HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Thomas Davis On Suspension, Chargers Decision, Retirement Plans

June 22nd, 2019 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Thomas Davis said in January 2018 he was eyeing one more season and a retirement as a Panther. But in June of last year, he reopened the door to his career extending beyond 2018.

The four-game PED suspension played a key role in the veteran linebacker deciding to return for a 15th season. He is now attached to a two-year, $10.5MM Chargers deal.

“In my mind, going into last season, that was the thought process,” Davis said, via The Athletic’s Rich Hammond, of retiring after 2018, “that I would go in and have a good season and play well. But then, after being out for that time, you start to realize how much you really love the game, and I thought if I could still go out and compete at a high level, then there was no thought in my mind at that point that I was going to shut it down.”

Although entering his age-36 season, Davis is projected to be a Chargers starter. After seven years of the Davis-Luke Kuechly partnership, the Panthers moved on. Shaq Thompson is in position to be Kuechly’s new three-down sidekick, with Thomas announcing in January that the Panthers were moving in this direction.

Davis chose the Bolts quickly in free agency, citing the talent on the team’s roster — in particular Philip Rivers — as why he opted to move across the country. The Bolts went 12-4 last season — their first double-digit win total since 2009 — and return one of the NFL’s most balanced rosters.

“That’s all I’m thinking of. That’s all that matters now,” Davis said of winning a Super Bowl. “Philip is a guy that’s getting up there in age like me and he deserves a ring. I feel like, given what I’ve gone through, I deserve it as well.”

Los Angeles’ AFC franchise opted to fortify its linebacker corps via the Davis addition and re-signing Denzel Perryman this offseason. They also drafted two ‘backers, fourth-rounder Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame) and sixth-rounder Emeke Egbule (Houston).

Davis’ deal includes $5.25MM in guarantees, but his base salary spikes from $1.25MM to $4.25MM between 2019 and ’20. Hammond does not expect the Chargers to carry a 37-year-old linebacker on a $7.25MM cap number next season, but despite going into last season with retirement plans, Davis has not decided 2019 will be his final NFL slate yet.

“I’m coming in with the mindset of being the best I can this year,” Davis said, “and then seeing what happens after the season. If we win the Super Bowl and they want me back, then we’ll see how it goes.”

Broncos TE Jake Butt Eyeing Training Camp Return

June 22nd, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Less than a year after undergoing ACL and meniscus surgery, Broncos tight end Jake Butt is already eyeing a return to the field. The 23-year-old told Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post that he’ll be ready to go for training camp next month (Twitter link).

“I feel really, really close,” Butt said (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala on Twitter). “At this point it’s just about getting back into football shape and to where I feel good every day.”

The 2017 fifth-rounder out of Michigan has struggled through injuries during his brief career. He missed his entire rookie season as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered during his senior year. He came into the 2018 campaign fully healthy, and he started each of the Broncos’ first three games, hauling in eight receptions for 85 yards. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during a non-contact drill at practice, ending his sophomore season.

Butt will have a bit more competition at his position heading into 2019, as the Broncos used a first-round pick on tight end Noah Fant. The team is also rostering Jeff Heuerman and Troy Fumagalli, meaning the coaching staff has the depth to bring Butt along slowly.

This Date In Transactions History: David Harris Joins Patriots

June 22nd, 2019 at 12:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have a penchant for adding veterans on the downside of their careers. The organization also seems to enjoy poaching talent from their division rivals, especially the Jets. The Patriots have added a number of former Jets players since Belichick joined the Patriots (from the Jets, no less) in 2000, including the high-profile (Darrelle Revis) and low-profile (Danny Woodhead). Therefore, it wasn’t much of a surprise when the Patriots added a long-time Jets linebacker two years ago today.

The Jets selected David Harris in the second-round of the 2007 draft, and the linebacker quickly established himself as one of the most dependable members of their defense. From 2009 through 2015, Harris didn’t miss a single regular season game, and he earned an All-Pro nod in 2009 after posting 127 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The linebacker is also top-10 in a number of Jets’ records, including tackles (fourth-708), sacks (eighth-35), and forced fumbles (eighth-10).

However, Harris and the organization hit a bit of a crossroad in 2017. The team was eyeing a rebuild, and they wanted their veteran to take a pay cut. The 33-year-old wouldn’t budge, so the Jets made the “abrupt” move of releasing their long-time player in early June. Then, two weeks later, Harris signed with the Jets’ division rivals on a two-year, $5MM ($1.5MM guaranteed) deal. The move was made official on June 22nd, 2017.

How did it work for the Patriots? Probably about as expected, if not a bit underwhelming. Harris did provide New England with some much-needed depth up the gut, and the veteran ended up compiling 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 10 games (six starts). However, Harris sat out three of the Patriots’ final four regular season games (including their season-finale against the Jets), and he didn’t appear in any of the team’s three playoff games. Harris ended up retiring following the 2017 season, and the Jets were probably on to something when they let him go the previous year.

During his tenure in New York, Harris clearly did enough to establish himself as one of the best defenders in Jets history. However, at least among Jets fan, his resume will always hold one tiny blemish.

FA QB Trevone Boykin Arrested

June 22nd, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Ben Levine

While Trevone Boykin‘s chances of reviving his NFL career were already slim, they seemingly took another hit last night. Darrin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the quarterback was arrested on Friday evening. Boykin was charged with aggravated assault from a 2018 incident.

The Seahawks released Boykin in March of 2018 following accusations of domestic abuse from his girlfriend. While the quarterback denied the allegations, he was subsequently arrested on charges of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. It’s uncertain if this most recent arrest was connected to that incident or another incident (Shabrika Bailey claimed that the previously-reported assault was not a one-time event). Following that first arrest, the NFL suspended Boykin for one game, a suspension that would presumably be enforced should he ever get another NFL gig.

Of course, off-field conduct aside, Boykin hadn’t done much to warrant a spot on an NFL roster. The quarterback had standout junior and senior seasons at TCU, but he still went undrafted during the 2016 draft. He ended up catching on with the Seahawks, where he appeared in five games as a rookie. That season, Boykin completed 13 of his 18 pass attempts for 145 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He didn’t make a single appearance during the 2017 campaign.

We heard in early June that Boykin had auditioned for Vince McMahon’s XFL, and it’s easy to assume that this arrest wouldn’t prevent him from participating in that league.

Nate Solder Expects To Be Ready For Training Camp

June 22nd, 2019 at 9:34am CST by Ben Levine

Despite undergoing offseason ankle surgery, Giants lineman Nate Solder is expecting to be ready for training camp. The veteran left tackle told Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com that there’s “no reason to think” he won’t be good to go by the end of July (Twitter link).

Solder had previously been dealing with bone spurs, and we learned in May that the lineman had underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean out his ankle. Fortunately, it wasn’t considered a “major surgery,” and the 31-year-old was expected to be recovered by early August. Solder’s accelerated timeline is good news for the Giants, as the offensive line allowed 47 sacks last season.

The former first-rounder joined the Giants last offseason after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Patriots. His new four-year, $62 million contract ($35MM guaranteed) made him the NFL’s highest-paid lineman at the time, and Solder proceeded to award the team’s investment by starting all 16 games in 2018. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked Solder 21st among 80 eligible offensive tackles.

If Solder needs a bit more time coming back, the Giants could turn to Brian Mihalik or Jylan Ware, or they could consider swapping right tackle Chad Wheeler to the left side of the offensive line. Either way, it sounds like the Giants will have their top lineman ready to go for the start of the regular season, although it’s uncertain if he’ll be protecting veteran Eli Manning or rookie Daniel Jones.

OBJ: Giants Fit ‘Wasn’t Working Anymore’

June 21st, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Odell Beckham Jr. stayed away from almost all of the Browns’ OTAs, not reporting to his new team until mandatory minicamp, the Pro Bowl wide receiver views Cleveland as a better fit for him than New York would have been going forward.

“I just felt with the Giants I was just stuck at a place that wasn’t working for me anymore,” Beckham said, via Complex.com’s Jacob Davey. “I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to reach my full potential there. Mentally, physically, spiritually, everything I felt capable of doing, I just couldn’t see it happening there.”

The 26-year-old wideout certainly had a tumultuous run in the Big Apple, his most recent two seasons cut short by injuries. The Giants traded Beckham for Jabrill Peppers, along with first- and third-round picks, in March. GM Dave Gettleman pulled the trigger after repeatedly saying he did not extend Beckham to trade him. The Giants started 1-7 in each of the past two seasons.

Beckham was part of several headline-driving stories during his five-year New York stay, one of which — an ESPN interview that criticized Eli Manning and questioned the Giants’ new offensive system — irking Pat Shurmur and leading to the wideout apologizing to the team midway through last season.

On the field, however, Beckham remains one of the league’s best. In 2016, the most recent of his three Pro Bowl slates, Beckham played a key role in the Giants reaching the playoffs. Though the 2014 first-round pick missed 16 games over the past two seasons, his 92.8 receiving yards per game rank second all time.

“I think allowing me to be in an environment where I can be myself and give it a different approach, I feel like my football will benefit,” Beckham said. “I’m just excited about being able to play football again and not have to deal with all the other stuff and politics that came with my previous role.”

The sixth-year receiver now joins longtime friend and former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry in northeast Ohio. That duo will be tasked with being an essential part of ending the Browns’ 16-season playoff drought. The five-year, $90MM extension Beckham signed in 2018 has him tethered to the Browns through 2023.

“I’m very excited by the culture at the Browns. It’s been building over the years, and they’ve got players over there who I just know I’m gonna click with,” Beckham said. “Jarvis is a brother of mine, and we dreamed of this moment. It’s just crazy that it’s actually happening.”

NFC East Notes: Eagles, McCoy, Giants

June 21st, 2019 at 8:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Brandon Brooks going down with a torn Achilles in the second round of the playoffs, the Eagles face an issue regarding how their starting offensive line will look come Week 1. But five months later, Brooks revealed a bit about where his recovery process stands. The veteran guard shared a brief workout video (Twitter link) that shows him doing agility drills again. The fourth-year Eagle will almost certainly begin training camp on the active/PUP list, and it can’t be considered a lock he will be ready for the start of the season. But this represents an encouraging sign from the mammoth offensive lineman.

In the event Brooks is not ready to go in September, a contingency plan might involve a position switch. Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who replaced Jason Peters at left tackle as a rookie in 2017, has worked at guard at times this offseason. The Eagles appear to be preparing Vaitai to be their Brooks stopgap, in the event he needs more time, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. The Eagles drafted Andre Dillard in Round 1 and have rugby convert Jordan Mailata at tackle as well, so Vaitai working at guard may be a way to stay on the roster. This is interesting given that Stefen Wisniewski (24 Eagles left guard starts from 2016-18) re-signed in May. It would stand to reason the experienced interior lineman would be the Brooks fill-in, but Doug Pederson mentioned a possible Vaitai-Lane Johnson right side recently.

Shifting to more NFC East position battles, here is the latest out of the division:

  • The Eagles’ Zach Brown addition figures to clear up uncertainty about their three-down linebacker sets, with Brown joining Nigel Bradham. And despite the return of Paul Worrilow and arrival of L.J. Fort, Zangaro notes Kamu Grugier-Hill remains the third linebacker in base sets and adds it would not be a surprise to see him gut into Brown’s work in nickel sets. Grugier-Hill played 32% of the Eagles’ 2018 defensive snaps. Brown, however, posted a top-10 Pro Football Focus coverage grade last season. Grugier-Hill did not grade nearly as well.
  • Colt McCoy‘s final surgery total from the fractured fibula he suffered late last season: three. The veteran Redskins quarterback is expected to be cleared for training camp, but J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington notes McCoy indeed underwent three procedures since December — the most recent coming in April. McCoy’s knowledge of Jay Gruden‘s offense will help him in Washington’s QB battle and possibly as a mentor type once Dwayne Haskins inevitably takes over this season.
  • Once Janoris Jenkins returned to work this offseason, Deandre Baker remained a Giants first-stringer over Sam Beal this offseason. And UDFA Grant Haley resides as the favorite to replace B.W. Webb as the team’s slot corner, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com writes. While including Beal as a possible challenger for the slot job, along with fourth-round rookie Julian Love, Dunleavy notes the 2018 supplemental draft pick does not have slot experience. This would stand to make the Western Michigan product Big Blue’s CB4 to start the season.
  • Alec Ogletree has one Giants inside linebacker job locked up, and as of now, fourth-year man B.J. Goodson is the team’s base-set starter. Tae Davis remains the nickel replacement for Goodson, per Dunleavy, but rookie fifth-round pick Ryan Connelly is in the mix for this role. The fifth-rounder out of Wisconsin was viewed as one of this draft’s top coverage linebackers.

Shyheim Cullen Enters Supplemental Draft

June 21st, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

A second name is now in the supplemental draft mix. Syracuse linebacker Shyheim Cullen has submitted his name for the summer draft, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reports.

Cullen announced his paperwork for the midsummer event has been approved, and while no date has been publicly set, the linebacker broke some news in including “July 10” in his draft-related comment. The 2018 supplemental draft occurred on July 11.

He joins West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms in the draft pool. A three-year Orange contributor, Cullen was academically suspended from school before the spring semester. The NCAA ruling him ineligible, Cullen announced in May he would seek a spot in the supplemental draft.

Two players were selected in last year’s supplemental draft, with the Giants and Redskins respectively choosing defensive backs Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander. But Cullen has not put together much of a draftable resume. Part of Syracuse’s first-string defense for only part of one season, Cullen’s career-high for tackles is 31. Prior to 2018, he was a special-teamer for the ACC program.

Nevertheless, the supplemental draft now has two entries — both from programs that played in the 2018 Camping World Bowl.

Alex Smith Interested In Playing Again

June 21st, 2019 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins have essentially ruled out Alex Smith for the 2019 season. He has undergone several surgeries to repair his gruesome leg injury and remains without a timetable to return to practice.

But the 35-year-old quarterback has not announced intentions to retire yet. Smith wants to give what will be a daunting comeback a go but indicated he his a long ways off.

“That’s the plan,” Smith said, during an interview with Fox5DC’s Angie Goff (video link), of making a comeback. “I got to conquer some more steps before I get there. Learn to run again. But yeah, I’m already throwing. Throwing’s not a problem. I feel like I can throw, but dropping, moving around, change of direction … the stronger I get every week, the more I do, the more hopeful I am that (coming back) is a real possibility.”

Infections and around a half-dozen procedures have Smith wearing an external fixator on his injured leg. But Smith said he is walking now and has been able to play golf. This comes after he was confined to a wheelchair for four months post-surgeries. He has resumed throwing passes at the Redskins facility, though those activities have obviously come with considerable movement restrictions.

While Smith is still tethered to the four-year, $94MM extension he signed last year, one that has him taking up $20.4MM of Washington’s 2019 cap, the Redskins drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round and traded for Case Keenum. Smith is signed through 2022.

Next season, Smith’s cap number will rise to $21.4MM. Both Keenum and Colt McCoy will be free agents, so the Redskins will have some decisions to make regarding who will join Haskins in their 2020 quarterback room. NBC Sports Washington’s J.P. Finlay does not see Smith and Haskins coexisting as healthy quarterback options. It would be a tough fit, salary-wise, but the Redskins will have a significant amount of money committed to Smith whether he’s on the team or not. It would cost them more than $32MM in dead money to release Smith next year.

Buccaneers Waive Shaun Wilson

June 21st, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers cut running back Shaun Wilson, according to a team announcement. The second-year pro will go on waivers, giving the league’s other 31 teams an opportunity to claim him.

Wilson started the 2018 season as the Bucs’ main kickoff returner and appeared in five games. In that span, he ran for 29 yards off of six carries, caught three passes for five yards, and returned seven kickoffs for 122 yards.

The former UDFA out of Duke had his season shortened by shoulder surgery but is presumably healthy now. He’ll look for a new gig while the Bucs will move forward with running backs Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones, Andre Ellington, Dare Ogunbowale, and Bruce Anderson.

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