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NFL Draft Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Titans

April 17th, 2019 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest NFL Draft buzz as players take their final visits:

  • Michigan linebacker Devin Bush will visit the Ravens on Wednesday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Baltimore holds the No. 22 overall pick, but they may have to trade up if they want to land him. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is a surefire first-rounder after putting up 85 tackles, 10 sacks, and 18.5 tackles for loss over the past two years.
  • Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown and Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell will take their last pre-draft visits to the Titans on Wednesday, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). Both players could be on the radar for Tennessee’s No. 19 overall selection.
  • Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver will meet with the Bills, Rapoport hears. They’re far from the only team interested in Oliver, however, and the rival Jets are apparently among the clubs keen on him. The Jets would be reaching if they took Oliver at No. 3 overall, but they’ve been vocal about their desire to trade down. Meanwhile, the Bills could conceivably entertain the Houston product at No. 9 overall.

Details On Russell Wilson’s New Deal

April 17th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, the Seahawks agreed to make quarterback Russell Wilson the highest-paid player in NFL history. The historic four-year, $140MM add-on makes Wilson the NFL’s highest-paid player of all time and even gives him a no-trade clause. However, Wilson didn’t necessarily get everything that he initially wanted. 

There was talk that Wilson wanted to set some other precedents with this contract by tying the contract to rises in the salary cap, but the Seahawks held their ground on that front, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times hears. That was no small matter for Wilson and his agent – they fought for the cap tie-in up until the last minute of the Monday deadline, per Condotta.

Ultimately, the two sides reached a compromise that Wilson is surely happy about. His $65MM is the highest signing bonus in NFL history and the deal guarantees him $70MM in the first year of the contract.

Still, Wilson’s bid to tie his contract to the salary cap made sense. When adjusted for cap inflation, his $35MM/year deal ranks only as the fifth-highest of all-time, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter).

Dolphins Notes: Jones, Harris, Draft

April 17th, 2019 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

There’s a breakup waiting to happen between the Dolphins and Reshad Jones, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The safety didn’t show up to voluntary camp on Tuesday, which suggests that the safety isn’t quite invested in the team. That could be because the Dolphins aren’t quite invested in him – the Dolphins may be planning to shop Jones between now and the start of the season.

This isn’t the first bump in the road for Jones and the ‘Fins. In 2016, he skipped a day of mandatory minicamp as he pushed for a new contract. In 2017, he secured a new deal, but he clashed with team brass once again in 2018 when he quit after ten snaps against the Jets.

While we keep an eye on Jones, here’s more from Miami:

  • Defensive end Charles Harris, the club’s first-round pick in 2017, has occasionally “lost himself” and has gotten off track at times, a source tells Salguero. Harris apparently had trouble adjusting to a professional player’s lifestyle as a rookie and, last year, he tried to mimic “the moves and mannerisms” of Robert Quinn. This year, Harris is expected to produce, but the Dolphins aren’t counting on him, which is why they’ll look to add an edge rusher or two in the draft.
  • The Dolphins would like to add a natural 3-4 nose tackle in the draft, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. For now, the Dolphins have 6’3″, 215-pound defensive tackle Davon Godchaux working at nose tackle when Miami plays a 3-4 set.

Extra Points: Clark, Cox, Rivers, Lions, XFL

April 16th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

In extending Russell Wilson, the Seahawks took care of their signature piece of offseason business on Tuesday. But more key contract negotiations loom, with Bobby Wagner entering a contract year and Frank Clark having yet to sign his franchise tender. It appears the trade talk surrounding Clark has not totally died down. This week has produced some chatter around the league about a Clark swap, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets. This comes shortly after a report indicated the Seahawks rebuffed outside interest in Clark at the outset of free agency and would only trade the impact defensive end if they were overwhelmed by an offer. Clark has said he will not report to Seahawks training camp without a long-term deal, so this obviously qualifies as a situation worth monitoring.

Shifting first to another NFC team’s defensive line, here is the latest from around the American football universe:

  • Fletcher Cox confirmed (via Philly.com’s Les Bowen) he underwent an offseason surgery to repair a foot injury sustained during the Eagles‘ divisional-round loss in New Orleans. The procedure appears to have been done several weeks ago, and while Cox is out of a walking boot, the veteran defensive tackle looks set to miss Philadelphia’s offseason program. His goal is to return by training camp. Cox is coming off his best NFL season, which featured a career-high 10.5 sacks and his first appearance on the All-Pro first team.
  • Also in the NFC East: Ezekiel Elliott did show up for the first day of the Cowboys‘ offseason program, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. So far, so good on the prospects of the Cowboys avoiding a contract-related holdout with their star running back. An Elliott holdout has been rumored, but for now, the fourth-year back is working out with his teammates.
  • Conversely, Philip Rivers did not show up for Day 1 of the Chargers‘ offseason work, Eric Williams of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). The 16th-year quarterback is entering a contract year, but the Bolts view him as an obvious extension candidate. Though, it is not certain if re-up talks have begun. Nevertheless, this does not appear to be a contentious situation.
  • As the deadline for teams to wrap up pre-draft visits approaches, the Lions squeezed in a meeting with Clelin Ferrell, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes (via Twitter). Detroit’s biggest offseason investment went toward its defensive end corps, in Trey Flowers‘ deal, but the Lions have met with other edge prospects as well. Both Brian Burns and L.J. Collier visited the Lions this month. Like Burns, Ferrell grades as a first-round-level prospect.
  • Former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will resurface in the XFL. The 67-year-old coach will become HC for the XFL’s New York franchise, Jay Glazer of The Athletic tweets. Gilbride has been a head coach twice in his four-decade coaching career, leading the Chargers for 22 games between the 1997-98 seasons and overseeing the Southern Connecticut State program from 1980-84. Gilbride’s most recent NFL role was a seven-year stint as Giants OC, which ended in 2013.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Bosa, Bills, Dolphins

April 16th, 2019 at 8:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots began their their sixth offseason program as a defending Super Bowl champion team on Monday, but the player most associated with those titles was not with them. Tom Brady was not present when the Patriots opened their 2019 workouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is not a surprise, with the 41-year-old quarterback’s plan of staying away until the Pats’ June minicamp again appearing to be in place. Brady set his schedule this way last year. However, Brady might have made one tweak to his offseason regimen. He may report to the Patriots a bit bigger than he did a year ago, with Rapoport adding the 20th-year veteran might be planning to put on some weight this offseason. Brady’s weight has rarely come up during his legendary run. The well-known fitness buff is listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds.

Here is the latest from the AFC East, moving to some teams’ potential draft strategies:

  • If the Cardinals and 49ers pass on Nick Bosa, the Jets are going to take him, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News offers. If both Bosa and Josh Allen remained on the board at No. 3, Mehta writes the Jets will take the Ohio State product. Although the Jets have been linked to trade-down scenarios, entering the draft without a second-round pick, Bosa would be the kind of impact pass rusher the team may not be able to pass up. The Jets are not believed to have used one of their 30 pre-draft visits on Bosa, but it’s not like a team that tried to spend $15MM per year to convert an off-ball linebacker into a pass rusher would not have interest in a player viewed by many as the best prospect in the draft.
  • In going with Ryan Fitzpatrick and two backups (Jake Rudock and Luke Falk) who have combined to throw five NFL passes, the Dolphins probably have the thinnest quarterback depth chart in football. They plan to augment the group soon, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes. Miami is targeting a quarterback in this draft, but it’s not known if the team wants a first-round passer. The Dolphins have met with Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock and Daniel Jones. However, if the team most linked to a wait-until-2020 strategy regarding a starting quarterback passes on one in this draft, it is “definitely” eyeing one who could be a backup, Salguero adds. So, Miami could be a mid-round player for one of this draft’s second-tier passers.
  • Eli Harold will line up as a defensive end in Buffalo, Bills GM Brandon Beane said (Twitter link). Harold has worked as an outside linebacker in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, doing so in San Francisco and Detroit, while also used on the line at times. The Bills have Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy aligned as their starting ends, with perpetual trade candidate Shaq Lawson residing there as well.

Cowboys Begin Extension Talks With Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper

April 16th, 2019 at 6:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely two weeks ago, the Cowboys had not entered into extension discussions with their quarterback or No. 1 wide receiver. They have now.

Following DeMarcus Lawrence‘s re-up, the Cowboys are in talks with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper. Both players are part of Dallas’ extensive extension equation, which may also involve Ezekiel Elliott, Byron Jones and Jaylon Smith.

“Certainly if there are opportunities there that make sense, then we’ll progress,” Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan (via Pro Football Talk). “I think pretty much everybody’s on it pretty good that there’s some pretty active discussions now with Dak and Amari, but it doesn’t mean that some can’t pick up in short order with other players that we have on our roster that we certainly want to keep here in Dallas and have them remain Cowboys in the future.”

While Elliott, Jones and Smith would certainly qualify as other players on Dallas’ roster that factor into the franchise’s long-term plans, talks beginning with Prescott and Cooper represent a key step this offseason. Both players are entering contract years. Each will likely be a key Cowboys cog into the 2020s.

The Cowboys’ most recent stance on Prescott was a wait-until-Russell Wilson-signs mindset. With Wilson having signed his record $35MM-AAV extension on Tuesday, it would appear time for Dallas to advance in talks with its multidimensional quarterback.

This could be a similar approach to the Lawrence negotiations, with the organization — though obviously high on its three-year starting passer — potentially eyeing a deal that will come in under Seattle’s Wilson pact. Prescott is five years younger than Wilson but obviously has not proven what the Seahawks veteran has, making this a dynamic similar to the Cowboys trying to bridge a gap for Lawrence between the Khalil Mack and Von Miller prices. The Cowboys also have leverage on Prescott, similar to what the Seahawks possessed with Wilson in 2015, with another year of a mid-round rookie salary on tap in 2019.

While reiterating a view Prescott’s next deal cannot put the Cowboys at a financial disadvantage, Jones pointed to Wilson and fellow $33MM-plus-AAV passer Aaron Rodgers having won a Super Bowl. This lends further credence the Cowboys are not planning to make Prescott the new highest-paid NFLer.

“You’re talking about two guys there who, between Rodgers and Russell Wilson, have won Super Bowls that have had success year-in and year-out taking their teams to the playoffs,” Jones said. “So, yeah, those are guys who are going to make those type of (salary) jumps. But I’m not concerned. I think at the end of the day if there’s any position that has to keep an eye out, not only for the themselves, but they have to keep an eye out on their team in terms of how much cap space they take up, these quarterbacks are those guys because, at the end of the day, they’re going to make a lot of money.

“The bigger for them in terms of their career and what they’re all about is how much did they win, how many Super Bowl rings do they have on their fingers, those are all huge deals. And they know if at some point they take up too much cap space at the end of the day, then it can hurt their chances in terms of winning.”

Cooper is entering his fifth-year option season. He is set to make $13.924MM in 2019. The Cowboys have been eyeing an extension for their 2018 trade acquisition since trading for him, so it is not surprising to see him join Prescott early in the team’s 2019 re-up queue.

Bengals Work Out RB Rod Smith

April 16th, 2019 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of Ezekiel Elliott‘s backups the past two seasons, Rod Smith received an opportunity to potentially catch on elsewhere.

The Bengals worked out Smith recently, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This is the first Smith-related news of the offseason.

A former Seahawks UDFA whom the Cowboys relied upon during Elliott’s 2017 suspension, Smith totaled 434 yards and five touchdowns from scrimmage during his first year as a Cowboys contributor. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry that season. However, Smith — older brother of Dallas linebacker Jaylon Smith — posted just a 2.9-yard average on 44 2018 carries.

Cincinnati has not added to its backfield this offseason, but the team is fairly well-stocked with Giovani Bernard backing up Joe Mixon. Though, little depth exists behind the Bengals’ top duo. 2018 UDFA Quinton Flowers resides as the only other running back on Cincinnati’s roster.

Bills Host T.J. Yeldon On Visit

April 16th, 2019 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Yeldon spent Tuesday touring another AFC East team’s facility. After meeting with the Patriots last week, the former Jaguars running back is visiting with the Bills, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Bills have two All-Decade team-caliber backs in LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore, but both are north of 30. Entering what would be his fifth season, Yeldon would obviously represent fresher legs.

Jacksonville, however, diminished Yeldon’s role as his time in north Florida progressed. After a 182-carry rookie season, the one-time second-round pick ended his Jaguars stay as the team’s third-string running back — behind Leonard Fournette and Carlos Hyde. Yeldon has averaged north of 5.0 yards per carry, however, doing so as recently as 2017. He averaged 4.0 yards per handoff last season.

The 25-year-old runner was the Jags’ top pass-catching back for a while, however, and he hauled in a career-high 55 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns last year. McCoy is obviously one of the best receiving backs of this era, but he is going into his 11th season. Only two Bills — wideouts Robert Foster and Zay Jones — surpassed Yeldon’s receiving-yardage total last season.

In Year 3 of the Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott partnership, the Bills have used free agency revamped their offense considerably. John Brown and Cole Beasley are in place at wide receiver, with Tyler Kroft now at tight end. Several new linemen are now on the roster as well. Yeldon would be a similar step for a Bills team that has changed up most of its McCoy supporting cast.

Patriots To Sign Demaryius Thomas

April 16th, 2019 at 3:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are signing longtime Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the Broncos head coach when the team drafted Thomas in the first round in 2010, and there’s a belief in New England that Thomas can turn back the clock.

It’s a one-year deal worth up to $6MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While this is obviously a steep pay cut from Thomas’ previous five-year, $70MM deal, the 31-year-old wideout will have a chance to rebound after a down season — one that ended with his Achilles tear.

The Pats reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Thomas from Denver before he was dealt to Houston last year. Months later, he arrives in New England at a time when they need offensive help following the loss of Rob Gronkowski, Cordarrelle Patterson, Chris Hogan, and the uncertain status of Josh Gordon.

Thomas gives the Patriots another option on their wide receiver depth chart, but he’s certainly not the threat he once was. While splitting time between Denver and Houston in 2018, Thomas posted only 59 receptions for 677 yards, his lowest totals since 2011 (before he was a full-time starter). It’s also worth noting that Thomas tore his Achilles in December and it’s not clear when he’ll be able to return to the field.

It is possible Thomas will be ready for training camp, with NFL.com’s James Palmer tweeting the veteran talent is expected to be back sooner than people anticipate.

Although Thomas was not as productive last season, he will be moving to a system in which he has some experience (albeit many years ago) and with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady. A younger Thomas thrived with Peyton Manning, making the Pro Bowl from 2012-14 and surpassing 1,300 yards during Manning’s less effective final season. Despite being the No. 1 target in Trevor Siemian– and Brock Osweiler-led offenses in 2016-17, Thomas still surpassed 900 yards in each. He made the Pro Bowl in 2016 as well.

It’s worth noting the Patriots ended up cutting ties with several veteran receivers before the start of last season — from Kenny Britt, to Jordan Matthews, to former Thomas wing man Eric Decker — so it cannot be considered a lock the 10th-year veteran will be with the 2019 Pats. But they are in greater need of aerial weaponry this offseason, and Thomas has been a better receiver than the players who were cut last year.

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