HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Falcons Sign First-Round Pick Kaleb McGary

May 9th, 2019 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons announced the signing of first-round tackle Kaleb McGary on Thursday. In addition to McGary, the club also inked fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield. 

The Falcons used their first Round 1 pick (No. 14) overall on Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom. But, they weren’t done revamping their offensive line, and they refused to let McGary get away. The Falcons traded their second- and third-round picks to the Rams to move back into the first round and snag McGary at No. 31 overall, giving them an alternative to Ty Sambrailo at right tackle.

Sheffield began his collegiate career at Alabama before taking his talents to Ohio State, where he spent the last two seasons. Last year, he notched 35 tackles and two interceptions, putting him on the NFL radar. He’ll now look to stand out in an Atlanta cornerback group that is without Robert Alford and Brian Poole.

With McGary and Sheffield taken care of, the Falcons have just one straggler left in Lindstrom.

Patriots Meet With Ben Watson

May 9th, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

Former Saints tight end Ben Watson, who previously said he would retire, will meet with the Patriots on Thursday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Watson isn’t putting all of his eggs into the Patriots’ basket, either – he’s also considering the Chiefs, Bills and, 49ers, according to Schefter. 

Watson is a free agent following the expiration of his one-year, $2MM Saints contract. He played four of the past six seasons with the Saints, who since replaced him with pricey free agent Jared Cook.

Watson played the 2017 season with the Ravens, missing all of 2016 due to injury, and spent the first three years of this decade in Cleveland. Unfortunately, his 2018 season ended a bit early when he missed the NFC championship game due to appendicitis. He caught 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.

Now, he could return to where it all began. Watson spent the first six years of his career with the Patriots after entering the league as the final first-round pick in the 2004 draft. After Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, the Pats could certainly use the help, even if Watson doesn’t offer the same upside as the party animal.

Seahawks To Sign CB Jamar Taylor

May 9th, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor is set to sign with the Seahawks, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but the two sides may hammer out terms on Thursday as Taylor meets with coaches and tours the facility. 

[RELATED: Seahawks To Sign Ziggy Ansah]

Taylor should figure into the Seahawks’ slot corner competition where he would potentially replace the departed Justin Coleman. The 2013 second-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Dolphins before being dealt to the Browns. He was productive during his two seasons with Cleveland, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. In 2017, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and finished with a career-high 62 tackles.

Taylor, who will turn 29 in September, will battle with Akeem King, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins, and rookie Ugo Amadi for the primary slot role. Earlier this offseason, coach Pete Carroll indicated that the nickel spot would be wide open in camp.

Extra Points: Collins, Peppers, Raiders

May 8th, 2019 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dealing with several young talents’ contract situations, the Cowboys certainly may have to let a couple of their contract-year starters walk. One of those the team may be ready to stomach departing: La’el Collins. Dallas’ starting right tackle is already on his second NFL contract, and it expires after the season. The Cowboys are expected to let Collins depart after 2019, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Joining Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Jaylon Smith and Byron Jones as key Cowboys in walk years, Collins would stand to be a key presence on the 2020 free agent market. While Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones mentioned him as a player the team would like to retain, Watkins adds the team does not want to shell out a big contract to keep him — which obviously means not going near the prices Trent Brown and Ja’Wuan James received in March. This would make sense, with the Cowboys already having three well-paid offensive linemen — Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick — on their roster.

The Cowboys drafted Connor McGovern in the third round and have 2018 second-rounder Connor Williams set to compete with him and Xavier Su’a-Filo for the left guard position this season. Williams may be in the mix to take over at right tackle next season, should McGovern or Su’a-Filo win this year’s left guard job, per Watkins.

Here is the latest from around the NFL:

  • Julius Peppers wrapped up one of the most successful careers in edge rusher history but will not be leaving the Panthers. The recently retired defensive end will take a job with the Panthers, his title being “special assistant, business operations,” the team announced. It does not sound like the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer will be contributing to the front office’s efforts, but perhaps that type of role could be in his future.
  • Speaking of former players landing on staffs, former Redskins safety Kyshoen Jarrett will break into full-time coaching. Jarrett is now a Redskins defensive quality control coach, per NBC Sports Washington. Suffering a career-ending injury as a rookie, Jarrett worked as a Washington coaching intern last season.
  • In addition to hiring former Cowboys scout Jim Abrams as their new college scouting director, the Raiders added Dwayne Joseph as their pro scouting director, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Joseph spent the past four years in the same role with the Eagles and was a Bears staffer prior to that. With Mike Mayock retooling Oakland’s scouting department, more hires are on the way.
  • The Broncos will no longer have a Kubiak on their staff. After Gary and Klint Kubiak left for the Vikings, one of Gary’s other sons — Klein Kubiak — will not be part of the Broncos’ staff going forward. Klein Kubiak worked as the team’s southeast area scout, but his contract was not renewed, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (on Twitter). Frantzy Jourdain will fill the position. Jordan spent the past three years with Houston, serving as first an area scout and then a national scout, and the previous 13 in New England. The Texans parted ways with Jourdain last month.

Seahawks To Sign Ziggy Ansah

May 8th, 2019 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks won out for Ziggy Ansah. The former Lions defensive end will head west on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Ansah will sign his deal on Thursday, Rapoport tweets. This will take a key free agent off the board, a day after UFA signings became disconnected from 2020 compensatory picks.

It appeared the Seahawks and Bills were vying for Ansah, with Brandon Beane remarking hours ago his team was still negotiating with the former Pro Bowl pass rusher. But the Seahawks, who had a much bigger immediate need at defensive end, will make the addition. Ansah will join first-round pick L.J. Collier in a new-look Seattle edge corps.

The Seahawks’ Frank Clark trade left them vulnerable on the edge. They used the No. 29 overall pick on Collier, who maxed out at six sacks in his best TCU season, but now have a former top-five pick in the fold. Ansah has struggled with injuries, his most recent shoulder malady set to keep him out until perhaps midway through training camp, but has been productive when healthy. The soon-to-be 30-year-old edge presence has 48 career sacks, his 14.5 in 2015 sending him to the Pro Bowl and the 12 in 2017 inducing the Lions to place their franchise tag on him last year.

Free agent edges Nick Perry and Shane Ray also visited Seattle, but the team will go with Ansah. Perry and Ray join several starter- or sub-package-level pass rushers still available. Derrick Morgan, Michael Johnson, Andre Branch, Pernell McPhee, Dion Jordan and others remain on the market.

Eagles Waive WR Johnny Holton

May 8th, 2019 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Signed to a reserve/futures contract after last season, Johnny Holton did not quite make it to Eagles OTAs.

The Eagles waived the former UDFA wide receiver on Wednesday. Holton spent his first three NFL seasons with the Raiders, contributing on special teams and, in 2017, when the team went to four- and five-receiver sets.

Philadelphia used one of its five draft choices on a wideout, third-rounder J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and have a host of other receivers jockeying for position behind Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor. Braxton Miller, Mack Hollins and possible AAF-buoyed rebound candidate Charles Johnson comprise part of Philly’s mix for the final receiver spots.

Holton, 27, had his best season with the ’17 Raiders, averaging 24.2 yards per catch and scoring three touchdowns. He played in just one game in 2018.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/8/19

May 8th, 2019 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

More draft choices put pen to paper on Wednesday. Here is the latest on the pick-signing front:

  • After signing two sixth-round picks on Tuesday, the Steelers checked a few more items off their offseason checklist by signing three more draftees. Third-round wide receiver Diontae Johnson signed the standard four-year rookie contract. Both fourth-round running back Benny Snell and seventh-round offensive lineman Derwin Gray signed as well. Johnson will be the player likely tasked with making the earliest impact, considering the Steelers lost arguably the greatest wideout in franchise history. Johnson will join Donte Moncrief as the new receivers tasked with helping the team replace Antonio Brown.
  • The Dolphins signed both of their seventh-round picks — fullback Chandler Cox and running back Myles Gaskin — on Wednesday. Gaskin, the No. 234 overall pick, succeeded Saquon Barkley at Penn State. Despite his late draft slot, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets he is the frontrunner to become Miami’s No. 3 back.

Raiders Sign 10 UDFAs

May 8th, 2019 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams continue to announce their undrafted free agent hauls. Here is the Raiders’ 10-man contingent:

Going heavy on offensive linemen after a nine-player draft did not bring any blockers, the Raiders added some big-school talent with extensive starting experience. Cotton started 28 games for the Crimson Tide, at both left and right guard, helping Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris and Raiders first-rounder Josh Jacobs to big per-carry numbers. McNeil has both guard and tackle experience and was a key presence (46 starts in a four-year career) in helping Lamar Jackson to two dominant seasons with the Cardinals.

The duo, along with James and Roemer, will battle to join 2018 second-round pick Brandon Parker among the Raiders’ backup linemen. With Brandon Marshall and Vontaze Burfict signed to one-year deals, the Raiders’ Las Vegas tenure may need some new blood at linebacker. The Raiders did not draft one, so Coney (two 100-plus-tackle seasons with the Fighting Irish) and Farmer (28 starts with the Nittany Lions) figure to be candidates to stick around via the 53-man roster or, more likely, the practice squad.

Doss said he received better offers than what the Raiders proposed, but UC Davis’ all-time receiving leader opted to play for his hometown team (before it relocates to Vegas next year). Jon Gruden mentioned pre-draft that he wanted to add at least one more cornerback to the roster, but the Raiders drafted both Trayvon Mullen (in Round 2) and Isaiah Johnson (in Round 4). That will make Mabin and Nixon’s paths to the active roster difficult.

East Rumors: Ansah, Bills, Scherff, Cowboys

May 8th, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills do not appear ready to concede they are losing the Ziggy Ansah race. It is unclear what terms have been exchanged between Ansah and the teams pursuing him, but Brandon Beane does not believe the Seahawks are the favorites to land the defensive end.

“We’re still in talks with him and his agent,” Beane said during an interview with 1270 The Fan (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, on Twitter). “Everything has been very good. All I’ll say about reports (regarding Seattle is emerging as favorite) is I don’t buy into that garbage, especially when I consider where some of the sourcing comes from.”

While the Seahawks have a more immediate need for edge rushers, the Bills recently declined perpetual trade candidate Shaq Lawson‘s fifth-year option and have Jerry Hughes in a contract year. Ansah visited the Bills in March, but the rehabbing lineman was not expected to sign until at least April. It appears the finish line is near for the soon-to-be 30-year-old sack artist’s decision.

Here is the latest news coming out of the Eastern divisions:

  • A torn pectoral muscle ended Brandon Scherff‘s fourth season, but there do not appear to be any complications in his return. Scherff expects to be ready for Redskins training camp. The fifth-year guard said (via Redskins.com) he was at around 90 percent when the Redskins started their offseason program late last month. In February, we heard Washington and its top guard began discussing an extension. But nothing has emerged on that front since. Scherff is entering his fifth-year option season.
  • Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Cowboys have a host of extension candidates. While Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper have emerged as the clubhouse leaders to be signed first, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones included Ezekiel Elliott in that conversation. Jones called Elliott “every bit as important,” per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). It still looks like Elliott, under contract through 2020, will take a backseat to Cooper and Prescott for the time being. The Cowboys have a history of overworking running backs as their rookie deals wind down, as DeMarco Murray‘s final Dallas season showed, but Jones is saying the right things regarding the team wanting Elliott in the fold long-term.
  • Jones also mentioned Jaylon Smith, La’el Collins and Byron Jones as players the team would like to address. “I feel very good that we’re going to strategically work through getting guys like Dak and Amari and Zeke done. And I think we can still do others,” Jones said (via Machota, on Twitter). Each is going into a contract year, with Collins having already signed two NFL deals despite entering the league at the same time as Cooper and Jones. But it will be difficult for the Cowboys to retain all three members of this section of their extension queue, given how much Prescott, Cooper and Elliott will cost.
  • The Bills reshuffled their scouting department recently. Former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, in his fourth year in Buffalo, is now a senior national scout with the Bills. Buffalo also hired A.J. Highsmith and Mike Szabo as area scouts. A.J. Highsmith, a 49ers staffer over the past five years, is the son of Browns executive Alonzo Highsmith. The Bills also announced Asil Mulbah received a promotion, becoming a pro scout, and that R.J. Webb is now on board as a scouting assistant.

Eagles Extend S Blake Countess

May 8th, 2019 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after reacquiring Blake Countess, the Eagles added a year to his contract. The Eagles submitted a successful waiver claim for Countess last week, bringing their 2016 draft choice back to Philadelphia, and they redid his deal.

Countess’ contract now runs through 2020, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The recent Rams mainstay was entering a contract year. While Countess’ new salaries are not known, Frank adds that the Eagles lowered his 2019 price with this new deal.

Entering the offseason as a restricted free agent, Countess was tethered to a $2.025MM salary via original-round tender. The 25-year-old safety refused a Rams pay cut and ended up back with the Eagles, who initially waived him months after drafting him.

The Eagles did not draft a safety, but their post-draft Countess claim has them in good position on the back line. Countess and former Vikings starter Andrew Sendejo appear in line to back up Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod. Jenkins, though, is away from the team and McLeod accepted a substantial pay decrease after missing most of last season. Cornerback Avonte Maddox also played some safety last season, giving the Eagles plenty of options at this spot.

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