HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Bears’ Zach Miller Retires From Football

April 16th, 2019 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, Bears tight end Zach Miller took to social media to announce his retirement from football. Miller recently indicated that the door was still open to playing, but upon further reflection, he has decided to walk away from the game due to health and safety concerns. 

“The time has come to move on from playing the game of football,” Miller wrote on Instagram. “It has been an incredible journey for myself and my entire family and we can’t thank you enough for your continued support. I would love more than anything to step on Soldier Field one last time but I physically cannot give the game and our fans what they deserve.”

Miller, who spent the first three seasons of his career as an afterthought in Jacksonville, did his best work with the Bears between the 2015 and 2017 seasons. In 2016, Miller caught a career-high 47 passes and 486 yards with four touchdowns. In ’17, he was on pace for similar stats with 20 grabs for 236 yards and two TDs before his devastating injury in October.

Last year, doctors told Miller that he was at risk for losing his leg after he severely dislocated his left knee and tore his popliteal artery. Thankfully, after nine surgeries, Miller’s knee is safe. Still, it’s probably for the best that Miller does not play football again.

NFL Draft Rumors: Brown, Samuel, Ford

April 16th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers will host Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown and South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Neither player is in the mix for the Niners at No. 2 overall, but both could be an option further down the line.

Right now, it seems likely that Brown will be a first rounder, making him unlikely to be available when the 49ers pick again at No. 36 overall. Still, crazier things have happened and the Niners could always trade up if they want Brown badly enough. Samuel, meanwhile, seems to be right in range for that pick. After watching Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham head elsewhere this offseason, the Niners are undoubtedly in the hunt for receiver help in the draft.

Here’s the latest draft buzz:

  • Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford will meet with the Panthers on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. This marks Ford’s ninth and final visit, and five of those teams pick between No. 11 and 20. With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder whether Ford will be available for Carolina at No. 16 overall.
  • Washington safety Taylor Rapp – widely pegged as a late-first round or second round prospect, will also visit the Panthers on Tuesday, according to Rapoport. Rapp also recently met with the Seahawks.
  • West Virginia quarterback Will Grier and Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell are visiting the Redskins, Rapoport tweets. Grier figures to be available in the middle rounds, but the Redskins will probably have to pounce in the second round if they want Campbell.

Seahawks Meet With Allen Bailey

April 16th, 2019 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs free agent defensive end Allen Bailey will visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bailey previously visited the Patriots and Panthers, but remains unsigned. 

[RELATED: Seahawks, Russell Wilson Agree To Extension]

Bailey, 30, has spent his entire career to date with the Chiefs. Last year, the 2011 third-round pick put up a big season as just the right time – his six sacks, 38 tackles, and two forced fumbles put him on the radar for multiple contenders this offseason. But, for what it’s worth, Bailey ranked as just the No. 91 interior defender among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks mostly use a 4-3 scheme, but as head coach Pete Carroll likes to say, they do so with 3-4 personnel. That would work for Bailey, who could offer support at defensive end while also contributing on the interior alongside Jarran Reed. Reed, who broke out with a career-best 10.5 sacks last season, should be bookended by Quinton Jefferson and Frank Clark next season, provided that Clark is not traded in the coming weeks.

Latest On Cowboys’ Travis Frederick

April 16th, 2019 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

Travis Frederick was on hand for the start of the Cowboys’ offseason program this week, a major step forward for the All-Pro center. Frederick missed the entire 2018 season as he battled Guillain-Barré Syndrome, but he appears to be on track to play in 2019. 

[RELATED: Cowboys OT La’el Collins Underwent Surgery]

“It’s just great to have him working out again. Last year, I think it was well-documented, he did a great job of being kind of another coach,” said teammate Zack Martin. “But to see him back out there working out, you can definitely see a little bounce in his step.”

The voluntary April program focuses on conditioning, which should give the 28-year-old an opportunity to get back into shape. Then, in May, he’ll partake in on-field work during OTAs.

Before the illness, Frederick started 80 straight games for the Cowboys. He had another productive season in 2017, as Pro Football Focus ranked him third among eligible centers. Should he suffer another setback, the Cowboys could once again call on Joe Looney, who is set to earn a base salary of just $1MM in 2019.

Titans To Meet With DE Brent Urban

April 16th, 2019 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

Ravens free agent defensive lineman Brent Urban will visit the Titans on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Urban missed the bulk of the 2017 season thanks to a Lisfranc injury, but he bounced back in 2018 and started in all 16 of Baltimore’s games.

Urban’s 0.5 sacks and 27 tackles didn’t jump off the page in 2018, but he did grade out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 49 ranked interior defender thanks to his solid run defense. The incumbent Ravens haven’t closed the door to bringing him back, but we haven’t heard much on that front since Eric DeCosta spoke on the matter late last month.

“Right player, right price,” DeCosta said of Urban. “The market is a fluid process, and we’re going to try and build the best def. we can. I certainly think Brent is a good player. I’m surprised that he hasn’t signed with another team.”

If Urban does not return to Baltimore, he’ll be the fifth defensive starter to leave the club, following safety Eric Weddle and linebackers C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, and Terrell Suggs out the door.

Chargers To Extend Travis Benjamin

April 16th, 2019 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers and wide receiver Travis Benjamin have agreed to a one-year extension through 2020, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The new pact includes a $3MM signing bonus while lowering his 2019 base salary from $5.25MM to $1MM. 

The deal is mutually beneficial. The Chargers gain $2.75MM in salary cap relief while keeping Benjamin under contract for another season. Meanwhile, Benjamin gets a $3MM guarantee for the upcoming year, giving him some security as he enters a season with a non-guaranteed base salary.

Benjamin, 30 in December, was hardly used in 2018. He finished out with just 12 catches for 186 yards and one touchdown, a far cry from the 69/966/5 line he produced with the Browns in 2015. Statistically, he’s regressed in each of his three Chargers seasons, but things could change this year after the club lost Tyrell Williams to the rival Raiders in free agency.

Things could change after the draft and the later stages of free agency, but, for now, Benjamin is primed to serve as the Bolts’ No. 3 WR behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Seahawks, Russell Wilson Agree To Extension

April 16th, 2019 at 8:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks and Russell Wilson beat the buzzer. Just before the clock struck midnight on the quarterback’s extension deadline, the two sides agreed to a historic four-year, $140MM extension, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The deal, which includes a $65MM signing bonus, makes Wilson’s the NFL’s highest-paid player of all time. Wilson’s deal also includes a no-trade clause.

Wilson personally confirmed the extension in a Twitter video early Tuesday morning. The Seahawks have since announced the signing.

“Hey Seattle, we got a deal,” Wilson said while getting ready to go to sleep. “Go Hawks. But I’ma see y’all in the morning. Time for y’all to go to bed.”

The new pact, which gives him a record-breaking $35MM average annual salary, ties Wilson to Seattle through the 2023 season. His signing bonus of $65MM is also the largest in NFL history, shattering the previous high set by Aaron Rodgers‘ $57.5MM SB.

Wilson’s contract gives him an effective guarantee of $70MM with the first three years guaranteed for injury, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The deal also gives Wilson a favorable cash flow with $88MM over the first two years of the deal and $107MM over the first three years. All of that is guaranteed for injury, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Wilson has never missed a start in seven Seahawks seasons.

“We’re all really pleased that we were able to take the next step to stay together and keep this moving,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “Russ has been a huge factor in everything that has happened, and this allows us to stay on track with continuing to push to find that consistency.

“… Obviously this is a grand negotiation, and they had to figure it out. They had to figure it out, it has all been a part of the plan — they’ve known it was coming for years. The fact that they were able to make it happen and connect with Russ on his plan to really commit his future to the organization and to the fans and all — he has done that—that all had to be orchestrated, and John (Schneider) and (VP of football administration) Matt (Thomas) did an extraordinary job.”

Wilson is now under contract through his age-35 season. Before the deal, the Seahawks could have conceivably kept Wilson under club control through 2021 through the final year of his deal and a pair of franchise tags, but that would have been a costly (and chasm-causing) proposition.

Last year, Wilson set a new career high with 35 touchdown passes and matched his career low of seven touchdowns. He’ll turn 31 in November, but Wilson has shown no signs of slowing down.

With a new deal in place for their franchise QB, the Seahawks can turn their attention to other matters, including new deals for middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and pass rusher Frank Clark. However, the size of Wilson’s deal could be a barrier to costly long-term pacts for both defenders and a Clark trade remains possible.

Raiders Unlikely To Take First Round QB

April 15th, 2019 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have three first-round picks, but they’re unlikely to use any of them on a quarterback, Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal hears. Behind the scenes, the odds of taking a QB in the first 32 picks seems “remote at best” and a change in thinking would be a “shocking pivot,” per the Raiders beat writer. 

The Raiders have been steadfast in their support of Derek Carr and it sounds like they’ll keep true to their word. Then again, this was the same team that pledged its allegiance to tight end Jared Cook only to let him leave without much of a fight, so nothing is 100% certain.

Last year, Carr managed to complete 68.9% of his throws for 4,000+ yards and 19 touchdowns against ten interceptions. The Raiders went 4-12, but there were issues on both sides of the ball – particularly after the team traded a generational talent on defense and its top wide receiver – so the Raiders appear willing to give Carr the benefit of the doubt. And, of course, he should have an easier time with Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams in tow.

Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill Present For Workouts

April 15th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was in attendance for the start of the Chiefs’ offseason workout program on Monday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hill’s status for the 2019 is in jeopardy, but the wide receiver appears to be proceeding as though he’ll be cleared to play. 

Police are investigating claims of child abuse at Hill’s home and there’s a possibility that the wide receiver will face NFL discipline in connection with the incidents. However, the league is not expected to weigh in until child protective services concludes their investigation, which could mean that Hill’s fate will be in limbo for a while as authorities sift through the accusations.

Hill’s three-year old son is said to have suffered injuries, including a broken arm, at Hill’s home. Authorities are looking into Hill’s involvement in that incident, plus another where officers were called to Hill’s home to investigate a different incident of “child abuse or neglect.” Hill’s name was listed on that police report, though the “report was closed three days later when prosecution was declined.” 

The accusations are troubling, particularly in light of Hill’s pre-NFL track record. If there is concrete evidence against Hill, it’s hard to imagine him taking the field for Week 1.

In 2017, Hill’s second NFL season, he amassed nearly 1,200 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. Then, last year, he set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the very best wide receivers in the game.

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