HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Broncos Sign Rookie Dre’Mont Jones

June 10th, 2019 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos signed defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones to his four-year rookie deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The third-round pick will receive a $4.188MM contract that includes a $1.066MM signing bonus. 

Jones was eligible to enter the 2018 draft, but opted for another season at Ohio State for additional seasoning. Entering this year’s draft, many pegged Jones as a potential first-round selection, but size and strength concerns contributed to a drop in stock between December and April. On draft week, Jones still appeared on target for the second round, but he fell to the third where the Broncos pounced.

While some evaluators are skittish about whether Jones can be a difference-maker at the next level, John Elway & Co. do not seem concerned. Jones is coming off of his best statistical season to date after notching 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss for the Buckeyes.

With Jones signed, the Broncos are left with just two unsigned rookies in tackle Dalton Risner and quarterback Drew Lock.

Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins Reports To Team

June 10th, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles’ safety Malcolm Jenkins reported for his team physical this week and will be in attendance for the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Furthermore, Schefter hears that Jenkins is excited to be with his teammates and is focused on the 2019 season as an Eagle.

Jenkins skipped out on OTAs in an apparent effort to get his contract reworked. It’s not yet clear whether the Eagles will meet his demands, however, since his deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2020 season. The veteran’s $8.75MM average annual salary still ranks in the top-10 at the position, though the 31-year-old recognizes that this may be his last shot at a pay bump.

Despite a down year for the safety market in 2018, things have advanced at the position. Jenkins’ per-year salary of $8.75MM is only 63% of the $14MM average for Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu, who both inked new deals earlier this year. Jenkins is older than both players, but it would be difficult for Philadelphia to argue that he is only 63% as valuable.

While Jenkins might not have enough leverage for a pay bump, his importance to the club could result in an extension to take him through at least the 2021 season.

Lions Waive QB Connor Cook

June 10th, 2019 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions’ search for a backup quarterback continues. On Monday, the club released former Michigan State QB and NFL journeyman Connor Cook, according to a team announcement. He was replaced by QB David Fales, who has also had multiple stops throughout the NFL. 

Cook, 26, entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Raiders in 2016. he saw time in just one game as a rookie and has not taken a regular season snap since. He has, however, had practice squad/futures stints with the Panthers, Bengals, and Lions. His next deal could bring him to his fifth team in four years.

Cook was thought to have a chance at the No. 2 QB role behind starter Matthew Stafford, but his release leaves Tom Savage as the favorite. Meanwhile, Fales will look to make his case.

In related moves, the club also signed offensive lineman Luke Bowanko and released safety David Jones.

Jets To Interview Todd McShay, Phil Savage

June 10th, 2019 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are set to speak with ESPN analyst Todd McShay and former Browns GM Phil Savage this week about roles in the front office, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Both men have ties to new GM Joe Douglas and could be fits for the revamped evaluations department. 

Savage has served as both a coach and an executive during his long football career. After a decade with the Ravens, he moved on to the Browns and ascended to the role of GM. In the 2007 draft, he selected team pillar Joe Thomas No. 3 overall, but also traded up to select Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, who turned into yet another quarterback flop for Cleveland. He was fired in 2008, and eventually moved on to the Eagles. While he didn’t overlap with Douglas in Philly, the two men worked together while in Baltimore.

McShay and Douglas, meanwhile, were college teammates. McShay was the scout team quarterback at the University of Richmond where Douglas was an offensive lineman. Given McShay’s high profile (and presumably large salary) at ESPN, it’ll probably take a major title to lure the draft analyst away from TV.

Interestingly, McShay is not the first media member to be connected to a Jets front office position. Earlier this offseason, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was reportedly being considered for a job, though he declined the opportunity. There was also talk of NFL Network’s Peter Schrager having some level of involvement in the Jets’ GM search, though he denied those reports.

Saints To Sign Kayvon Webster

June 10th, 2019 at 8:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have agreed to sign cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely a low-cost one-year contract for the 28-year-old and New Orleans. 

The Saints auditioned several cornerbacks last week and apparently liked what Webster brought to the table. Barring injury to one of the team’s other corners, Webster probably won’t be in line for serious playing time. Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Patrick Robinson, and P.J. Williams all rank ahead of him on the depth chart, though he could carve out a role on special teams.

Webster garnered some hype as a backup in Denver, but injuries spoiled what could have been his true coming out party with the Rams. Instead of taking off in old friend Wade Phillips‘ system, his season ended after just eleven games. Last year, he latched on with the Texans, but he was limited to just two games thanks to multiple injuries and two IR stints.

North Notes: Green, Bears, Mack, Steelers

June 9th, 2019 at 9:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

A.J. Green is entering the final season of a four-year, $60MM contract. He is also coming off another injury-shortened slate, with a toe malady cutting it short. Bengals owner Mike Brown said earlier this year he would be interested in Green staying in Cincinnati on another deal. Green expressed the same sentiment over the weekend.

“Cincinnati is home for me,” Green said, via FOX 19 in Cincinnati (video link). “I’ve been here nine years. This is home as much as South Carolina. All I know is Cincinnati. I can’t see myself playing anywhere else or playing in a different city. Hopefully I can be here for a couple more years, so we’ll see on that part.”

Green is entering his age-31 season and has missed 13 games over the past three years, but the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver has proven to be one of the best players in Bengals history. The Bengals extended two other cornerstones last year, in Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap, and Brown called the wideout a “proven commodity” earlier this year. No known talks have commenced between Green and Bengals. The receiver also said, via FOX 19, he has been cleared from the toe surgery he underwent in December. It is not certain if he will participate in Cincinnati’s minicamp next week.

Here is the latest from the North divisions:

  • During the 2018 Khalil Mack pursuit, Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy began calling their Raiders counterparts (Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden) about the All-Pro edge defender once training camp began last year. But the Bears’ prevailing thought as of late July 2018 was, in the words of player personnel director Josh Lucas, “What are we doing? They’re not going to trade this guy,” Lucas said (via J.J. Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago). But shortly before Chicago’s final preseason game — which occurred a day after the Aaron Donald extension, and as the Raiders’ patience with Mack was running out — Bears brass were told to submit their best offer. That proposal (a package fronted by two first-round picks and a third-rounder) won out. “I think we had an advantage because they wanted him to get out of the AFC, so being an NFC team, I think we had a pretty good chance,” Lucas said. “I don’t think the Raiders thought we were going to be any good last year, so they wanted our first-round pick. So I think that played a part of it.“
  • After Adrian Amos and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix started the 2018 season as Bears and Packers safeties, the respective back-line defenders switched cities this year. Clearly on a roll at the Bears100 Celebration this week, Lucas added (via Stankevitz, on Twitter) the Bears consistently graded Clinton-Dix as superior to Amos. Pro Football Focus would disagree with the Bears’ assessment, particularly in 2017 (when the site gave Amos a 90.9 grade and Clinton-Dix a 71.5 mark). The Bears also landed Clinton-Dix for far cheaper (one year, $3MM) than the deal the Packers gave Amos (four years, $36MM), pointing to other teams sharing PFF’s view.
  • Sean Davis switched agents in advance of his contract year, moving from MBK sports management to Drew Rosenhaus, the safety confirmed (via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Davis said no extension talks have occurred between he and the Steelers and noted the safety market’s 2019 explosion as a reason he may bet on himself this season. “I just felt like I needed a change,” Davis said, via Fittipaldo, of switching from Eugene Lee to Rosenhaus. “Drew is a top agent, man. … The safety market went up this year. That puts a little more pressure on me to get the job done and to compete for those contracts.” After faring better as a free safety than he did at the strong safety spot in 2017, Davis will remain there this season.

Vikings To Work Out Justin Vogel, Others

June 9th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Wile completed his first full NFL season in 2018, serving as the Vikings’ punter for 16 games. He may have some competition for that job soon.

The Vikings are bringing in multiple punters for workouts on Wednesday, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Justin Vogel and Shane Tripucka will be among the punters set to audition. Wednesday marks the first day of Minnesota’s minicamp.

A 26-year-old former UDFA out of Michigan, Wile caught on with the Vikings as a 2018 waiver claim. The Steelers cut him after their most recent preseason slate. Wile’s 45.2 yards per punt ranked 14th last season.

Minnesota retained Wile via ERFA tender this offseason; he is the only punter on the 90-man roster. However, the Vikings’ special teams staff experienced a shakeup this year. Longtime ST coordinator Mike Preiffer is gone, and Marwan Maalouf took his place.

Vogel last punted in 2017, serving as Green Bay’s primary punter for all 16 games that year. A Chargers UDFA last year, Tripucka participated in the Vikings’ rookie minicamp last month.

Bruce Arians Addresses Several Bucs Issues

June 9th, 2019 at 7:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming out of retirement after one year off, Bruce Arians took on an interesting challenge in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers own the NFC’s longest playoff drought at 11 seasons and have a quarterback in Jameis Winston who has not lived up to expectations.

The 66-year-old coach, the oldest to ever be hired, expressed optimism on several fronts recently. He broke down several aspects of the team, including Winston, in an expansive interview with the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.

The team did not draft an offensive lineman this offseason and signed only likely backup Earl Watford, but the team did reach an extension with left tackle Donovan Smith and pick up right tackle Demar Dotson‘s 2019 option. Dotson is the longest-tenured Buccaneer at 10 seasons. Dotson is in the final year of his contract — one that pays the 33-year-old right tackle just $3.975MM in base salary this season.

“I’m comfortable. I think when we get those guys healthy, when those five guys are out there or four of the five, we’ve been pretty good,” Arians said, via Stroud, of the Bucs’ offensive front. “… “I’ll tell you the guy that probably did better than anybody is Demar Dotson. I mean, he’s competed harder. He’s a pleasant, pleasant surprise.”

As for what the Bucs still need, Arians said edge rusher and offensive line swing men remain possibilities for outside pickups. Tampa Bay added Shaquil Barrett earlier this offseason but have Jason Pierre-Paul set to miss at least the first month of the season (and probably more time). The Bucs ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA last season.

“There might be a free agent out there. Right now, I don’t know,” Arians said. “We’re always looking on the edge. I mean, defensively, we’re fine. … Offensively, we could use help in the offensive line for depth. You cannot have enough. So we’ll be looking probably around preseason (Game) 3 to see what is available, if we feel that need is still there.”

Pierre-Paul will not undergo surgery for the neck injury he sustained in a May car accident. Considering he registered 12.5 sacks in his first year as a Buccaneer, this obviously leaves a gaping hole on the team’s defense. Arians said recently a five- to six-month recovery may be in the cards for the 30-year-old edge player, which puts his 2019 season in question. In this latest round of comments, however, Arians said that while September is out of the question, he did not want to firmly indicate October would be as well.

“I would think so,” Arians told Stroud when asked about if October will be the earliest the edge defender could return. “Just to be safe and not rush it. And knowing him, he’s one of those fast healers. So I hate to put a time limit on him but the earlier the better. As long as he’s healthy.”

5 Key Stories: 6/2/19 – 6/9/19

June 9th, 2019 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eagles make major investment: Carson Wentz became the first of the 2016 draftees-turned-franchise quarterbacks to sign an extension. The former No. 2 overall pick agreed to a four-year, $128MM (in new money) re-up that came with more than $100MM in guarantees and $66MM in full guarantees. The $32MM-per-year average and full guarantee figure placed Wentz in the top five among QBs, and the total guaranteed amount (which includes injury guarantees) is believed to be the most in NFL history. The Eagles are gambling on a quarterback who has finished the past two seasons injured, but Wentz’s 2017 season (and some aspects of his ’18 work) showed immense potential. The fallout from this deal has impacted the Cowboys and Rams, the other teams using 2016 QB picks as starters.

Texans abandon GM after one season: We have yet to hear much in the way of reasoning for Brian Gaine‘s ouster, but the defending AFC South champions cut bait in Year 2 of a five-year contract. Gaine, who had previously worked as a Texans exec under Rick Smith, oversaw an 11-5 season in 2018. It’s possible a lack of movement on the Jadeveon Clowney front contributed to this. Regardless, the Texans are moving on their GM search. Former Browns GM Ray Farmer and ex-Lions GM Martin Mayhew are the first candidates. But the franchise’s top choice appears to be longtime Patriots exec Nick Caserio, who worked with Bill O’Brien at one point.

Hours later, Jets make their choice: The Texans tried to interview Joe Douglas during their 2018 GM search. Shortly after their job became available again, the Jets landed their top choice. Long their preferred option, Douglas did not make it easy on them. The Jets reportedly doubled their initial salary offer, after Douglas declined them multiple times. They also look to have attempted to assuage his concerns about their ownership situation by doing a six-year deal. While Daniel Jeremiah will not be joining Douglas’ staff, another longtime analyst — ESPN’s Todd McShay — is in the mix.

Trent Williams unhappy with Redskins: At first, the 10th-year tackle was believed to be staying away from his team because of dissatisfaction with his through-2020 contract. Then, a more ominous report emerged indicating Williams wanted to leave the Redskins because of their handling of his recent medical procedure. It is possible both reasons are at the root of his absence, with the financial component not to be dismissed here. Either way, a seven-time Pro Bowler is at odds with his team — one that did not make notable offseason investments at tackle.

Gerald McCoy makes his decision: After three visits, the six-time Pro Bowler opted to remain in the NFC South. McCoy chose the Panthers and will face the Buccaneers twice this season. The 31-year-old lineman received a one-year, $8MM deal from Carolina. This may or may not have been the best offer. Only $4MM of the Panthers’ proposal was guaranteed, while the Ravens may have offered $8MM in guarantees. The Browns also viewed McCoy as an $8MM-per-year player — after the Bucs removed his $13MM 2019 cap number from their payroll — but “weren’t touching” the $10.25MM McCoy could receive via incentives.

AFC Notes: Jets, Collins, Patriots, Colts

June 9th, 2019 at 4:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets officially have a new regime in charge. After a lengthy search, New York settled on Joe Douglas to be their new general manager. The Douglas/Adam Gase partnership will certainly be an interesting one, and now all eyes are on how Douglas will proceed with the team. To predict how Douglas will manage the franchise, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com took a look back at his time in Philadelphia and the Eagles’ philosophy under Howie Roseman. Cimini came to several conclusions, including that Jets fans should “watch the early strike” and look for Douglas to wrap up cornerstone pieces aggressively.

Cimini notes the Eagles’ recent early extending of Carson Wentz as the latest example of that philosophy. He also writes that the Jets “have been lagging in this area,” and kicked the can down the road on many of their soon-to-be free agents like Leonard Williams and Robby Anderson. Cimini also has the scoop on some shuffling the Jets did in the front office, including promoting Greg Nejmeh to director of pro personnel. Cimini also writes that Douglas’ track record shows he’ll make the offensive line a priority. It’s “too late for a 2019 overhaul, but this will be one of the stories next offseason,” Cimini says. Keeping Sam Darnold upright is the most important thing for the team, so that would make a lot of sense.

Here’s more from the AFC on this quiet Sunday:

  • Speaking of the Jets, in the same piece, Cimini details what Douglas’ hiring means for some current members of the team. Cimini notes that Gase already got rid of a couple holdovers in Darron Lee and Jordan Leggett, and writes that “you can bet a few more of Mike Maccagnan’s former draft picks will be dropped in the coming months.” Specifically, he names wide receiver Charone Peake, running backs Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon, and defensive linemen Nathan Shepherd and Folorunso Fatukasi as among those in danger of being cut. The old coaching staff always swore by McGuire, but a lot of Todd Bowles’ favorites might find themselves on the outside looking in. Shepherd was the 72nd overall pick just last year, so his release would be particularly notable.
  • Jamie Collins was able to come back home when he signed with the Patriots a few weeks ago. The linebacker was drafted by the Pats in the second round back in 2013, and spent the first few years of his career there. He was traded to the Browns for a third round pick in 2016, and Cleveland gave him a massive extension. He never lived up to that deal, and he was released back in March. He only got $250K guaranteed from New England this time around, so many observers assumed he wouldn’t even be guaranteed a roster spot. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com was initially in that camp, but he’s changed his mind recently. After observing how they’ve used him in practice, Reiss now believes the Patriots “have significant plans for him as long as everything stays on course.” Reiss writes that he’s been practicing as one of the team’s top linebackers, and that “the biggest tip-off was his presence as the top right guard on the punt protection unit.” It sounds like Collins is at the very least a good bet to make the team, and could potentially earn back a large role on defense.
  • The Colts raised some eyebrows when they drafted Ben Banogu back in April. Indy took the pass-rusher in the second round, 49th overall. That was higher than many analysts had him pegged, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had him stamped with a fourth or fifth round grade. The Colts bet big on his excellent athleticism, and they’ve been experimenting with how to use it. They started him off as a SAM linebacker this offseason, but have been using him at defensive end more frequently recently, according to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. The Colts’ defense took a huge step forward last season, and they’re hoping Banogu can help them continue that with his physical traits and speed.
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