2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals OL Trey Hopkins Signs RFA Tender

April 4th, 2019 at 7:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bengals offensive lineman Trey Hopkins has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, the club announced today. Hopkins will now be paid 3.095MM for the 2019 season.

Hopkins was one of 15 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the fourth — following Steelers guard B.J. Finney, Broncos defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Hopkins to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 19 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Hopkins.

Hopkins joined the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2014, but didn’t see regular action until the 2017 campaign. That year, Hopkins started 12 games at right guard that ranked among the NFL’s bottom-12 teams in both run- and pass-blocking, per Football Outsiders. He initially lost his starting job at the outset of the 2018 season, but eventually played nearly 60% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps while seeing action all along the interior offensive line.

Although he earned a better grade from Pro Football Focus than rookie first-round center Billy Price, Hopkins isn’t expected to take over at the pivot in 2019. In fact, with Clint Boling installed at left guard and free agent addition John Miller taking over on the right side, Hopkins won’t have a starting role at all. Instead, he’ll serve as a valuable depth on a front five that will be tasked with protecting Andy Dalton and clearing lanes for Joe Mixon next season.

Seahawks Sign DE Nate Orchard

April 4th, 2019 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have agreed to sign defensive end Nate Orchard, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).

Orchard was part of an early-week workout session that also included defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw and cornerback Davon House, but — so far — he’s the only member of that group to land a contract. He’s the second defensive end Seattle has signed today, joining former 49er Cassius Marsh.

Orchard comes with pedigree, as the Browns selected him 51st overall in the 2015 draft. An 11-game starter during his rookie campaign, Orchard has started only two contests since 2015. His last significant action came in 2017, when he played on 40% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps while grading as the NFL’s No. 68 edge defender among 123 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Last year, despite a valiant effort on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Orchard was waived by the Browns and final cutdowns, and subsequently spent time with the Bills and Chiefs.

Seattle has a history of taking chances on former early-round defenders (Barkevious Mingo, Dion Jordan), and Orchard probably didn’t receive much — if any — guaranteed money. He’ll have to fight for special teams snaps in order to make the Seahawks’ roster.

Jaguars Sign OL Leonard Wester

April 4th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have signed free agent offensive lineman Leonard Wester, the club announced today.

Wester spent the past three seasons with the Buccaneers before being non-tendered as a restricted free agent, and he’ll reunite with former Tampa Bay offensive line coach George Warhop, who now holds the same title in Jacksonville. While the Jaguars are set at left tackle with Cam Robinson, the club has a wide open slot on the right side following the release of Jermey Parnell, so Wester could compete for a starting job.

Wester, 26, went undrafted out of Missouri Western State in 2016. He’s appeared in 27 NFL games (all with the Buccaneers), but hasn’t been asked to play much of a significant role, as he’s made only one start during his career. In 2018, Wester played 116 offensive snaps, which marked a career-high, but Pro Football Focus assigned him a poor grade of 46.6 for his performance.

Before signing with the Jaguars, Wester also worked out for the Lions, Chiefs, and Falcons, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter links).

First Two AAF Players Sign NFL Deals

April 4th, 2019 at 4:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

That didn’t take long. Just a few hours after the AAF announced it would allow players to start signing NFL contracts effective immediately, two players have already inked deals.

The Chiefs are signing cornerback Keith Reaser, while the Panthers have added receiver Rashad Ross, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). In a separate tweet, Schefter notes that Reaser is getting $100K upfront guaranteed in the form of various bonuses. That’s a significant chunk of change, and indicates Kansas City likely had competition for Reaser’s services.

Reaser comes from the Orlando Apollos, the team coached by Steve Spurrier that had the best regular season record before the AAF suspended operations. Ross comes from the Arizona Hotshots, and was one of the best players in the league before it shut down. He had multiple huge games, and was dominating AAF defenses.

Reaser spent parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Chiefs, so there’s some familiarity there. He was originally drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round back in 2014. He spent most of the 2017 season on the practice squad, and was released with an injury settlement early last season. Ross was a 2013 undrafted free agent, who received his most run with the Redskins back in 2015 when he returned kicks and caught eight passes for 184 yards. The Arizona State product was with the Cardinals for part of last offseason, but hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2016.

The two are likely the first of many who will sign NFL contracts in the coming days and weeks. While the league was ultimately unsuccessful, it clearly was helpful to a good number of players in getting them back on NFL radars. Reaser has already landed more than an AAF salary, and there will surely be more to follow.

Raiders Work Out Charcandrick West

April 4th, 2019 at 3:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders worked out running back Charcandrick West, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). As previously reported, the club also worked out fellow running back Robert Turbin on Thursday, but Rapoport hears that both players will be in wait-and-see mode until after the draft.

West, 28 in June, enjoyed his most productive campaign in 2015, when he managed 160 carries for 634 yards and four touchdowns. In 2016 and 2017, however, his rushing role with Kansas City declined. While he played more than 500 offensive snaps from 2016-17, West handled only 106 total carries in that span. Last year, he hooked on with KC towards the end of the year, but had only two carries for -1 yard.

Oakland is in the process of revamping its backfield, as both Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin are currently in free agent limbo. Last week, the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal with Isaiah Crowell, who looks to be the favorite for early-down touches. Restricted free agent Jalen Richard — tendered at the second-round level — will likely handle passing down work, while DeAndre Washington, Chris Warren, and James Butler comprise the rest of Oakland’s running back depth chart.

Seahawks Sign Cassius Marsh

April 4th, 2019 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Cassius Marsh is heading back to the team that drafted him. On Thursday, Marsh agreed to a one-year deal with the Seahawks, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com writes.

Marsh was displaced in March when the 49ers acquired Dee Ford. By cutting the left outside linebacker, the Niners saved $4.7MM against the cap with just $900K left over in dead money.

Marsh, who turns 27 in July, will help to fill one of the Seahawks’ biggest needs. Last year, Marsh amassed 5.5 sacks, bringing his career total to 11.5 across 68 games. He also saw action on roughly 50% of the 49ers’ special teams plays a year ago, and has nearly reached the 80% ST threshold in prior seasons.

Marsh was unhappy during his nine-game stint with the Patriots and didn’t win much with the Niners last year, but he now has an opportunity to thrive opposite of Frank Clark.

AAF Players Free To Sign With NFL Teams

April 4th, 2019 at 12:55pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, it was reported that players from the AAF were not yet permitted to sign with NFL clubs. Soon after, the AAF formally announced that its players are now eligible to join the country’s premier football league.

Initially, the AAF’s players were in a holding pattern – although the league suspended operations, their contracts were not yet officially terminated, which barred them from signing with the NFL. The AAF, which has taken a great deal of flack for leaving its players in limbo, moved quickly to 86 those contracts and allow them to seek employment elsewhere.

The move likely won’t undo the hard feelings. Many of the AAF’s players were reliant on housing accommodations made by the league and were kicked out of their hotels soon after the league pressed the pause button. They also won’t be paid out for the remainder of the season, which still had two regular season games and a postseason on the docket.

But, on the plus side, ex-AAF players will be able to work out and sign with NFL teams before rosters are further packed with the incoming draft class. Former NFL players such as quarterback Garrett Gilbert, running back Zac Stacy, wide receivers Charles Johnson and Jalin Marshall, and defensive end Damontre Moore could draw interest from teams in the coming days.

Josh Sitton Retires From NFL

April 4th, 2019 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh Sitton is calling it a career. On Thursday, the four-time Pro Bowl guard announced his retirement from the NFL.

In an interview on ESPN Wisconsin, Sitton dropped a double dose of major news. First, he announced the birth of his son. Then, he told the radio hosts that he was done with football.

Sitton, an 11-year vet, spent the first eight years of his career with the Packers. That run came to an end just before the 2016 season when the Packers made the surprising decision to release him. The next day, he inked a three-year, $21.75MM deal with the rival Bears. That deal was terminated after two seasons, leading to him signing with the Dolphins last year as a free agent.

Throughout his Packers tenure, Sitton was known for his toughness and durability. However, injuries have held him back in recent seasons. With the Bears, he still managed to play at a high level, but he missed six games across his two seasons in Chicago. Then, last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1 that sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Sitton is the fourth former Packers Pro Bowler to retire this offseason, joining fellow guard T.J. Lang, receiver Jordy Nelson and fullback John Kuhn. We here at PFR wish Sitton the best in retirement.

Bengals RB Mark Walton Arrested

April 4th, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals running back Mark Walton has been arrested for the third time in three months, according to Miami-Dade court records. The former University of Miami standout was cuffed on felony charges of carrying a concealed firearm, resisting an officer without violence, possession of marijuana, and reckless driving in connection with a high-speed chase in March.

Walton, authorities say, was weaving in and out of traffic in his rented car. Eventually, Walton pulled over in the front yard of a home and initially complied with orders to fall to the ground. However, he quickly sprang up and took off running. Cops used a stun gun to try and subdue Walton, but he took off the prongs and fled the scene. When officers searched Walton’s car, they found 14 grams of marijuana, a 9 mm carbine rifle and several fully loaded clips.

This comes on the heels of two other incidents – Walton was charged with misdemeanor battery after a February skirmish with a neighbor was also arrested for marijuana possession in January. The 2018 fourth-round pick seems very likely to face NFL discipline for his off-the-field incidents and his future with the Bengals could be in jeopardy.

Despite injuries, showed serious promise with the Hurricanes, including a sophomore season in which he topped 1,100 yards on the ground and scored 14 touchdowns. Last year, however, he had just 14 carries for 34 yards as he played behind Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard.

NFL Teams Can’t Sign AAF Players

April 4th, 2019 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Alliance of American Football suspended operations for the season and its future is very much in doubt. Still, the league’s players are not yet free agents by NFL standards, Mike Florio of PFT hears.

Multiple sources tell Florio the NFL has instructed teams to refrain from talking to AAF players or their representatives. Furthermore, any team that violates that order may be in jeopardy of losing draft picks.

As of this writing, the AAF player contracts are still in tact, even though they will not be playing in any more games for the league and will not be paid going forward. Therefore, NFL teams cannot negotiate with those players until the contracts are technically breached.

The AAF isn’t exactly star-studded, but the league does/did have a handful of players who could be on the NFL radar. Players like quarterback Garrett Gilbert, running back Zac Stacy, wide receivers Charles Johnson and Jalin Marshall, and defensive end Damontre Moore will have to wait until they’re out of contractual limbo before exploring their next chance in the NFL.