2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Rumors: Amos, Barrett, Paradis, James

March 11th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest on the Broncos, with all links going to Troy Renck of Denver7’s Twitter:

The Broncos are expected to chase big names when free agency opens, including safety Adrian Amos (link). Amos is reportedly searching for $9MM-10MM per year, so it could be a costly acquisition for Denver. The Broncos could be willing to spend for him, however, given Amos’ connection with new head coach Vic Fangio.
The Broncos have had good conversations with the reps for center Matt Paradis and linebacker Shaquil Barrett, but the plan remains for both to test free agency, Renck hears (link). Barrett says he wants a starting role, so that could be a factor in where he lands. Paradis, meanwhile, is one of the best available centers in free agency, and he has drawn interest from the Jets.
The Broncos also have interest in re-signing Jared Veldheer, but they’re likely to let him test free agency before getting deep into negotiations (link). Instead, the Broncos could turn their attention to right tackle Ja’Wuan James, who could leave the Dolphins in free agency this week.

Raiders Targeting Trent Brown, Ja’Wuan James

March 11th, 2019 at 10:10am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders may have just traded away their best offensive lineman when they agreed to ship Kelechi Osemele to the Jets, but they still want to fortify the O-line in free agency. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), offensive tackle Trent Brown is high atop Oakland’s wish list.

Brown had an excellent platform season in his first (and likely final) year with the Patriots in 2018, starting all 19 regular and postseason games for New England en route to a Super Bowl championship. Pro Football Focus was bullish on his performance, ranking him 32nd among 80 eligible linemen.

The Buccaneers just inked Donovan Smith to a three-year pact worth $41.25MM ($27MM guaranteed), and it would not be a surprise to see Brown top that figure in terms of years, AAV, and total guarantees. That is especially true given that he profiles as the best left tackle on the free agent market by a wide margin.

Rapoport confirms as much, tweeting that Brown could be among the highest-paid tackles in the league. He turns 26 next month and clearly has Pro Bowl upside. RapSheet also says Brown could make his decision early on in the tampering window, which opens in less than an hour. The Patriots declined to use the franchise tag on him but are still interested in re-signing him, and the Texans have some interest as well. Brown, though, may prefer a different destination, as Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets that head coach Jon Gruden does not plan to move 2018 first-round pick Kolton Miller from left tackle.

Per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Oakland is also interested in Dolphins right tackle Ja’Wuan James (Twitter link). New GM Mike Mayock is prioritizing the offensive tackle position, per Gehlken, and while Miami would like to retain James, the rebuilding Fins may find it difficult to do so.

Eagles To Sign Malik Jackson

March 11th, 2019 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

And then there was one. Malik Jackson will sign with the Eagles, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Word of Jackson’s impending deal comes moments after we learned the Eagles and Packers were the leading contenders to sign the defensive tackle.

When all is said and done, it will be a three-year, $30MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). There’s no word yet on the guarantees or pay structure, but it sounds like a solid deal for both sides.

Jackson joined the Jaguars on a six-year, $85.5MM in 2016. Then, last week, the Jaguars released him in a cost-cutting measure. His release did not come as a huge surprise – Taven Bryan supplanted him down the stretch of the 2018 season and his contract precluded the club from trading him.

Last year, Jackson notched just 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 85th among 112 interior defenders. However, he was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2017 and enjoyed a solid first season in Jacksonville. Jackson also racked up 14.5 sacks across his final three years in Denver, despite only spending one of those campaigns as a full-time starter.

With Jackson, the Eagles have successfully upgraded their defensive front after trading Michael Bennett to the Patriots.

Eagles, Packers Eyeing Malik Jackson

March 11th, 2019 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars dumped Malik Jackson last week, but the defensive tackle won’t be out of work for long. Jackson is in advanced negotiations with both the Packers and Eagles, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears. Those two clubs are Jackson’s “primary options,” but there could be other clubs in on the veteran.

Jackson had three years to go on the six-year, $85.5MM contract he inked with the Jaguars in 2016, but the Jags cut him to save $11MM against the cap. They tried to find a suitable trade for Jackson, but were unable to find a team willing to take on his contract and forfeit anything of value.

Jackson didn’t miss a single game during his time with the Jaguars and even earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017. However, he took a step back in 2018 and was benched late in the season in favor of Taven Bryan. Jackson finished the season with 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks, with Pro Football Focus ranking him just 85th among 112 interior defenders.

The Packers have been looking for a defensive line upgrade and Jackson could be a strong value add. Meanwhile, the Eagles are looking to fortify their D-Line in the wake of the Michael Bennett trade.

Giants To Re-Sign C Spencer Pulley

March 11th, 2019 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are signing restricted free agent center Spencer Pulley, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The two sides have agreed to a three-year, $9.6MM extension, keeping him in the fold through the 2021 campaign.

Pulley, 26 in April, spent the first two seasons of his career with the Chargers. In 2017, he started every game in the middle for L.A. In 2018, he hooked on with the Giants, where he started in nine of his 13 games.

Last year, Pulley graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 26 ranked center in the NFL out of 38 qualified players. His 567 snaps made for a limited sample size, but the score was more or less the same as his 2017 showing.

Packers Won’t Sign Tashaun Gipson

March 11th, 2019 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers had talks with safety Tashaun Gipson, but it appears he will be signing elsewhere, a source tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). It’s not clear whether Gipson’s asking price was too high for Green Bay or if he simply preferred another team, but the Packers were interested in meeting with him.

Reading between the lines, this could mean that Gipson is on the verge of signing elsewhere. Released by the Jaguars late last week, Gipson was expected to have a strong market for his services.

Free agency officially begins on Wednesday, but Gipson has an early jump on the competition thanks to his Friday release. That’s excellent news for Gipson, because this year’s free agent safety market is positively stacked.

Dolphins Interested In Tyrod Taylor

March 11th, 2019 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins are rumored to be targeting Tyrod Taylor to serve as a stopgap signal-caller after the expected release of Ryan Tannehill, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That is in keeping with a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who writes that Miami is expected to show interest in Taylor, and potentially one or two other free agent QBs.

The entire piece from Jackson is worth a read for Miami fans in need of some optimism, as he observes that the Dolphins are well-positioned to have $120MM of cap space in 2020. So, if Miami can land a franchise-caliber QB by the end of 2020 draft — a big “if,” to be sure — then the club will have plenty of flexibility to augment the roster in free agency and accelerate its rebuild.

In the meantime, new head coach Brian Flores understands that there may be some short-term pain. But Jackson writes that Flores does not want his team to completely tank, so a veteran QB that can at least keep the team somewhat competitive is definitely in the cards.

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com says the Ravens and Panthers are also obvious suitors for Taylor, so Miami may have some competition for him. As for Tannehill, Graziano suggests that he could reunite with Adam Gase, now the Jets‘ head coach, as Sam Darnold‘s backup.

Bears Re-Sign Ben Braunecker

March 11th, 2019 at 9:23am CST by Zachary Links

The Bears and tight end Ben Braunecker agreed to a two-year deal, according to a source who spoke with Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bears did not tender Braunecker as a restricted free agent, but found a way to retain him nonetheless.

Meanwhile, the Bears carved out some additional cap space in advance of free agency, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman had a $3MM roster bonus coming to him, but the Bears have converted it into a signing bonus, giving them an extra $2.25MM in breathing room. Heading into Monday, the Bears had less than $20MM in cap room, putting them in the bottom third of the NFL. The Goldman adjustment won’t put them in the same league as cash-flush teams like the Jets, Colts, and Browns, but it will give them some extra flexibility.

Meanwhile, the Bears are reportedly discussing trades for Jordan Howard, which could give them some additional draft capital to work with.

Raiders Interested In Le’Veon Bell

March 11th, 2019 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

Could Le’Veon Bell reunite with Antonio Brown in Oakland? The Raiders are a sleeper team for the running back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com hears similar buzz as the Raiders are seeking to use their cap room on offensive firepower while bolstering the defense through the draft.

Many teams would like to add Bell to the backfield, but only certain clubs are expected to go into the $12MM+/year range for his services. The Raiders, who are desperate for an offensive spark, could be in a position to add another elite weapon days after adding Brown.

Meanwhile, the Jets are the favorites to sign Bell, in the estimation of Peter King of NBC Sports. Lately, we’ve been hearing that the Jets will focus their efforts on second-tier running backs, but it appears there’s been a shift of thinking in New Jersey. Armed with $100MM+ in cap space, the Jets certainly have the resources to add the ex-Steelers back. King can’t envision Bell joining the Colts, unless it was at a discount, and that seems unlikely given the money sacrificed by Bell in 2018. King also believes the Redskins and Dolphins will be in the mix.

Jets, 49ers Interested In Kwon Alexander

March 11th, 2019 at 9:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets and 49ers are interested in Buccaneers free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) hears. Stroud also hears that Alexander is seeking a deal that would pay him between $10-$12MM.

Alexander’s 2018 season ended in October after he suffered a torn ACL. Prior to the injury, the linebacker was discussing an extension with the Bucs, though they were unwilling to break the $10MM/year mark for him.

A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander has started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. Last season, he posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker at the time of his injury, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, Alexander earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and graded out as PFF’s No. 37 off-ball ‘backer. In 2016, he registered an eye-popping 145 stops.

The Niners are also expected to pursue C.J. Mosley (Ravens) and Anthony Barr (Vikings), according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, so the linebacker position is high on their agenda.

Given the interest in Alexander, the Bucs are bracing to lose him, Stroud hears. And, on Monday morning, Alexander texted a group of his teammates telling them he’s going to miss them, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Buccaneers are in a similar boat with wide receiver Adam Humphries, says Stroud, since Humphries is expected to garner offers of $9MM-$10MM on the open market.