HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Josh Doctson Expects To Leave Redskins?

July 2nd, 2019 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

After the Redskins declined Josh Doctson‘s option, the wide receiver is on course for free agency following the ’19 campaign. From the sound of it, he expects to be elsewhere in 2020. 

“I think I’m hitting free agency next year. I won’t be the first, won’t be the last,” Doctson said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim). “It’s nothing to be sad about, be mad about. Someone wants you there, so it’s all love.”

Had the Redskins picked up his option, Docston would have been due $10.162MM for the 2020 campaign, an untenable figure given his lack of NFL production. Doctson appeared in only two games in his rookie season due to injury, and he averaged just 40 receptions, 517 yards, and four touchdowns in each of the past two years. Efficiency was a problem for the 26-year-old in 2018, as he ranked 96th out of 107 qualifying receivers in yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus.

The Redskins’ offense features a heavy focus on tight ends, including Jordan Reed, so a change of scenery (and a clean bill of health) could lead to big things for Doctson elsewhere. For what it’s worth, teammates like cornerback Josh Norman still believe in his ability.

“He goes after the ball like no other. I’m talking about a jump ball,” Norman said. “He has his strengths and abilities to where he can be one of the top guys in this league if he wants it. … We have had a couple quarterback changes since he’s been here. You have to take that into consideration.”

The 26-year-old will have to fight for opportunities alongside rookies Terry McLaurin (third round) and Kelvin Harmon (sixth). Meanwhile, Paul Richardson will aim to erase his injury-shortened 2018 and Trey Quinn will return to man the slot.

NFL, NFLPA Hope To Sign New CBA Soon

July 2nd, 2019 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

We might not be headed towards a labor stoppage after all. Talks between the NFL and the NFLPA are set to pick up this month with an eye towards hammering out a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2019 season gets underway, a source tells ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.

[RELATED: Could Players Have Say In Team Relocations?]

The two sides have scheduled negotiating sessions for July 17-19, marking the first time the two parties will engage in talks for three straight days. As it stands, the current CBA expires after the 2020 season, but everyone involved is taking a proactive approach to get something done well in advance.

It’s all rather promising – owners locked out players in 2011, which led to a last-minute agreement and shortened training camps. There’s optimism on both sides of the table, Graziano hears, though nothing is certain.

It would behoove both sides to get something done before March 2020. Without a new deal in place, next offseason will include new contract and salary-cap rules specific to the final year of the CBA, which means no June 1 release designations and the ability of teams to use both the franchise and transition tags to keep players off the free agent market.

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

July 2nd, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

If you enjoy PFR on your smartphone or tablet then you’ve got to download the free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Pro Football Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Hoops Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app.
  • Customer service! If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download now!

Latest On NFL, NFLPA Talks

July 2nd, 2019 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

At least three rounds of Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions have been held, Mike Florio of PFT hears. One of the key issues being discussed is the handling of “stadium credits” – the NFL wants to push a significant amount of the money that currently is shared between owners and players to stadium construction and renovation projects.

The NFLPA, meanwhile, might not be so willing to do that. The player’s union doesn’t necessarily want to pay for the league’s stadiums and it’s not clear what they would receive in return. Furthermore, the union would likely insist on input in key decisions as they relate to stadiums or even team relocation. For example, in this scenario, Florio wonders if the union could have hypothetically blocked the Rams from moving to Los Angeles when there was a path to success available in St. Louis.

If the player’s union does get involved in the business of stadiums and gains power in terms of team relocation, it could have a direct impact on the future of the Bills in Buffalo. With a seat at the table, players may lean more towards moving teams when it means an increase in overall revenue and, by extension, more money towards the salary cap.

 

This Date In Transactions History: NFL Suspends Antonio Gates, Sheldon Richardson

July 2nd, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

The days leading up to the Fourth of July aren’t necessarily a hotbed of activity in the NFL. But, sometimes, the league office will use the cover of the holiday weekend to drop some unfavorable news. That’s what the NFL did on July 2, 2015 when it announced the suspensions of three notable players. 

Four years ago today, the league announced suspensions for Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, and Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. All three players were banned for the first four games of the season – Gates for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy and McClain and Richardson for substance abuse policy violations.

Gates issued a statement soon after the suspension came down, saying that he tested positive for a substance that he was unaware was on the league’s banned list. At the time, it felt like the ban could signal the end of the Gates era in San Diego and the beginning of the Ladarius Green era. Green had flashed his immense physical tools in the past, but was buried behind Gates on the tight end depth chart. The youngster was productive in Gates’ absence, but Gates came storming back when he took the field and finished ahead of Green in all major statistical categories. In the following year, Green went on to sign an ill-fated contract with the Steelers and Gates remained as the team’s primary tight end.

Richardson’s suspension, meanwhile, probably hurt his standing with his team. Richardson’s suspension gave rookie Leonard Williams a chance to shine and further reinforced the perception of him as a bad teammate. The former first-round pick turned in the worst season of his career to date and lost upwards of $600K in salary and bonus money as a result of the suspension. The Jets tried hard to trade Richardson throughout the 2016 season, but could not find any takers. Then, just before the start of the ’17 campaign, they shipped him to the Seahawks for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick.

McClain’s suspension was the result of violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a fourth time in his NFL career. In a statement, McClain vowed that he would “not break the rules of [his] profession in the future.” Unfortunately, he was unable to keep that promise. In 2016, McClain was suspended for substance abuse yet again, this time for ten games. He later failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. McClain has reportedly battled an addiction to “purple drank” (a mixture of codeine-based cold medication and soda) and there has been no word of a potential comeback in some time.

Extra Points: Bernard, Gronk, Cardinals

July 1st, 2019 at 9:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Giovani Bernard was consistently one of the Bengals‘ most versatile offensive weapons during Marvin Lewis‘ tenure with the organization, but new head coach Zac Taylor is seemingly taking that to a whole new level. According to Michael LaPlaca of Bengals.com, Bernard was used in a variety of different ways during OTAs, including reps at wide receiver.

“I’ve always been the type of guy when my opportunity arises is to go out and play, play hard, play for your team,” Bernard said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We have to play for each other. It’s not about the stats, it’s not about how many plays I get. I just want to go out there when my number is called and make the play.”

The 27-year-old was limited to only 12 games in 2018, compiling 211 rushing yards and three scores on 56 carries. He also added another 35 receptions for 218 yards.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Those hoping for a Rob Gronkowski return probably won’t be thrilled with the former tight end’s physique. As Henry McKenna of USA Today observed, Gronk showed up to the premier of Patriots teammate Julian Edelman‘s documentary looking skinnier than every before. While the six-foot-seven touchdown machine is still plenty tall, he’s clearly slimmed down, and there’s little chance he’d be in any kind of condition to play in the NFL. Gronk already denied talks of a comeback earlier this month.
  • The Cardinals offense under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury continues to be a mystery, although rookie quarterback Kyler Murray referred to the scheme as “explosive.” ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tried to predict what’s in store in Arizona, opining that the offense will use the shotgun, will be fast, and will spread the field, all while being balanced. Weinfuss also notes that running back David Johnson is expected to play a major role.
  • A fifth player has seemingly declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft, University of St. Francis (IL) defensive back Bryant Perry will be working out for teams next week.

Jets’ Brandon Shell Underwent Knee Surgery

July 1st, 2019 at 9:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Jets right tackle Brandon Shell has a chance to earn himself a lucrative contract based on his play next season. However, he’ll first have to prove that he’s fully recovered from a knee injury. As Brian Costello of the New York Post writes, the 27-year-old underwent surgery on his left knee this past offseason.

The exact injury hasn’t been reported, but we learned back in December that it had nothing to do with the lineman’s ACL or MCL. It also sounds like the operation was a success, as Costello writes that Shell was practicing fully during OTAs and didn’t show any issues with his knee.

If Shell is indeed healthy, it’d be ideal timing. After all, the 2016 fifth-rounder is set to hit free agency following the 2019 campaign. While Shell has started 29 of his 34 career games (including 16 starts over the past two seasons), he’s now playing for a new head coach and GM. As Costello writes, 2019 will be Shell’s opportunity to show both Adam Gase and Joe Douglas that he should be considered a foundational piece of the Jets’ offensive line.

While Shell didn’t have a standout 2018 season protecting rookie Sam Darnold, he showed improvements over his 2017 season. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked Shell 56th among 80 eligible tackles, and he allowed only 1.5 sacks throughout the year. The lineman will predictably have a lot more pressure on him in 2019, as he’ll now be blocking for an All-Pro running back in Le’Veon Bell.

XFL Commish Talks AAF, Recruiting, QBs

July 1st, 2019 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon is the big name associated with the upcoming XFL, but the league’s commissioner has the difficult job of building a successful infrastructure. Fortunately, Oliver Luck, the father of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, is more than qualified for the position; following an NFL career, Luck earned his law degree before running MLS teams and collegiate programs.

Luck is now tasked with running an alternative option to the NFL, something that several of the league’s predecessors have failed to do. Several months ago, it looked like the XFL would be going head-to-head with the Alliance of American Football, but now they’re the only reputable spring league. The eight teams are already ramping up their efforts for a 2020 debut, and each organization has a head coach in place.

Now, the league is turning their attention to attracting players. In October, about 300 participants from the XFL’s Summer Showcase will be signed and entered into a draft pool, at which time the eight teams will fill the “bottom half” of their rosters. The league will look to fill the rest of their rosters with players who are cut loose by NFL squads following the preseason (more than 850 players will be released at that time). The XFL will have another chance to add players in January, when practice squads end and players aren’t retained via futures contracts.

Luck talked with Greg Auman of The Athletic about the XFL’s plan for recruiting players and what he’s learned from the AAF. The entire article is worth a read, but we’ve compiled some of the notable soundbites below.

On what he learned from the defunct Alliance of American Football, which is still dealing with fallout despite shutting down in April:

“I was speaking with Vince, and one of the questions he asked was ‘What are you worried about?’ I said ‘I think schedule-wise, etc., we’re in pretty good shape, but I do worry though about players’ motivations after the other league collapsed.’ I’m really looking forward to all these showcases, today included, to talk to these guys and it’s been very refreshing to see they just want to play more football. They know where our eight teams are, they know who our head coaches are, they trust we’re going to have a game that’s not too outlandish or crazy. To see the motivation and excitement these guys have has been good for us. It took away any doubt I had that players might say ‘Oh, gosh, another spring league. I don’t want to do that. They never make it.’ That sort of thing. That was important.”

On both the successes and failures of the AAF:

“We watched them closely. Personally, there was no dancing on the grave, no schadenfreude. I was hoping they’d make it through their championship game. … It’s helped us a little bit, reaffirmed our model. The AAF also made some mistakes. (The Apollos), in the sports business, that’s like a pilot forgetting to turn the engine on.”

On NFL-ineligible collegiate players who may spurn the NCAA for professional football (the NFL requires players to be at least three years out of high school):

“We won’t have many, but we’ll have a couple. They’ll be some guys with college eligibility still who say ‘I’d rather go earn sixty grand’ … anybody is eligible. Having said that, as I’ve said to our head coaches, I want to make sure the younger guy is physically, mentally, emotionally mature enough to play. If you’ve got a guy who played a year of ball at Florida State, got a lot of snaps and stuff.”

On whether the NFL is focused on attracting younger players or veterans:

“We have to be able to make sure that some of the older guys can make it through, to be blunt. We have to make sure some of younger guys know what it means to be a professional. I think there will be a combination of guys. We want to be a league of opportunity.”

On attracting (relatively) big-name quarterbacks to join the XFL (Luck specifically focused on the Seahawks backup gig between Geno Smith and Paxton Lynch, noting that the “loser” could realistically make just as much money in the alternative league):

“We’re watching the backup quarterback camp battles. One of these guys is going to get cut. There’s a bunch of those going on. We might not get all of those guys, the quote-unquote loser of those, but a Geno or Paxton is not going to end up on a practice squad. There are a bunch of 3-4-5-year guys that are in that boat. They’ve been on rosters, practice squad, been yo-yo’d two years. They need to play, and that’s my argument to them, that it’s very doable here.”

DB Bryant Perry Enters Supplemental Draft

July 1st, 2019 at 5:57pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like there’s another entrant in the upcoming 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft. According to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter), University of St. Francis (IL) defensive back Bryant Perry will be throwing his hat in the ring. The six-foot, 180-pound defender will be holding a workout in Chicago next Monday.

Perry played two seasons at Mesabi Range College in Minnesota before joining USF for the 2018 campaign. The defensive back ended up appearing in nine games (seven starts) for the Saints, compiling 24 tackles and three passes defended. It’s uncertain why Perry was ruled ineligible for the 2019 NCAA season, and considering his lack of hype, there’s a good chance he’ll go undrafted. At the very least, his decision to enter the supplemental draft will put him on the NFL radar.

As our own Zach Links detailed earlier today, the draft allows NFL teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year. So, for example, if a team selects a player in the sixth round of the supplemental draft this year, they will have to give up their 2020 sixth-round selection.

Besides Perry, we know of four other players who will be entrants in this year’s class:

Latest On Browns RB Kareem Hunt

July 1st, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Kareem Hunt is back in the news. A video on TMZ.com showed the Browns running back talking with police following a “small argument” (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). Hunt was not arrested or charged following the incident.

Per Florio, the owner of the bar where the incident took place downplayed the entire ordeal, while a witness told TMZ.com that a “physical altercation” definitely occured. As Florio notes, it’s uncertain if that “altercation” was an actual fight or just horseplay. The cops in the video can be heard telling Hunt that they “saw him push you.”

A Browns spokesperson told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the team is aware of the incident, and the organization has already talked to Hunt. It’s unlikely that anything comes up this latest episode, although Florio wonders if the organization may have placed Hunt on “some sort of a one-strike arrangement” when they signed him back in February. While the recent incident seems relatively harmless, Florio notes that the Browns could “regard any controversy whatsoever involving Hunt to be enough” to terminate the contract.

The Browns stirred up some controversy up their own when they signed Hunt earlier this offseason. Hunt, 23, is under investigation for three separate 2018 events — most notably the incident captured on video that showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel/apartment complex in February of last year. The Chiefs waived Hunt following reports of the incident, but the Browns subsequently inked him to a one-year deal.

Hunt will already be sitting out the first eight games of the upcoming season. When the running back eventually returns from his suspension, he’ll be joining a talented Cleveland offense. While Hunt is out, the team can lean on 2018 second-rounder Nick Chubb and pass-catcher Duke Johnson Jr., while the passing game will revolve around quarterback Baker Mayfield and wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

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