HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Andy Levitre Not Planning To Retire

March 12th, 2019 at 10:44pm CST by Rory Parks

One of the most durable guards in the league for nearly a decade, Andy Levitre tore his triceps in the Falcons’ second game of the season in 2018 and landed on IR. That immediately led to speculation that Levitre could consider retiring this year, especially since his contract with Atlanta is up.

However, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets that Levitre, who turns 33 in May, is not ready to call it quits and wants to continue playing, though it sounds as if his triceps injury is not completely healed.

It also sounds as though Levitre will not be back with the Falcons, as the club agreed to terms with two free agent guards this afternoon. He agreed to a pay cut with Atlanta last season in order to remain with the team, and the fact that a triceps injury also ended his 2017 campaign prematurely will surely give other teams pause.

But despite the early end to the 2017 season, Levitre graded out as one of the 20 best players at his position in the NFL that year, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, so he surely has something left in the tank. If he hasn’t changed his mind in a couple of months, and if he can get healthy, he will attract some interest on the open market.

Seahawks Discussing Deal With OL D.J. Fluker

March 12th, 2019 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

After losing guard J.R. Sweezy to the Cardinals, the Seahawks are focused on keeping one of their other free agent linemen. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that the front office “remains hard at work” at retaining D.J. Fluker.

A league source told Condotta that the Seahawks and Fluker’s camp were “still talking” as the two sides worked towards a resolution. This is the first reported interest in Fluker, although he’ll likely garner more suitors as the free agent class dries up.

The 28-year-old offensive lineman joined the Seahawks last offseason after having spent the 2017 campaign with the Giants. The former first-rounder proceeded to start nine of his 10 games with Seattle, as a hamstring injury forced him to sit out a handful of games. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance in 2018, ranking him 68th among 77 eligible offensive guards.

Earlier today, Sweezy left Seattle to ink a two-year deal with the Cardinals.

OBJ Notes: Manning, 49ers, Bills

March 12th, 2019 at 10:05pm CST by Ben Levine

In the deal of the day, the Giants sent Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. In return, New York received a 2019 first-rounder (No. 17 overall), a 2019 third-rounder (No. 95), and safety Jabrill Peppers. This marks the end of an era for the Giants organization, and it also means the front office may be preparing for a full-on rebuild.

There have naturally been a number of Giants-centric and Beckham-focused notes since the deal was reported earlier this evening. We’ve compiled some of the more notable rumblings below…

  • The 49ers were among the teams that expressed interest in OBJ, writes ESPN’s Adam Schefter. San Francisco has been connected to several big-name playmakers, and the team could certainly use some additional weapons for Jimmy Garoppolo. Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis currently lead the 49ers’ depth chart, and while the pair certainly have plenty of talent, the team could easily transform the duo into a trio.
  • The Bills also had discussions about Beckham, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo (on Twitter). Tim Graham of The Athletic clarifies (on Twitter) that the Giants approached Buffalo about a trade, not the other way around. It’s not entirely surprising that Buffalo was considering a premier wideout, especially after the team failed to complete an Antonio Brown deal. The Bills have already added two free agent wideouts in John Brown and Cole Beasley, but their additions probably wouldn’t have prevented the organization from adding a player of OBJ’s caliber.
  • Following the Beckham trade, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com explores whether the Giants will end up holding on to veteran quarterback Eli Manning. There’s no denying that the organization is rebuilding, as the team has also moved on from Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon. Ultimately, the writer opines that the pairing doesn’t make sense for either side; the Giants won’t want the one or two extra wins that Manning could provide, while the veteran quarterback surely doesn’t want to spend his last few years playing for a middling team. The Giants may have to make some kind of decision by Monday, when Manning is set to earn a $5MM roster bonus that counts for a portion of his $23MM cap hit.
  • We heard that Beckham may be seeking a new contract with the Browns, and it sounds like the two sides are already talking. Jason La Canfora tweets that “there has been contact” between the Browns and the receiver’s reps. The reporter attributes the negotiations to the “ramifications of the [Antonio Brown] contract,” noting that Beckham should look to capitalize on the trend of traded players securing guaranteed money.

WR Breshad Perriman Backs Out Of Browns Deal, Will Sign With Buccaneers

March 12th, 2019 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Breshad Perriman has gotten his wish. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Browns general manager John Dorsey and agent Drew Rosenhaus “mutually agreed to not to follow through on verbal agreement.” Perriman will now sign a one-year, $4MM deal with the Buccaneers.

Perriman was set to re-sign with Cleveland on a one-year, $4MM deal. However, his role naturally changed following the Browns’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., and subsequent reports indicated that the 25-year-old wanted out of his verbal commitment. The Browns apparently granted his wish, and the wideout will now be heading to Florida.

The former first-rounder disappointed during his tenure with the Ravens, but he showed some intrigue during his stint with the Browns. Perriman proceeded to play in 10 games (two starts) for Cleveland after joining the organization in October, hauling in 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.

While targets may have been limited in Cleveland, Perriman should have an opportunity to establish a role in Tampa Bay. After trading DeSean Jackson and watching Adam Humphries sign with the Titans, the Bucs now lack depth behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Cairo Santos To Re-Sign With Buccaneers

March 12th, 2019 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Cairo Santos will re-sign with the Buccaneers, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Greg Auman of The Athletic first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal, and Auman added that it is expected to be a one-year pact. (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL since being waived by the Chiefs in 2017. Over the past year, Santos has had separate stints with the Jets, Rams, and Buccaneers. He joined Tampa in November following the release of Chandler Catanzaro, and the veteran proceeded to be a solid addition for his new squad.

In seven games, Santos connected on nine of his 12 field goal attempts, and he converted all 17 of his extra point tries. Santos completed at least 80-percent of his field goal attempts during his first three seasons in the NFL, and some stability may allow him to return to that level.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign Kevin Minter

March 12th, 2019 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Parks

The Buccaneers will re-sign linebacker Kevin Minter, as Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports that it’s a one-year deal for the seventh-year pro.

Minter joined the Bucs last October, and like fellow Tampa Bay signee Deone Bucannon, he will be reunited with head coach Bruce Arians. Minter played for Arians’ Cardinals from 2013-16 (Minter’s first four years in the league), and he had 175 total tackles during the 2015-16 seasons as a full-time starter.

Playing time has been more difficult to come by since then, but he may get a chance to fill the void left by Kwon Alexander, who agreed to sign with the 49ers.

Browns To Re-Sign LB Ray-Ray Armstrong

March 12th, 2019 at 9:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Ray-Ray Armstrong is heading back to Cleveland. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the linebacker is set to re-sign with the Browns. It will be a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.

Armstrong has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Miami in 2013. After spending about a season with the Giants, the linebacker was released by New York back in October. He ended up landing in Cleveland, and he proceeded to compile six tackles in nine games with this new club.

Armstrong is only one season removed from a 2017 campaign where he collected 64 tackles, one sacks, two passes defended, and two picks in 15 games with the 49ers and Giants. He’s lacked consistency throughout his career, but some stability could help him build off that 2017 season.

The Browns could certainly use some depth at linebacker. The team is currently only rostering five ‘backers in Genard Avery, Joe Schobert, Christian Kirksey, D’Juan Hines, and Xavier Woodson-Luster. While Armstrong shouldn’t be relied on as a starter, he’ll provide the team with some solid depth in 2019.

Raiders Not Expected To Sign WR Tyrell Williams

March 12th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Ben Levine

While the Raiders were previously connected to free agent wideout Tyrell Williams, it sounds like they’ve ended their pursuit. Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (via Twitter) that Williams isn’t expected to sign with the Raiders.

However, it sounds like the Raiders will still be eyeing some reinforcement at receiver. Gehlken notes that the team is likely to round out their wideout corps via the draft. The team already added one major play-maker in Antonio Brown, and they’re still rostering reliable options like Jordy Nelson and Seth Roberts, so opting for the younger route makes plenty of sense.

While Williams may be down a suitor, he should still be able to secure a lucrative deal elsewhere. The 27-year-old broke onto the scene in 2015, hauling in 69 receptions for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns with the Chargers. Over the past two years, Williams’ volume declined as Keenan Allen re-entered the lineup and 2017 first-round pick Mike Williams began taking snaps, but he’s still remained effective. In 2018, Williams ranked 24th among 84 qualifying receivers in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, meaning he was productive on a per-play basis.

While his numbers aren’t all that glowing, he could still end up inking the most lucrative deal among wideouts this offseason. The Steelers, Browns, and Colts have been connected to Williams, but it’s uncertain if these teams still have interest in the free agent.

Colts Re-Sign Chris Milton

March 12th, 2019 at 8:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Colts have re-signed special-teamer Christopher Milton, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).

It’s a one-year, $1.75MM pact for Milton, who is a cornerback by trade. Milton played just 55 defensive snaps last season but was in on over 60% of Indianapolis’ special teams snaps.

The former UDFA out of Georgia Tech spent part of his 2016 rookie campaign on the practice squad before being promoted. He has now established himself as a worthy ST contributor and can still provide depth in the secondary if needed.

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