HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Redskins Exploring Move Into Top 5

April 24th, 2019 at 1:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have explored moving into the Top 5 of the NFL Draft, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). As it stands, the Redskins are set to pick at No. 15 overall, but they could vault up the board between now and Thursday night. 

It’s not immediately clear who the Redskins are targeting, but such a move could put them in range for quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock. It’s also not clear who the Redskins are talking to, though the Jets at No. 3 would make sense given their well-known desire to move down and add draft picks.

If the Redskins are able to get into the Top 5, they’ll sneak ahead of the Giants at No. 6, which would eliminate one of their biggest competitors at QB. Of course, moving up that far will cost the Redskins and history indicates that they may have to part with a future first-round pick to get a deal done. They can also deal from this year’s Round 2 and 3 picks at No. 46, No. 76, and No. 96 overall.

For now, the Redskins are set to go into 2019 with Case Keenum as their QB. Alex Smith, of course, is sidelined after his gruesome leg injury from last year and Colt McCoy is also working his way back from a broken leg of his own.

Whatever the Redskins do from here, it sounds like a Josh Rosen trade won’t be a part of their plans.

Eagles Willing To Trade Nelson Agholor?

April 24th, 2019 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Teams believe that Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor could be available via trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Agholor, a versatile weapon, carries a $9.4MM fully guaranteed price tag and could be moved if the Eagles draft a receiver early in this week’s draft. 

This is a change in thinking from where the Eagles were just six weeks ago. Even after the Eagles acquired DeSean Jackson and gave him a lucrative three-year extension, the belief was that Agholor would remain with the club. Now, the Eagles seem to be a bit more future-minded at the WR position and they could use this opportunity to get younger while cutting down on costs.

The former USC pass-catcher has been a key component of the past two Eagle passing attacks. Even with the midseason arrival of Golden Tate, Agholor still managed a career-high 64 receptions for 736 yards and four touchdowns.

Bengals Pick Up William Jackson’s Option

April 24th, 2019 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have exercised their fifth-year option on cornerback William Jackson, according to a team announcement. The additional year keeps him under control through 2020, though it is guaranteed for injury only. 

Chosen with the No. 24 overall pick in 2016, Jackson missed his entire rookie year due to injury. In his re-do year, he mostly served as a backup. However, he started in all 16 of the Bengals’ games last year and tallied 41 tackles. For his work, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 26th best cornerback in the entire NFL, despite the fact that he did not record a single interception.

Jackson is just the latest 2016 first-round pick to have his fifth-year option exercised. To keep track of every decision, check out PFR’s running list, which will be updated between now and the May 3 deadline.

Redskins Not Interested In Josh Rosen?

April 24th, 2019 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

Previously, we heard that the Redskins have cooled on Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. Now, it sounds like they could be out of the chase entirely. The Redskins do not have any plans to trade with the Cards, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Somehow, the market for last year’s No. 10 overall pick seems rather soft, even though there are several teams in need of a promising young quarterback. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than anyone else, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would be willing to fork over a first or even second-round pick for the UCLA product.

The Cardinals could be hours away from selecting Kyler Murray as their quarterback of the future, but they haven’t been active in trade talks on Rosen recently. That could support word that the Cardinals are comfortable with keeping Rosen on the roster until they get the right offer, even if Murray is the pick. It could also be an indication that the Cardinals are ready to take a defender with the No. 1 choice, though that would be a shock to many.

The Chargers and Giants have also checked in on Rosen, though the G-Men have the draft ammo necessary to get a rookie QB of their own. That could leave the Chargers – who pick at No. 28 overall – as the more likely landing spot for Rosen.

Giants Restructure Kevin Zeitler’s Contract

April 24th, 2019 at 11:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have restructured the contract of guard Kevin Zeitler, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The revised contract should give the Giants some much needed flexibility with the anticipated signing of two first-round picks on the horizon. 

The tweaked contract will convert $7.5MM of Zeitler’s $10MM salary for 2019 into a signing bonus. By doing that, the G-Men have freed up $5MM in cap room for the upcoming season.

Beyond that, Zeitler is signed through 2021 with non-guaranteed salaries of $10MM and $12MM. But, by easing the blow in 2019, his cap hits will go up $2.5MM in each of those seasons. That’s a bridge the Giants can potentially cross next offseason, if they are still in need of wiggle room.

The Giants acquired Zeitler via trade with the Browns in a swap that sent Olivier Vernon to Cleveland. Later, that trade was merged with the Odell Beckham Jr. blockbuster, resulting in the following mega-trade:

Browns acquire:

Giants acquire:

In Zeitler, the Giants added one of the league’s best interior linemen. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 ranked guard last season and should provide a huge boost to the club’s front five.

Latest On Broncos, Chris Harris

April 24th, 2019 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

Chris Harris wants a new contract from the Broncos that will pay him more than $15MM/year or a trade to a club that will give him the deal he desires. Right now, it sounds like the latter scenario is more likely. The Broncos are unwilling to meet his demands, Mike Klis of 9News hears. 

Harris is entering the final year of a five-year extension he signed in December 2014. The deal has him tied for 24th in the league in terms of average annual value. Meanwhile, he’s among the very best at his position.

Harris felt slighted by the Broncos’ decision to ink free agent Kareem Jackson to a three-year deal worth $11MM per year before addressing his own contract, Klis hears. Jackson, 31, is one year older than Harris and has not played anywhere near Harris’ level, so his frustration is understandable.

The Broncos, ideally, would love to keep Harris, but they’re a bit limited with just $11.7MM in cap space. In the past, the Broncos have made small concessions to keep Harris happy, but that likely won’t get the job done this time. Last year, the club tacked a $3MM incentive package on to Harris’ contract. A similar compromise seems unlikely to work this offseason.

Broncos GM John Elway, meanwhile, says he has bigger fish to fry.

“I don’t have time right now,” Elway said Tuesday when asked about negotiating a fresh deal for the cornerback. “I’m busy with the draft. We’ll talk about Chris. He’s under contract, so we’ll talk about that when the draft is over. When I say this, I said we’re going to talk about it. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.”

Meanwhile, the Broncos have yet to give Harris permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of The Athletic).

Ziggy Ansah Visiting Ravens

April 24th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Ansah could be getting closer to finding his new NFL home for the 2019 season. The Ravens will meet with the free agent defensive end on Wednesday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Ansah, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2013 draft, enjoyed some serious highs and lows with the Lions. Over the course of six seasons, Ansah compiled 48 sacks. However, that stat doesn’t tell the whole story.

Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year before his shoulder took him out of action. However, Ansah has shown serious potential in the past with two 12+ sack seasons. As recently as 2017, Ansah profiled as one of the best edge rushers in the game.

Thanks to the shoulder, Ansah’s plan all along has been to wait until April to sign with a club. He recently had a follow-up appointment to assess his readiness for the upcoming season and now that four months have passed since his operation, he’s apparently on track to play.

Indeed, Ansah saw specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday, and Dr. ElAttrache provided a positive prognosis, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Ansah’s shoulder is structurally sound, and he should be cleared by the middle of August. The key will be getting strength back in the shoulder, and there doesn’t appear to be any reason to think that he won’t be able to do so.

For the Ravens, Ansah could bolster an edge rushing unit that is now without Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith.

Ravens, Justin Tucker Agree To Extension

April 24th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are giving kicker Justin Tucker a four-year, $23.05MM extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will also include an $8MM signing bonus and $12.5MM fully guaranteed in the first two seasons. The mammoth deal sets new records in each of those categories for kickers. 

With the new deal, Tucker goes from uncertainty beyond 2019 to a deal that will keep him tied to Baltimore through the 2023 season. As he looks ahead to his 30th birthday in November, the new contract could secure him for the rest of his playing days. Then again, he’s showing no signs of slowing down, so he could go the Adam Vinatieri route and play well beyond this deal.

Last year, Tucker nailed 89.7% of his field goal tries, including 5 of 7 attempts from 50+ yards. For his career, Tucker owns a 90.1% field goal percentage with a 99.6% success rate on extra points.

Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger Agree To Extension

April 24th, 2019 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger have agreed to a three-year contract extension, according to Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The new pact will keep Big Ben in place through the 2021 season. 

Once finalized, the deal will pay well north of $30MM per year for 2020-21, placing him in the top-three highest paid quarterbacks for those two years, a source tells ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). In total, he gets a $63MM base value on his two new years, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Prior to the new deal, 2019 was set to be the walk year for Big Ben. Now, he has a contract that should take him through the end of his career.

Whether Roethlisberger is a good teammate or not has been a hot topic of late, but his on-field production continues to be top-notch, as he set career-highs in completions (452), pass attempts (675), passing yards (5,129), and touchdowns (34) this past season.

Big Ben started all 16 games last year, the first time he had done that since the 2014 season. The Steelers had a down season as a team and didn’t make the playoffs, but Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards. On the flip side, he also led the league with 16 interceptions.

Advanced metrics lauded Roethlisberger’s work as well, as he finished fourth in Total QBR and eighth in adjusted net yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger ranked fifth in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement level player, and eighth in DVOA, meaning he was effective on a per-play basis. His status in the locker room, whatever it might be, was not a factor in contract talks.

The Steelers, of course, narrowly missed the playoffs in 2018 despite Big Ben’s impressive statistics, and the team is now without Antonio Brown. But Pittsburgh has never had a losing season with Roethlisberger at quarterback, and despite the trade of Brown, the club should once again compete for the AFC North crown.

Roethlisberger was set to carry a cap charge of $23.2MM this season. The extension should lower that figure and give the Steelers a little more breathing room heading into the draft and the later stages of free agency.

Saints Pick Up Sheldon Rankins’ Option

April 24th, 2019 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are picking up defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins‘ fifth-year option, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The money is guaranteed for injury, so, as Rapoport notes, it’s a sign they believe Rankins will make a full recovery from his Achilles injury. 

Rankins, one of the best young defensive linemen in the game, is likely to begin the 2019 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which would force him to miss the first six games of the year. Rankins, 25, played the most snaps of any Saints defensive tackle in 2018, managing 40 tackles (12 for loss), eight sacks, and 15 quarterback hits in the process. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, graded Rankins as the No. 23 interior defender among 119 qualifiers.

With the additional year, Rankins will be under contract through the 2020 season. And, when he takes the field this year, he’ll help anchor a D-Line that has been overhauled by the additions of Malcom Brown and Mario Edwards Jr. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Tyeler Davison and Alex Okafor will not return after signing with the Falcons and Chiefs, respectively.

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