HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jay Ajayi To Visit Colts

March 13th, 2019 at 7:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Jay Ajayi is set to visit with the Colts next week, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

It was only two years ago that Ajayi had just wrapped up a 1,272-yard campaign with the Dolphins. Since that time, the 25-year-old has been traded, forced to take on a reduced role, and suffered a major injury, and this will presumably reduce his value on the open market.

After being acquired from Miami during the 2017 campaign, Ajayi ended up playing a significant role for Philly en route to a Super Bowl championship. While he was the starter heading into the 2018 season, he was forced to share carries with several of his teammates. Ajayi then tore his ACL during Week 5, ending his season early. He ultimately finished the campaign having compiled 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns in four games (three starts).

The Colts aren’t necessarily hurting for running back depth. Marlon Mack had a breakout season in 2019, and they’re also rostering a pair of 2018 draft picks in Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins.

Contract Details: Thomas, Barr, Peterson

March 13th, 2019 at 6:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted contract details from the around the NFL:

Latest On Saints, Bridgewater, Tannehill

March 13th, 2019 at 6:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have been linked to both Teddy Bridgewater and Ryan Tannehill as they search for a backup quarterback, and we have updates on both situations.

Bridgewater is reportedly deciding between deals from both New Orleans and Miami, but he may have concerns about head coach Sean Payton‘s longevity with the Saints. Payton has long been linked to a potential opening with the Cowboys, and Bridgewater may not be interested in re-signing with New Orleans if Payton isn’t going to be around, per Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, Tannehill has been floated as a potential replacement if Bridgewater doesn’t re-sign with the Saints, but that may not be likely. A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) there’s “no way” Tannehill lands in New Orleans. New Orleans assistant general manager Jeff Ireland originally drafted Tannehill in Miami.

Saints To Host Jared Cook

March 13th, 2019 at 6:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints plan to meet with free agent tight end Jared Cook on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, both the Patriots and the incumbent Raiders are monitoring Cook’s market, tweets Vic Tafur of The Athletic.

Cook, 31, just wrapped up the best season of his NFL career, leading the Raiders in receptions (68), receiving yardage (896), and receiving touchdowns (6). Cook ranked as a top-five tight end league-wide in all three of those categories, while Pro Football Focus grades him ninth at his position. Additionally, Cook finished fifth among NFL tight ends in Football Outsiders’ DYAR — which measures value over a replacement level player — and 11th in DVOA, which quantifies value on a per-play basis.

The Saints are losing Ben Watson to retirement, but still have Josh Hill, Garrett Griffin, and Dan Arnold at tight end. Cook, clearly, would represent an upgrade over any of those options, and would project to see the majority of snaps and targets at the position if he lands in New Orleans.

A number of free agent tight ends — Jesse James, Tyler Kroft, and Nick Boyle among them — have received multi-year deals worth $6-7MM, and Cook should be able to top those figures. Heading into free agency, he was widely viewed as the top tight end available on the open market.

Bears To Host Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

March 13th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins want to re-sign Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but they’ll have to fight off another interested club. The Bears are scheduled to meet with the veteran safety, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Chicago has already experienced turnover in its secondary, replacing slot corner Bryce Callahan with Buster Skrine, and now the club needs to find someone to step in for Adrian Amos, who signed with the Packers on Tuesday. Currently, 2016 fourth-rounder Deon Bush is slated to start next to Eddie Jackson in the Bears’ defensive backfield.

The Redskins picked up Clinton-Dix from the Packers at the trade deadline in exchange for a fourth-round pick, but he didn’t move the needle much in Washington. In nine games in the nation’s capital, Clinton-Dix posted 66 tackles, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. All told, Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 17 safety in 2019.

Unlike the Redskins, the Bears can offer Clinton-Dix a more realistic chance at contention and the ability to join arguably the NFL’s best defense. Additionally, Washington has already made one large commitment at the safety position (Landon Collins), so it’s unclear how far it’s willing to go to retain Clinton-Dix.

Packers To Re-Sign TE Marcedes Lewis

March 13th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Marcedes Lewis is returning to Green Bay. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Packers are re-signing the tight end to a one-year deal.

The 34-year-old joined the Packers last offseason following a standout career with the Jaguars. He didn’t show much of his pass-catching prowess during his first season in Green Bay, hauling in only three receptions in 16 games.

On the flip side, Lewis did earn his worth in the blocking game. While he didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus‘ rankings, he would have graded out as an average to above-average run blocker.

The Packers will presumably continue to rely on him in the blocking game in 2019. The team still has Jimmy Graham sitting atop their depth chart, and they’re also rostering tight ends Robert Tonyan Jr., Evan Baylis, and Malcolm Johnson.

Bills To Add Andre Roberts

March 13th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off an All-Pro season, Andre Roberts will be changing teams. He won’t be leaving New York, however.

The Bills are signing the veteran return man, according to ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal, Buffalo announced. Earlier today, it was revealed the Jets were not going to bring Roberts back. He will now join a parade of Bills UFA additions.

Roberts will follow Cole Beasley and John Brown to Buffalo, and while he likely will not play nearly as much on offense as those wide receivers, he brings extensive experience. The 31-year-old specialist has played on five teams since coming into the league in 2010. Last season was his best.

The 2018 Jets’ return man took back a punt and kickoff for touchdowns. He finished with a 14.1-yard punt-return average and nearly got to a 30-yard kick-return figure. Roberts has five career return TDs and has not caught more than 15 passes in a season since 2014.

The Bills used Isaiah McKenzie and Marcus Murphy on returns last season. Both remain under contract, creating an interesting situation. Roberts’ contract may point to him being the primary kick- and punt-return man, but details of the 2018 Pro Bowler’s deal are not yet known.

DB Notes: Berry, Dennard, Poole, Jets

March 13th, 2019 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest on the free agent defensive back market:

  • After being released by the Chiefs, safety Eric Berry has no plans to retire, tweets Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports. Although he’s just 30 years old, Berry has only appeared in three games over the past two seasons while dealing with an Achilles injury, so it’s fair to wonder about his future. In five of his nine pro campaigns, Berry has failed to play in more than five games. Still, he’s been a highly effective player when on the field, so he should find a market, even if it means accepting a one-year deal.
  • The Bengals are willing to retain slot cornerback Darqueze Dennard, but it must be at their teams, as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Cincinnati is comfortable offering Dennard a multi-year deal at around $8.5MM, the same rate at which he was paid in 2018 under the terms of his fifth-year option. That’s largely in line with the going rate for slot corners this offseason. Justin Coleman received $9MM annually from the Lions, while the top slot CB — former Bear Bryce Callahan — has yet to sign.
  • Free agent cornerback Brian Poole has a meeting lined up with the Jets, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Poole has plenty of experience, as he played on at least 60% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in each of the past three season. Despite that, Atlanta chose not to tender him as a restricted free agent, largely because he ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every advanced corner metric. New York is searching for a slot replacement after Buster Skrine signed with the Bears.

49ers To Re-Sign DB Jimmie Ward

March 13th, 2019 at 5:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Jimmie Ward is sticking around San Francisco. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the defensive back will re-sign with the 49ers. It’s a one-year pact worth $5MM. Adam Caplan clarifies that the deal is for $4.5MM with another $500K in incentives (Twitter link).

The 2014 first-round pick has spent his entire five-year career with the 49ers, but he’s yet to establish a definitive role with the organization. On the flip side, the defensive back has shown some unique versatility throughout his career, which probably explains why the 49ers were relatively eager to welcome back. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that while Ward primarily played cornerback last season, he’s expected to play free safety in 2019.

The 27-year-old ultimately appeared in nine games (seven starts) with the 49ers in 2018, compiling 24 tackles and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him in the bottom-10 among eligible safeties. Ward suffered a broken forearm late in the season that ultimately landed him on the injured reserve.

Dolphins Sign Clive Walford

March 13th, 2019 at 5:40pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins have signed tight end Clive Walford, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).

Walford was most recently with the Jets, but New York decided to non-tender him earlier this month. He had two stints with the Jets and one stint with the Colts in 2018, appearing in only a single game.

However, he showed some promise during his first two years in the league, hauling in 61 receptions for 688 yards and six scores across the 2015-16 seasons with the Raiders. Oakland drafted him in the third round of the 2015 draft but cut him last offseason.

Walford will join new acquisition Dwayne Allen and second-year talent Mike Gesicki atop Miami’s TE depth chart.

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