2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings To Meet With QB Sean Mannion

March 26th, 2019 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing their 2018 backup sign with the Jets, the Vikings have a need behind Kirk Cousins. They will explore a replacement option this week.

The Vikings are planning to meet with Sean Mannion at some point this week, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Mannion was viewed as a possible Trevor Siemian contingency plan. Siemian signed with the Jets last week.

Mannion has only thrown 53 career passes, having backed up Jared Goff the past two seasons. Blake Bortles will now assume that position. A 26-year-old Oregon State product, Mannion spent four years with the Rams after arriving as a third-round pick in 2015. Mannion’s most significant audition came in Week 17 of the 2017 season, when Sean McVay rested his starters. His then-backup quarterback completed 20 of 34 passes for 169 yards. No other teams have been linked to Mannion thus far in free agency.

While Minnesota wants to add a veteran to work as Cousins’ backup, Mike Zimmer did not rule out 2017 UDFA Kyle Sloter or a to-be-determined rookie filling that role, per Tomasson. Sloter, a Broncos UDFA the Vikings added on waivers in 2017, has yet to throw an NFL pass. Siemian also threw zero passes as a Viking. Cousins took all the snaps for the Vikings last season.

Rams Yet To Discuss Jared Goff Extension

March 26th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having played three seasons, Jared Goff is now extension-eligible. But the Rams’ payroll, after a busy 2018, includes a few top-market contracts — a payroll option aided by Goff still being tied to his rookie deal.

It can be expected for the Rams to sign Goff long-term, but at the moment, the franchise has not seriously discussed this. They have not ruled out a 2019 extension for Goff, but it doesn’t seem to be a front-burner issue right now.

“Jared’s obviously extremely important to us. But those are things that, we know we want to get him done at some point,” Sean McVay said (via the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein, on Twitter). “Whether it happens this year, next year, those are things we haven’t really gotten into in depth about yet.”

The Rams last year authorized their big-ticket extensions late in the summer, with Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald agreeing to new deals between July 17 and August 31 of last year. So, the team may be tabling this until that point on the calendar. However, Goff could be under Rams control for $8.9MM this season under the terms of his current contract. The Rams have $5.4MM in cap space.

This comes at a time when the Eagles are eyeing a 2019 extension for Carson Wentz, who was taken one pick after Goff in 2016. While a Goff extension would be proactive, with deals for Wentz, Patrick Mahomes and others set to reshape a market that has already changed significantly over the past year. The Rams waited until Donald’s fifth-year option season to finalize a second contract for the all-world defender. Gurley, though, had two years of team control remaining at the time of his signing.

Goff did not fare well in Super Bowl LIII but set new career-high marks with 4,688 passing yards, 32 touchdown passes and a 65.4 QBR during the regular season. The yardage and QBR figures are far north of his 2017 Pro Bowl season’s numbers. Another strong season would raise the 24-year-old passer’s stock further.

Vikings Extend GM Rick Spielman

March 26th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have extended the contract of GM Rick Spielman, owner Mark Wilf says (Twitter link via Chad Graff of The Athletic). Spielman, like head coach Mike Zimmer, is now under contract through the 2020 season.

The Vikings have acquired and locked up much of their core under Spielman. Key players such as Danielle Hunter, quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook, wide receiver Adam Thielen, offensive tackle Riley Reiff, center Pat Elflein, linebacker Eric Kendricks, safety Harrison Smith, cornerback Xavier Rhodes, and defensive end Everson Griffen are all under contract through 2020 and beyond.

Spielman, 56, spent six years as the team’s vice president of player personnel before being promoted to GM in 2012. Since then, the team has seen its fair share of ups and downs, including last year’s disappointing 8-7-1 finish. Still, the talent is there, and the Vikings have the potential to contend in 2019.

Robert Kraft Pleads Not Guilty

March 26th, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution. Kraft has denied engaging in any illegal activity and recently turned down a proposed plea agreement that called for him to admit that he would have been found guilty in trial.

Florida authorities say they have hidden camera footage showing Kraft receiving sex acts from women working at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. The footage, they say, also shows Kraft handing the women cash after the acts.

The sting, purported to be an undercover operation against human trafficking, has yet to yield any charges of human trafficking. Instead, authorities nabbed Kraft and 24 other accused Johns.

Recently, Kraft issued a statement on the case, though he did not explicitly admit any wrongdoing in his apology.

“I am truly sorry,” Kraft said in the statement. “I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard. Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.”

Bills Release Chris Ivory

March 26th, 2019 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have released running back Chris Ivory, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ivory was no longer needed in Buffalo after the club signed Frank Gore this offseason to support LeSean McCoy.

Ivory, 31, amassed just 385 yards and one touchdown last year with an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Given the presence of Gore and Ivory’s scheduled $2.9MM cap hit, this was pretty much a no-brainer for the Bills. By releasing Ivory, the Bills will save $2.156MM against just $750K in dead money.

The Bills have upwards of $35MM in cap space after releasing the veteran, putting them in the same tier as the Browns, Titans, Jets, and Raiders, who are all hovering around ~$30MM in room. The Colts, Texans, and 49ers currently lead the way, though there’s a big gap between Indy and everyone else. The Colts have a projected $74.5MM in cash to work with after sitting on their cash stockpile in the early stretch of free agency.

Dolphins Tried To Acquire Matthew Stafford

March 26th, 2019 at 1:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins tried to trade for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford before the start of the 2018 season, multiple league sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The talks did not progress to the point where the Dolphins were asked about what they’d give up, but it’s an indication that the Dolphins were thinking about moving on from Ryan Tannehill earlier than anyone thought.

Former head coach Adam Gase, Salguero hears, reached out personally to Lions coach Matt Patricia to orchestrate a deal. The belief is that Gase would have offered at minimum Miami’s 2018 first-round pick and probably more. Patricia, however, said he was unwilling to move on from Stafford.

Leading up to the 2018 season, Tannehill missed 20 straight games with a knee injury. But, until word of the Stafford discussions, it was believed that the Dolphins were only looking at QB options in the draft. Ultimately, the Dolphins did not move on a QB class that included Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Allen. Instead, they stood pat at No. 11 overall and selected defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The Fins did not land Stafford, obviously, but they’ve overhauled the QB room nonetheless. Tannehill was shipped to the Titans earlier this month and Ryan Fitzpatrick is now set to start under center in South Beach.

Rams Want To Lock Up Marcus Peters

March 26th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams “absolutely” want to sign cornerback Marcus Peters to an extension, head coach Sean McVay says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry). McVay highlighted Peters’ strong play in the second half of the 2018 season as reason for the club wanting to lock him up.

Peters, 26, is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract. After that, the Rams have the option of keeping him off of the free market with the franchise tag, but that would be an expensive proposition. This offseason, the one-year tender for cornerbacks was set at $16.022MM. Next year, that number is expected to climb north of $17MM.

Last year, Peters started in all 16 of the Rams’ regular season games plus the club’s three postseason contests. Peters finished with 43 tackles and three interceptions, including a pick six in Week 1 against the Raiders. Two of his INTs came in the second half of the season and he impressed in the Super Bowl while many of the club’s other stars sagged.

For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were not super impressed with Peters on the whole. He graded out as just the 78th best cornerback in the NFL out of 112 qualified players, a far cry from his top 20 placement in 2017.

Saints To Sign Jared Cook

March 26th, 2019 at 11:42am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are close to a deal with free agent tight end Jared Cook, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). When the deal is inked on Tuesday, it’ll be a two-year contract worth $15.5MM, including $8MM fully guaranteed in Year 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With incentives, Cook can earn up to $19MM between now and the end of the 2020 season.

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 in New Orleans.

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

New Orleans originally hosted Cook when the free agent market opened last Wednesday. At the time, both the incumbent Raiders and the Patriots were believed to be “monitoring” Cook’s market. There was some speculation that the Patriots would circle back to Cook in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, but Cook kept his word and remained committed to the Saints.

Browns Rumors: Hunt, Simmons, Draft, OBJ

March 26th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are asking the NFL to allow Kareem Hunt to remain with the team during his eight-game suspension, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Players are typically banned from the team facility and all activities during personal conduct policy suspensions, but the club is looking for an exemption in Hunt’s case.

Given Hunt’s history, this could be an uphill battle for the Browns. While we wait for developments on that front, here’s more from Cleveland:

It sounds like GM John Dorsey will consider Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the upcoming draft, despite his red flags. “I think from your standpoint, what you should do is you should talk to the coaches and the support system at Starkville, Mississippi State, and just see what kind of man that guy really is,” Dorsey said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The Browns might not be able to land Simmons with their first pick at No. 49 overall, but trading up is always a possibility.
Dorsey expects Odell Beckham Jr. to arrive in Cleveland for the start of the voluntary offseason program on Monday, April 1 (via Cabot). “He’s excited,’’ Dorsey said. “There’s a genuine excitement there. There’s familiarity with some teammates. There’s familiarity with his position coach. I’m sure he’s … he’s got a relationship with Baker so I’m sure he’s excited to be part of this new beginning for him.’’

Raiders To Sign QB Landry Jones

March 26th, 2019 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders signed quarterback Landry Jones, according to a team announcement. He’ll join Derek Carr, new addition Mike Glennon, and Nathan Peterman in a suddenly crowded QB room.

Ben Roethlisberger‘s backup for a few seasons, Jones saw the Steelers go with Joshua Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph in 2018. Jones landed with the Jaguars, but the stay was brief. He also worked out for the Redskins, Bills, 49ers, Patriots, Cowboys, and Bucs last year.

Up until the Jags deal, Jones spent his entire NFL career with the Steelers. In a limited sample of playing time, Jones completed 64% of his throws with eight touchdowns against seven interceptions. Among the quarterbacks who have thrown at least 160 passes between 2013 and 2017, Jones ranked 35th in passer rating and 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, but it’s difficult to assign much relevance to those numbers given his lack of reps.

Of course, the Raiders could still go shopping for a quarterback in the draft and they may still be eyeing another former Oklahoma QB in Kyler Murray.