HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers To Decline Joshua Garnett’s Option

May 2nd, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers will not pick up their option on guard Joshua Garnett, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). This was expected – thanks to injuries, Garnett has not lived up to the expectations laid out for him when the Niners used a late first-round pick on him in 2016. 

Garnett missed all of 2017 after undergoing knee surgery and only saw action as a reserve in seven games last year. Given his underwhelming performance and injury history, the Niners were not about to trigger his $10.350MM option for 2020, which they would have been stuck with if he was unable to pass a physical heading into next year.

The Stanford product started in 11 of his 15 games as a rookie, but even then, his performance was underwhelming – Garnett racked up penalties and didn’t excel in run blocking or pass blocking. The good news is that the team says Garnett is finally healthy, so this year could be an opportunity for the 25-year-old to turn a corner and boost his value before hitting the open market.

Jets Decline Darron Lee’s Option

May 2nd, 2019 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Jets will decline the 2020 fifth-year option on linebacker Darron Lee, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Lee, who has been a rumored trade candidate for a long time, is on course for unrestricted free agency following the 2019 season. 

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has been working hard to push the idea that Lee is still in the team’s plans, but it’s hard to believe him at this point. Earlier this offseason, the Jets added free agent linebacker C.J. Mosley on five-year, $85MM contract, making the underperforming Lee expendable. Now, Lee’s 2020 option – which would have been guaranteed for injury only – has been declined. Lee very much remains a trade candidate and he’s a name to keep an eye on between now and September.

Lee tallied 94 tackles and three sacks in 2017, but he took a step back in 2018, finishing with 74 tackles and no sacks in 12 games. To his credit, Lee did compile a career-high three interceptions last year, but he also missed four games due to a substance abuse ban.

Bears Hire Brad Childress

May 1st, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have hired longtime NFL coach Brad Childress as a senior offensive assistant, the club announced today.

Childress, 62, was hired by Chicago as an offensive analyst last February, but never actually worked for the team after being tabbed as the Atlanta Legends’ head coach in the Alliance of American Football. One month prior to the Legends’ first game, Childress abruptly stepped down as the franchise’s coach, leading to speculation he was nearing an NFL return.

The Browns were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Childress had they hired Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanksi as head coach, but the Bears always seemed like the most likely destination. Indeed, reports in early March indicated Childress was likely to re-join Chicago’s staff under Matt Nagy, with whom Childress enjoys a close relationship as a result of the pair’s time in Kansas City.

Childress, who’s served as OC for the Eagles, Browns, and Chiefs, spent five years (2006-10) as the head coach of the Vikings, compiling a record of 39-35.

Panthers Sign Four Undrafted Free Agents

May 1st, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers are the latest team to announced their 2019 undrafted free agent crop following the conclusion of last weekend’s draft. Carolina has agreed to terms with the following four players:

As Josh Norris of Rotoworld recently tweeted, the Panthers have been among the active NFL teams in signing Alliance of American Football veterans. Just this week, Carolina inked a pair of ex-AAF tight ends, bringing its total of AAF alums to eight. As such, the club didn’t necessarily have the roster space to add many undrafted collegiate free agents.

Holyfield, the son of heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield, was viewed as a potential late-round pick, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared him to NFL veteran Mark Ingram. Holyfield will compete with Cameron Artis-Payne, Elijah Hood, Reggie Bonnafon, and rookie fifth-rounder Jordan Scarlett for playing time behind Christian McCaffrey.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/1/19

May 1st, 2019 at 8:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s draft pick signings:

  • The Redskins have signed seventh-round defensive end Jordan Brailford, according to his agents at DEC Management (Twitter link). Brailford, the second-to-last pick of the 2019 draft, should ink a four-year deal worth roughly $2.595MM, per Over the Cap. In his final season at Oklahoma State, Brailford appeared in 13 games and posted 38 tackles (17 for loss) and 10 sacks), but Lance Zierlein of NFL.com says he lacks the size and speed needed to play in space. Brailford will likely compete for backup and special teams duties during his rookie campaign.

Ravens DT Michael Pierce Signs RFA Tender

May 1st, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pierce will now earn $3.095MM for the 2019 season.

The deadline has already passed for NFL teams to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, so Pierce didn’t have the ability to leave Baltimore. A rival club would have had to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Pierce, and while he’s an excellent player, the relatively low positional value for run-stuffing defensive tackles made such a scenario unlikely.

Pierce, 26, has appeared in 46 games for the Ravens since going undrafted in the 2016 draft. The 6’0″, 340-pounder played behind stalwart Brandon Williams on Baltimore’s interior defensive line last season, managing four tackles for loss on 389 total snaps. Pro Football Focus graded Pierce as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the league, and also ranked him 11th among interior defenders in run-stop percentage.

With Pierce now under contract, the only restricted free agents yet to sign their tenders are Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, Rams linebacker Cory Littleton, and Rams cornerback Troy Hill.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/1/19

May 1st, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived: G David Bright

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: S P.J. Locke (undrafted college free agent)

Seattle Seahawks

  • Waived: OL Marcus Henry

Steelers To Decline CB Artie Burns’ Option

May 1st, 2019 at 6:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers are not expected to exercise cornerback Artie Burns‘ fifth-year option for the 2020 season, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

[RELATED: 2020 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

Burns turns 24 years old today, so Pittsburgh’s decision comes as an unwelcome birthday present. Had the Steelers opted to pick up his option, Burns would have been scheduled to earn $9.954MM in 2020, but that total would have guaranteed for injury only. If Burns had remained healthy but underwhelmed with his play during the upcoming season, Pittsburgh could have cut bait with no financial ramifications.

The 25th pick of the 2016 draft, Burns started 25 games during his first two years with the Steelers, posting four total interceptions during that time. Things fell apart in 2018, as Burns was benched multiple times and ultimately started only six contests. Football Outsiders charted Burns with just a 42% success rate in coverage, which would have ranked him in the bottom-third of the league had he posted enough snaps to qualify.

Burns isn’t necessarily a lock for the Steelers’ 2019 roster, as the club would incur only ~$1.3MM in dead money by waiving him in the coming months. If he does return, Burns is likely to be buried on Pittsburgh’s secondary depth chart. Joe Haden, Mike Hilton, and free agent addition Steven Nelson project as the Steelers’ starting corners, while 2017 third-round pick Cameron Sutton and rookie third-rounder Justin Layne will also compete for snaps.

Texans To Sign S Jahleel Addae

May 1st, 2019 at 5:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have agreed to sign free agent safety Jahleel Addae, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. 

Addae, 29, was released by the Chargers just prior to the start of free agency after spending six years with the club. While a number of other safeties found hefty — and in Landon Collins‘ case, record-breaking — contracts on the open market, Addae hadn’t generated any known interest since being cut loose by Los Angeles.

The fact that he’s nearing 30 years of age may have softened Addae’s market, but his sub-par play in 2018 likely also had something to with his lack of suitors. Addae started all 16 games for the second consecutive season, but Pro Football Focus (which had previously assigned Addae high marks) graded him as just the No. 76 safety among 93 qualifiers. That rating was almost all a result of a precipitous decline in his pass coverage grade, although his run defense also took a slight step backward.

Where exactly Addae will play in Houston is unclear. The Texans have already replaced Tyrann Mathieu with free agent addition Tashaun Gipson, while 2018 rookie Justin Reid will return after playing nearly 1,000 snaps during his debut campaign. All three of Addae, Gipson, Reid played primarily free safety last season, but Addae spent the most total snaps (207) in the box, so he could play something of a third linebacker role if needed.

Redskins Decline WR Josh Doctson’s Option

May 1st, 2019 at 5:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have declined wide receiver Josh Doctson‘s fifth-year option for 2020, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

[RELATED: 2020 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

Doctson was part of a 2016 first-round receiver class that has — for the most part — failed to live up to expectations. Of the four wideouts selected in the top-32 of that draft, only the Texans’ Will Fuller had his fifth-year option exercised. Vikings pass-catcher Laquon Treadwell joined Doctson in having his option declined, while Corey Coleman‘s option wasn’t even applicable given that he’s been released multiple times.

Had the Redskins picked up his option, Docston would have been due $10.162MM for the 2020 campaign, an untenable figure given his lack of NFL production. Doctson appeared in only two games in his rookie season due to injury, and he averaged just 40 receptions, 517 yards, and four touchdowns in each of the past two years. Efficiency was a problem for the 26-year-old in 2018, as he ranked 96th out of 107 qualifying receivers in yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus.

Washington added two receivers in the 2019 draft, taking Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin in the third round and North Carolina State’s Kelvin Harmon in the sixth. They’ll join a roster that already includes Doctson, Paul Richardson, Brian Quick, and Trey Quinn, among others.

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