2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

Jeff Fisher Talked To XFL?

April 19th, 2019 at 10:53am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Buckle up everybody, Jeff Fisher could be back on a sideline soon. A mini Twitter controversy erupted when Fisher himself chimed in to refute a report that he says jumped the gun. It all started when Jason La Canfora tweeted he was “hearing Jeff Fisher is in line to coach Houston of the XFL.”

Fisher then responded with a tweet of his own, saying “false news that I am headed to XFL Houston. Maybe get better sources?” La Canfora stood by his reporting, saying in a second tweet that Fisher “absolutely talked to XFL about the Houston opening, he remains their top choice for that job and the job is still vacant.”

Fisher had previously been consulting for the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, so he clearly is open to the idea of working with an alternative pro league. Fisher has been the butt of many jokes from NFL fans, and has struggled to get back into the league since the Rams fired him toward the end of the 2016 season. Recently, Fisher indicated he would only come back to be a head coach and wasn’t interested in being a coordinator.

At 173-165-1 for his career, Fisher has the 12th-most wins in NFL history. That being said, Fisher hasn’t taken a team to the playoffs since the 2008 season when he was with the Titans. He’s also explored broadcasting opportunities the past couple of seasons, and was rumored to be joining FOX last July. Fisher specifically said “XFL Houston” in his tweet, so it’s possible he’s hinting that he could be joining the XFL in a different city.

In other XFL news, the league has hired Jonathan Hayes to coach its St. Louis franchise, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. The St. Louis team will play in the same stadium the Rams used to play in, so Hayes will be coaching in Fisher’s old stomping grounds. Hayes spent the past 16 seasons on Marvin Lewis’ staff coaching the tight ends with the Bengals, but was swept out when Lewis was fired after this past season.

Falcons Sign DT Ra’Shede Hageman

April 19th, 2019 at 9:39am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ra’Shede Hageman is back in the NFL, and right back where it all started. Hageman is signing with the Falcons, the team that drafted him in the second round back in 2014, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP TV (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Hageman met with the Falcons last week, so we knew they were interested in a reunion. He’s been out of the league for a couple of years now but drew some legit interest, as the Vikings apparently kicked the tires. Hageman was the 37th overall pick of the 2014 draft, and his career got off to a decent start. But following a domestic violence incident, Hageman was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in September of 2017 and released not long after.

He was ultimately suspended by the league for six games. He spent the entire 2017 season out of football, and drew interest from the Patriots and Seahawks last offseason but didn’t sign. He was then arrested for a DWI last June. At the time we heard of the Vikings’ interest, the former Minnesota Gopher talked about the need to prove he’d changed off the field.

“It’s been one heck of a two years sitting out and just watching my fellow teammates play, but it’s definitely a learning experience,” Hageman said. “The whole process is just getting back in everybody’s ear (with NFL teams) about me staying out of trouble. You can’t beat around the bush. They obviously want to see consistency with me. I’m letting everybody know that my past is my past.”

Hageman was hit with a two-game suspension for his DWI arrest, so he won’t be eligible to play for the first two games of the 2019 season. He appeared in 44 games with 16 starts during his three years in Atlanta.

Complete 2019 NFL International Pathway Program

April 19th, 2019 at 9:11am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Moritz Boehringer is back in the NFL. The German tight end, who became the first European player ever to be drafted without playing American college football back in 2016, has been allocated to the Bengals as part of the league’s international pathway program, per Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com.

Boehringer’s assignment to the Bengals completes this year’s program. Each season, teams in two divisions get a roster exemption to develop a player from another country. The player can be the 91st man on offseason rosters, and can be an 11th player on practice squads during the regular season. Boehringer was drafted by the Vikings, but spent his rookie season on the practice squad without ever appearing in a game. He came into the league as a receiver, but has since transitioned to tight end. He was with the Bengals as part of this program last year, and will be back in Cincy in 2019.

Here’s a list of the rest of the players selected to participate:

Baltimore Ravens

FB Christopher Ezeala

Buffalo Bills

RB Christian Wade

Cleveland Browns

DB Tigie Sankoh

Miami Dolphins

DT Durval Neto

New England Patriots

TE/FB Jakob Johnson

New York Jets

RB/WR/KR Valentine Holmes

Pittsburgh Steelers

TE Christian Scotland-Williamson

The AFC North participated last year, but this year the AFC East is taking the place of the NFC South. Notably, Efe Obada was a participant in the program with the Panthers last year, and he went on to make Carolina’s 53-man roster last season. He was re-signed this offseason.

Each of the players assigned to the AFC North were with those teams last year. Scotland-Williamson is a former rugby player, while Boehringer, Sankoh, and Ezeala all played American football overseas before making the leap.

All of the AFC East players are new to the program. Given the Patriots’ track record of finding hidden gems, Johnson will likely end up leading the league in receiving yards at some point. Johnson was signed from the German football league. Neto was playing football in Brazil before being added to the Dolphins. Wade and Holmes are both former prominent rugby players.

2020 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker

April 18th, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Teams across the NFL have until May 3 to officially pick up their 2020 options on players who are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. These fifth-year options can only be exercised on first-round picks, and the salaries are determined by where players were drafted and what position they play.

If a player has his option exercised, his rookie contract will be extended by one year and he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2021, after the conclusion of the 2020 season. If a player’s option is declined, he’ll be eligible to hit the open market a year earlier. Of course, if a 2016 first-rounder is no longer on his rookie contract, there will be no option to exercise or decline. We explained the intricacies of the fifth-year option in a PFR Glossary post, so you can read up on the specific details there.

Soon, we’ll learn the official salary figures for all 2020 fifth-year options. What we do know is that the option salaries for top 10 picks is equal to the transition tender at the player’s position during his fourth season. So, because the transition tag for quarterbacks this year was $22.783MM, we already know that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz‘s fifth-year option will be worth that amount.

With next month’s deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league based on various reports and official announcements. Here are this season’s fifth-year option decisions so far:

Jared Goff, QB, $22.783MM (Rams): Exercised
Carson Wentz, QB, $22.783MM (Eagles): Exercised
Joey Bosa, DE, $14.360MM (Chargers): Exercised
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, $9.099MM (Cowboys): Exercised
Jalen Ramsey, CB, $13.703MM (Jaguars): Exercised
Ronnie Stanley, T, $12.866MM (Ravens): Exercised
DeForest Buckner, DT, $12.378MM (49ers): Exercised
Jack Conklin, T, $12.866MM (Titans): Declined
Leonard Floyd, LB, $13.222MM (Bears): Exercised
Eli Apple, CB, $13.703MM (Saints): Declined
Vernon Hargreaves, CB, $9.954MM (Buccaneers): Exercised
Sheldon Rankins, DT, $7.690MM (Saints): Exercised
Laremy Tunsil, T, $10.350MM (Dolphins): Exercised
Karl Joseph, S, $6.466MM (Raiders): Declined
Corey Coleman, WR, $10.162MM (Giants): Not applicable due to release
Taylor Decker, T, $10.350MM (Lions): Exercised
Keanu Neal, S, $6.466MM (Falcons): Exercised
Ryan Kelly, C, $10.350MM (Colts): Exercised
Shaq Lawson, DE, $9.451MM (Bills): Declined
Darron Lee, LB, $9.501MM (Jets): Declined
Will Fuller, WR, $10.162MM (Texans): Exercised
Josh Doctson, WR, $10.162MM (Redskins): Declined
Laquon Treadwell, WR, $10.162MM (Vikings): Declined
William Jackson, CB, $9.954MM (Bengals): Exercised
Artie Burns, CB, $9.954MM (Steelers): Declined
Paxton Lynch, QB, $15.693MM (Seahawks): Not applicable due to release
Kenny Clark, DT, $7.690MM (Packers): Exercised
Joshua Garnett, G, $10.350MM (49ers): Declined
Patriots forfeited pick as result of Deflategate scandal
Robert Nkemdiche, DT, $7.690MM (Cardinals): Declined
Vernon Butler, DT, $7.690MM (Panthers): Declined
Germain Ifedi, T, $10.350MM (Seahawks): Declined

Broncos Worked Out Ex-Packers CB Quinten Rollins

April 18th, 2019 at 9:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Packers second-round corner Quinten Rollins took part in the Broncos’ minicamp on a tryout basis, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Also in attendance were defensive linemen Mike Purcell and Marcus Hardison, offensive linemen Jake Brendel and Jake Rodgers, and cornerback Trey Johnson. Brendel and Johnson were signed following the audition.

Green Bay used the 62nd overall selection on Rollins in the 2015 draft, but the Miami (OH) product struggled over three seasons and 33 games with the club. A torn Achilles ended his 2017 campaign prematurely, and he was waived during final cutdowns the following September. Rollins hit the workout circuit and eventually latched on with the Cardinals’ practice squad, but was cut loose in December.

Rollins clearly hasn’t posted NFL-caliber performances thus far in his career. In 2016, the only year in which he saw enough snaps to qualify, Football Outsiders ranked Rollins dead last among 84 corners in success rate and second-to-last in yards allowed per pass. In Denver, Rollins would be working with an experienced defensive staff that includes Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell, but also facing an uphill climb on a cornerback depth chart that already includes Chris Harris, Kareem Jackson, and Bryce Callahan.

Before he was released by the Packers, Green Bay coaches expressed an interest in playing Rollins at safety, something he was open to even before entering the NFL. But the Broncos have depth at safety, as well, with Will Parks, Justin Simmons, and Su’a Cravens all on the club’s depth chart.

West Notes: Seahawks, Chiefs, Broncos

April 18th, 2019 at 8:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Seahawks general manager John Schneider indicated Russell Wilson‘s four-year, $140MM extension won’t impact the status of franchise-tagged defensive end Frank Clark, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Seattle had already accounted for a new Wilson deal when it decided to tag Clark at a one-year rate of $17.128MM. Schneider also admitted the Seahawks haven’t made a decision on offensive tackle Germain Ifedi‘s fifth-year option for 2020, and singled out linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive tackle Jarran Reed as extension candidates (Twitter links via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com and Condotta).

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

Wilson received an NFL-record $65MM signing bonus as part of his new Seahawks contract, but he won’t actually collect all that money immediately. He’ll earn $30MM of the bonus this year with the rest deferred until 2020, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), who notes this mechanism is common in most quarterback deals. The deferral won’t affect Wilson’s cap charges, as the $65MM will still be prorated over the next five seasons. Corry adds Wilson received better cash flows on his current extension than on his previous four-year, $87.6MM pact.
Authorities have recently removed Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill‘s three-year-old son from Hill and his fiancee’s custody, according to Laura Bauer, Brooke Pryor, and Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star. Hill is under investigation for a pair of incidents involving child abuse, but still showed up for workouts earlier this week. The NFL is expected to allow the investigation to unfold before considering discipline for Hill.
Broncos free agent signee Kareem Jackson played safety at Denver’s minicamp this week, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Jackson, who can also play corner, spent time at both positions for the Texans in 2018 before inking a three-year, $33MM deal with the Broncos in March. “[T]here’s more to learn at safety than there is at corner,” said Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. “He’s played much more corner in his career, so I wanted him to get more work in this camp – all of his work – at the safety position, to feel comfortable there.”

South Rumors: Texans, Falcons, Saints

April 18th, 2019 at 7:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have received positive health news on two offensive players, as both receiver Will Fuller and left tackle Matt Kalil are expected to be ready for the regular season after sustaining injuries in 2018, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links). Fuller averaged a career-high 15.7 yards per reception in seven games before suffering a torn ACL, but he’s now recovering nicely. Kalil, who inked a one-year deal with Houston after being released by Carolina, missed all of last year while dealing with a knee issue, but general manager Brian Gaine says Kalil is expected to compete with Julien Davenport to start on Deshaun Watson‘s blindside.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:

Alabama State offensive tackle Tytus Howard is a second-round target of the Falcons, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.net. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com lauds Howard’s size (6’2′”, 322) and ability to “explode out of his stance,” but notes potential concerns about Howard’s level of competition in the FCS. Atlanta owns the 45th pick, so Howard could certainly be available when the Falcons make their second-round selection. Although Atlanta recently extended incumbent right tackle Ty Sambrailo, his new contract is essentially a one-year deal with multiple team options. Howard has also met with the Jets during the pre-draft process.
Defensive tackle Tyeler Davison‘s one-year deal with the Falcons will qualify as a minimum salary benefit contract, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Davison will collect an $895K base salary ($110K guaranteed) and a $90K signing bonus, but he’ll only carry the salary cap charge of a second-year veteran plus his signing bonus — a total of $660K. A fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Davison started 48 games over the past four seasons in New Orleans, and will now give Atlanta a run-stuffing option alongside fellow defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Saints cornerback Ken Crawley is planning to sign his original round restricted free agent tender when New Orleans begins its offseason program on Monday, as Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes. As of yet, Crawley has not received any interest from any rival clubs, and isn’t expected to until Friday’s deadline for RFAs to sign offer sheets. Crawley is now scheduled to earn $2.025MM for the 2019 campaign, but none of that total is guaranteed, an important distinction given that Crawley isn’t a lock to make the Saints’ roster after finishing as a bottom-three cornerback last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Latest On Free Agent OL Mike Remmers

April 18th, 2019 at 7:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent offensive lineman Mike Remmers underwent minor back surgery earlier this offseason, according to his agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link), who adds Remmers has continued to speak with clubs and expects to sign a new contract after the draft.

It’s no surprise that Remmers will have to wait until the draft is concluded to find a landing spot, as clubs are likely holding off on signing any more veterans until they see what prospects they can land next weekend. Additionally, players signed after May 7 (the second Tuesday after the draft) don’t count against the NFL’s compensatory pick calculations, although that rule won’t affect Remmers given that he was released and is therefore not considered a true unrestricted free agent.

After being cut by the Vikings earlier this year, Remmers took a visit with the Giants. To date, New York is the only club known to have expressed interest in the veteran offensive lineman. The Giants added right guard Kevin Zeitler via trade this offseason, so Remmers would likely compete with Chad Wheeler for playing time as New York’s right tackle.

Remmers, who turned 30 years old last week, appeared in all 16 games for the Vikings last season and played nearly every offensive snap. Pro Football Focus graded Remmers as roughly league-average, ranking him as the NFL’s No. 48 guard among 78 qualifiers.

North Notes: Packers, Steelers, Vikings

April 18th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers will bring back veteran tight ends Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis in 2019, but that given that both players are over the age of 30, tight end must be a priority for Green Bay in next weekend’s draft, opines Jim Owczarski of PackersNews.com. Given that they own 10 picks and possess the fourth-most draft capital, the Packers will certainly have an opportunity to find a youthful tight end. With the 12th overall selection, Green Bay could theoretically target Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, while fellow Hawkeye Noah Fant or Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. could be in play with pick No. 30. The 2019 draft class is exceptionally deep at tight end, so the Packers should have plenty of chances to add to the position throughout the weekend.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

Speaking of the Packers‘ draft, Green Bay recently hosted Ole Miss offensive tackle Greg Little, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Not to be confused with the former Browns receiver of the same name, this Little is anything but at 6’6″, 325 pounds. Viewed as a potential Day 2 selection, Little could help reinforce a Packers offensive line that took a step back in 2018. While left tackle should be manned by David Bakhtiari for the foreseeable future, right tackle Bryan Bulaga is entering the final year of his contract.
While other quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have recently campaign for new deals, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has not taken the same tack, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Roethlisberger, 37, is entering the final year of his contract: he’s due a $12MM base salary and will count for $23.2MM on Pittsburgh’s salary cap. He’s still engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Steelers, and as Florio notes, Roethlisberger would be due more than $60MM over the next two years if the franchise tag was deployed, so that could be a starting point in talks.
Free agent defensive end Geneo Grissom worked out for the Lions today, reports Howard Balzer (Twitter link). A former third-round pick of the Patriots, Grissom should be familiar with current Detroit head coach/former New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia‘s scheme. Grissom, 26, never lived up to his draft billing and played in fewer than 200 defensive snaps for the Patriots before being cut last November.
New Vikings backup quarterback Sean Mannion‘s one-year deal is a minimum salary benefit pact, tweets Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune. As such, Mannion will only carry the salary cap charge of a second-year player despite having four years of NFL experience under his belt. The former Rams signal-caller received a $90K signing bonus to become Kirk Cousins‘ understudy.

Titans Meet With DT Damion Square

April 18th, 2019 at 5:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans recently hosted free agent defensive tackle Damion Square, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Square, 30, has spent most of the past five seasons with the Chargers, appearing in 49 games with the club since 2014. An undrafted free agent who began his pro tenure with stints in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Square set a career-high in starts (11), tackles (31), and sacks (three) in 2018. A better run-stuffer than a pass-rusher, Square played on roughly half of Los Angeles’ snaps a year ago but graded as a bottom-three interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Tennessee is currently projected to start Jurrell Casey, DaQuan Jones, and Austin Johnson along its three-man front, so Square — if signed — would offer depth. Square’s last deal with the Chargers was a two-year, $4MM pact, and it’s difficult to imagine he could wrangle much more from the Titans this time around.