2019 June - Pro Football Rumors

“No Active Investigation” Against Tyreek Hill

June 7th, 2019 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

In April, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that the criminal case against star receiver Tyreek Hill has been reopened. However, Johnson County DA Steve Howe says that’s not the case, as Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star tweets.

Howe previously said that he believed a crime was committed against Hill’s son, but he could not gather enough conclusive evidence to prove who did it. Later, a leaked audio conversation between Hill and his child’s mother seemed to bring some evidence to the forefront, but it’s not quite enough to build the case against the wide receiver.

“It is not an active investigation,” Howe said. “As in any case, if we receive additional evidence we reevaluate.”

While there’s no criminal case against Hill at this time, the Kansas Department for Children and Families is still looking into the matter. NFL discipline seems likely for Hill, but the league office will not act until the KDCF wraps its investigation.

Redskins Tried To Claim Desmond Harrison

June 7th, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins placed a claim on tackle Desmond Harrison, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ultimately, Harrison went to the Cardinals, who had top priority when the Browns cut him loose.

It’s potentially a sign that the Redskins are concerned about Trent Williams‘ holdout and also an indication that they are eager to bolster their offensive line depth. For example, the Redskins want to use former Giants first round pick Ereck Flowers at left guard, but he has been practicing mostly at tackle due to Williams’ absence and a lack of other available options.

Harrison started in the first eight games of the season for the Browns before losing his gig to Greg Robinson, so it was widely expected that several teams would try and grab the 25-year-old. It’s possible that other clubs were warded off by Harrison’s reported absence and tardiness to team functions this offseason, but there could have also been issues with his game tape. Despite being a first-stringer in the first half of the 2018 campaign, Harrison graded out as just the No. 67 ranked tackle in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus.

Jets To Work Out Bilal Powell

June 7th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

Bilal Powell‘s run with the Jets might not be over. On Friday, the Jets will audition the running back, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).

Powell is working his way back from a neck injury suffered in October against the Vikings. Initially, it was believed that the Jets would be moving on from him, especially since they have added Le’Veon Bell and Ty Montgomery to the RB depth chart. But, injuries happen, and there could be room for the veteran to squeeze into the picture along with Elijah McGuire.

A fourth-round pick back in 2011, Powell just wrapped up his three-year, $11.25MM deal with the Jets. Powell isn’t the flashiest running back out there, but he does have a career average of 4.4 yards per tote and he is a quality pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Still, the Jets want to verify Powell’s health and assess what he has in the tank. Last year, he finished out with just 343 yards and eleven catches for 110 yards before being placed on IR.

Poll: Will Eagles Regret Carson Wentz Deal?

June 7th, 2019 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday night, the Eagles and Carson Wentz reached agreement on a massive new contract. The four-year add-on is worth $128MM in total with upwards of $107MM in overall guarantees. Meanwhile, Wentz reportedly gets $66MM guaranteed at signing, a huge haul for a player who has finished the last two seasons on IR.

Wentz nearly captured the league’s MVP trophy in 2017 before a season-ending ACL tear sidelined him and cleared the way for Nick Foles‘ legendary run to the Super Bowl. It was a similar story (albeit with a different ending) in 2018 – Wentz managed to throw for 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions in eleven games last year, but a back injury forced him to cede the starting role to Foles once again.

Wentz’ injury history is cause for concern, but the Eagles have doubled down with this colossal new deal. The club no longer has Foles as a safety net and Wentz, the former No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, is now the first QB in the NFL signed through the 2024 season.

Of course, the market for top-end quarterbacks advances rapidly, so Wentz’s $32MM average annual value might not seem like a big deal by the time he enters Year Two of the extension. And, if Wentz returns to MVP-level form, it will prove to be a rather reasonable contract for the Eagles.

Ultimately, do you see this deal backfiring for Howie Roseman & Co.? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Wentz

June 7th, 2019 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys didn’t spend lavishly on the safety position this offseason, but they did consider taking a safety in the second round, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram. Ultimately, they used their second round choice to grab defensive tackle Trysten Hill and did not address safety until the sixth round when they selected Texas A&M’s Donovan Wilson.

Here’s more on the Cowboys’ safety situation and more from the NFC East:

Through the first three weeks of OTAs, incumbent Jeff Heath is still ahead of newcomer George Iloka on the Cowboys‘ depth chart, according to Hill. Iloka was brought in to unseat Heath but, so far, that hasn’t happened.
For now, Carson Wentz‘s new deal looks to be a win-win for the Eagles and the quarterback, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Wentz netted upwards of $100MM in guarantees in the deal, but given the expected climb in the salary cap, it could quickly prove to be an under-market deal for Philly. At the same time, the new money average of $32MM is pretty high considering that Wentz has suffered season ending injuries in two consecutive Decembers. For reference, under the new money metric, Wentz trails only Russell Wilson ($35MM), Ben Roethlisberger ($34MM), and Aaron Rodgers ($32.5MM).
The Wentz deal is an aggressive one for the Eagles, but not a reckless one, Tim McManus of ESPN.com argues. The Eagles believe that they’ll save millions on the back end of the deal if Wentz returns to his MVP-caliber level of performance, though they know that it could backfire miserably if his injury issues creep up again. McManus also notes that Wentz could have been difficult through a long and drawn-out negotiating process, so there was plenty of reason to get a deal done now instead of kicking the can down the road.

Extra Points: Jets, Lindsay, Eagles, Contracts

June 6th, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carson Wentz‘s contract obviously won the NFL’s Thursday news cycle (and likely this week’s). Here is the latest from the non-Wentz corners of the league:

Joe Douglas probably remains the favorite for the Jets‘ GM job, but SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano cautions that a surprise hire is not out of the question. Adding to the Scott Fitterer buzz that formed this week, Vacchiano writes Douglas is not a “slam dunk” to land this job. Additionally, the follow-up phone conversations the Jets had with each of the four candidates centered around salary, staffing and the interviewees’ interest level in the position. A report Wednesday indicated some of the candidates were concerned about the team’s unusual ownership situation.
Nearly six months removed from the wrist injury that ended his season in Week 16, Phillip Lindsay remains limited in Broncos workouts. However, the expectation is the Pro Bowl running back will be full-go by training camp, per Vic Fangio (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter). Lindsay, who underwent surgery in December, was supposed to have a three- or four-month recovery timetable. But the second-year back has resumed catching passes — seemingly a sign he will be ready to go when Broncos camp begins July 17.
The Raiders’ Dwayne Joseph hire forced the Eagles to reorganize their pro scouting department. Previous Joseph deputy Brandon Brown will replace Joseph as the team’s pro scouting director, Zach Berman of Philly.com tweets. The Eagles hired Max Gruder to fill Brown’s former job, assistant director of pro scouting. Gruder previously served as a Dolphins scout.
Throughout this CBA’s now-nine-year duration, third-round picks have been slower to agree to their deals than most of their fellow draftees. Nineteen remain unsigned as of Thursday night. The CBA’s vague language applies to the second, third and fourth years of third-rounders’ contracts, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, adding that the amount teams and agents haggle over is usually between $3-$4K over the deal’s life. That’s quality minutia.

Jones, Michael To Work Out For XFL

June 6th, 2019 at 8:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both Landry Jones and Christine Michael enjoyed short stays on AFC South rosters last season. Jones caught on with the Raiders this offseason before a May release. Each will now explore a new option.

Jones, Michael and former Packers fullback Aaron Ripkowski are three known players who will work out for the XFL at an upcoming showcase, the restarting league announced recently (via Twitter links). All three will work out in Dallas, which is one of eight sites where these summer showcases will take place.

While the Dallas and Houston auditions are this weekend, the other six XFL cities — New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tampa Bay, St. Louis — will run theirs between June 14 and July 13. There will likely be a host of familiar names at these tryouts, considering what happened to the Alliance of American Football earlier this year.

XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said the teams will start signing players after their respective showcases but added there will be some type of out clauses for them to accept NFL offers. The XFL also plans to have a dispersal draft in September or October. The purpose of said draft will be divvying up the players who do not make NFL rosters this summer.

“If a guy signs with us and then three weeks later, prior to our draft, has an opportunity to go to an NFL team, we’ll say, ‘Take the opportunity,’” Luck said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “After the draft, we’ll expect those players to stay. If they think they have an opportunity in the NFL they have to do that before the draft.”

The Jaguars briefly employed Jones last year but cut the longtime Steelers backup after a three-week stay. The Raiders opted for Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman over the 30-year-old veteran.

Michael did not participate in any known workouts after the Colts cut him in late September. Michael, 28, enjoyed a productive stint with the 2016 Seahawks (469 rushing yards, six touchdowns) but spent the 2017 season on IR and most of the ’18 campaign unemployed. The Chiefs signed Ripkowski, a three-year Packers fullback, to a reserve/futures deal this year but cut him after the draft.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/19

June 6th, 2019 at 7:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

On one end of the Thursday transactions: Carson Wentz. On the other: today’s minor moves.

Arizona Cardinals

Waived: T Andrew Lauderdale

Cleveland Browns

Signed: T Ka’John Armstrong

Detroit Lions

Waived: WR Jordan Smallwood

Washington Redskins

Waived: TE Manasseh Garner

Eagles, Carson Wentz Agree To Extension

June 6th, 2019 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles did not waste much time. They have come to terms on a four-year extension with Carson Wentz, the team announcing the deal. Negotiations commenced for at least a few weeks, and the 26-year-old quarterback is now committed to the Eagles through the 2024 season.

Wentz’s new-money figures: four years, $128MM, with more than $107MM in total guarantees and $66MM guaranteed at signing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The contract can escalate to $144MM in new money, Schefter tweets. Two years remained on Wentz’s rookie deal, so in totality, this is a six-year, $154MM pact. While Wentz did not reach Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-per-year agreement — though, he did eclipse Wilson and all others in total guarantees — he comes in just below Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers in average annual value.

As a 2016 draftee, Wentz only became extension-eligible in January and has dealt with season-ending injuries in each of the past two years. But the Eagles continue to show tremendous faith in their centerpiece player. Wentz no longer has any limitations from the back injury that halted his 2018 season, but a player who also missed much of his senior season at North Dakota State due to injury (broken wrist) obviously brings risk to extend at a top-end price.

Torn knee ligaments ended Wentz’s bid to become the 2017 MVP, and Nick Foles proceeded to play so well in the playoffs a statue of he and Doug Pederson now stands outside of Lincoln Financial Field. Foles, whose late-season work keyed another Philadelphia playoff berth last season, is now in Jacksonville. The Eagles are clearly confident Wentz is their future. He will be 32 when this deal expires.

The Eagles gave the Browns plenty in trading up to the 2016 No. 2 slot to select a Division I-FCS quarterback, but his 2017 revealed immense potential. Wentz threw 33 touchdown passes in 13 games, and his 78.5 Total QBR ranked second that season. Last year, Wentz’s touchdown percentage predictably regressed — going from 7.5 to 5.2 — but his yards-per-attempt and completion percentages figures went up (7.7 yards and 69.6 percent, respectively). He finished an abbreviated 2018 season with 21 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, but the Eagles were just 5-6 in his starts (and 4-1 in Foles regular-season outings).

Howie Roseman has done well to keep the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII core in place long-term, having finalized 2019 deals with Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce as well. Key members of the championship team now signed through at least 2021: Wentz, Graham, Kelce, Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox.

A promising young passer now signed long-term, this agreement will certainly change the quarterback market. It will provide a clearer road map for fellow 2016 draftees Jared Goff and Dak Prescott, the latter being a 2020 free agent, along with Patrick Mahomes when that time comes.

NFL Pushing For New CBA By September?

June 6th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The pendulum regarding CBA momentum continues to swing between optimism and pessimism. Thursday brought more specifics into the equation.

Although the current CBA does not expire until after the 2020 season, the NFL wants to have a new agreement in place within three months. The league would prefer to not have the cloud of potentially contentious CBA talks hanging over its 100th season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Perhaps more important to the league’s goals on this front: new television contracts. The NFL Sunday Ticket package expires after this season, Monday Night Football after 2021 and the rest of the broadcast deals following the 2022 slate. The NFL would prefer to have labor peace before renegotiating those contracts, Florio adds.

This report comes barely a week after NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith further stressed the importance of players saving money to prepare for a 2021 work stoppage. Said work stoppage has been rumored for years. Considering how tense matters often are between the league and the union, the 2011 lockout obviously the chief recent example, it will be hard to believe the sides will be able to hammer out a new agreement by September.

Discussions have begun, but with the true deadline many months away, it would be quite the achievement for the parties to unveil a new CBA before the start of this season.