2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

49ers GM: We Won’t Trade Solomon Thomas

April 26th, 2019 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Solomon Thomas is reportedly on the block, but 49ers GM John Lynch says that’s not the case. When asked if Thomas will be a part of the team in 2019, Lynch replied in the affirmative (Twitter link via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports).

Thomas, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft just two years ago, hasn’t done a whole lot as a pro. Meanwhile, the Niners went out and got Dee Ford this offseason to pair with Arik Armstead, leaving Thomas in limbo on the defensive line. Clearly, the 49ers are unsure about what Thomas can bring to the table, but at the same time, they likely recognize that his stock is low.

Last year, Thomas had one sack with 31 tackles in total. He’s still on an inexpensive rookie deal, but it’s hard to imagine another team giving up anything of consequence for him at this time. It’s possible that injuries elsewhere will open up trade opportunities for him, but it’s also quite possible that Lynch is telling the truth – while the Cardinals are open to bailing on last year’s No. 10 overall pick, the Niners could be willing to find out whether Thomas can be a late bloomer in the NFL.

Cardinals Eyeing Byron Murphy

April 26th, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Washington cornerback Byron Murphy is the heavy favorite to be the first pick of the second round on Friday night, provided that Arizona holds on to the pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, the top choice in the second round is extremely valuable, so it’s entirely possible that another team will be on the clock at No. 33 overall.

The Cardinals probably aren’t the only team eyeing Murphy and other top cornerbacks left on the board. Only one cornerback was drafted in the first round on Thursday night, leaving LSU’s Greedy Williams, Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin, Michigan State’s Justin Layne, Notre Dame’s Julian Love, Central Michigan’s Sean Bunting, and several others up for grabs.

There were plenty of CB holes to be filled heading into the first round, but general uncertainty about this year’s crop may have stalled things, Browns GM John Dorsey says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter):

“If you talk to a lot of people around the league, if you talked about the cornerbacks and how they had the cornerbacks rated, I bet you would have 20 different stackings at the cornerback position this year.”

Latest On Cardinals, Josh Rosen

April 26th, 2019 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

Josh Rosen is most definitely available after the Cardinals used their No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Kyler Murray. Rosen, meanwhile, appears to be fed up with the Cardinals. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, Rosen unfollowed the Cardinals on Instagram after last night’s draft.

Rosen, presumably, wants out of Arizona, but this saga could drag on for a while. The Giants, Dolphins, and Chargers previously discussed Rosen with Cardinals GM Steve Keim, but the Giants are presumably out of the hunt after selecting Duke QB Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick. The same goes for the Redskins after they landed Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, but head coach Jay Gruden says the team wasn’t interested in Rosen anyway (Twitter link via Dianna Russini of ESPN.com).

Meanwhile, Keim didn’t start taking calls and texts on Rosen trade until minutes before the draft started, sources tell Robert Klemko of The MMQB (on Twitter). Keim’s apparent effort to keep the Murray pick under wraps may have hurt him – multiple potential suitors found young QBs of their own and no one came close to offering the first-round pick the Cardinals wanted.

49ers Won’t Trade K Robbie Gould

April 26th, 2019 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Robbie Gould won’t get his wish. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the organization won’t trade the veteran kicker (Twitter link). We learned earlier this week that the 36-year-old had requested a trade.

Gould was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason with the understanding that the two sides would eventually agree to an extension. However, a new deal still hasn’t materialized, much to the dismay of the kicker.

“The bottom line is, I’m unsure if I want to play there anymore,” Gould said. “At this point, I have to do what’s best for me and my family back home.”

The recent reports indicated that Gould will refuse to sign a long-term pact with the 49ers. Meanwhile, the player’s agent said that if the kicker reports at all, it will not be before the Niners’ Sept. 8 regular season opener. Earlier this week, GM John Lynch said he fully expects Gould to be with the 49ers in 2019, and he reiterated that he wants to sign Gould to a multiyear deal

Following an 11-year stint with the Bears (and a one-year cameo with the Giants), Gould inked a two-year pact with the Niners in 2017. Recently, Gould grew tired of the protracted contract negotiations and indicated that he wanted to be closer to home with his family in Chicago.

Dolphins, Cardinals Discussing Rosen Trade

April 26th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier this week that the Dolphins had spent more time researching Josh Rosen than any other team in the NFL. So this morning’s news shouldn’t be all that surprising; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins and Cardinals continue to discuss a trade for the quarterback. The reporter cautions that nothing is imminent, noting that Arizona isn’t looking to give away last year’s 1oth-overall pick.

Rosen is on the block after the Cardinals used last night’s first-overall pick on quarterback Kyler Murray. After moving on from Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins inked veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their QB in March. Of course, the veteran isn’t a long-term solution at the position, so it’s only natural that Miami would be intrigued by Rosen.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that a trade is a foregone conclusion. The Dolphins could eye a signal-caller during today’s portion of the draft, with Missouri’s Drew Lock being among the best players remaining. They could alternatively hold out and hope that one of next year’s top prospects (a grouping that should be headlined by Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) fall into their lap.

If the Dolphins are indeed focused on acquiring Rosen, it sounds like their competition is dwindling. As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com points out, the Cardinals seemingly lost a pair of Allen suitors last night after the Giants selected Daniel Jones (No. 6) and Washington took Dwayne Haskins (No. 15).

As Gantt writes, teams like the Chargers and Patriots could be matches, but these organizations obviously already have starting quarterbacks. The writer opines that the Cardinals’ best option may be to wait for an injury to occur during training camp.

Chiefs Ban Tyreek Hill Indefinitely

April 26th, 2019 at 8:31am CST by Ben Levine

Last night, audio was released in which Tyreek Hill‘s fiancée accused him of abusing their son. It didn’t take the Chiefs very long to react, as ESPN’s Adam Teicher writes that the receiver has been banned indefinitely from all team activities until the organization learns more about the recording.

“We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation],” said general manager Brett Veach. “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.”

The star receiver was previously being investigated for an alleged battery of a minor. The initial police report indicated that a juvenile was a victim of an assault perpetrated by Hill. In the recording, Hill and his fiancée, Crystal Espinal, can be heard describing how the player punched and used a belt on their three-year-old son. The recording was released hours after the Johnson County District Attorney’s announced that they had declined to file charges.

According to Teicher, the Chiefs organization learned about the existence of the recording in “real time.” Veach subsequently contacted Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to tell him that the receiver wouldn’t be allowed to work out with the team.

“We are going to continue to gather information and we will make the right decision,” Veach said.

According to TMZ.com, the Overland Park Police Department confirmed that police were sent to Hill’s residence following the release of the video. Cops were only at the home for around 20 minutes, and no arrests were made.

Rams Trade No. 31 To Falcons

April 25th, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams have traded the No. 31 pick to the Falcons. Los Angeles will get picks No. 45 and No. 79, while Atlanta will receive No. 31 and No. 203.

Atlanta will select Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary. For the second time in the first round, the Falcons will use a first-round pick on a position that they’d already fortified in free agency. Atlanta signed guards Jamon Brown and James Carpenter but used their initial first-round pick on fellow interior lineman Chris Lindstrom. After extending right tackle Ty Sambrailo, the Falcons will now add competition in McGary.

Seahawks Trade No. 30 To Giants

April 25th, 2019 at 10:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks have made their second trade of the night. The team is sending the No. 30 pick to the Giants, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). In exchange, Seattle will receive No. 37, No. 132, and No. 142 (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).

So, if you’re counting at home, that means the Seahawks turned the 21st pick into five separate selections. Seattle previously dealt No. 21 to the Packers for No. 30, No. 114, and No. 118.

The Giants have used the pick on Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker. The 2018 Jim Thorpe Award winner was generally regarded as the top cornerback in the class. The 5-foot-11 defensive back had a standout 2018 season with the Bulldogs, compiling 40 tackles, two sacks, nine passes defended, and two picks.

The Giants have added already added a pair of defensive backs this offseason. They acquired safety Jabrill Peppers in the Odell Beckham trade, and they also signed veteran safety Antoine Bethea. Baker will likely slide into one of the starting cornerback spots across from Janoris Jenkins.

This pick marks the Giants’ third selection of the night. The team selected quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth pick, and they later added defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence with the 17th pick.

Colts Trade No. 26 To Redskins

April 25th, 2019 at 10:09pm CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins now have another selection in the first round. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Washington has acquired pick No. 26 from the Colts. The Redskins will send No. 46 and a 2020 second-rounder to Indy, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

The Redskins have used their new selection on Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat. There were conflicting reports about the lineman’s draft stock following news about an apparent heart condition. There were rumblings that some teams removed Sweat entirely from their draft board, with some teams’ doctors noting that there isn’t an example of a player dealing with this issue in the current NFL. However, we learned yesterday that teams now believe that Sweat’s heart condition was misdiagnosed at the combine, further complicating his draft stock.

Either way, Sweat is clearly one of the most talented edge defenders in the draft. His unique combination of size and speed make him a menace on the outside, and he should continue to develop as a running-game disruptor. Despite the heart condition, Sweat managed to appear in 26 games over his final two seasons with the Bulldogs, compiling 22.5 sacks over that span. His known visits were with the Texans, Bengals, 49ers, Bills, Raiders, Packers and Buccaneers.

The Redskins have invested plenty of draft capital into their defensive line in recent years, as they selected defensive end Jonathan Allen in 2017 and defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne in 2018. Sweat should join the two players to form a formidable front-three.

The Redskins made headlines earlier tonight when they selected Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the No. 15 pick.

Eagles Acquire No. 22 Pick From Ravens

April 25th, 2019 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles have acquired the No. 22 pick from the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Baltimore will pick up No. 25, No. 127, and No. 197, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.

Philadelphia will use the selection to draft Washington State Andre Dillard. Given that the offensive-line needy Texans were sitting at No. 23, the Eagles made the move up the board to find a left tackle of the future.

Dillard, whom many observers ranked as the best pass-blocking tackle in the draft, will now become the long-term replacement for blinside protector Jason Peters. Until Peters hangs up his cleats, Dillard will slide in either as a swing tackle or guard.