HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Giants Tender WR Corey Coleman

March 7th, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants aren’t letting Corey Coleman get away. On Thursday, the G-Men applied the original round tender to the former first-round wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Because Coleman was a first-round selection, another team would have to give the Giants a first-round pick in order to sign Coleman and nullify his one-year, $2.03MM offer sheet. Needless to say, no team will be willing to pay that price for the Baylor product.

The Browns made Coleman a first-round pick in 2016, but he didn’t do a whole lot at the NFL level. As a rookie, he recorded 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns, all of which still stand as career highs. After bouncing around with the Bills and Patriots, he hooked on with the Giants’ practice squad in October. He was quickly promoted to the varsity squad and recorded five catches for 71 yards across eight games. Coleman also averaged 26 yards on his 23 kickoff returns last year, so he figures to have a role on special teams in 2019.

Raiders Tender RB Jalen Richard, CB Daryl Worley

March 7th, 2019 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders placed second-round tenders on both running back Jalen Richard and cornerback Darryl Worley. Both players are now earmarked for one-year, $3.095MM deals with Oakland, unless they are signed to an offer sheet from a club willing to surrender a second-round pick. Meanwhile, Raiders safety Erik Harris received one-year, $2.025MM original round tender as a restricted free agent.

The move to tender Worley at the second-round level is a bit of a head scratcher. In his case, an original round tender would have called for another club to surrender a third-round pick to sign him. That would have been ample protection for a player who graded out as the seventh-worst cornerback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, but the Raiders took the extra step of protecting him with the second-round level tender. Ultimately, it will eat up about $1MM extra in cap space, and small missteps like that tend to add up.

The decision to protect Richard, a former UDFA, with the second-round tender makes more sense. Last year, Richard managed 4.7 yards per carry in a limited sample size and he boasts a career 5.3 ypc average. He’ll return to a Raiders team that may or may not feature Doug Martin and Marshawn Lynch in 2019.

Ravens Re-Sign TE Nick Boyle

March 7th, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens re-signed tight end Nick Boyle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year, $18MM deal to keep Boyle off of the free agent market. 

We’ve heard a surprising amount of buzz about Boyle in recent weeks. Blocking tight ends don’t often garner a ton of attention, but Boyle reportedly had interest from about 20 teams this offseason. Those clubs will have to look elsewhere for blocking expertise as Boyle is now under contract with Baltimore through the 2021 season.

Boyle, 26, caught just 23 passes for 213 yards last season. However, he provided quality run and pass blocking across his 670 snaps. Last year, Boyle graded out as the No. 23 ranked tight end in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Interestingly, even without much in the way of offensive production, he placed ahead of Eric Ebron on the list.

Boyle’s early career was marred by a pair of suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, but he has missed just one game over the last two years. In that two-year span, the Ravens have rushed for a league-high 4,297 yards with Boyle as a tight end/fullback.

Notre Dame DL Jerry Tillery Undergoes Surgery

March 6th, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Notre Dame defensive lineman and NFL draft prospect Jerry Tillery underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and will be sidelined for three-to-four months, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Given his recovery timeline, Tillery should be ready for training camp, so it’s unclear just how much this news will affect his draft stock. Still, in a draft loaded with defensive line talent, it’s fair to wonder if Tillery’s operation will push him ever so slightly down draft boards.

Tillery, who stands 6’7″, 305 pounds, just wrapped up his Notre Dame career after appearing in 42 games during a four-year run. Last season, he posted seven sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 12 contests. Most draft rankings have Tillery as a borderline first-round pick, but his stock had been rising after an excellent combine. Notably, Tillery ranked first among draft-eligible defensive linemen in SPARQ score, a measurement of overall athleticism.

In his scouting report on Tillery, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared the Notre Dame product to the Steelers’ Stephon Tuitt, noting the former’s “scary natural power.” Joe Marino of The Draft Network is also a fan of Tillery, but noted he must improve his leverage.

La Canfora’s Latest: Mathieu, Ravens, Bucs

March 6th, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Texans are attempting to retain Tyrann Mathieu, both the Ravens and Buccaneers have “serious interest” in the veteran defensive back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Baltimore just released fellow safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, while Tampa Bay has been in need of secondary help for years. Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston last year, but he’s expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Per La Canfora, Mathieu should be able to collect $24MM over the first two years of a new deal.

Here’s more from JLC:

  • Overall, the safety market is not expected to be as depressed as it was a year ago, when Mathieu, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and others were forced to settle for one-year pacts. Earl Thomas will set the market and is asking for $13MM annually, per La Canfora. Meanwhile, former Giants safety Landon Collins — now on the market after New York declined to franchise him — will likely come in below Thomas, and Bears defender Adrian Amos is searching for $9-10MM per year.
  • While there aren’t any clear-cut, No. 1 wideouts available this offseason, slot receivers are aplenty, and they should get paid, says JLC. Golden Tate is looking for $13MM per season, while Adam Humphries may be targeting $10MM annually and has already been deemed too expensive to return to the Buccaneers. Cole Beasley could also get $10MM per year, while John Brown wants $8-9MM per season.
  • Offensive tackle Daryl Williams is expected to reach the open market, and La Canfora reports Williams’ price has already “soared” above where the Panthers are comfortable paying. Both the Bills and Giants are expected to target Williams, and both connections make sense. Buffalo employs former Carolina staffer Brandon Beane as its general manager, while ex-Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is in charge in New York.
  • The Raiders have already been mentioned as a potential suitor for Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams, and the Colts could also join the fray, per La Canfora. Williams is expected to earn more than $12MM per year on his new deal.

Terrell Suggs Could Leave Ravens?

March 6th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Ravens would like to re-sign Terrell Suggs, the veteran pass rusher will have a solid market in free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds there is a “very real possibility” Suggs will not be in Baltimore in 2019.

The Ravens had made Suggs an offer, tweets La Canfora, but the two sides aren’t close on the numbers. While Baltimore expects to continue conversations with Suggs, there is no deal considered imminent. Although Suggs is entering his age-37 campaign, he’s given no hint that he’s ready to retire, and fully plans to continue his career next season.

The Cardinals could become a destination for both Suggs and fellow Ravens free agent C.J. Mosley, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece that the some of the duo’s Baltimore teammates believe the pair could head to the desert. The Ravens opted not to use the franchise tag on Mosley, which would have allowed him to collect a fully guaranteed salary of $15.443MM next year.

Despite his advanced age, there aren’t many signs Suggs is slowing down. He played 744 defensive snaps in 2018, second-most among Baltimore’s front seven defenders (trailing only Mosley). During that time, Suggs posted seven sacks and ranked as the NFL’s 36th-best edge defender among 103 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

John Kuhn Announces Retirement

March 6th, 2019 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Longtime NFL fullback John Kuhn has retired as a member of the Packers, Green Bay announced today.

“John was a terrific football player and tremendous teammate who contributed to many years of success for the Packers,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “He was a true professional whose work ethic and leadership set a great example both on the field and in the locker room. We want to thank John and his family for all they did for the Packers and in the community as well as wish them nothing but the best.”

While he’s best known as a member of the Packers, Kuhn actually began his career with the Steelers after going undrafted in 2005. He appeared in nine games with Pittsburgh (all in 2006) and won a Super Bowl before joining Green Bay in 2007. Kuhn went on to spend the next nine years with the Packers, earning another Super Bowl title in the process. All told, Kuhn handled 196 carries for Green Bay, scoring 24 total touchdowns while collecting three Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro selection, and one second-team All-Pro berth.

Kuhn signed with the Saints in advance of the 2016 campaign and wound up spending parts of two seasons with the club, appearing in 18 games over that span. He didn’t play in the NFL in 2018, though he did express interest in doing so. PFR extends its best wishes to Kuhn as he enters retirement.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/6/19

March 6th, 2019 at 7:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

RFAs

Tendered at original-round level:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Chiefs Want Second-Round Pick For Dee Ford?

March 6th, 2019 at 6:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After deploying the franchise tag on edge rusher Dee Ford, the Chiefs may be willing to trade the veteran linebacker/defensive end, and the price might not be all that steep. Kansas City is looking for a second-round pick in exchange for Ford, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Fresh off a career year in 2018, Ford will be expensive next season. The linebacker franchise tag will cost $15.433MM, but there’s a chance Ford could push to earn even more. Ford is likely to file a grievance arguing that he’s a defensive end, and being tagged at that position would enable him to collect $17.128MM in 2019. That’s a hefty total, especially for a Chiefs team that only has roughly $10MM in cap space after accounting for Ford’s salary.

In addition to his cost, Ford’s role in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo‘s 4-3 scheme has been questioned. Ford played defensive end in college, however, and the Chiefs faced three-plus wide receivers more than 80% of the time in 2018, per Warren Sharp. That means Kansas City was in nickel formations with Ford lined up as a pass-rusher. Indeed, Pro Football Focus charts Ford with only 107 coverage snaps all season, meaning concerns about a role change are likely overblown.

Ford, 27, hasn’t always been a star since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. He was relatively quiet in his first two pro campaigns before erupting for 10 sacks in 2016. An injury wiped out most of Ford’s 2017 season, but also forced the Chiefs to retain him via his injury-guaranteed fifth-year option. Ford subsequently posted the best results of his career, putting up 10 sacks and 48.5 pressures (second in the NFL) while grading as PFF’s 11th-best edge defender.

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