2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Metcalf, Bills, Bucs

April 8th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf will take a Top 30 visit with the Bills on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Metcalf, who boasts the most impressive physical tools of any wide receiver in this year’s class, could be an option for Buffalo with the No. 9 overall pick.

Some have knocked Metcalf for his lack of natural catching ability, but he had no trouble reeling in the ball in 2017 when he averaged 16.6 yards per catch and scored seven touchdowns for Ole Miss. There’s also some concern about Metcalf’s health, but he was cleared for all football activities in January following his October neck surgery.

Here’s a look at the latest NFL Draft buzz:

Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will visit the Buccaneers on Monday, a source tells Rapoport (on Twitter). The Bucs could use another wide receiver after losing DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries, but it’s not clear whether they’d be willing to use the No. 5 overall pick at that position.
Iowa tight end Noah Fant will visit with the Lions on Monday, Rapoport reports. Fant registered 518 receiving yards and a team-high seven touchdowns in his final campaign with the Hawkeyes. The Lions could use a player like Fant after Levine Toilolo, Luke Willson, and Michael Roberts underwhelmed last year. Recently, the Lions strengthened the TE group by adding Jesse James, but there’s still room for improvement.
Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker will get together with the Steelers, per RapSheet. Last year, Baker captured the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. But, at 5’11 and 193 pounds, Baker doesn’t offer ideal size for the position.
Washington tackle Kaleb McGary will visit with the Patriots on Monday and the Packers on Tuesday, Rapoport hears. There has been some speculation that McGary could be employed as a guard at the pro level.
The Giants are hosting Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, Rapoport hears. The Giants are armed with picks at No. 6 and 17, though one of those selections may be spent on drafting Eli Manning‘s successor.
Charlotte guard Nate Davis will take a Top 30 visit with the Bills, Rapoport hears.

Panthers Meet With Allen Bailey

April 8th, 2019 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs free agent defensive end Allen Bailey will visit with the Panthers on Monday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The incumbent Chiefs are still in the mix for Bailey and the defending champs may also have interest.

Bailey cracked KC’s starting lineup in 2014 and has started in virtually all of his games over the last five years. Last year, he registered six sacks, 38 tackles, and two forced fumbles across 16 games. The advanced metrics weren’t high on Bailey (No. 91 ranked interior defender out of 112 players), but the sacks and game film show that he is an effective lineman.

The Panthers may employ a 3-4 scheme next season, which would suit Bailey well. With Carolina, he’d stick at DE, but he’d play on the interior with the Chiefs. Meanwhile, defensive tackle isn’t necessarily an area of need for Kansas City since they already have Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, and Xavier Williams in that group.

Bailey just wrapped up a four-year extension that paid him $6.25MM annually. His next deal may pay him in a similar fashion.

NFL Suspends Jhurell Pressley

April 8th, 2019 at 11:47am CST by Zachary Links

Jhurell Pressley led the AAF (R.I.P) in rushing yards, but he has yet to land an NFL contract. That could be because Presley has been suspended by the NFL for two games, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) first reported. The ban stems from a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com hears.

Still, Pressley has two workouts scheduled for this week, so a deal could be just around the corner. Pressley impressed with 431 yards and one touchdown on 98 carries for the Arizona Hotshots and could hold appeal as an RB depth option for clubs.

Pressley’s failed test likely occurred while he was with the Giants. Last year, Pressley was set to spend the year on the team’s practice squad until he was abruptly released in November.

The 26-year-old (27 in May) has already signed deals with five NFL clubs over the course of his career. Before joining the pro ranks, Pressley averaged an eye-popping 6.9 yards per carry and scored 35 rushing touchdowns for New Mexico.

Darron Lee Reports To Jets

April 8th, 2019 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Darron Lee, according to multiple reports, has been made available via trade. Still, Lee reported to the Jets for the club’s voluntary offseason conditioning program on Monday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

For now, Lee’s status remains unchanged. The young linebacker is still on the roster and GM Mike Maccagnan claims that he is still in the club’s plans.

However, it’s hard to believe Maccagnan given the recent addition of C.J. Mosley. The linebacker inked a five-year, $85MM contract, making the underperforming Lee expendable. Meanwhile, clubs could have interest in the former first-round pick given that he’s still on his affordable rookie contract for one more season with a possible add-on for 2020, if triggered before the May deadline.

Lee did tally 94 tackles and three sacks in 2017, but he took a step back in 2018, finishing with 74 tackles and no sacks in 12 games. To his credit, Lee did compile a career-high three interceptions last year, but he also missed four games due to a substance abuse ban.

Dolphins To Sign Ricardo Louis

April 8th, 2019 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

Former Browns receiver Ricardo Louis has agreed to terms with the Dolphins on a one-year deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Louis, a holdover from the Sashi Brown era, was cut loose earlier this month as a part of the Browns’ spring cleaning.

The former fourth-round pick missed the entire 2018 campaign with a neck injury and his status going into 2019 is not entirely clear. In 2017, Louis enjoyed the best season of his young career with 27 catches for 357 yards, a step up from his 18 grabs for 205 yards as a rookie.

If healthy, the 25-year-old could profile as a potent deep threat for the Dolphins’ new look offense. He’ll compete for Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s targets with DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Brice Butler, and others. The Dolphins might not win a ton of games in 2019, but Louis could be primed for a bounce-back season in Miami.

Shawn Oakman Joins The Spring League

April 8th, 2019 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

On Monday,The Spring League announced the signing of former Baylor defensive lineman Shawn Oakman. Oakman, who went undrafted in 2016 due to sexual assault charges, will suit up for the Austin Generals in his bid to make the NFL ranks.

Oakman’s physical tools once positioned him as one of the top prospects in the country. In 2014, Oakman registered 25.5 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, and four forced fumbles. His 2015 campaign wasn’t as impressive (4.5 sacks, 14.5 TFL, two forced fumbles), but he was truly undone by a troubling incident that took place just weeks before the draft.

Recently, however, Oakman was acquitted of the charges against him. With The Spring League, he’ll have an opportunity to prove he’s on the right track and demonstrate that he still possesses explosive size, speed, and power.

Falcons To Meet With Tyeler Davison

April 8th, 2019 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are bringing in veteran defensive tackle Tyeler Davison for a visit, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This marks Davison’s first known visit of this free agent cycle.

Davison has been a starter for the Saints over the last three seasons and could have an opportunity to shine with their divisional rival. The Falcons tagged Grady Jarrett to keep him in the mix, but Terrell McClain continues to float in free agent limbo. For now, Jack Crawford and Deadrin Senat represent the only other defensive tackles of significance on the roster.

Davison has registered 95 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles for his career. Two of those sacks came in 2018, representing a new career best.

Extra Points: Grant, Ravens, 49ers, AAF

April 7th, 2019 at 10:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Receiver Ryan Grant was involved in one of the more bizarre situations of last offseason. The former Redskins receiver looked like he was about to cash in big time, and signed a four-year, $29MM contract with $14.5MM guaranteed with the Ravens. But soon after, the Ravens slapped him with a failed physical designation and voided the contract, making him a free agent again. He ended up settling for a one-year, $5MM deal with the Colts. Now he’s on to a new team, signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Raiders earlier this week. In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Grant dished on what happened with Baltimore and finally explained all the details.

Grant said the Ravens just got cold feet and that the injury that made him fail the physical wasn’t anything serious, just a “mild ankle sprain,” as he put it. Even though he lost out on a significant amount of money, Grant isn’t bitter about it and said he’s genuinely happy to be in Oakland. “I feel like, had I signed with the Ravens, they probably would have, you know, did some other shady stuff to get me traded or released or something like this. So I’m thankful that they did what they did,” Grant explained. “I’m happy where I am now. Super excited to be a part of the Raiders organization. It’s the spirit and the culture of the team. And it just feels like I’ve been drafted all over again. I’m just so ecstatic,” he continued.

Here’s more from around the league:

With Jimmy Garoppolo set to return from his ACL tear next season, the 49ers suddenly have a surplus at quarterback. Both C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens are on the roster, and both have at the very least looked like above average backups during their time on the field. Beathard is a 2017 third round pick from Iowa who has started games in both of his first two seasons, and Mullens is a 2017 UDFA from Southern Miss who impressed when he was suddenly thrust into the starting role last season. Both are on cheap rookie deals, and there’s been a lot of speculation San Francisco could look to trade one of them. However, Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports thinks the 49ers will end up keeping all three signal-callers next season. Maioccio also writes it’s “difficult to believe that either has significant trade value around the NFL,” which is a fair point. Both Beathard and Garoppolo have suffered numerous injuries during their brief careers, so it makes sense why they’d want the depth.
Tom Dundon, the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and the lead investor in the AAF, made the call to shutdown the upstart league largely because they were unable to negotiate an agreement with the NFLPA. Dundon wanted practice squad and other bottom of the roster players to be allowed to play in the AAF, but a deal couldn’t be struck in time. Dundon has sought to cast blame for the league’s demise on the NFLPA, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com argues the union doesn’t deserve any of the blame. Florio casts Dundon’s case as a “flawed argument,” and breaks down why practice squad players wouldn’t have suddenly saved the league. Dundon essentially came in out of nowhere and tried to strong-arm the union, so it’s hard to disagree with Florio here.

Matthew Slater Wants To Finish Career With Patriots

April 7th, 2019 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots picked up Matthew Slater‘s option back in March, assuring that their special teams ace would be back in New England next season. However, if the 33-year-old has his way, he’ll be sticking with the Patriots for the rest of his career. Slater told ESPN’s Mike Reiss that he doesn’t want to play anywhere else, a fact that will be especially relevant when he hits free agency next offseason.

“I was really excited to hear from Bill [Belichick] that they wanted me part of the team moving forward,” Slater said. “I’m so thankful that the Patriots saw fit to continue to make an investment in me as a player and as a leader for our team. I’m so glad I’ve been able to be here the entirety of my career; it really means a lot to me that I’ve been able to be in one place and be a part of such a great organization.”

As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Slater’s desire to play his entire career with the Patriots could have a deeper meaning. After all, the veteran’s father, Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, played his entire 20-year career with the Rams.

Slater still has a ways to go to catch that number. The special teamer has spent 11 years with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls and earning seven Pro Bowl nods. With only a single regular season reception on his resume, Slater has clearly made a name for himself on special teams. He’s compiled 145 tackles throughout his career, and he’s also returned 35 kickoffs (although he only has three returns over the past four seasons).

Considering the fact that Slater primarily contributes on special teams, he understands that a lost step could spell the end of his tenure in New England. On the flip side, it’s that mindset that keeps the veteran motivated.

“I think I’ve always approached my career as every year could be my last year because of the nature of my position and the unique role I have on the team as a core special teams player,” Slater said.

Executive Mike Tannenbaum Joins ESPN

April 7th, 2019 at 7:36pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Mike Tannenbaum has officially left the Dolphins. The former executive is set to join ESPN as an analyst, as Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com relays. Besides appearing on NFL programming, Tannenbaum will also be participating in the network’s 2019 draft coverage on ESPN Radio.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” Tannenbaum told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I’ve always admired the people and professionals at ESPN, and I’m excited to be a part of the team.”

The Dolphins re-assigned the executive vice president of football operations back in January, and while he was still technically an employee for the past few months, he wasn’t expected to contribute to the team’s offseason plans. The move was considered to be “quiet sendoff” for the longtime front office executive, with Tannenbaum still receiving money for the final two years of his contract. General manager Chris Grier earned a promotion and will now oversee all football operations.

Tannenbaum spent more than a decade with the Jets organization, compiling a 57-55 regular season record and three playoff births during his seven years as general manager. Tannenbaum joined the Dolphins as a consultant in 2014, and he was soon hired in a front office role. Since he stepped into the football operations role in 2015, the Dolphins had a 29-35 record with only one playoff appearance.