HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Seahawks Sign D.K. Metcalf

May 22nd, 2019 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have officially signed second-round pick D.K. Metcalf, according to a team announcement. Per the terms of his slot, Metcalf will earn roughly $4.6MM over the course of his four-year deal. 

Metcalf has drawn national attention for his physique, but the Seahawks see him as more than just a 6’3″ mass of muscles. The Ole Miss product was widely projected to be a first-round pick this year, but the Seahawks managed to snag him at the end of the second round after a trade up with the Patriots.

Metcalf’s skill set was a hotly debated topic in the draft community, with his college production and agility numbers paling in comparison to his physique and speed-strength combination. Ultimately, he was the ninth wide receiver selected in the 2019 draft.

As a freshman, Metcalf caught 39 passes for 646 yards and seven touchdowns. All turned out to be career-best marks, with A.J. Brown having led the Rebels in receiving last season. Metcalf finished as Ole Miss’ third-leading receiver in 2018, despite appearing in only seven games.

The Seahawks now have ten of their eleven draft picks officially in the fold – only third-round linebacker Cody Barton remains unsigned.

Falcons’ Steven Means Done For Year

May 22nd, 2019 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Steven Means‘ season is already over. On Wednesday, the Falcons announced that the defensive end will not be able to play in 2019 due to an Achilles injury. 

It’s a frustrating setback for Means, who joined the Falcons after their season opener last year and went on to appear in eight games with four starts. This offseason, the Falcons inked Means to a one-year extension before he could hit the open market, a sign that they had bigger plans for him in the coming year.

Means entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Bucs in 2013 and has also spent time with the Ravens, Texans and Eagles over the course of his NFL career. He’ll be out of contract after the season, so he may have to don another jersey in 2020.

The good news is that even without Means, the Falcons have a solid DE rotation, including Takkarist McKinley, Vic Beasley, Adrian Clayborn, and fourth-round pick John Cominsky.

NFL Suspends Bengals G Alex Redmond

May 22nd, 2019 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals guard Alex Redmond has been hit with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, according to Adam Schefter and Kat Terrell of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Redmond played with a torn labrum and hamstring last year and Schefter writes that Redmond “made a bad decision to try to help it.” Based on that, it sounds like Redmond has accepted responsibility for the violation and will not appeal. 

Redmond started 15 games for the Bengals last year but graded out as just the No. 53 ranked guard in the NFL last year for his work across 928 snaps. This year, he was expected to serve as a backup, despite his presence on a line that cleared the way for Joe Mixon to amass an AFC-best 1,168 rushing yards.

Redmond will be sidelined for the Bengals’ games against the Seahawks, 49ers, Bills, and Steelers before being eligible to return against the Cardinals on Oct. 6.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Leggett, Pats, Inman

May 22nd, 2019 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, the Buccaneers beat out four other teams to land former Jets tight end Jordan Leggett off waivers. We now know the identities of those other four clubs, thanks to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter): the Bills, Packers, Steelers and Titans all placed claims on the 2017 fifth-round pick, but the Bucs won out due to their higher waiver priority.

Given the widespread interest in Leggett, one can’t help but wonder if the Jets and interim GM Adam Gase could have netted a conditional draft pick for him in a trade. Instead, the Jets lost the tight end for nothing.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • The Jets won’t hire a firm for their GM search, but they have told people that TV personality & sideline reporter Peter Schrager could be contacted for assistance on prospective candidates, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). However, we have conflicting word on that front – Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears that Schrager is only being considered for a broadcast role on the team’s preseason telecasts and won’t have any involvement in the team’s GM hunt.
  • The Patriots gave wide receiver Dontrelle Inman a one-year deal worth $1.5M with $300K guaranteed, plus another $1MM in incentives (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe). Inman still has to win his roster spot, but, as Volin notes, it is notable that he got more than just a minimum deal.
  • The Bills may be without new tight end Tyler Kroft to start the season.
  • The Dolphins made a serious commitment to cornerback Xavien Howard, but they’re still on track to have more than $100MM in spending room next offseason.

Colts Interested In Gerald McCoy

May 22nd, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The market for Gerald McCoy is starting to take shape. The Colts “have a level of interest” in the defensive tackle, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59. 

The Colts still have $58MM available after a quieter-than-expected offseason, so they could be real contenders for McCoy, the top remaining free agent. The Colts fortified their edge rush a bit by adding Justin Houston on a two-year, $23MM deal in late March and McCoy could serve to strengthen things up on the interior.

The Bucs didn’t think McCoy was worth ~$13MM for 2019, but he was still quite productive in 2018 as he posted six sacks and brought his career total to 54.5. Like Houston, McCoy offers an impressive resume with multiple Pro Bowl appearances plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2013 when he posted a career-best 9.5 sacks.

The Browns are also said to be interested in McCoy and the veteran would also make sense for clubs like the Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Cowboys, Broncos, and Vikings.

 

Cardinals To Sign DT Terrell McClain

May 22nd, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle Terrell McClain will sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McClain played in 13 games for the Falcons last season and started five.

McClain stabilized his career with the Cowboys, playing three seasons and being a full-time starter in 2016. He used that season as a springboard to a semi-lucrative deal with the Redskins, but they released him just after the 2018 draft, leading him to Atlanta.

The former third-round draft pick, started his career with Panthers and also played for the Patriots and Texans. He has history with new Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, so he won’t have much of a learning curve in Arizona.

The Cardinals invested two draft picks in the defensive line while balancing things out this offseason with veteran additions like Darius Philon and McClain.

Browns Inquire On Gerald McCoy

May 22nd, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have inquired on free agent defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. We learned earlier this week that the Browns discussed McCoy internally and their interest seems to be genuine now that they have made direct contact with the six-time Pro Bowler. 

The Browns weren’t interested in trading for McCoy when he was set to make $13MM in 2019, but he could potentially be had at a lower rate now that he is a free agent. Of course, the Browns won’t be the only club to kick the tires on McCoy, especially since the Bucs took fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh off the market on Tuesday. The Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Cowboys, Broncos, and Vikings would all make varying degrees of sense for the accomplished sack artist.

Meanwhile, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes, Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is already lobbying to bring McCoy to Cleveland.

Lions Work Out WR Jermaine Kearse

May 22nd, 2019 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions worked out wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, a deal is not necessarily on the horizon. The Lions made an offer to the Jets free agent, Schefter hears, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.

Kearse came to the Jets from the Seahawks in the Sheldon Richardson trade of 2017. Kearse went on to enjoy the best statistical campaign of his career by managing 65 receptions for 810 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with Gang Green. Last year wasn’t quite as strong, but he finished out with a 37/371/1 in the Jets’ spotty offense.

Last year, Kearse made $5.55MM and he is probably reluctant to take a serious pay cut from that figure. Meanwhile, the Lions already boast a deep group of receivers, so they’re not exactly desperate for the veteran’s help.

Currently, the Lions have 12 receivers on the roster, including Danny Amendola, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., Jordan Smallwood, and Tommylee Lewis.

Packers S Josh Jones Seeking Trade

May 21st, 2019 at 9:22pm CST by Ben Levine

In 2017, the Packers selected safety Josh Jones in the second round of the draft. Two years later, the defensive back is seeking a trade. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports, Jones is skipping the Packers’ OTAs with the hope of forcing a trade.

A source told Demovsky that Jones “believes it would be best for both him and the Packers if they parted ways.” The 24-year-old continues to work out with a trainer in Florida as he prepares for training camp. Jones had previously reported to the start of offseason workouts back in April.

“I have not talked to him,” said head coach Matt LaFleur (via the Associated Press). “I’m just going to focus on the guys that are here. That’s something that I know [general manager Brian Gutekunst] has a good handle on that situation.”

Jones has spent his entire brief career in Green Bay, although he’s yet to emerge as a full-time starter. The safety seemingly took a step back during his sophomore season, finishing with 55 tackles, one sack, and two passes defended in 13 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Jones 70th among 93 eligible safeties.

The Packers invested heavily on the safety position this offseason. The team inked former Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36MM deal. The Packers later traded up in the first round to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage Jr..

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