th, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Christian Covington is staying in the state of Texas. The former Texans defensive lineman is signing with the Cowboys, a source told Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).

Per Caplan, it’s a one-year deal. No word on the terms yet, but it’s a significant signing for Dallas. A sixth round pick of Houston back in 2015, Covington had a career year last season. In a rotational role, Covington racked up 3.5 sacks in just 12 games last season. He earned above average marks from Pro Football Focus during his time on the field.

He played just under 25% of the defensive snaps in Houston last season, so his production is notable. Covington has struggled a bit with injuries the past couple of seasons, as he played in only seven games in 2017. He’ll be joining a talented Dallas defensive front that took a big step forward last season.

With Randy Gregory suspended again and David Irving appearing to walk away from the game, there should be some playing time open on Dallas’ defensive line next year. Covington played his college ball at Rice, so he’s been in the Texas area for a long time now.

Seahawks To Sign G Mike Iupati

March 14th, 2019 at 10:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are signing guard Mike Iupati, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the former Cardinals and 49ers lineman.

Iupati, 32 in May, is now on to his third NFC West team.He’s set to be a free agent again in 2020, so there’s hope for Iupati to complete the rounds by signing with the Rams next year. The Seahawks just lost last year’s 15-game starter at left guard, J.R. Sweezy, to the Cardinals, so Iupati could slide right into the lineup.

It’ll amount to a nice little swap of left guards between division rivals. Iupati appeared in ten games and started all of them in the desert last season. His once promising career has been derailed the past few seasons. He appeared in just one game in 2017 before an elbow injury ended his year.

He agreed to a pay cut to stay with Arizona last offseason but after another injury-plagued season they voided the final year of his deal. Iupati made the Pro Bowl four straight times from 2012 to 2015, and was a second-team All-Pro as recently as 2015, so if he can stay healthy this could prove to be a very nice signing for Seattle’s offensive line.

Giants Interested In WR Chris Hogan

March 14th, 2019 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants made the biggest move of the offseason by shockingly trading Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this week, and now they need to replace him in their receiving corp.

The team is apparently interested in adding Patriots receiver Chris Hogan, according to a Tweet from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Leonard writes that the Giants “have talked to” Hogan’s reps recently. The Patriots were apparently interested in re-signing Danny Amendola and are hosting a couple of receivers today, so it certainly sounds like they might be planning on losing Hogan.

Hogan established himself as big-name player thanks to his high-profile work in New England, where he spent the last three seasons. He had his best year in 2016, when he had 680 yards and four touchdowns, with a league-leading 17.9 yards per reception. Hogan struggled with a shoulder injury for most of the 2017 season, and appeared in only nine games with limited production.

He broke back out in the Super Bowl though, catching six passes 128 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles. He wasn’t utilized as much this past year as New England’s receiving group got pretty crowded, but he’s still a talented and reliable deep threat. With Beckham gone, that’s something the Giants desperately need, so their interest makes some sense. The Giants need as many weapons as they can get as they appear set to roll with Eli Manning under center for at least another year.

Cardinals To Sign Max Garcia

March 14th, 2019 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have agreed to sign guard Max Garcia, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Garcia, 27, spent the previous four years with the Broncos.

Last year, Garcia’s season was cut short in November by a torn ACL. It was a bad blow to a Broncos O-Line that already had lost guard Ronald Leary to an Achilles tear and center Matt Paradis to a broken fibula.

Garcia was a Broncos fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft. Although he started 32 consecutive games from 201-17, Garcia wasn’t a deployed as a starter in 2018 until after Leary got hurt. Indeed, Garcia didn’t play a single offensive snap until Week 6, but he was on the field for every play between Leary’s injury and his own.

Garcia’s 242 snaps were not enough to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ rankings, but he drew a favorable score in 2016 when he started in every game for Denver.