HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Cowboys TE Rico Gathers Suspended One Game

June 14th, 2019 at 4:22pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers has been suspended for the first game of the 2019 season, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

The suspension was for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network pointed out in a tweet, the suspension stems from his 2018 arrest for marijuana possession. Gathers is battling for a roster spot right now, and this certainly won’t help his cause. Machota writes that Gathers is “currently the No. 4 TE on Dallas’ depth chart,” so his spot on the 53 seems tenuous at best.

The Cowboys currently have Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, and Dalton Schultz ahead of him in the pecking order. A sixth round pick in 2016, Gathers has received some offseason hype in the past, but hasn’t done much in the regular season. Gathers is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, and is scheduled to make a base salary of only $570K, which could end up saving him.

There was talk last offseason that Gathers could play a big role for the Cowboys in the wake of Witten’s retirement, but he ended up serving mostly as a blocker. He was listed as starting four games, but ended up catching only three passes for 45 yards. A Baylor product, Gathers missed the entire 2017 season due to injury. He might not be the only Cowboy suspended this summer, as the league is reportedly investigating Ezekiel Elliott‘s latest situation.

Lions, Patriots Call Off Michael Roberts Trade

June 14th, 2019 at 3:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Michael Roberts isn’t going to the Patriots, after all. On Friday, the Lions announced that Roberts reverted back to the team’s roster, “per trade conditions.” Subsequently, the Lions waived the tight end.

Earlier this week, the Lions agreed to ship Roberts to the Patriots in exchange for a conditional 7th-round pick in 2020. For one reason or another, the trade effectively fell through.

Roberts has yet to break through at the pro level, but he has flashed some ability over the past two seasons. He had his best showing in October of last year when he caught two touchdown passes against the Dolphins. Ultimately, however, injuries have prevented him from really making a dent in the NFL.

Now, the league’s 30 other teams will have an opportunity to add him to the roster. The Cardinals, who finished with the worst record in the NFL in 2018, have No. 1 waiver priority.

Giants Sign Dexter Lawrence, DeAndre Baker

June 14th, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Giants signed two of their three first-round picks. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and cornerback DeAndre Baker are officially members of the team, leaving first-round quarterback Daniel Jones and third-round linebacker Oshane Ximines as the last remaining stragglers. 

Lawrence, the 17th overall selection, was one of the most dominant DTs in the country over the course of his three years at Clemson. He left school with 10.5 career sacks from the interior, 43 QB pressures, and two national championships.

Baker, the No. 30 overall pick, was the first cornerback to come off the board in April and the only one to be selected in the first round. As a senior at Georgia, he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. After amassing 40 tackles, two interceptions, and ten pass breakups, Baker was regarded as one of the few corners deserving of first round consideration.

Lawrence seems likely to begin the season as the team’s starting nose tackle. Baker can also crack the starting lineup if he’s able to edge out Sam Beal this summer.

Bills Wrap Draft Class

June 14th, 2019 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills’ draft class is in the books. On Friday, the Bills announced the signing of third-round tight end Dawson Knox to a four-year contract, putting a bow on their eight-man group. 

Knox skipped his senior year at Ole Miss to turn pro, with the belief that he would go in the second round. Knox slipped a bit further, but he still has a solid opportunity ahead of him. In the spring, Knox impressed with the first-teamers while Tyler Kroft and Jason Croom nursed injuries.

The tight end did not score a touchdown last year and was overshadowed somewhat by the presence of A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. Still, he possesses high-end athleticism for the tight end position, as evidenced by his 18.9 yards per catch in 2018.

Here’s the full rundown of the Bills’ draft class, via PFR’s tracker:

Eagles Notes: Roseman, Weidl, Wentz

June 14th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The departure of Joe Douglas to the Jets has let to some front office shuffling for the Eagles. This week, the Eagles officially added the title of GM to Howie Roseman‘s nameplate and elevated Andy Weidl from director of player personnel to vice president of player personnel.

“Andy was raised in a great scouting community with the Steelers, Saints, and Ravens and then came to Philadelphia at the same time that we hired Joe,” Roseman said in a statement. “He’s grown from assistant director of player personnel to director of player personnel and really deserves an opportunity to run the scouting department on a day-to-day basis as the vice president of player personnel. We’re excited about Andy.”

The Eagles will now forge ahead without Douglas in a quest to capture another Super Bowl ring. Here’s the latest from Philly:

  • Here’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Eagles’ front office shuffle, from Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter): The team has two main arteries – a football operations department and a player personnel department. Andrew Berry is atop football operations while Weidl is atop player personnel. Both execs will funnel up to Roseman, who is atop the chart.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap took a deep dive into Carson Wentz‘s extension, which is not as clear-cut as first believed.
  • Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins wants a new contract, but he still showed up for mandatory minicamp.

Dolphins Sign Michael Deiter

June 14th, 2019 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed third-round guard Michael Deiter, according to a team announcement. With that, the Dolphins have wrapped up their entire 2019 NFL Draft class. 

Deiter, a Wisconsin product, spent time at guard, center, and tackle during his collegiate career. A self-described “mauler,” Deiter will compete with Isaac Asiata and Chris Reed for the starting left guard job. Even if he falls flat, the versatile rookie could see a decent amount of burn as a backup.

Here’s the full rundown of the Fins’ draft class, via PFR’s tracker:

Jalen Ramsey: No Discount For Jaguars

June 14th, 2019 at 8:58am CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been vocal about his desire for a contract extension for quite some time. He’s still after a long-term deal, but this time around, he says he won’t be willing to give the Jaguars any sort of hometown discount. In a chat with teammate Leonard Fournette on Instagram (video link), Ramsey gave some insight into his future negotiating position. 

“Next year, especially after I ball, they’re going to come to me ‘Hey, you know, we want to holler at you,” Ramsey said as he shook his head. “That number is going to be so ungodly.…They’re going to say, ‘Oh god, can’t we get a little discount, 20% off?‘ I’m going to tell them last year you could have gotten that discount. This year, I’m going to need all of that.”

The Jaguars exercised Ramsey’s fifth-year option, locking him down through the 2020 season. After that, the Jaguars could theoretically keep him from free agency with the franchise tag, but it would be costly, and there’s no guarantee that Ramsey would cooperate.

Recently, Ramsey said the Jaguars told him that he won’t be receiving an extension offer this year. When the two sides eventually sit down to talk business, the Jaguars might not like what they hear.

Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen Dead At 75

June 14th, 2019 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has died at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife, Annabel, and his seven children, Amie, Beth, Patrick, Johnny, Brittany, Annabel and Christianna.

“We are saddened to inform everyone that our beloved husband and father, Pat Bowlen, passed on to the next chapter of his life late Thursday night peacefully at home surrounded by family,” the family wrote in a statement. “His soul will live on through the Broncos, the city of Denver and all of our fans. Our family wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received in recent years. Heaven got a little bit more orange and blue tonight.

Pat Bowlen had a competitive spirit with a great sense of humor. As fun-loving as he was, he always wanted us to understand the big picture. We will forever remember his kindness and humility.

“More important than being an incredible owner, Pat Bowlen was an incredible human being.”

Over the course of 35 years as the Broncos’ owner, Bowlen’s franchise enjoyed 21 winning seasons, seven Super Bowl appearances, and three titles. Bowlen, who was elected to the Hall of Fame this year, leaves behind a legacy as one of the league’s most influential owners of all time.

Towards the end of his life, Bowlen’s battle with Alzheimer’s forced him to step away from his daily duties running the team. Now, the battle to choose a successor is expected to heat up, with Brittany Bowlen believed to be the favorite of the Pat Bowlen Trust.

 

26 NFL Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

June 13th, 2019 at 9:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Roughly 10% of this year’s draft picks have yet to sign their rookie contracts, as shown in PFR’s tracker. So far, 228 of this year’s 254 selections have inked their deals.

Here’s the complete breakdown, sorted by round:

First Round (10)

Second Round (5)

Third Round (9)

Sixth Round (1)

Seventh Round (1)

As expected, the first round (10) and third round (9) lead the way in stragglers. First-round picks tend to have the most leverage, which means agents will often haggle on issues such as offset language. Third-round negotiations also tend to drag since there is wiggle room when it comes to base salaries.201

Browns Notes: Kitchens, Monken, Mayfield, Johnson

June 13th, 2019 at 9:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the same role this offseason, but Monken’s transition has reportedly not gone well, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link). In turn, Kitchens has been forced to play a larger than expected role in “spearheading” Cleveland’s offense, per Silver. Kitchens had already been planning to call offensive plays in 2019, so it’s unclear what the issue regarding Monken might be. Speculatively, it’s possible Monken’s Air Raid background hasn’t meshed well with the offense that Kitchens is installing for the Browns.

Here’s more from Cleveland:

  • More from Silver, who indicates several Browns veterans weren’t pleased quarterback Baker Mayfield publicly criticized running back Duke Johnson, who is still asking for a trade out of Cleveland. Regarding Johnson, Mayfield said (among other things) “you’re either on this train or you’re not, it’s moving.” An unwritten NFL rule typically dictates that players don’t comment on teammates’ contractual situations, and it sounds like Mayfield was made aware of that concept. Per Silver, Mayfield and the Browns players who disagreed with his comments have “hashed things out.”
  • The Browns tried to claim cornerback Montrel Meander off waivers from the Raiders before the Jets beat them to the punch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter link). Meander spent most of the 2018 campaign on Cleveland’s practice squad, and will now join former Browns/current Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in New York.
  • In case you missed it, the Browns last week added a former Raiders executive to their front office.
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