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Bills Undecided On Shaq Lawson’s Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2019 at 9:10am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills remain uncertain as to whether they will exercise defensive end Shaq Lawson‘s fifth-year option for 2020, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. GM Brandon Beane has until May 2 to make the call.

It is understandably not an easy decision for Beane to make. Lawson, a 2016 first-rounder, was a trade/cut candidate last offseason, though he ultimately remained with the club. He appeared in 14 games (six starts), and he compiled four sacks for the second consecutive season. He actually set a career-high in defensive snaps, and he graded out as an above-average edge defender, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

So while Lawson has some value, he has not exactly lived up to his draft pedigree, and the 2020 option would tie him to a $14MM+ salary. Of course, that salary is guaranteed for injury only, but if Lawson should get hurt, the Bills may be on the hook for that hefty sum.

Buffalo added top DT prospect Ed Oliver with their 2019 first-round pick in an effort to further bolster its front seven.

Latest On Telvin Smith, Jaguars

April 28th, 2019 at 8:26am CST by Rory Parks

Last week, reports surfaced that Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith could be on the trade block. Smith, along with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, ruffled the feathers of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin when they failed to report to the team for voluntary workouts (which, in turn, compelled a number of football writers to remind Coughlin of the definition of “voluntary”).

The trade rumors intensified when the Jags selected Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams in the third round of the draft on Friday, and GM Dave Caldwell did not do much to quash the rumblings in his post-draft interview. Although Caldwell said that he did not receive any trade calls on Smith during the draft, he was cryptic when asked whether Smith would remain with the club in 2019.

“We’ll see,” Caldwell said. “I don’t want to get into hypotheticals” (via John Oesher of Jaguars.com on Twitter).

Coughlin, though, was quite clear that he expects Smith to stay with Jacksonville. He said, “Telvin Smith is a linebacker on our football team. We fully expect him to be here. That’s all there is to it. If you know something else, tell me.”

In response to the reports that Smith might be available via trade, Coughlin added, “What reports? Not that I know of.”

Smith would certainly be quite attractive to teams that still find themselves in need of a quality linebacker. The 2014 fifth-round pick just turned 28 and is a capable defender against the pass and the run. He’s also something of a playmaker, having recorded at least two interceptions in each of the past three seasons, and he has three career touchdowns.

Smith has been a full-time starter for the Jags since November of his rookie campaign. He is under club control through 2021 thanks to the four-year, $44MM extension he signed in October 2017.

Giants Will Bring In OL Mike Remmers For Second Visit

April 27th, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Now that the draft is officially over, attention will again turn to the veteran free agents left on the market. Offensive lineman Mike Remmers is one of the more high profile players still available, and it sounds like he could be getting closer to finding a home.

Speaking at his post-draft press conference, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said the team would bring in Remmers for a second visit, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com (Twitter link). We heard last week that Remmers had undergone back surgery this offseason, which is what has been delaying his signing. According to Dunleavy, Gettleman said the team wants to “check on his rehab” and make sure his back is alright.

The two sides met toward the beginning of free agency, but nothing materialized at that point. Remmers was with the Vikings during the 2017 season when current Giants coach Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota, so there’s some familiarity there.

Remmers had been a tackle his first handful of years in the league but the Vikings converted him to guard, and he ended up starting all 16 games at right guard for Minnesota last year. Despite that, the team didn’t show much interest in bringing him back. The 2012 undrafted free agent graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 48th-best guard last year.

He’s also spent time with the Broncos, Buccaneers, Chargers, Rams, and Panthers, appearing in 65 games and starting 64. He has a decent amount of starting experience, and fortunately for him, it sounds like the Giants are genuinely interested. We should have an update on his situation soon.

Chargers Sign 19 UDFAs

April 27th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As teams officially announce their undrafted free agent classes, we’ll be posting them. The Chargers are the second team to announce, following the Steelers. Los Angeles inked a massive group, bringing in 19 players:

As the Chargers pointed out in their release, they’re annually one of the best teams at unearthing solid undrafted free agents. They’ve had an undrafted rookie make the team for 22 consecutive seasons, which is the longest streak in the NFL. In each of the last four seasons, they’ve had at least three undrafted rookies make the team.

One of their best undrafted finds in recent years, Tyrell Williams, just inked a huge four-year, $44MM deal with the Raiders. With their huge class this year, they opted for a lot of small school and FCS prospects. Tyler Newsome is an interesting signing since the Chargers had a terrible punting situation all of last year. They ended up releasing Drew Kaser in the middle of the year, and Newsome should have a good chance to make the team. Volson was the center for Easton Stick, who the Chargers just drafted in the fifth round, during their time at North Dakota State.

Steelers Sign 10 UDFAs

April 27th, 2019 at 7:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Now that the NFL draft is over, teams are beginning to sign undrafted free agents. As teams officially announce their entire UDFA classes, we’ll be posting them. The Steelers became the first team to make such an announcement, inking a crop of ten players:

The Steelers didn’t sign any of the biggest names available, but a few of the signings are notable. McMillan spent the first three years of his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Colorado, and he had a very productive senior season. Last year he carried the ball 201 times for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns. The last Colorado running back to sign as an undrafted free agent was Phillip Lindsay, and he ended up making the Pro Bowl. McMillan will be competing for a backup spot behind James Conner.

Wright is the all-time career points leader at UCF. The Steelers signing a kicker is notable because Chris Boswell struggled mightily last season. Boswell had been widely regarded as one of the league’s best kickers, but he collapsed last year. There was talk of the Steelers replacing Boswell mid-season during the 2018 campaign, and Wright should have a legitimate shot at unseating him in training camp.

Steelers Release LB Jon Bostic

April 27th, 2019 at 6:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Right after the draft ended, the Steelers made a signifiant move. Pittsburgh is releasing linebacker Jon Bostic, the team announced in a tweet.

Bostic signed a two-year, $4MM deal with the team last March, but was unable to make it all the way through the pact. The Steelers traded up to draft inside linebacker Devin Bush from Michigan, which meant they no longer had any need for Bostic. After Ryan Shazier suffered his horrific injury during the 2017 season, inside linebacker became a huge need for the Steelers. They signed Bostic last offseason hoping he would be able to help vill the void, but things didn’t work out.

Bostic appeared in all 16 games last season and started 14, but he fell out of favor with the coaching staff down the stretch. The journeyman had said back in February he was hoping to stay in Pittsburgh in 2019 even with his reduced role. The Steelers wanted to address the position more permanently, and made the move up to get Bush.

Last year Bostic had 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three passes defended while earning average marks from Pro Football Focus. Wherever he ends up signing next, it’ll be his fifth team. Bostic was originally drafted in the second round by the Bears back in 2013, but has bounced around ever since. He’s spent time with Chicago, New England, Detroit, and Indianapolis, and always seems to end up starting games while underwhelming.

Still only 27, he should resurface somewhere else before too long. Ever since Shazier went down, Pittsburgh’s run defense has been very vulnerable. They moved up to the tenth overall pick in order to get Bush, and the hope is he’ll stabilize things for the foreseeable future.

As for the financial implications, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweets that the Steelers will save $1.8MM in cash by cutting Bostic. There will be $700K of dead money, so they’ll only save $1.1MM against the cap. Kaboly points out that the Steelers now have a whopping $26.5MM of cap space committed to players not currently on the roster.

Colts To Pick Up Ryan Kelly’s Fifth-Year Option

April 27th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2019 draft is officially in the rearview mirror. Coaches and front office heads are holding post-draft press conferences, and some news is beginning to trickle out of them.

Colts GM Chris Ballard said at his press conference that the team will pick up the fifth-year option on center Ryan Kelly‘s contract, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Kelly was taken by the Colts 18th overall back in 2016. This isn’t too surprising, as Kelly has been a starter since his rookie season. We don’t know the exact terms of the option yet, but it’ll pay him somewhere close to $10MM.

The fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, so it doesn’t actually ensure Kelly will be with the team at that price in 2020. Kelly has been a bit banged up the past couple of years, missing four games in 2018 and nine games in 2017. But he’s been solid when he’s been able to stay on the field, earning Pro Football Focus’ 14th-best grade among all centers last year.

Indianapolis’ offensive line took a major step forward last year, and was a huge part of the team’s success. Keeping Andrew Luck upright is the most important thing for the team, and they clearly view Kelly as the longterm answer at center. An Alabama product, Kelly will turn 26 next month.

Teams have until May 3rd to pick up the options on their 2016 first round picks. You can view the tracker with each team’s decision here.

2019 NFL Draft Results By Round

April 27th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are all 254 picks of the 2019 NFL draft, broken down by round, and featuring trades.

Here are the complete 2019 NFL draft results:

Round One:

  1. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB (Oklahoma)
  2. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, DE (Ohio State)
  3. New York Jets: Quinnen Williams, DT (Alabama)
  4. Oakland Raiders: Clelin Ferrell, DE (Clemson)
  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin White, LB (LSU)
  6. New York Giants: Daniel Jones, QB (Duke)
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Josh Allen, DE (Kentucky)
  8. Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson, TE (Iowa)
  9. Buffalo Bills: Ed Oliver, DT (Houston)
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Denver): Devin Bush, LB (Michigan)
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: Jonah Williams, T (Alabama)
  12. Green Bay Packers: Rashan Gary, DE (Michigan)
  13. Miami Dolphins: Christian Wilkins, DT (Clemson)
  14. Atlanta Falcons: Chris Lindstrom, G (Boston College)
  15. Washington Redskins: Dwayne Haskins, QB (Ohio State)
  16. Carolina Panthers: Brian Burns, DE (Florida State)
  17. New York Giants (from Cleveland): Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson)
  18. Minnesota Vikings: Garrett Bradbury, C (North Carolina State)
  19. Tennessee Titans: Jeffery Simmons, DT (Mississippi State)
  20. Denver Broncos (from Pittsburgh): Noah Fant, TE (Iowa)
  21. Green Bay Packers (from Seattle): Darnell Savage, S (Maryland)
  22. Philadelphia Eagles (from Baltimore): Andre Dillard, T (Washington State)
  23. Houston Texans: Tytus Howard, T (Alabama State)
  24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago): Josh Jacobs, RB (Alabama)
  25. Baltimore Ravens (from Philadelphia): Marquise Brown, WR (Oklahoma)
  26. Washington Redskins (from Indianapolis): Montez Sweat, DE (Mississippi State)
  27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas): Johnathan Abram, S (Mississippi State)
  28. Los Angeles Chargers: Jerry Tillery, DT (Notre Dame)
  29. Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City): L.J. Collier, DE (TCU)
  30. New York Giants (from New Orleans via Green Bay and Seattle): Deandre Baker, CB (Georgia)
  31. Atlanta Falcons (from Los Angeles Rams): Kaleb McGary, T (Washington)
  32. New England Patriots: N’Keal Harry, WR (Arizona State)

Round Two:

  1. Arizona Cardinals: Byron Murphy, CB (Washington)
  2. Indianapolis Colts (from New York Jets): Rock Ya-Sin, CB (Temple)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Oakland): Jawaan Taylor, T (Florida)
  4. San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel, WR (South Carolina)
  5. Carolina Panthers (from New York Giants via Seattle): Greg Little, T (Ole Miss)
  6. Buffalo Bills (from Jacksonville via Oakland): Cody Ford, T (Oklahoma)
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB (Central Michigan)
  8. Oakland Raiders (from Buffalo): Trayvon Mullen, CB (Clemson)
  9. Denver Broncos: Dalton Risner, T (Kansas State)
  10. Denver Broncos (from Cincinnati): Drew Lock, QB (Missouri)
  11. Detroit Lions: Jahlani Tavai, LB (Hawaii)
  12. Green Bay Packers: Elgton Jenkins, OL (Mississippi State)
  13. New England Patriots Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta via Los Angeles Rams): JoeJuan Williams, CB (Vanderbilt)
  14. Cleveland Browns (from Washington via Indianapolis): Greedy Williams, CB (LSU)
  15. Seattle Seahawks (from Carolina): Marquise Blair, S (Utah)
  16. New Orleans Saints (from Miami): Erik McCoy, OL (Texas A&M)
  17. Indianapolis Colts (from Cleveland Browns): Ben Banogu, LB (TCU)
  18. Minnesota Vikings: Irv Smith Jr., TE (Alabama)
  19. Tennessee Titans: A.J. Brown, WR (Ole Miss)
  20. Cincinnati Bengals (from Pittsburgh via Denver): Drew Sample, TE (Washington)
  21. Philadelphia Eagles (from Baltimore): Miles Sanders, RB (Penn State)
  22. Houston Texans (from Seattle): Lonnie Johnson, CB (Kentucky)
  23. Houston Texans: Max Scharping, T (Northern Illinois)
  24. Kansas City Chiefs (from Chicago via New England and Los Angeles Rams): Mecole Hardman, WR (Georgia)
  25. Philadelphia Eagles: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR (Stanford)
  26. Dallas Cowboys: Trysten Hill, DT (Central Florida)
  27. Indianapolis Colts: Parris Campbell, WR (Ohio State)
  28. Los Angeles Chargers: Nasir Adderley, S (Delaware)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (from Kansas City): Taylor Rapp, S (Washington)
  30. Arizona Cardinals (from New Orleans via Miami): Andy Isabella, WR (Massachusetts)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams): Juan Thornhill, S (Virginia)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (from New England): D.K. Metcalf, WR (Ole Miss)

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2019 NFL Draft Results By Team

April 27th, 2019 at 5:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are all 254 picks of the 2019 NFL draft, broken down by team. You can find a complete breakdown of the draft results by round right here.

Here are the complete 2019 NFL draft results by team:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

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Jaguars Trade No. 236 To Seahawks

April 27th, 2019 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Finishing up their trade-heavy draft, the Seahawks moved back into the seventh round via a deal with the Jaguars.

The Jags sent the Seahawks pick No. 236 and will receive a sixth-round pick in 2020 in doing so. With their new selection, the Seahawks took wide receiver John Ursua.

A 5-foot-10 wideout out of Hawaii, Ursua enjoyed a productive career. He totaled more than 2,600 yards in three seasons at Hawaii, peaking with an 89-reception, 1,343-yard, 16-touchdown 2018 season. Interestingly, Ursua left school early to turn pro.

The Seahawks have now drafted three wide receivers — Ursua, D.K. Metcalf and Wake Forest’s Gary Jennings — after it became known Doug Baldwin may not be able to continue his career. Additionally, the Seahawks drafted 11 players despite coming into the weekend with four picks.

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