2019 July - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons, Grady Jarrett Agree To Extension

July 15th, 2019 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely an hour away from this year’s deadline, the Falcons and Grady Jarrett have a new deal in place. Jarrett agreed to a four-year, $68MM deal to stay in Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Momentum built in the past 24 hours on the Jarrett front, and he becomes the second franchise-tagged player to agree to an extension Monday. Robbie Gould and the 49ers agreed to terms earlier today, leaving only Jadeveon Clowney without a deal. Jarrett, 26, has been a full-time starter for the Falcons since his second season. He would have made $15.2MM this year on the tag.

Jarrett’s $17MM-per-year average is well off Aaron Donald‘s benchmark for defensive tackles, but considering the disparities between the interior defenders’ profiles, that was to be expected. However, agent Todd France got his client on the same level as four-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox, whose 2016 extension averages $17.1MM annually. Jarrett is now NFL’s third-highest-paid interior defender.

Jarrett will receive $42.5MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This total places Jarrett fifth among interior defenders — behind Donald, Cox, J.J. Watt and Kawann Short.

Although Jarrett has zero Pro Bowls in four seasons and just 14 sacks in that span (not counting his three-sack Super Bowl LI), the Falcons have long acknowledged the former fifth-round pick’s immense value to their defense. Jarrett produced 15 tackles for loss in 2017 and graded as a top-10 interior defender last season, per Pro Football Focus. He registered a career-high six sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 2018.

Arthur Blank said earlier this year he wanted Jarrett to join Julio Jones and Deion Jones as “Falcons for life.” The team has secured a key item off its offseason checklist and can now turn its attention to the Joneses.

This continues a productive offseason for franchise-tagged performers. Jarrett, Gould, Donovan Smith, Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark agreed to extensions after being tagged in March. Clowney, who has already played a fifth-year option season, is set to play yet another year without a long-term agreement in place.

Ezekiel Elliott Planning Holdout?

July 15th, 2019 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even as the Cowboys have prioritized extensions for Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper over his, Ezekiel Elliott participated in the team’s offseason program. He may be set for an about-face come training camp.

Elliott, who has two years left on his rookie contract thanks to the Cowboys picking up his fifth-year option, has privately said he plans to hold out from Cowboys camp, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. No final decision has been made, per Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson (on Twitter), but the fourth-year back is “absolutely” considering it. The Cowboys have discussed an Elliott re-up for more than a month, and how much progress the sides make between now and camp will likely determine if Elliott reports, per Robinson (Twitter links).

A recent report indicated the Cowboys do not plan to extend Elliott in the near future, and considering the historic workload he has amassed thus far in his career (an NFL-high 1,003 touches since debuting in 2016), the soon-to-be 24-year-old back may be set to force the Cowboys to make his second contract a priority. The team, however, has Prescott, Cooper, Byron Jones, Jaylon Smith and La’el Collins going into contract years.

But Elliott plays a position with a much shorter shelf life and possesses a limited window to turn his skills into a financial windfall. The Cowboys gave Elliott 381 touches last season, pushing his career per-game total to 25.1. Only two backs (Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson) have ever accumulated more touches per game than Elliott through three seasons. Another high-volume season, at a $3.9MM base salary, would run the risk of an injury or further mileage damaging Elliott’s value. Cowboys plans for another big Elliott workload have played into thinking on the holdout front, Robinson tweets.

Elliott, who recently skirted more suspension trouble, has won two rushing titles in three seasons and has played at a higher level than any of the Cowboys’ contract-year players. Dallas took care of its All-Pro offensive linemen and may face the prospect of its best skill player threatening to withhold his services for a while. Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell each make north of $13MM per year. Elliott stands to make just more than $9MM in 2020. Should he decide to hold out, he will follow Melvin Gordon‘s lead this year. The Chargers back has not accomplished what Elliott has but has publicly threatened a holdout.

Kamrin Moore Charged With Assault

July 15th, 2019 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants safety Kamrin Moore has been charged with third-degree aggravated assault, as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com writes. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Moore punched a woman, stepped on her neck, and knocked her unconscious in a domestic violence incident. In response to the charges, the Giants have suspended Moore, pending further investigation.

On Thursday night, police say Moore caused the woman to suffer “bruising, swelling, and abrasions” in a brutal assault. The filing states that the woman in question got into a fight with another female at Moore’s residence. When Moore’s alleged victim fell to the ground, cops say he attacked her.

In a separate piece, Dunleavy passes along the following statement from Moore’s attorney, Alex Spiro:

“The claimant in this matter showed up unannounced and unsolicited at Mr. Moore’s home to begin an altercation with Mr. Moore’s girlfriend and invent these accusations. He will be fully cleared of all charges.”

Moore went undrafted out of Boston College in 2018 and signed with the Giants after he was released by the New Orleans Saints. Even before the incident, Moore was on the roster bubble as a reserve safety and special teams player.

Players involved in a domestic violence incident are subject to a six-game suspension for their first offense and a theoretical lifetime ban for a subsequent offense.

Latest On Chiefs, Chris Jones

July 15th, 2019 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

There has been no change in the Chris Jones situation in recent weeks, a source tells Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). It doesn’t sound like a new deal is on the horizon for the defensive tackle, though he’ll have to report to camp by Aug. 6 to receive an accrued season toward free agency.

Jones skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp, subjecting him to roughly $90K in fines. From here, Jones doesn’t have a ton of options, though he’s made it clear that he wants a bump from his current deal. For now, he’s slated to earn a $1.2MM base salary with a paltry $1.3MM cap hit.

Following his stellar 2018 season, the 25-year-old should end up seeing a sizable pay raise. Jones enjoyed a breakout campaign, finishing with a career-high 40 tackles and 15.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him fifth among 112 interior defenders, with his pass-rushing score ranking second at the position.

With Dee Ford out of the picture, the Chiefs need Jones more than ever. In a perfect world, they’d lock him up immediately, but a long-term pact for the rising star won’t be cheap.

Bengals G Clint Boling Retires

July 15th, 2019 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, Bengals guard Clint Boling announced his retirement from the NFL. The veteran was hoping to play in 2019, but an undisclosed injury has brought his career to a close.

“After eight years in the NFL, it is time for me to step away from the game due to medical reasons,” Boling said in a press release. “This is not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me, my wife Kelly and our two young girls. I want to thank the Brown family for giving me the opportunity to play my entire career with the Bengals. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, fans and everyone who has supported me throughout my career.”

A blood clot played heavily into this decision, Boling said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, on Twitter). The clot was discovered days after the 2018 season ended and required hospitalization. If not for that issue, Boling said he would have returned this season.

Boling first joined the Bengals in 2011 as a fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Georgia. He went on to become a key figure on the offensive line with 109 starts at left guard with occasional time spent at right guard and tackle.

It’s yet another blow to the Bengals’ offensive line after the loss of first-round tackle Jonah Williams. Christian Westerman, John Jerry, and Trey Hopkins figure to compete for the LG job now that Boling is out of the running and Cordy Glenn has been kicked back to the outside.

Hope For Falcons, Grady Jarrett Extension?

July 15th, 2019 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

Could the upcoming deadline spur action for the Falcons and Grady Jarrett? A new deal for the defensive tackle was said to be unlikely, but there’s now some hope that a long-term deal can get done before 4pm ET/3pm CT, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears.

Jarrett has been vocal about his desire for a new deal. He abstained from much of the Falcons’ offseason activities, though he reported for the Falcons’ mandatory minicamp in June along with receiver Julio Jones.

If Jarrett does not secure an extension on Monday, the Falcons will not be able to sign him to a long-term contract until the season is over. After that, they will have the option to employ the franchise tag for the second straight year, though it would come with a 20% increase and the risk of irritating one of their defensive stars.

If Jarrett stays on the $15.2MM tag, he’ll carry the third-highest cap hit in 2019 among defensive tackles, putting him behind only Aaron Donald ($17.1MM) and Kawann Short ($17MM).

Former Titans LB Derrick Morgan Retires

July 15th, 2019 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

Former Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan is retiring from the NFL, as Turron Davenport of ESPN.com writes. In his post-football life, the 30-year-old says that he’ll shift his attention to helping those in need.

“My purpose in life is bigger than the game,” Morgan said. “What football taught me was the power of influence. My goal is to create better and more meaningful opportunities for marginalized communities to break the cycles of generational poverty and build greater wealth and economic mobility. I feel a deep responsibility to leverage my platform for this.”

Morgan entered the league as the No. 16 overall pick in the 2010 draft and spent his entire nine-year career with the Titans. He walks away from the game after compiling 44.5 sacks, 305 tackles, and earning upwards of $40MM. He’ll also get to heal up from a series of knee and shoulder injuries that held him back in his final season.

We here at PFR wish Morgan the best in retirement.

Latest On Falcons, Grady Jarrett

July 15th, 2019 at 8:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett are unlikely to reach an agreement before the franchise tag extension deadline, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). If that is indeed the case and nothing is signed today, Jarrett will play out the 2019 season on his one-year, $15.35MM tender.

Jarrett’s six sacks in 2018 were impressive for an interior lineman, but he’s shown that he has even more to offer. Last year, Jarrett tied with Michael Pierce for the No. 5 spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings for defensive tackles. Over the course of 463 pass rush snaps and 245 run defense snaps, Jarrett proved that he is one of the best at his position.

A new deal for the 26-year-old likely would have given the Falcons some additional breathing room this year, but they’re also working on new deals for wide receiver Julio Jones and linebacker Deion Jones. It’s a delicate balancing act, though owner Arthur Blank had said he expects all three players to be “Falcons for life.”

49ers Sign Robbie Gould To Extension

July 15th, 2019 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers’ long saga with Robbie Gould has a happy ending. On Monday, the 49ers agreed to sign the kicker to a four-year, $19MM deal, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The deal includes $10.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, representing locked in salaries for the first two seasons of the deal. After that, the Niners must decide whether to fully guarantee half of his $4.5MM salary for 2021 before Week 16 of 2020 season, and the other half by the following April.

It’s rare for the 49ers to give fully guaranteed salaries through year two, which shows how much they value Gould. The 36-year-old has nailed 72 of 75 field goal tries since joining the 49ers in 2017, positioning him as one of the very best kickers in the game.

Gould requested a trade in April to bring him closer to his family, which many read as a push to return to Chicago. The 49ers, however, held firm and refused to deal him.

Before the deal, Gould was scheduled to play the 2019 season on his one-year, $5MM franchise tag tender.

Extra Points: Lawrence, Mumphery, Packers

July 14th, 2019 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

If it’s too early to think about the 2020 NFL Draft, then it’s definitely too early to think about the 2021 draft. Still, that’s not stopping those in the football world from daydreaming about Trevor Lawrence and his potential.

“There’s nothing he can’t do,” said former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer when asked about the Clemson quarterback (via The MMQB). “The only question is if he’ll continue to do it. It’s hard to temper your excitement, because he checks every single box. Confidence, intelligence, athleticism, smarts, twitch, arm strength, power—you go through all the boxes, he’s nines or 10s. It’s like Andrew Luck.”

Lawrence, who has been termed “perfect” by mechanics coach Jordan Palmer, likely would’ve been the first pick in either this year’s draft or the 2020 draft, if he were eligible. If he declares after his true junior season at Clemson, he’s expected to be the slam dunk No. 1 pick in 2021.

Here’s more from around the league:

Wide receiver Keith Mumphery received $725K from Michigan State in a lawsuit settlement, as Paula Lavigne of ESPN.com writes. Mumphery was cut by the Texans in 2017 after reports surfaced that he had been banned from campus following a sexual assault accusation. Mumphery always insisted he was falsely accused, and sued Michigan State for his lost wages. The settlement will help him recoup some of those potential earnings and may help his cause as he tries to mount an NFL comeback.
After a disappointing season and significant spending spree, the Packers‘ profits have dropped dramatically (via The Associated Press). The good news, however, is that the Packers still turned a profit after re-signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and signing linebacker Za’Darius Smith, linebacker Preston Smith, safety Adrian Amos, and guard Billy Smith. Ultimately, it’s an indication that the Packers are in good fiscal standing despite being a small market team.