2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Top FA Slot WRs Seeking $10-14MM Per Year

March 1st, 2019 at 7:49pm CST by Micah Powell

The top of the free agent slot-receiver crop is expected to be seeking between $10-14MM a year according to league sources, Yahoo Sports’ Terez A. Paylor tweets.

That includes names like Golden Tate, who tallied 74 catches for 794 yards in 2018, and Adam Humphries, who enjoyed a breakout campaign 76 grabs for 816 yards with the Buccaneers.

It shouldn’t be too surprising those pass catchers will be looking to command that money. The prevalence and importance of the slot receiver is at an all-time high and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down soon.

Will they reach that mark?

Jarvis Landry set the high-water mark in the 2018 offseason, commanding a five-year, $75MM deal with the Browns. He, however, was coming off three consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns in which he logged at least 90 receptions each season. He also embraced a larger role on the boundary in his first season with the Browns.

While Tate is likely to set the bar this season, he will be 31 when the season kicks off in September. His previous deal also only paid him an average of $6.2MM a season. Humphries, on the other hand, will be 26 in 2019 and will be looking to sign his first big contract in the NFL. Though they will both outdo Tate’s previous contract, in average annual value, it remains to be seen if they could challenge that of Landry.

Execs Believe Cardinals Targeting Kyler Murray

March 1st, 2019 at 6:52pm CST by Micah Powell

It started off as mere speculation, but now executives around the league believe the Cardinals are looking to target Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano writes.

That idea started with an old quote from new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who said he would take Murray with the top pick when he was the coach at Texas Tech. Though Kingsbury has professed Josh Rosen as his guy, Cardinals GM Steve Keim made waves when he said Rosen was there quarterback “for now” earlier this week. Rosen later added fuel to the fire when he deleted all of his Instagram posts relating to the organization. Now Vacchiano says that many around the league see all the speculation coming to fruition.

“I really think he’s going No. 1,” one league source said. “He fits exactly what Kingsbury wants to do out there.”

Murray would seem to be a nice fit for Kingsbury’s high-flying offense. He possesses game-breaking mobility to go along with an accurate touch and an impressive deep ball. It is all just speculation at this point, but the possibility of Kingsbury getting Murray and flipping Rosen, the team’s top pick in 2018, for picks is becoming more of a reality the closer we inch to the draft.

Most current mock drafts tie the Cardinals to Ohio State star pass rusher Nick Bosa at No. 1, but Murray is being tabbed anywhere from No. 5-10. It wouldn’t be a shock to hear his name called with the top selection come draft day.

Official 2019 Franchise/Transition Tag Values

March 1st, 2019 at 5:54pm CST by Micah Powell

On Friday, the NFL released the official franchise and transition tag values for the upcoming season, The MMQB’s Albert Breer tweets. Those values are based on the $188.2MM salary cap that was also announced on Friday, and are as follows:

Franchise Tag

Quarterback – $24.865MM
Running back – $11.214MM
Wide receiver – $16.787MM
Tight end – $10.387MM
Offensive lineman – $14.067MM
Defensive end – $17.128MM
Defensive tackle – $15.209MM
Linebacker – $15.443MM
Cornerback – $16.022MM
Safety – $11.150MM
Kicker/punter – $4.971MM

Transition Tag

Quarterback – $22.783MM
Running back – $9.099MM
Wide receiver – $14.794MM
Tight end – $8.815MM
Offensive lineman – $12.866MM
Defensive end – $14.360MM
Defensive tackle – $12.378MM
Linebacker – $13.222MM
Cornerback – $13.703MM
Safety – $9.531MM
Kicker/punter – $4.537MM

Lions Agree To Deal With DE Romeo Okwara

March 1st, 2019 at 5:36pm CST by Micah Powell

The Lions have agreed to a two-year deal with defensive end Romeo Okwara, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Pelissero notes the deal will pay more than a second-round RFA tender and has incentives on top of that. Had the two sides not come to an agreement, it was likely the team might have need to place a first-round tender on him to keep him off the market.

This was a big move for the Lions, who needed pass-rush help going into the offseason with defensive end Ezekiel Ansah testing free agency.

Undrafted after coming out of Notre Dame in 2016, Okwara caught on with the Giants and spent two years in New York as a reserve defensive lineman. Claimed off waivers from the Giants shortly before the 2018 season, Okwara impressed in his first taste of action with Detroit, starting 14 games and registering a career-high 7.5 sacks and 39 total tackles.

NFL Sets Salary Cap At $188.2MM

March 1st, 2019 at 4:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL salary cap for 2019 has been officially set at $188.2MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). That marks an increase of $11MM from last year’s figure of $177.2MM.

This is the sixth consecutive year in which the cap has gone up at least $10MM per club. It’s a sign of continued success and increased revenue for the league, though the final mark is a bit shy of some projections.

In December, the NFL told teams that the final cap would fall somewhere between $187-$191MM. The free spending of clubs has led some to speculate that the cap would fall no lower than $190MM, but ultimately, it doesn’t make a huge difference – revenue is up, the cap is up, and teams like the Colts and Jets have serious money to burn.

Free agency begins on March 13, but a good chunk of the league’s cap space will be absorbed by extensions between now and then.

Packers Rumors: Perry, Wilkerson, Campbell

March 1st, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of Green Bay:

Outside linebacker Nick Perry wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers declined to pay his $4.8MM roster bonus due on March 15, a source close to Perry tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, Perry isn’t sure if the Packers would offer a restructure or just move on in that scenario. Perry landed on IR in November with a knee injury and finished out with a career-low 1.5 sacks. The Packers happily re-upped him on a five-year, $60MM extension in 2017, but he’s missed eleven games since then.
There’s “mutual interest” between the Packers and defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson for next season, a source tells Demovsky (on Twitter). Wilkerson joined the Packers on a one-year, $5MM deal last year and he’s probably looking at another prove-it deal if he wants to stay in Green Bay. The ex-Jet appeared in just three games last year before an ankle injury wiped out his season.
The Packers still have an interest in bringing back free agent safety Ibraheim Campbell, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). However, Campbell suffered a torn ACL against the Cardinals in December, which the team didn’t disclose. The safety, who was effective in his three games for the Packers, could be ready by training camp and brought back.

Cowboys’ David Irving Banned Indefinitely

March 1st, 2019 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle David Irving was suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, according to a league press release. The Cowboys were reportedly ready to let Irving walk in free agency due to a variety of issues, but this marks the second indefinite ban to a Cowboys defender in the last week.

Just days ago, linebacker Randy Gregory was hit with an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for the umpteenth time. Irving, meanwhile, has been battling his own demons and had a tumultuous 2018 season.

For the second time in a row, Irving missed the start of the year with a drug suspension. Then, he was entangled in a custody battle for his daughter last year and was served with a restraining order from the mother of his child. He suited up just twice for Dallas in 2018.

In 2017, he missed eight games between his suspension and late-season concussion.In between, though, he was terrific, as he registered seven sacks in eight games.

Irving was in line to receive interest from teams looking to beef up the front seven, but he has some serious hurdles to clear before he can think about retaking the field.

Ravens Waive RB Alex Collins

March 1st, 2019 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens announced that they have waived running back Alex Collins. The move comes hours after Collins was arrested in connection with a Friday morning car crash.

Collins, 25 in August, enjoyed a breakout season in 2017, but was something of an afterthought in 2018. After averaging 4.6 yards per carry as Baltimore’s lead back in 2017, he let down Ravens fans and fantasy players everywhere with a 3.6 yards per carry season. Now, the Ravens are moving forward with Gus Edwards as their lead back and Collins will try to hook on elsewhere.

Collins was unlikely to receive even the lowest possible tender from the Ravens, so the transaction effectively gives him an early jump on free agency. The rest of the league’s available players will not be free to sign until March 13.

Patriots’ Hightower Won’t Take Pay Cut

March 1st, 2019 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower is unwilling to accept a pay cut this offseason, according to Doug Kyed of NESN.com. The Pats have yet to approach Hightower about a pay reduction, however, so it may be a moot point.

It has been speculation that Hightower could be a cap casualty due to his nearly $11MM cap hit and $7MM salary for the upcoming season. If released, Hightower knows that he would find a ripe market for his services with teams like the Lions and Dolphins in need of a middle linebacker. The Pats, meanwhile, would save $5.945MM and carry a dead money hit charge of $5MM.

Hightower, 29 in March, was healthy in 2018, which was a step up from his five-game campaign in 2017. However, his 48 tackles were the lowest total of any full season in his career. The advanced metrics were down on him, too. He graded out as just the No. 51 ranked linebacker in the NFL with a career-worst 63.7 mark. Along with the 48 tackles, Hightower had three tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, an interception, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.

Hightower re-upped with the Patriots in 2017 on a four-year pact worth $35.5MM. He reportedly had a five-year deal worth $62.5MM on the table from the Jets, but opted to stay at home instead.

Raiders Interested In Antonio Brown

March 1st, 2019 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are one of “several” teams interested in Steelers star Antonio Brown, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that there is a market developing for the ultra-talented wide receiver.

The Raiders are in need of talent across the board and they’re a logical suitor for Brown given their significant draft capital. Oakland owns four picks in the top 35, including three-first round picks. The Steelers are unlikely to pry the No. 4 overall pick from the Raiders in a Brown deal, but picks No. 24 or No. 27 could be up for grabs.

Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards and a league-leading and career-high 15 touchdown receptions. Still, things went sideways between him and the Steelers. The rise of JuJu Smith-Schuster and the attention he received may have caused tensions to boil over between Brown and coach Mike Tomlin (plus other key figures), but that won’t stop clubs from chasing one of this generation’s most dangerous offensive weapons.