2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

Texans Pick Up Will Fuller’s Fifth-Year Option

April 26th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Parks

The Texans have picked up wide receiver Will Fuller‘s fifth-year option, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV (via Twitter). Fuller is now under club control through 2020, and his 2020 salary — which is guaranteed for injury only — will be $10.1MM (unless the two sides work out an extension before then).

This decision further supports a report from earlier this month that Fuller is expected to make a full recovery from the ACL tear he suffered last year. Indeed, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reiterated today (via Twitter) that Fuller, who is one of the game’s best deep threats, should be ready for the 2019 opener.

Fuller, whom the Texans selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, averaged a career-high 15.7 yards per reception in seven games last season before tearing his ACL. During that time, he posted 32 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns and reeled in 71.% percent of all passes thrown to him by Deshaun Watson.

If he can stay healthy this season, he could position himself nicely for a long-term deal.

Titans To Sign DL Brent Urban

April 26th, 2019 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have agreed to sign Brent Urban, according to a team announcement. It’s a one-year deal, tweets Paul Kuharksy. The deal comes roughly ten days after Urban first visited with the team. Better late than never, as they say.

The Titans are clearly committed to boosting the defensive line after drafting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the first round and adding Urban. At 6’7 and 300 pounds, Urban gives the Titans size and experience up front.

Last year, Urban started 16 games for the Ravens and finished with 27 tackles and a half sack. Across four pro seasons, he has appeared in 41 games with 52 tackles in total. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but he did grade out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 49 ranked interior defender in 2018 thanks to his solid run defense.

Jets Eyeing Round 2 Trade Up

April 26th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are looking to make a splash on Friday night. Gang Green is seeking to make a move all the way from the third round into the early second, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, in order to pull that off, the Jets would need to give up significant capital in future draft picks.

It’s not clear who the Jets are targeting, but Garafolo (Twitter link) estimates that they’re going for a pass rusher. The Jets have spoken to the Seahawks, who own the No. 37 overall pick, Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) hears, which would represent a significant jump from No. 68 overall in the third round.

Of course, the Jets had a big opportunity to improve their pass rush with the No. 3 overall pick last night, but they opted for Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams over Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Michigan’s Rashan Gary, and other impact edge players.

Criminal Investigation Against Tyreek Hill Re-Opened

April 26th, 2019 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The criminal case against Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his fiance has been reopened, according to KCTV5. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed as much at Friday afternoon’s introductory press conference for the newly-acquired Frank Clark, per Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Prosecutors dropped charges against Hill earlier this week, but the case is back on after audio of a conversation between Hill and partner Crystal Espinal was leaked.

After the recording of the duo detailing their son’s broken arm, the Chiefs moved to ban Hill from team activities. It seems probable that Hill will be released altogether, but that hasn’t happened just yet.

“We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation],” said general manager Brett Veach in a statement. “We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for Crystal. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child.”

Hill, who has a history of domestic violence accusations dating back to his college days, is alleged to have punched and used a belt to strike his three-year-old son. The Johnson County District Attorney’s office previously indicated that there was not enough evidence to press ahead with the case against Hill. Now, they may have enough ammo to bring charges against him.

Draft Notes: Broncos, Bush, Lock, Colts

April 26th, 2019 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Parks

The Broncos were widely connected to Devin Bush in the buildup to the draft, but they wound up trading back when they had the opportunity to draft him. Apparently, they weren’t as high on him as many believed (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic).

“I don’t know if we would have taken him if we didn’t trade,” head coach Vic Fangio said. “He was certainly one of the guys we talked about, but we just felt the trade value trumped the guy we would get there.”

The Broncos didn’t necessarily feel that Bush was the right choice at No. 10 overall, but the Steelers did. That worked to Denver’s benefit, as they came away with a solid haul in exchange for moving down. Denver secured the Steelers’ No. 20 pick – which they used to take tight end Noah Fant – plus the Steelers’ second-round choice and a third-round pick next year.

While you mull the Broncos’ decision, here’s more draft news:

Word has it thatMissouri quarterback Drew Lock went undrafted in the first round due to the nine-inch measurement on his hands (Twitter link via Howard Balzer). For comparison, this year’s first-round QBs Kyler Murray (9 1/2 inches), Dwayne Haskins (9 5/8 inches), and Daniel Jones (9 3/4 inches) proved to have larger hands at the combine. Lock was undoubtedly disappointed, but he probably won’t linger long on Friday night.
The Colts may not be done trading back even after moving out of the first round. The idea of sliding back from the No. 34 overall pick is “attractive,” GM Chris Ballard says (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4).

Dolphins, Cardinals Nearing Josh Rosen Trade?

April 26th, 2019 at 1:12pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins and Cardinals are nearing a trade that would send 2018 first-rounder Josh Rosen from the desert to South Beach, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). PFT says that the deal, which may be tentatively complete, would see the Dolphins send tonight’s No. 48 overall pick to the Cards.

However, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets that the No. 48 pick is a little rich for Miami’s blood, so the Fins may ask the Cards to kick in some later-round compensation to balance the scales, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald on Twitter) says that a trade is not close. Albert Breer of TheMMQB agrees with Rapoport, saying that a deal is not done but that the lines of communication are definitely open (Twitter link). The two sides are expected to talk again this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) hears the Dolphins would not give up their No. 48 pick for the QB, which seems to indicate that A. The deal is far from done and B. The Dolphins may be willing to walk if a deal cannot be agreed upon soon.

Initially, the Cardinals asked for a first-round pick, which the Dolphins declined. Miami brass had a third- or fourth-round pick in mind for the 2018 No. 10 overall selection, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Talks are expected to resume, but Anderson notes the teams are still fairly far apart.

If the trade is completed, it would end one of the more interesting journeys for a first-round QB in recent memory. Everyone in the league seemed to know that Arizona, which traded up in the first round to select Rosen last year, was willing to deal the UCLA product as soon as Kyler Murray declared for this year’s draft. The Cardinals did the expected and made Murray the No. 1 overall pick last night, and we learned today that Arizona GM Steve Keim began shopping Rosen in earnest only minutes before the draft began, so he may have played this one incorrectly.

On the other hand, recouping a second-round pick for Rosen would still be a decent salvage job, as Rosen and Murray cannot feasibly coexist on the Cardinals’ roster, and since several clubs that could have been Rosen suitors selected collegiate passers last night, Keim does not have a ton of leverage at the moment.

From the Dolphins’ perspective, the rebuilding outfit would get a QB with a first-round pedigree who has some flaws and who is coming off a disappointing rookie campaign, but who has a franchise-caliber arm and size. Plus, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Cardinals have already paid 65% of Rosen’s rookie contract.

In that sense, it’s a low-risk move for the Dolphins with a potentially high reward. If Rosen — who would presumably compete with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job in 2019 — lives up to his draft status, Miami’s rebuild would be accelerated and it could address a different need with its early draft picks in 2020. If he doesn’t, then the Dolphins will not be much worse off than they are now.

Chris Harris Trade Imminent?

April 26th, 2019 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos star Chris Harris could be hours away from changing jerseys. The Broncos have received interest in the cornerback and something could happen over the next two days of the draft, James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The offers were strong enough to prompt Denver to make a deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears and the Broncos are expected to decide on one of them soon.

Meanwhile, Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter) has received conflicting info – there is little-to-no trade interest in Harris right now, a source says, so today may be do-or-die for a trade. If Harris is not moved for a second or third round pick, the Broncos may follow through on their original plan of negotiating with the cornerback sometime after the draft.

The Broncos don’t want to meet Harris’ $15MM/year demand, but plenty of other teams might, especially if they don’t have to fork over much in the way of draft compensation. Harris would immediately bolster the secondary of any team he joins and his value may be bolstered by a so-so crop of corners in this year’s draft.

On Thursday night, the Giants made Deandre Baker the one and only cornerback selected in the first round, leaving a group of CBs including LSU’s Greedy Williams, Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin, Michigan State’s Justin Layne, Notre Dame’s Julian Love, Central Michigan’s Sean Bunting still on the board. There’s definitely potential in that group, but none of those players would match the immediate impact of Harris.

Eli Manning To Start For Giants

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

The Giants shocked the world on Thursday night by drafting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick. Despite the significant investment in the position, GM Dave Gettleman says that Eli Manning is still on course to be the team’s starter in 2019 (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).

In fact, it could be a long time before Jones sees the field. After the draft, Gettleman was asked about his plans for Jones and indicated that the team will take an ultra-patient approach to his development.

“Maybe we’re going the Green Bay model,” Gettleman said. “Where [Aaron] Rodgers sat for three years. Who knows? You can never have too many good players at one position.”

When pressed further, Gettleman gave a puzzling response.

“Who knows?” the GM said. “I might go out to my car and get hit. … You don’t know. We drafted a quarterback that we believe is a franchise quarterback.”

Manning has at least some assurance that he’ll be the Giants’ starter in 2019, but there’s not much guaranteed beyond that. The veteran is entering the final year of his deal and the two sides have not engaged in serious contract talks this offseason. Meanwhile, Manning plays on playing in 2020, whether it’s with the Giants or another team.

Steelers GM: Likely Big Ben’s Last Deal

April 26th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

This week, Ben Roethlisberger inked a lucrative new extension with the Steelers to take him through the 2021 season. This deal, GM Kevin Colbert says, will likely be his last (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com).

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise – Roethlisberger celebrated his 37th birthday in March and the new pact will take him through his age-39 campaign. Roethlisberger has flirted with retirement a few times in the past, so it was never expected that he would plan for the Tom Brady route.

Even in his old age, Big Ben remains effective. He’s also healthier than he has been in the past. Roethlisberger started all 16 games last year, marking his first perfect attendance campaign since 2014.

This year, Big Ben will seek to prove that he can conquer both father time and the absence of star wide receiver Antonio Brown. There’s plenty of reason to believe that he can pull it off – he finished fourth in Total QBR and eighth in adjusted net yards per attempt last season, even though the Steelers fell just shy of the playoffs.

Ravens Notes: Second Round, Brown, Burns

April 26th, 2019 at 11:47am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens will have a pair of third-rounders this evening, but the team currently doesn’t own a second-round pick. It sounds like it’s going to stay that way, as general manager Eric DeCosta said it’s unlikely the team moves up.

“We look at today as an awesome opportunity for this team to get better,” DeCosta said (via the team’s Twitter). “We’ve got two picks at this time, you never know if we’re going to have more than two picks. We’ve got a bunch of picks tomorrow afternoon.

“There’s a possibility that we can trade up into the second round. Probably unlikely that we would do that based on what we’d have to give up to do it.”

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens end up making a trade to move up in the third round, where they’re currently armed with picks No. 85 and No. 102. The front office has already pulled off one deal during the draft, as the Ravens acquired No. 25, No. 127, and No. 197 from the Eagles in exchange for No. 22.

Let’s check out some more notes out of Baltimore…

Even though the team doesn’t have a second, that doesn’t seem to be concerning DeCosta. The general manager told ESPN’s Jamison Hensley that he’s excited about the depth in the third and fourth rounds (Twitter link). “I think this is a really, really good draft in the third and fourth round,” GM Eric DeCosta said. “We see great opportunity for us over the next couple of days.” Baltimore has three fourth-rounders at their disposal.
Zrebiec writes that the Ravens would have loved to add a pass rusher last night. However, once Brian Burns was taken by the Panthers at No. 16, the front office felt like none of the remaining outside linebackers had first-round grades. That led them to wideout Marquise Brown, although DeCosta took a risk of missing out on his target by moving down a few slots. “We were nervous to be honest. I was a little bit nervous that Philly might take (Brown), but it’s a calculated risk,” DeCosta said. “We had some other players that were there that we liked. You know we like to make trades. It made sense to gamble, to roll the dice a little bit, so we did.”
The Ravens final decision ultimately came down to Brown or Florida right tackle Jawaan Taylor, according to Zrebiec. If the team had opted for the offensive lineman, they would have moved him to offensive guard. Taylor wasn’t taken during the first-round of the draft.
As Zrebiec writes, the Ravens front office doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to first-round receivers, as Travis Taylor (2000), Mark Clayton (2005) and Breshad Perriman (2015) all disappointed. Predictably, DeCosta said the team’s history didn’t deter him from selecting a wideout with his first draft pick as general manager. “In my mind, this is one of the more electric players in college football this year, so we spent a lot of time looking at him and watching him,” DeCosta said.