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Latest On Texans, Jadeveon Clowney

July 16th, 2019 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Parks

Jadeveon Clowney and the Texans did not come to terms on a long-term pact prior to yesterday’s deadline, which means that Clowney will need to sign his franchise tender at some point and wait until next year to try to get his mega-deal. And according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (video link), Clowney is, as expected, shooting for a contract in line with those that other top pass rushers have signed this year, if not higher.

In other words, he is eyeing Frank Clark‘s five-year, $104.8MM deal with the Chiefs and Demarcus Lawrence‘s five-year, $105MM deal with the Cowboys as a baseline, but Schefter says that Houston has thus far been unwilling to match those contracts, let alone exceed them. It’s unclear just how far apart the two sides were when the deadline passed, but Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com suggests that the Texans are equally unlikely to pay market value for Clowney next year, even if he continues performing at a Pro Bowl level.

In Barshop’s estimation, that is a mistake. The advanced metrics loved Clowney in 2018, and although he has not yet tallied a double-digit sack campaign, he is a fearsome pass rusher and often absorbs double-teams as a result. He and J.J. Watt complement each other quite well in that regard, and Clowney is a talented run stopper as well. He has every reason to ask for a contract paying him at least $20MM per year, but if he gets it, it apparently won’t be from Houston.

We heard a few months ago that Clowney could be a trade candidate, but Schefter says there has been little interest around the league in trading for the former No. 1 overall pick. Interestingly, Schefter says the Texans would like to keep Clowney long-term, which doesn’t necessarily jibe with recent reports indicating that head coach and de facto GM Bill O’Brien is perfectly content going year-to-year with one of his biggest stars.

Barshop says the fact that Watt is making “only” $16.7MM per season could complicate matters, because if Clowney lands a $20MM+/year deal, Watt may want to revisit his own contract. The team will also need to pay Deshaun Watson big money soon, though Bashop notes that the Texans have enough cap space to keep everyone content. They just seem to have reservations about making a lengthy commitment to Clowney.

Free Agent DE Robert Ayers Retires

July 16th, 2019 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Our second retirement of Tuesday afternoon comes from Robert Ayers, a nine-year veteran who played for the Broncos, Giants and Buccaneers. Ayers announced his retirement via Facebook highlight montage.

Ayers never made a Pro Bowl but was a key starter for all three franchises for which he played. The defensive end’s most productive seasons came later in his career, when he ran off a stretch of four straight five-plus-sack slates beginning with his age-28 campaign. The first of those seasons, 2013, ended with a Super Bowl XLVIII appearance with the Broncos (a Super Bowl in which, interestingly, fellow July 16, 2019 retiree Chris Maragos also played).

A 2009 first-round pick out of Tennessee, who came to the Broncos as part of their trade package in the Jay Cutler trade, Ayers was known as a plus run-stopper but only registered 6.5 combined sacks in his first four seasons. In his fifth, he produced 5.5 sicks and parlayed that into a two-year Giants deal. A nine-sack 2015 season with Big Blue led to Ayers’ top payday, a three-year Bucs deal worth $19.5MM. He recorded 6.5 sacks with the ’16 Bucs.

Several teams worked out Ayers in 2018, and the Lions employed him for a day late last summer. But he did not play in a game last season and will ultimately leave the game at age 33.

For his career, Ayers compiled 34.5 sacks and started 59 games, serving as an edge counterpart to the likes of Von Miller and Jason Pierre-Paul. He also registered three playoff sacks, taking down Ben Roethlisberger twice in the Broncos’ overtime victory in a 2011 wild-card game and and dropping Tom Brady once in the AFC title game two years later. The latter effort helped an undermanned Denver defense to a dominant win.

Free Agent S Chris Maragos Retires

July 16th, 2019 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Released by the Eagles in February, Chris Maragos will opt to retire after spending nine seasons in the NFL. The 32-year-old safety/special-teamer spent his career with the 49ers, Seahawks and Eagles.

In that time, Maragos won two Super Bowl rings — with the 2013 Seahawks and ’17 Eagles. He announced Tuesday (on Twitter) that a knee injury, and subsequent surgeries, influenced him to cut his career short. He still logged 99 regular-season games since 2010. Overall, Maragos underwent three procedures on his injured knee, including a third this offseason, Tim McManus of ESPN.com tweets.

Maragos finished the Eagles’ championship season on IR, being placed on the injured list in mid-October 2017. A knee injury caused that trip, as well as Maragos beginning last season on the Reserve/PUP list. He remained with the Eagles in 2018 but did not play.

A UDFA out of Wisconsin and Western Michigan, Maragos played one season in San Francisco before joining the Seahawks as they ascended to the NFL mountaintop. He played in each of Seattle’s three playoff games to close out the 2013 season and registered a solo tackle in Super Bowl XLVIII. From there, Maragos caught on with the Eagles as a free agent in 2014 and became the team’s special teams captain. In his first Eagles season, he finished with a career-high 14 stops.

NFL Suspends Vikings RB Roc Thomas

July 16th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Roc Thomas‘ chances of making the Vikings became more difficult Tuesday, with the NFL announcing the second-year running back has been suspended for three games.

This stems from an arrest earlier this year. Thomas was popped for felony drug possession after police found 143.28 grams of marijuana in the 23-year-old’s apartment.

A 2018 UDFA out of Jacksonville State, Thomas only received 10 touches last season, spending time on both Minnesota’s practice squad and active roster. The Vikings signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January, but he may now face an uphill battle to stick with the team.

The Vikings allowed Latavius Murray to leave in free agency, to New Orleans, but drafted Alexander Mattison in Round 3 and re-signed Ameer Abdullah.

Broncos Notes: Sanders, Butt, Lock, CBs

July 16th, 2019 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders suffered season-ending injuries in a four-day span last December, the Broncos lost their final four games and reassembled their coaching staff. The team did not make any major additions at wide receiver this offseason, waiting until the sixth round to address the spot. Sanders has shown steady progress during offseason Achilles rehab, but the 32-year-old wideout conceded Tuesday (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter) he will not be full-go to start Denver’s training camp. With the veteran not yet certain to be ready to play by Week 1, a stay on the active/PUP list to start camp seems likely. The Broncos, whom Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com ranked 31st on his list of skill-position groups, are counting on Sanders to reprise his role as a key starter.

With the Broncos two days away from training camp, here is the latest out of Denver:

  • While Sanders may not avoid the active/PUP list, it appears Jake Butt will. The third-year tight end is attempting to recover from the third torn ACL of his playing career, but the Michigan product said (via the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran, on Twitter) he will not land on the PUP list to start camp. However, the Broncos will still ease him back to practice work. The Broncos brought back Jeff Heuerman and drafted Noah Fant, but Butt could still be a nice bonus for a team with an uncertain pass-catcher situation.
  • Denver used third-round picks in 2017 and ’18 on cornerbacks, but neither Brendan Langley nor Isaac Yiadom have a locked-in role going into camp. Langley has been moved to wide receiver, and Yiadom might not even be the favorite for the team’s No. 4 cornerback gig. The Broncos’ top three of Harris, Bryce Callahan and Kareem Jackson (in nickel sets) is set, and O’Halloran notes Alliance of American Football refugee De’Vante Bausby may be the player to beat for the Broncos’ CB4 role. Bausby played for Vic Fangio briefly in 2016 and suited up for six Eagles games last season.
  • Dalton Risner agreed to terms on his second-round rookie deal. Drew Lock has not. But the Broncos are not planning to cave to Lock’s reported aim at securing an overslot deal. They will not pay Lock more than what Risner received, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Risner was taken 41st overall, and while Lock was projected to be a first-round pick for most of the draft process, the four-year Missouri starter went 42nd.

Broncos Sign G Dalton Risner

July 16th, 2019 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ situation with Drew Lock had created a holdup with the player selected one spot ahead of him, but that issue has been resolved. No. 41 overall pick Dalton Risner agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets.

Risner is expected to sign the contract later on Tuesday. This leaves Lock as Denver’s only unsigned rookie. The two went off the board back-to-back in the second round, and Lock is reportedly seeking a “quarterback premium” contract. The first two years of Risner’s deal are fully guaranteed, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).

But the player from Denver’s draft class expected to contribute immediately will be available when the team opens training camp Thursday. Risner is slated to start at left guard for the Broncos, who will stash Lock behind Joe Flacco for the time being.

A well-regarded prospect out of Kansas State, Risner played multiple positions for the Wildcats. He served as the Big 12 program’s starting right tackle from 2016-18, earning first-team All-American acclaim as a senior, and began his career as a 13-game starter at center for the 2015 K-State iteration. Pro Football Focus tabbed Risner as a first-team All-American in his final two seasons. The Colorado native will attempt to help the Broncos up front, after they lost both Matt Paradis and Billy Turner in free agency.

Here is the Broncos’ 2019 draft class:

AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Jets, Anderson

July 16th, 2019 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Rob Gronkowski come out of retirement to rejoin the Patriots? There’s a “40% chance” of that happening, a source close to the tight end tells Mike Florio of PFT.

Much has been made about Gronkowski’s apparent weight loss, but the tight end claims that he’s lost only 18 pounds since the Super Bowl. Assuming that only a fraction of that weight is muscle mass, it might not be hard for Gronk to get back into football shape, should he decide to retake the gridiron.

Florio speculates that a direct appeal from Tom Brady to Gronkowski could convince the veteran to give it one more go. Furthermore, while coach Bill Belichick isn’t crazy about players cherry picking their activity participation, he believes that Belichick has taken a softened stance and would not stand in the way of Gronkowski rejoining the team later this year.

While we wait to see what happens with everyone’s favorite party animal, here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson can cash in with a huge 2019 season, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Anderson had 50 catches for 752 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games last year. More importantly, he averaged 15 yards per catch and showed that he is one of the best deep threats in the league. New coach Adam Gase has already said that he wants to better utilize Anderson’s blazing speed, so he could set himself up for a sizable payday in 2020.
  • This week, the Jets added to their analytics department with the hire of Matt Sheldon as their new director of football research and strategy (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Sheldon held the same title under Adam Gase with the Dolphins in ’17 and ’18. It’s a sign that the Jets are putting greater emphasis on advanced stats and also another sign of Gase’s serious influence in the organization.

Broncos Hit Snag In Drew Lock Negotiations

July 16th, 2019 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos’ negotiations with second-round picks Drew Lock and Dalton Risner have hit a snag, as Mike Klis of KUSA writes. Lock, the No. 42 pick, is seeking a “quarterback premium,” meaning that he wants more money than his draft slot dictates. Meanwhile, Risner, the No. 41 overall choice, doesn’t want to take less money than the player behind him. 

Heading into the draft, many believed that Lock would be selected in the first round. His unexpected slide landed him in the eager arms of John Elway, who traded back into Round Two to grab him. From a career perspective, Lock is in a solid situation as the heir apparent to Joe Flacco‘s starting job. However, his camp is looking to recoup some of the money that was lost by his drop.

What this effectively means is that Lock and Risner (the team’s expected starting left guard) might not be in attendance for the first meeting for rookies on Wednesday or practice on Thursday. It’s unlikely that either situation will result in a prolonged stalemate, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.

This Date In Transactions History: Tony Boselli Retires

July 16th, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2003, one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the history of the game called it a career. Tackle Tony Boselli, the first ever draft pick of the Jaguars, retired at the age of 31. 

Soon after being drafted with the No. 2 pick in the 1995 draft, Boselli established himself as one of the best players in Jacksonville. He earned five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1996-2000 with three First-Team All-Pro selections coming in 97-99. The Jaguars reached the postseason in four of their first five seasons in existence, and Boselli played a huge role in their success.

Unfortunately, injuries started to chip away at Boselli in 2001 and he appeared in only three games that season. In February 2002, the Jaguars made Boselli one of their five exposed players for the Texans’ expansion draft. With the very first pick, Houston took on Boselli’s $6.883MM cap figure, but they did not get the All-Pro they were expecting.

”I am retiring because of medical reasons, specifically my left shoulder, which did not continue to improve to the point where I could play,” said Boselli as he announced his retirement.

Boselli’s career was relatively short, but highly impactful. In seven seasons with the Jaguars, Boselli allowed only 15.5 sacks and cemented his legacy as one of the Jaguars’ most important players of all-time.

Boselli signed a one-day deal to retire with the Jaguars in 2006 and became the first inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame. Still, the football Hall of Fame eludes him. In 2019, Boselli was denied entry in his 13th year of eligibility and his third year as a finalist.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Lawrence, Giants

July 16th, 2019 at 9:03am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is expected to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, though he hopes to be “ready by Week One,” as Mike Florio of PFT writes.

The Cowboys certainly hope that’s the case, though recovery from labrum surgery can be tricky. Lawrence was playing through the injury in 2017 and 2018 and didn’t miss any time due to the injury, so he could bounce back quicker than most from the operation.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • Giants tight end Rhett Ellison may be a candidate for release, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com opines. Ellison’s contract puts him in some jeopardy – he’s set to count for a $5.75MM hit with a potential for $3.25MM in savings if he’s cut. However, the Giants tend to rely on two tight end sets and No. 1 TE Evan Engram has suffered four injuries in the last eleven months. Dunleavy also listed outside linebacker Kareem Martin as a potential cut since he was signed to be a starter last year and now profiles as a backup. However, releasing him would save just $1.1MM against $4.83MM in dead money.
  • Melvin Gordon‘s threat to hold out from the Chargers could be a canary in the coal mine for the Giants and Saquon Barkley, Dunleavy writes. Barkley is still on his rookie contract, but when that deal draws to a close, he could very easily stare down the G-Men the way that Gordon is doing to the Bolts. Other teams have downplayed the value of RBs, but GM Dave Gettleman has publicly lavished Barkley with effusive praise, which may impact future negotiations. The GM has said that Barkley has been “touched by the hand of G-d” and has also routinely shrugged off anti-RB analytics.
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