HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel Retires From NFL

April 4th, 2019 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

Chargers free agent Kyle Emanuel won’t be signing with any club this offseason. On Thursday, the linebacker announced his retirement from the NFL via social media. 

“There is no specific reason why I came to this decision, but as I contemplated it this offseason, something told me it was time to walk away,” Emanuel wrote. “Although it wasn’t the sole reason, the injuries have started to pile up and I had to take my long-term health into consideration. I have no idea what will come next, which is scary and exciting at the same time, but I can’t wait to get started on whatever it is.”

Emanuel likely had opportunities to sign, so he’s not leaving the game for a lack of opportunity. The Raiders had interest in Kyle Emanuel early in free agency, as Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal tweets, and Lions came to the table with a stronger offer. Ultimately, he passed on both offers (and, potentially, an opportunity with the Saints) to focus on other endeavors.

Over four seasons with the Bolts, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. Last year, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.

We here at PFR wish Emanuel the best in retirement.

Raiders Release WR Seth Roberts

April 4th, 2019 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders released wide receiver Seth Roberts, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Roberts exits one day after the club signed fellow receiver Ryan Grant, giving the club a totally revamped WR group for 2019. 

Last month, the Raiders swung a blockbuster trade for Antonio Brown, signed ex-Charger Tyrell Williams, and released veteran Jordy Nelson. After Grant entered the mix, there was simply no room for Roberts, who inked a three-year, $12MM extension with the Raiders in 2017.

Roberts was due to make a $4.45MM base salary this season and up to $4.8MM through bonuses. However, his base pay was completely guaranteed, allowing the Raiders to shed the entire sum of his contract.

Roberts, 28, had 45 receptions for 494 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. In the previous year, however, he set new career highs with 43 catches for 455 yards and caught 66.2% of the balls thrown his way.

Draft Rumors: Allen, Sweat, Lawrence, Oliver

April 3rd, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions general manager Bob Quinn is a Bill Belichick disciple, so it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s open to trading down from No. 8 in the first round of the 2019 draft. “I always like draft picks, so if we could move back a little bit, a couple spots, and pick up another pick, I think this is a really good, the depth of this draft from the late first to the third, there’s a lot of really good players in there,” Quinn told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). “If I could ever move back a few spots, get a really good player in the first round and add another pick, I think that’s something that would be great. People out there listening, I’m open for business.” Detroit owns nine total picks but possesses only the 15th-most overall draft capital.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen is a busy man. In addition to planned visits with the 49ers, Jets, Raiders, Giants and Lions, Allen will also meet with the Bengals, Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Bills, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Allen spent four years with the Wildcats, totaling 31.5 sacks in the process (17 of which came during his senior season). Viewed as the 2019 draft’s second-best pass rusher behind Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, Allen has been popularly mocked to New York at No. 3 and Oakland at No. 4.
  • The Buccaneers are looking for help along their defensive line while holding the No. 5 overall selection in this month’s draft, and they’ve met with several top-end prospects this week. Mississippi State pass rusher Montez Sweat met with Tampa on Monday, while defensive tackles Ed Oliver (Houston) and Dexter Lawrence (Clemson) are sitting down with the Bucs today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Sweat and Oliver are in legitimate consideration to come off the board at No. 5, while Lawrence could be in play for Tampa Bay’s second-round pick (although he’d be a curious fit given the Buccaneers drafted fellow nose tackle Vita Vea 12th overall in 2018). Auburn cornerback prospect Jamel Dean also visited with Tampa Bay this week, per Rapoport.
  • Sweat also met with the Jaguars this week, adds Rapoport, as did Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, reports Schefter (Twitter link). Both players could be available for Jacksonville at No. 7 in the first round, although Taylor would probably fill more of a need area. The Jaguars released starting right tackle Jermey Parnell earlier this offseason, so Taylor could immediately step opposite blindside protector Cam Robinson.
  • Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson recently met with both the Lions and Dolphins, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Teams are interested in Jackson primarily due to his “rare physical traits,” per Pelissero, and the three-year starter certainly offers intriguing size at 6’7″, 245 pounds. Detroit could be searching for a developmental passer to play behind Matthew Stafford, while Miami simply needs warm bodies under center.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/3/19

April 3rd, 2019 at 9:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Re-signed (ERFA): WR Marcus Kemp
  • Waived: CB Step Durham

New York Giants

New York Jets

Miami Dolphins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

East Notes: Pats, Redskins, Giants, Eagles

April 3rd, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A third degree felony assault charge against Patriots defensive lineman Michael Bennett has been dismissed, reports David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. “After looking at all the evidence and applying the law, a crime could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” district attorney chief of staff Vivian King said in a statement. “There was probable cause to warrant a charge initially, but after a careful review of all the pre-charge and post-charge evidence, we cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt.” Bennett was accused of injuring a 66-year-old paraplegic while attempting to gain field access during Super Bowl LI, but he wasn’t arrested at the scene and no video exists of the incident. A member of the Seahawks when the episode occurred, Bennett has since been traded twice, first to Philadelphia and then to New England.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • The Redskins plan to host Duke quarterback Daniel Jones for a pre-draft visit next week, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. Once viewed as more of a Day 2 selection, Jones could be pushed into Round 1, and the division-rival Giants are reportedly interested in taking Jones with the 17th overall pick. A three-year starter, Jones completed 60.5% of his passes for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2018. Washington acquired Case Keenum earlier this year and still has Alex Smith on the books, but is in need of a long-term signal-caller given Smith’s health question marks.
  • Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown met with the Giants today and will visit the Redskins on Thursday, tweets Rapoport. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah pegs Brown as a fringe first-rounder, ranking him 36th on his most recent list of 2019’s top-50 prospects. Brown, who stands 6’1″, 225 pounds, managed at least 75 catches and 1,250 yards in each of the past two seasons. NFL clubs are reportedly pleased with Brown’s versatility, and many teams believe he can play both outside and in the slot, per James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • The Eagles will host Alabama running back Josh Jacobs next week, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Viewed as the top running back on the board, Jacobs could be selected in the first round, but the low value placed on backs could force him into Day 2. Philadelphia recently acquired Jordan Howard from the Bears, and he figures to handle the majority of early down work in 2019. Jacobs, though, could add another dimension to a backfield that also includes Corey Clement, Josh Adams, and Wendell Smallwood.

Falcons Re-Sign LB Kemal Ishmael

April 3rd, 2019 at 8:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have re-signed linebacker Kemal Ishmael to a one-year deal, the club announced Wednesday.

A seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft, Ishmael has spent his entire career in Atlanta. He saw the most action of his pro tenure back in 2014, when he made 10 starts and posted four interceptions. Since then, he’s made only 10 additional starts, but has played in 61 of a possible 64 games.

Originally drafted as a defensive back, Ishmael has since morphed into a linebacker. Last season, Ishmael played only 64 defensive snaps (the fewest of his career), but played a career-high 330 snaps on special teams, registering 21 tackles in the process. For what it’s worth, Atlanta finished 10th in Football Outsiders’ special teams metrics, but that ranking was mostly due to kicker Matt Bryant‘s success.

Last offseason, Ishmael re-signed with the Falcons on a one-year deal worth $1MM. That pact contained $210K in guaranteed money, and Ishmael likely inked a similar contract this time around.

Browns Re-Sign FB/TE Orson Charles

April 3rd, 2019 at 7:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Orson Charles will spend another year in Cleveland, as the Browns have announced they’ve re-signed the veteran fullback/tight end.

Charles, 28, appeared in 13 games and made two starts for the Browns in 2018. He saw action on 173 offensive plays, the most snaps he’d played since his rookie campaign with the Bengals in 2012. Charles, originally a fourth-round pick, also chipped in on 265 special teams snaps.

Charles spent the first few seasons of his career with Hue Jackson as his position coach in Cincinnati, then followed Jackson to Cleveland in 2018 (with stops in New Orleans, Detroit, and Kansas City in between). Jackson, of course, is no longer with the Browns, but Cleveland’s decision-makers have still opted to bring Charles back for another season.

The Browns have added star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt to an offense that already included weapons like Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, and David Njoku, so Charles probably won’t see much action on offense unless injuries strike.

Gerald McCoy Not Generating Trade Interest

April 3rd, 2019 at 6:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers are shopping defensive tackle Gerald McCoy but aren’t receiving much trade interest, according to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (Twitter link). McCoy didn’t show up for the first day of Buccaneers’ offseason workouts on Monday, a possible indication that he’s not involved in the club’s plans going forward.

Tampa Bay is shifting to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Todd Bowles, and the club may have concern that McCoy won’t fit into its new scheme. “He’s not as disruptive as he was four years ago,” head coach Bruce Arians said last week. “But he’s still pretty disruptive. He’s still a good player….I got to evaluate him. I mean, guys at a certain age, it’s different. Usually, the age they get paid the most and production (doesn’t) match. We’ve got to find that out.”

McCoy is still an effective player: in 2018, ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits in 2018 and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. However, he’s now entering his age-31 campaign, hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2013, and hasn’t graded as a top-10 interior defender since 2014.

McCoy’s contract is the true barrier to a possible trade, as it’s unclear if any club would be interested in taking on his $13MM base salary for the 2019 season. He’s under contract through 2021, with cap charges north of $12MM in each of the next two years. If the Bucs trade or release McCoy, they’d clear his entire $13MM figure from their books, which is critical given the team ranks last in the NFL in available cap space (~$1.795MM).

Raiders To Host RB Robert Turbin

April 3rd, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders are scheduled to work out free agent running back Robert Turbin on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

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.

Turbin, 29, started the 2018 campaign on the Colts’ suspended list after being handed a four-game performance-enhancing drug ban. The former Seahawk, Brown, and Cowboy was activated in October, but didn’t have much a role behind Marlon Mack, who’d taken hold of Indianapolis’ starting running job during the first month of the season. Turbin appeared in only two games and posted just four carries before the Colts cut him in early November.

If signed by the Raiders, Turbin would serve in a veteran backup role and likely wouldn’t be counted on as a focal point of Oakland’s offense. He hasn’t topped 50 attempts or four yards per carry since 2014, and averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per touch during his three-year run with the Colts. On the plus side, Football Outsiders in 2016 charted Turbin as one of the more effective running backs who handled fewer than 100 carries.

Cardinals Not In Rush To Trade Josh Rosen

April 3rd, 2019 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Some have speculated that the start of next week’s offseason conditioning program could serve as a deadline for the Cardinals to trade quarterback Josh Rosen, if their plan is indeed to draft Kyler Murray later this month. However, the Cardinals do not believe they have any sort of deadline to trade Rosen, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, and they’re not going to simply give the UCLA product away. 

There’s also a scenario in which they draft Murray and keep Rosen until they feel comfortable enough to move the rising NFL sophomore, Rapoport hears. The Cardinals’ comfort in trading Rosen, of course, would be dependent on the offers received for him, and estimations on the expected return vary wildly around the league. Coaches and executives from seven teams tell ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that Rosen may be worth anywhere from a first- to a fifth-round pick. Arizona traded up from No. 15 in last year’s draft to draft Rosen No. 10 overall.

“If you liked him last year in the first round, I don’t know why you wouldn’t give up that this year,” one head coach said of Rosen, last year’s No. 10 overall choice.

Rosen did not impress as a rookie – he threw for 11 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and completed just 55.2% of his throws. However, his struggles could be chalked up to the team’s overall issues, which culminated in the firing of head coach Steve Wilks.

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