2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin

April 29th, 2019 at 1:04pm CST by Zachary Links

After undergoing three offseason surgeries, it’s unlikely that Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin will take the field again. However, we should not expect to hear an official announcement from Baldwin anytime soon, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) explains.

If Baldwin were to formally retire today, he could potentially forfeit the signing bonus allocation in his deal over the final two years of his contract. Also, if he waits until the Seahawks release him, he could collect on $1MM in injury protection.

In short, it seems likely that Baldwin will retire from football this offseason. However, he won’t make any of this official until the remainder of the cash on his deal is secure.

If this is the end of the line for Baldwin, he’ll leave the game with 493 catches for 6,593 yards and 49 touchdowns – all with the Seahawks. He’ll also walk away with two Pro Bowl nods (2016 and 2017) plus a Super Bowl XLVIII ring.

Steelers Place Ryan Shazier On PUP List

April 29th, 2019 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, the Steelers officially placed Ryan Shazier on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List. By taking this step, the Steelers will ensure that Ryan Shazier will continue to collect his salary for the 2019 season. For cap purposes, he’ll count for $473K against the books.

Shazier has remained steadfast in his insistence that he wants to return to the field one day, but it won’t be in 2019. The Steelers, meanwhile, are doing right by the linebacker, who was lauded for his leadership and on-field abilities before a devastating injury suffered in 2017.

The former first-round pick out of Ohio State tallied 68 tackles and 11 pass defenses before he was nearly paralyzed in 2017. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection despite playing in only 12 games. Prior to that, he logged 55 tackles in each of the previous two seasons.

“We will continue to support Ryan’s efforts to return to play,” Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in a statement earlier this offseason. “Although he won’t be able to help us on the field in 2019, his leadership, insight, and emotional support have always been very valuable to us, and we look forward to his contributions in our pursuit of a championship.”

Lions Pick Up Taylor Decker’s Option

April 29th, 2019 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. On Monday, the Lions announced that they have picked up the fifth-year option on Taylor Decker‘s contract. With that, the offensive tackle is now under club control through the 2020 season.

The fifth-year option enables teams to tack an additional year on to the standard four-year rookie contract for first-round picks. The additional year is guaranteed for injury only, giving the Lions an escape hatch if Decker regresses for non-health reasons.

After missing half of the 2017 season, Decker bounced back to start in all 16 games for the Lions last year. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged him as the 36th best tackle in the NFL, giving the Lions enough confidence to extend his pact for another season.

You can keep track of every fifth-year option decision for 2016 first-round picks with PFR’s handy tracker.

Jets Tried To Trade Up For Mecole Hardman

April 29th, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets did not fortify their wide receiver group in the draft, but that was not by design. The Jets had their eye on Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman, Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) hears, but the Chiefs beat them to the punch.

[RELATED: Grading The Jets’ Draft]

Apparently, the Jets were ready to pull the trigger on a trade with the Eagles that would have allowed them to grab Hardman at No. 57 overall, but the Chiefs beat them to the punch by moving up to the No. 56 pick. The Chiefs now have the speedster as a potential replacement for Tyreek Hill, who is expected to be released any moment now. Meanwhile, the Jets are left to sift through what remains of the wide receiver market to find support for Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, and Jamison Crowder.

The Jets also explored moving up to the top of the second round to get in on cornerback run, but they found the asking price to be too steep. They eventually took a cornerback in the sixth-round when they plucked oft-injured Rutgers corner Blessuan Austin from about 30 minutes down I-95.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Stick, Broncos

April 29th, 2019 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

On Saturday, the Chargers drafted their first quarterback since 2013 when they tapped North Dakota State University quarterback Easton Stick. Stick, who rushed for 2,523 yards and 41 TDs, was pegged by some as a Taysom Hill type who could be deployed more as a trick play type than a traditional QB, but the Bolts say that’s not how they plan on using him.

“He’s going to play quarterback for us. We have running backs,” head coach Anthony Lynn said (via the Associated Press). “We don’t a need a quarterback that can run all over the place, but he can certainly create when he has to.”

Of course, as a fifth-round pick, nothing is guaranteed for the mobile signal caller. Stick will look to stick on the Chargers’ roster by proving himself between now and the start of the season in September.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Giants GM Dave Gettleman raised eyebrows everywhere when he selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall. After the draft, he defended the pick by saying that two teams were prepared to select Jones before the Giants’ next pick at No. 17. So far, it has been hard to identify who these two teams might be, and Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter) confirms that the Broncos were not one of them. The Broncos, he hears, ruled out taking any QB at No. 10 overall and, furthermore, had Drew Lock as their top-ranked QB – not Jones.
The Raiders provided the draft’s other major first round surprise when they tapped Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Many feel that the Raiders reached for the defensive end, but that’s not how defensive coordinator Paul Guenther sees it. “It wasn’t about his 40-time or his three-cone drill or any of that [BS], it was about the whole package,” the DC said (via The Athletic). “There just aren’t a lot of guys like this. Some guys are great standing up, but you have to get down and dirty in the NFL. They are not just going to let you run up the field all day, you know what I am saying? Then you hear him talk and you’re like, ‘Damn, this guy is a pro.’”
Over the weekend, longtime Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski announced his retirement from the NFL.

This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys Rule Out Re-Signing Greg Hardy

April 29th, 2019 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

On this date three years ago, Greg Hardy officially blew his second chance. In the midst of the 2016 draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters that he had officially ruled out the possibility of re-signing the embattled defensive end.

Hardy was long considered to be one of the NFL’s most imposing edge rushers, but things took a turn in May of 2014 when he was arrested for allegedly abusing and strangling his ex-girlfriend. After suiting up for the first game of the 2014 season, Hardy was parked on the commissioner’s exempt list and did not return to play in another game for Carolina. The Panthers decided they were done with Hardy, but the Cowboys rolled the dice on him by inking him to a one-year, $11.3MM contract prior to the ’15 campaign.

After serving a four-game ban to start the 2015 season, the Cowboys’ faith in Hardy was not necessarily rewarded. Yes, Hardy managed six sacks across 12 games and, yes, he still managed to grade out as the league’s 28th-best edge defender, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he was not nearly as dominant as he was during his peak years and Hardy was routinely late to team meetings and practices. After dealing with the attitude issues and the PR headaches, the Cowboys decided that they wanted out of the Hardy business.

The rest of the NFL reached a similar conclusion. Teams, for the most part, steered clear of the one-time Pro Bowler. The Jaguars briefly considered signing Hardy, but shut the door on him in August.

“Well, I mean, to me, there are a lot of issues,” Jags owner Shad Khan said. “You have to understand them all and the only way is to experience them first-hand. What the upside/downside might be – I think we’re not even close to a decision like that.”

Hardy failed to reboot his career after that, but you can still find him on ESPN. The 30-year-old (31 in July) recently turned his attention to mixed martial arts and is now a member of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Over the weekend, Hardy defeated a Russian journeyman by the name of Dmitry Smoliakov who, frankly, looked defeated before the first punch was thrown. Hardy now boasts a professional record of 4-1 in MMA with many fans calling for a step up in competition in his next bout.

His next opponent is TBD, but this much is clear: Hardy’s future is confined to the cage and his NFL playing days are undoubtedly over.

Poll: Grading The Jets’ Draft

April 29th, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

It’s hard to find fault with the Jets’ top pick – Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was regarded by some as the best overall talent in the 2019 class and the Jets’ decision to forgo an edge rusher to pounce on him at No. 3 overall makes plenty of sense. After that, however, things get a little bit murky.

The Jets were already behind the 8-ball in this year’s draft thanks to last year’s move up for Sam Darnold. In order to jump from No. 6 to No. 3 last year, Gang Green forfeited their 2019 second-round pick (No. 34 overall) to the Colts (and then some), meaning that their second pick in this year’s draft did not come until the third round at No. 68 overall.

Here, they took Florida linebacker Jachai Polite, a player who once had first round buzz but slipped after bombing at the combine. Polite also dropped like a stone thanks to rumblings about his work ethic and unwillingness to do what was asked of him by coaches, but GM Mike Maccagnan seems to think that he can get more out of him.

“We know some of the risk in him,” Maccagnan said of Polite after the draft. “We also think there are some very good qualities about him.”

From there, the Jets used their remaining selections on USC tackle Chuma Edoga, West Virginia tight end Trevon Wesco, Minnesota linebacker Blake Cashman, and Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin. Edoga – who served as one of Sam Darnold‘s primary protectors – has some NFL potential, but did not fill the Jets’ need for a center. Cashman offers the kind of hard-nosed playing style that coaches love, but it’s hard to get juiced about a player who is one year removed from double shoulder surgeries. Ditto for Austin, a corner with great size and tools who has not played much over the last two years thanks to knee injuries. Wesco, meanwhile, is a quality blocking tight end, but the Jets probably would have been better served by tapping a developmental wide receiver here.

How would you grade the Jets’ draft? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users):

NFC Notes: Gurley, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants

April 28th, 2019 at 9:28pm CST by Micah Powell

Much has been made about Todd Gurley and his knee, which caused him issues in the 2018 postseason. The Rams didn’t do much to quiet those rumors when they tabbed Memphis running back Darrell Henderson with the No. 70 pick in the draft.

The team, however, is adamant the pick of Henderson has nothing to do with Gurley’s status, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes. Though the team did mention monitoring the perennial Pro Bowl back’s workload.

“Like we have said all along, we anticipate Todd being a huge part of this like he has been the last couple of years,” head coach Sean McVay said. “As far as managing the workload, those are things that we talk about with Todd and as you continue to get educated on, is that something that we should do for the long haul or something that is or isn’t going to affect Todd most importantly and how does that affect our team? But we added a really good playmaker was a big thing.”

Henderson was one of college football’s stars in 2018, rushing for 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 214 carries. His 8.9 yards per rush was no fluke, as he posted the exact same average as a sophomore in 2017.

It will be interesting how the Rams handle their backfield in 2019. In addition to Gurley and Henderson, the team also matched an offer for running back Malcolm Brown.

Heres’ more from around the NFC:

Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore has hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, per Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen (via Twitter). Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey will team up in repping the Maryland product, who posted 788 yards on 55 receptions in 2018.
The Cowboys are expected to be extremely cautious with cornerback Byron Jones, who underwent offseason hip surgery, the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota tweets. Machota mentioned Jones, a breakout star in his first season as a cornerback, will be “highly managed,” but they do expect him to be ready for the start of the season.
Sticking in Dallas, new slot receiver Randall Cobb said he signed with the team because he wanted to play on a contender, Machota writes. “Once I talked to everybody I knew this was the place,” Cobb said. “I definitely believe in this team. I felt like I wanted to be on a team that was a contender and I definitely believe that we have the ability, it’s just putting the pieces together.” Cobb replaces Cole Beasley in the slot, after the latter left for Buffalo early in the 2019 offseason.
The Giants will bring back veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Though the team drafted three cornerbacks, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman left no doubt Jenkins would be back, saying, “Janoris has a bunch of puppies he has to train.”

Titans Owner Signed Off On Simmons Pick

April 28th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by Micah Powell

In addition to a torn ACL, Mississipi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons gave many teams pause in the 2019 NFL Draft due to an assault of a woman while he was in high school. The Titans eventually made him the No. 19 pick in the draft, a selection that was cleared by team owner Amy Adams Strunk, Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt writes.

“Jon [Robinson] and Mike [Vrabel] came to me months ago, and we discussed since then,” Strunk said, via Erik Bacharach, of the Nashville Tennessean. “We watched the video together, and it begins with trust from Mike and Jon that I was able to get comfortable. They were both very respectful that I needed to be comfortable, because at the end of the day, I have the final decision.

“We all can look back on our lives in high school and wish we’d done things differently. You can talk, ‘I’m sorry,’ but the best thing is, is that he’s lived the life of, ‘I’m truly sorry and I’m going to be a good man.’ And so that made it really easy for me to become comfortable with Jeffery. And we’re getting a great football player, that goes without saying, but we’re getting a great man. Our locker room is so important, and we only have good men in there. And this young man is a good man.”

The incident, which happened in 2016 and involved Simmons striking a woman multiple times on the ground, happened while the defensive tackle was in high school, before he enrolled at Mississippi State. Due to the incident, many teams reportedly took the talented tackle completely off their draft boards. Simmons was touched by the remarks of his new team’s owner.

“I mean, coming from a woman, . . . like I said, I made that mistake,” Simmons said. “I regret it. Just to hear her say all that, I’m grateful. Key word she said was trust. [I’ll] tell her in front of you guys that she can trust me. I won’t let her down. I won’t let either one of you guys [Robinson and Vrabel] down. I’m grateful.”

Though one of the most talented defenders in the draft, Simmons could miss his entire rookie season with that torn ACL.

AFC East Notes: Rosen, Patriots, Darron Lee, Bills

April 28th, 2019 at 7:58pm CST by Micah Powell

The Dolphins weren’t the only team interested in trading for Josh Rosen, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. Jackson sites an NFL official who was in contact with the Cardinals after the trade was announced, and mention the Patriots as another team that was attempting to acquire the 2018 first-rounder.

Rosen, of course, ended up in Miami, and New England took its own quarterback when it tabbed Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round. In the weeks leading up to the draft, New England was mentioned, along with several other teams, as a potential landing spot for the quarterback.

With other teams being interested, it helps explain why the Dolphins were willing to part with a 2019 second-rounder, and a fifth-round pick in 2020.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

Teddy Bruschi thinks the Patriots might have been led to draft N’Keal Harry in the first round because of the physical presence Josh Gordon brought to the team last year, ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes. “They get him last year, put a 6-3, 225-pound target out there and see what a great piece it was for them, how great it was for Tom Brady,” Bruschi theorized. “Maybe that changed the perception of what they might need.” Of course, the Patriots haven’t picked a receiver in the first round in the Bill Belichick era, so the theory could be accurate.
Sticking in New England, the video that led to the arrest of team owner Robert Kraft will eventually be released to the public, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes. The judge ruled the tape can be released in a way that won’t taint the jury pool.
The Jets have been shopping linebacker Darron Lee throughout the offseason, and that isn’t expected to stop now that the 2019 draft has concluded, Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt writes. Lee became expendable once the team brought in C.J. Mosley.
Also in New York, team general manager Mike Maccagnan has reportedly been on the hot seat. If the team does make a change, one exec to keep an eye on is Joe Douglas with the Eagles, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets. La Canfora mentions the Eagles exec has ties to Jets first-year head coach Adam Gase.
The Bills made a splash in the undrafted free agent pool, signing local product Tyree Jackson. Buffalo reportedly couldn’t believe the Buffalo quarterback wasn’t drafted, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes. “He was on our draft board to be drafted. I’m surprised. You saw his name still sitting there late in the seventh, and you start going, ‘Man, if this kid doesn’t get drafted, we’re going to have to go after him.’ And we did,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. Jackson is expected to compete for the team’s backup spot to Josh Allen.
The Dolphins already boast 12 picks in the 2020 draft. General manager Chris Grier says that is to be the rule going forward, the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley tweets. Beasley predicts the team is expected to use its cap space next offseason to buy even more draft picks rather than signing top free agents.