2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Re-Sign K.J. Wright

March 14th, 2019 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks reached agreement on a new deal with linebacker K.J. Wright, according to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. Details on the deal are not yet known, but it’ll be a short-term contract, Bell hears.

Wright has been with the Seahawks ever since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft. Along with Doug Baldwin, another ’11 draftee, Wright is the longest-tenured member of the Seattle roster. With players like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Michael Bennett are departing recently, Wright is one of the few remaining members of Seattle’s Super Bowl winning defense.

Wright struggled with injuries all of last season, and ended up appearing in only five games. He was still productive when out there though, receiving strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his time on the field. In those five games he had 23 tackles, two for loss, and three passes defended.

Wright missed the first six games of last season with a knee injury, then came back and played three. He re-aggravated his knee injury and had to miss five more games before returning for the final couple of games. Due to that troublesome knee, it’s not surprising the deal is short-term.

Steelers To Sign Donte Moncrief

March 14th, 2019 at 8:15am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Steelers are beginning the process of replacing Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh has agreed to terms with wide receiver Donte Moncreif, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Schefter reports that it’ll be a two-year deal for Moncrief, although we don’t have the terms yet. The Steelers pursued fellow receiver Tyrell Williams, but didn’t end up winning that bidding war, so they settled for Moncrief. JuJu Smith-Schuster will slide in as the team’s new number one receiver after the Brown trade, but Pittsburgh has been looking for ways to fill out the corp around him.

Moncrief comes to the Steelers from Jacksonville after spending last year with the Jaguars. He had spent the first four years of his career with the Colts. The Jets were apparently interested in signing Moncrief, so the Steelers weren’t alone in their pursuit. Last year, Moncrief reeled in 48 passes for 668 yards and three touchdowns.

It wasn’t a terrible season, but wasn’t his most productive either. In 2016 he caught seven touchdowns in just nine games and the year before that had 733 yards and six touchdowns. His one year deal with the Jaguars last cycle had a base salary of $7MM, and it’ll be interesting to see what the 2014 third round pick landed here.

TE Matt LaCosse To Meet With Three Teams

March 13th, 2019 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Matt LaCosse has a number of suitors. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that the tight end is set to visit with three teams by Saturday. The reporter adds that the Broncos continue to have interest.

The 26-year-old had a breakout season with Denver in 2018, establishing career-highs across the board. In 15 games (five starts), he hauled in 24 receptions for 250 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus gave LaCosse solid marks for his receiving and pass blocking, but they weren’t as fond of his run blocking.

Earlier this month, the Broncos decided not to tender LaCosse as a restricted free agent. The lowest tender option would have been $2.025MM, so we at least have an indication of how far Denver’s willing to take the bidding.

The Broncos could still use another experienced tight end to pair with Jake Butt. The team is also rostering Troy Fumagalli and Temarrick Hemingway.

Brian Poole To Visit Bengals

March 13th, 2019 at 9:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Former Falcons cornerback Brian Poole is garnering some interest on the open market. We learned earlier today that he will visit the Jets, and he has a summit with the Bengals lined up after that, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Poole had been the Falcons’ primary nickel cornerback for the past three seasons, but Atlanta decided against tendering him as a restricted free agent, even at the low-level tender. In 2018, he set new career highs in tackles (74), sacks (3.0), and interceptions (3), which made the club’s decision to non-tender him something of a surprise.

On the other hand, he ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every advanced corner metric, so the Falcons may feel that they won’t be missing much. The team as a whole ranked near the bottom of the league in passing defense, so it will look to infuse the unit with some fresh blood.

The Bengals, meanwhile, could be looking for a replacement for Darqueze Dennard, whom the club is willing to re-sign, but only if the price is right.

NT Phil Taylor Announces Retirement

March 13th, 2019 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Phil Taylor is calling it a career. The veteran nose tackle announced on Twitter that he’s decided to retire.

“I’d like to thank the NFL and the Cleveland Browns for drafting me,” Taylor said. “It’s been a fun and tough 8 years. I’ve made my home in NE Ohio with my family. I love the Cleveland fans and can’t wait to give back to the community that supported me. I’m officially retiring!”

Taylor entered the league as a 2011 first-round pick, and he proceeded to play his first four seasons with the Browns. He sat out the 2015 campaign after being released by Cleveland, and after catching on with the Broncos in 2016, a knee injury led to his release. He signed a one-year deal with the Redskins during the 2017 offseason before a torn quad forced him to miss the entire campaign. He re-signed with Washington last offseason, but he was cut following the preseason.

The 30-year-old finishes his career having appeared in 44 games. He compiled 109 tackles, seven sacks, and one forced fumble during his four years in the league.

Teddy Bridgewater Completes Visit With Dolphins

March 13th, 2019 at 8:59pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins announced that their visit with free agent QB Teddy Bridgewater has concluded. However, no deal is in place at this time. Larry Holder of The Athletic, citing the South Florida Sun Sentinel, says Bridgewater had already turned down a two-year, $10MM offer from Miami.

This is a two-horse race, as Bridgewater is apparently deciding between a shot at starting for the rebuilding Dolphins or serving as a backup on the NFC powerhouse Saints. He has a one-year, $7MM offer in hand from New Orleans, but he is reportedly worried about the possibility that Sean Payton may not be with the club beyond this year.

On the other hand, as his offer from the Saints is only for one year, Payton’s status in 2020 may not be overly significant. Of course, if Bridgewater sticks around long enough, he could have an opportunity to step in as the Saints’ full-time starter when Drew Brees calls it a career.

The fact that New Orleans is only willing to offer a one-year deal at the moment suggests that the club may not be entirely sold on that prospect.

Patriots To Re-Sign WR Phillip Dorsett

March 13th, 2019 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Phillip Dorsett is heading back to the Patriots. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the receiver is returning to New England on a one-year deal. The reporter describes it as “prove-it” deal before Dorsett returns to free agency next offseason.

Back in 2017, the Patriots acquired Dorsett from the Colts in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. His first season was a bit of a dud, but Dorsett emerged in 2018.

While his role was reduced following the return of Julian Edelman and the acquisition of Josh Gordon, Dorsett still finished the campaign with 32 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Dorsett also came up big during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, hauling in five receptions for 70 yards and two scores in three games.

As it stands right now, Dorsett may have an opportunity to play an even bigger role in 2019. The Patriots current receivers depth chart essentially consists of Edelman, although the organization has reportedly been hunting for wideouts. Even if Chris Hogan re-signs or Gordon is given the chance to return, Dorsett should still have an opportunity for plenty of targets next season.

Titans To Re-Sign CB Tye Smith

March 13th, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Tye Smith is sticking with the Titans organization. Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com writes that the cornerback will sign a one-year deal with the team.

The 25-year-old emerged as a solid defensive back in 2017, compiling 19 tackles, one pass defended, and one interception. He also started both of the team’s playoff games, collecting seven tackles. Unfortunately, Smith couldn’t build off that solid campaign, as he spent the entire year on the injured reserve.

Upon his return from injury, Smith will be eyeing more of a reduced role on a crowded Titans depth chart. At the moment, the team is rostering cornerbacks Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Adoree’ Jackson, LeShaun Sims and Kenneth Durden.

Giants Interested In Josh Rosen; Latest On Eli Manning

March 13th, 2019 at 8:02pm CST by Rory Parks

The Giants are interested in trading for Cardinals’ QB Josh Rosen, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. However, they are unsure as to whether Arizona will actually make him available.

It is unclear exactly how acquiring Rosen would impact the status of Eli Manning, but both Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv and Graziano report that the current plan is to keep Manning in 2019, the last year of his present contract. We had been hearing that for some time, of course, but New York’s decision to trade Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns last night sparked a new wave of speculation that the team could also look to move on from Manning.

That speculation was fueled by the fact that Manning is due a $5MM roster bonus on Saturday — which the Giants could avoid if they cut Manning before that point — and the fact that the team is clearly embracing a full-blown rebuild. But Manning is the best option that New York has, and it’s not as though there is currently a long-term answer on the roster whose development is being hindered by Manning’s presence.

Big Blue did not select one of the best quarterbacks available in a loaded class last year, and the club may not take a first-round signal-caller this year. Although the Giants will do their due diligence on Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins, they may have their eye on next year’s more heralded prospects.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have been heavily linked to Murray, and there have been plenty of rumors that the club would be willing to trade Rosen and make Murray the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Indeed, we heard a little over a week ago that Murray to the Cardinals was a “done deal.” That may or may not be true, but we recently learned that multiple teams have inquired on Rosen, and the Giants may be one of those teams.

Extra Points: WRs, Steelers, Edwards, Cook

March 13th, 2019 at 7:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Some assorted notes from around the NFL:

The Saints, Seahawks, and Patriots are continuing to monitor the wide receiver market, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Golden Tate is the best receiver still unsigned, but there are a number of other notable names available. New Orleans is reportedly interested in bringing back Dez Bryant, and veterans like Michael Crabtree and Randall Cobb still have some value.
The Steelers are working to re-sign linebacker L.J. Fort, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Fort was primarily deployed on passing downs in 2018 and was an underrated part of Pittsburgh’s defense last season, racking up 48 tackles and a sack. Fowler notes that Fort has generated interest from other clubs.
Defensive lineman Mario Edwards is set to visit with the Saints tonight, tweets Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Giants in September after having spent the first three seasons of his career with the Raiders. The former second-rounder proceeded to play in 15 games for the Giants, compiling 14 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
The Raiders continue to monitor free agent tight end Jared Cook, writes Scott Bair of NBCSports Bay Area. The writer cautions that it’s “hard to imagine” the veteran returning, as he’s visited with the Saints and received interest from the Patriots. The 31-year-old started 14 of his 16 games last season, hauling in 68 receptions for 896 yards and six scores.
Trent Brown isn’t all that concerned about his role with the Raiders, tweets Bair. After playing left tackle for the Patriots in 2018, Brown said he’d be receptive to a switch to right tackle. As of right now, Kolton Miller is expected to start on the opposite side of the offensive line.