HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Antonio Brown Would Welcome Raiders Trade

March 9th, 2019 at 8:41am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have continually been mentioned as a main suitor for Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, and it sounds like that interest may be mutual. Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that Brown would “welcome the Raiders as a trade destination.”

Specifically, the wideout is intrigued by the team’s impending 2020 move to Las Vegas. Playing in an untapped market is one allure, and Brown would also avoid state income taxes in Nevada. The Raiders were previously mentioned as one of the three teams that have shown the most interest in the All-Pro wideout.

The one sticking point between the two sides regards a long-term deal; while Brown desires a new contract, the Raiders are wary of handing out big bucks to a 30-year-old wideout. As Gehlken writes, the team may decide to go with cheaper options at receiver, with the writer mentioning Tyrell Williams as a potential option.

On the flip side, the Raiders have the assets to trade for Brown (including three first-round picks), so they wouldn’t be taking a giant hit when it comes to draft capital. Plus, Brown would be a massive upgrade in an offense that lacks a dynamic playmaker. Brown finished last season with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Raiders’ leading receivers, tight end Jared Cook and wideout Jordy Nelson, combined for 131 receptions, 1,635 yards, and nine touchdowns.

We heard earlier this week that the Steelers were focused on completing a Brown trade by Friday, and it sounds like they were close to pulling off a deal. Early Friday morning, the Bills appeared to be on the cusp of acquiring Brown from the Steelers, but the deal was ultimately scuttled.

Carlos Hyde To Visit Chiefs

March 8th, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Carlos Hyde will visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The running back was released by the Jaguars earlier today, and isn’t wasting any time setting up a meeting before the free agency negotiating period opens on Monday.

As a player who was released before his contract expired, Hyde doesn’t have to wait for free agency to open and can sign whenever. The Chiefs left a huge hole in their backfield when they released Kareem Hunt in the midst of his scandal last season, so their interest makes some sense. Schefter notes that Hyde could be a nice complement to and share time with the Chiefs’ starting running back to end the season, Damien Williams.

Hyde signed a three-year, $15MM contract with the Browns last March, but he never worked out in Cleveland. The team quickly decided they wanted to give rookie Nick Chubb more carries, and decided to trade Hyde. They shipped Hyde off to the Jaguars mid-season, but Jacksonville soon fell out of playoff contention.

With the Jags no longer contending, they didn’t have much of a reason to play Hyde. Between Cleveland and Jacksonville, he carried the ball 172 times for 571 yards last season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. Hyde is still only 28, so he should have something left in the tank for whoever he signs with.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/19

March 8th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Second round tender:

Tendered at original-round level:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Extra Points: Brown, Bills, Steelers, Redskins, 49ers, Broncos

March 8th, 2019 at 8:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Antonio Brown era with the Bills didn’t last long. Shortly after it was reported that Brown was headed to Buffalo, the report turned out not to be true. It was acknowledged by all parties that there were talks between the Steelers and Bills but we didn’t know many details of what exactly happened, until now. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News came out with a story that delved into what happened, and talks apparently broke down because of Brown’s contract. Bills brass was going back and forth with Brown’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, and “discussed a potential renegotiation of the receiver’s contract,” according to Carucci.

Carucci noted that the more new money the Bills gave Brown, the less compensation they were willing to give the Steelers in a trade and vice versa. Carucci shot down reports that Brown was mortally opposed to playing in Buffalo, writing that the Bills were confident that “if they met his financial demand and were able to make the trade, Brown would have happily joined them.” In the end, renegotiating Brown’s contract proved too difficult and is what ultimately led to the breakdown in talks.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Speaking of Brown, the Bills weren’t the only team to withdraw over Brown’s contract. Another team pursuing Brown walked away because “it was communicated to them” that Brown wanted a new contract that would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL with any new team, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. It was previously thought that the Steelers’ demands for a first round pick might’ve been delaying this process, but it sounds like Brown’s contract is the biggest hurdle at the moment.
  • While Brown still hasn’t been traded, Case Keenum has. Keenum was dealt to the Redskins yesterday in a surprising trade, and fans weren’t the only ones caught off guard by the move. Keenum apparently didn’t know it was coming either, and neither he nor his camp were involved in finding Washington as a landing spot, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Alex Smith is very likely to miss at least the entire 2019 season, and as of right now Keenum is likely to be the team’s starting quarterback next season.
  • 49ers punter Bradley Pinion “has been telling those around him that he does not expect to be back” next year, Matt Barrows of The Athletic hears. Barrows points out that Pinion ranked 24th in net average and had 22 punts inside of the 20-yard line, putting him somewhere in the middle of the pack. He also handled kickoffs, so the Niners will have to find someone new to cover both roles assuming they move on. Pinion was a fifth round pick of San Francisco back in 2015, and is about to enter unrestricted free agency.
  • Broncos offensive tackle Billy Turner had been discussing an extension with the team, but those talks have “broken off”, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Turner will now hit the open market, and that the Broncos will now be a “prime” candidate to sign a right tackle in free agency. Turner started 11 games for the Broncos last season, earning average marks from Pro Football Focus.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/19

March 8th, 2019 at 7:11pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves from another busy day of action across the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: K Jonathan Brown

Seattle Seahawks

Cowboys Pick Up Options On C Joe Looney, LB Joe Thomas

March 8th, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cowboys picked up an option on receiver Allen Hurns earlier today, and that wasn’t the only one they exercised. The team is also picking up their options on center Joe Looney and linebacker Joe Thomas, a source told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Looney has been with the Cowboys the past three seasons, and was a backup interior lineman the first two. After starter Travis Frederick missed the entire 2018 season, Looney ended up starting all 16 games. He signed a two-year deal with the team last March, but the second year was a team option that needed to be decided on by March 13th.

Looney will get paid a base salary of $1MM in 2019 with incentives worth up to $500k, according to Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan. Assuming Frederick is able to return in 2019, which looks to be the case, Looney should return to a reserve role. He received poor marks from Pro Football Focus last year, and was ranked the 32nd best center in the league by PFF.

Thomas played sparingly on defense last season, but was a contributor on special teams. He signed a two-year deal worth up to $3.6MM last March.

 

Steelers Close On A Deal To Trade Antonio Brown, Three Teams ‘Still Alive’

March 8th, 2019 at 5:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Antonio Brown saga might be coming to an end soon, this time for real. The Steelers are “close to a deal to trade Antonio Brown,” a source told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Unfortunately, Dulac doesn’t speculate the team that Brown will be heading to, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out the details. In fact, Dulac says three teams are “still alive” in the process. Dulac doesn’t specify which three teams are still in the running. Brown was reported to be on his way to the Bills late last night, but that turned out not to be true.

Reports first indicated the Steelers were viewing today as a deadline to trade Brown by, but that was then walked back. All of the recent reporting has been that the Steelers continue to demand a first round pick in trade talks, and it’ll be very interesting to see what they end up getting back.

The Raiders have been one of the teams consistently mentioned as being interested, and they have plenty of draft assets to make it happen. Many teams have publicly removed themselves from the running, and the Steelers have seemingly been left without many options.

Sean Lee Will Return To Cowboys In 2019, Working On New Contract

March 8th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard recently that the Cowboys were interested in bringing back linebacker Sean Lee for one more season, and now it’s official. Lee and the Cowboys have agreed to stick together for 2019, and are ironing out the details on what his contract will look like, sources told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. 

Lee is a Cowboys legend, and it was looking for a while like his time with the team might be coming to an end toward the end of the 2018 season. But Lee expressed interest in playing again, and the team is willing to make it happen. Lee has been unable to stay on the field the past few years, as he’s dealt with recurring hamstring issues and other ailments.

Moore thinks the incentive-heavy deal the Cowboys just gave Jason Witten will “provide a template” for the deal Lee will get once his contract is restructured. Lee was schedule to make a non-guaranteed $7MM this season, which was always going to be untenable.

Lee saw his playing time scaled back dramatically this season even when he was healthy, as rookie Leighton Vander Esch emerged. Lee has spent all nine years of his career with Dallas, and will be making it a tenth now. He’ll likely function as somewhat of a player-coach in a veteran mentor role for the 2019 season.

Packers Waive LB Antonio Morrison

March 8th, 2019 at 4:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Packers are waiving linebacker Antonio Morrison, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Morrison was traded from the Colts to the Packers last August, and ended up lasting just one season in Green Bay. Morrison appeared in all 16 games for the Packers last year and started eight of them, so it’s a pretty significant move as they look to overhaul their defense. Morrison had 48 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one sack for the Packers last year.

He was going to count $2.025MM against the cap in 2019, which the Packers deemed too expensive. However, he “could be brought back at a cheaper price,” writes Tom Silverstein of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). A Florida product, Morrison was taken by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

He quickly became a starter in Indianapolis, but they decided to swap him for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins after just two seasons. He started 15 games for the Colts in 2017. Morrison received average marks from Pro Football Focus for his work last year.

Cardinals Cut Antoine Bethea, Mike Glennon

March 8th, 2019 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals will part with two players Friday, releasing Mike Glennon and Antoine Bethea, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Glennon’s Arizona stay lasted one year; Bethea was a Cardinal for two seasons but will not have the chance to play for a third Cardinals regime. The veteran safety signed a three-year deal with the then-Bruce Arians-led Cards and stuck around for Steve Wilks‘ lone season. Kliff Kingsbury‘s team will go in a different direction.

These transactions will create nearly $6MM in cap space for the Cards, ballooning their figure north of $43MM.

This represents the second straight offseason the once-coveted Mike Glennon has been released. The Bears cut him after a one-season stay, and that led to him joining the Cards. Glennon played in two games last season, working behind Sam Bradford and then Josh Rosen, but only threw 21 passes. The former third-round pick is now back on the backup-QB market.

Linked to a possible Rosen trade, in advance of a Kyler Murray draft pick, the Cards have one less quarterback on their roster.

Bethea’s career has now lasted 13 years. He will be 35 by the time training camps begin. Despite his age, Bethea was a full-time Cards starter in 2018. After starting for the 2006 Super Bowl champion Colts as a rookie, the former sixth-round pick has played for three teams — a three-year stint with the 49ers coming in between Indianapolis and Arizona stays — and made three Pro Bowls, the most recent one coming in 2014 with San Francisco. But with so many safeties available this year, it is fair to wonder if Bethea has played his final game.

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