2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots’ Joejuan Williams Arrested

January 22nd, 2020 at 5:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots cornerback Joejuan Williams was arrested for drug possession on Friday night, according to CBS4 in Boston. Per Michael Giardi of the NFL Network (citing the Tennessean), police found acetaminophen hydrocodone prescription pills, valacyclovir hydrocodone pills, a large amount of marijuana, hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes, and illegal paraphernalia inside Williams’ SUV (Twitter link).

Williams, who just turned 22 in December, was selected out of Vanderbilt in the second round of last year’s draft. The Patriots and other clubs were tantalized by his combination of size (he stands at 6’4″) and tough playing style in the lead-up to April. In his first pro season, he was used sparingly, appearing in just nine games with four tackles in total, with more snaps on special teams than on defense.

And, given the variety and nature of the drugs found in Williams’ possession, he will almost certainly face a suspension from the league. When the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized, it is expected to be more lenient on marijuana use, and that could be a factor when the NFL doles out punishment. But if Williams did not have a prescription for the pills, that could be a bigger problem for him.

Williams’ arrest comes shortly after word of Julian Edelman‘s run-in with the law. The wide receiver was arrested earlier this month after allegedly jumping on the hood of someone else’s Mercedes. Both players could be subject to league discipline once their legal matters are wrapped up.

Eli Manning To Retire

January 22nd, 2020 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants icon Eli Manning will hold a news conference on Friday to announce his retirement, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jordan Raanan (Twitter link). Unwilling to finish his career as a backup, Manning will walk away from the sport and focus on new endeavors.

Manning, 39, got the hook from the Giants on multiple occasions. The first time around, in 2017, he was briefly benched for one game in favor of Geno Smith. This year, he lost his job to rookie Daniel Jones and never regained his footing. The Giants’ struggles continued throughout the season, but it was an easy call for the G-Men to anoint Jones as their starter moving forward.

Things didn’t end the way Manning envisioned, but he leaves the sport after a storied NFL career that will surely land him in Canton, once he’s eligible. Manning had lots of highs across his 16-year career (and, some lows), but he’ll forever be remembered as a two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP. He’s also etched in the record books – he’s seventh all-time in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. Another impressive feat – Manning never once missed a start due to injury.

Manning has long ranked as one of the league’s highest-paid players, too. He’s earned more than a quarter-billion dollars in football, not including endorsement money.

Manning entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft. The Ole Miss star famously refused to play for the Chargers and forced a trade to the Giants, where he established himself as a global superstar and stepped out of his older brother’s shadow. He’s foiled the Patriots twice, sold countless jerseys in the tri-state area, and forged a legacy that will last for decades.

“For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field,” John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Eli is our only two-time Super Bowl MVP and one of the very best players in our franchise’s history. He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability. It meant something to Eli to be the Giants quarterback, and it meant even more to us. We are beyond grateful for his contributions to our organization and look forward to celebrating his induction into the Giants Ring of Honor in the near future.”

It remains to be seen whether Manning will stay involved in football. The Giants have expressed interest in giving Manning a non-playing role, but that would likely come in the form of a front office position – Manning has indicated that he is not interested in a coaching career.

“I learned very early that you evaluate quarterbacks on their ability to win championships, and to do it late in a game when the game is on the line, that they’re able to take a team down the field and into the end zone to win a title,” said longtime Giants GM Ernie Accorsi said. “The second thing is to know that over a period of years, he’s always going to be there. Those kinds of quarterbacks always give you a chance to win, and for 16 years, he did that for this franchise. He won championships and he was always there giving us a chance to win. I don’t know how you can ask more from a quarterback.”

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/22/20

January 22nd, 2020 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s reserve/futures deals here:

Dallas Cowboys

K Tristan Vizcaino, DT Justin Hamilton

Bengals Personnel Director On Green, Dalton, Mixon

January 22nd, 2020 at 3:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Bengals receiver A.J. Green missed the entire 2019 campaign due to an ankle injury, and the last time he suited up for a game was in Week 13 of the 2018 regular season. Given his age (he will be 32 by the time the 2020 regular gets underway) and recent injury history, there has been plenty of speculation that the rebuilding Cincinnati outfit might move on from its franchise icon this offseason.

But that’s not necessarily the case. On Wednesday, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters, including Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer, that he plans on having Green back in 2020 (Twitter link). Tobin said “all options are on the table,” which presumably means that the franchise tag and a multiyear pact are in play. Green has previously indicated that he is opposed to the franchise tag, though he did concede that he would not engage in a season-long holdout if he is hit with the tag.

The tag value for wideouts checks in at a whopping $18.5MM, a lot of coin for an aging player who has missed 23 of his team’s last 24 games. A long-term deal would also be quite costly, because with a fairly light free agent receiver class — which gets a lot lighter if Amari Cooper and Emmanuel Sanders re-up with their current teams — Green would likely still command top-dollar on the open market.

On the other hand, a receiver of Green’s caliber would be a major boon to the team’s offense, especially if the Bengals draft Joe Burrow and put him under center right away. The two sides were recently said to be far apart on contract talks, so this is shaping up to be one of this offseason’s most prominent storylines.

Tobin also touched on quarterback Andy Dalton and running back Joe Mixon. The consensus seems to be that the Bengals will look to trade Dalton or cut him if the right deal comes along, but there is also a possibility that he returns as a bridge to Burrow, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes. As with Green, Tobin said he has not ruled out any options when it comes to Dalton.

Mixon, meanwhile, is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, and Tobin plans to explore that possibility. Despite being one of the few dangerous skill position players on the team in 2019, Mixon went over 1,100 yards rushing for the second straight season, and he certainly looks the part of a long-term feature back.

Tobin suggested that the Bengals may be more active in the free agent market than they historically have been, but if they are earmarking a significant amount of money for Mixon and Green, they may not be able to spend as freely as they might like. But they should have enough cap space to make a few key signings, especially if they part ways with Dalton.

Chargers To Put Transition Tag On Hunter Henry?

January 22nd, 2020 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Chargers TE Hunter Henry is undeniably talented, but he has battled injuries over the past two seasons and therefore has some question marks surrounding him as he faces free agency for the first time. The 2016 second-round selection had a promising rookie campaign in which he caught eight TD passes, the second-highest total for a rookie TE this decade — behind only Rob Gronkowski‘s 10-TD 2010 effort — and he followed that up with a solid sophomore showing.

But in May 2018, he suffered a torn ACL that wiped out the entirety of the 2018 regular season. He returned for the Chargers’ divisional-round contest against the Patriots, but he played in just 20% of the team’s offensive snaps that game and did not catch a pass. Then, he sustained a tibia plateau fracture in Week 1 of the 2019 regular season and missed four games as a result.

Although they accumulated a lot of yards in 2019, the Bolts struggled to convert those yards into points, thanks in large part to shaky quarterback play. Henry, though, did his part, posting 652 receiving yards and five scores, and his yards-per-game output would have amounted to a very good 868 receiving yards if he had played all 16 games. And given the relative dearth of tight end talent in free agency and the draft, it would make sense for the Chargers to re-sign the Arkansas product (the only other tight end who could hit the open market and who could be considered on the same level as Henry is Atlanta’s Austin Hooper, and there’s no guarantee the Falcons let him walk).

But if they cannot agree to a new contract before free agency, LA is expected to use the transition tag on Henry, per Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network. The transition tag is less commonly used than the franchise tag, and while it gives the applying team the right to match any offer a player receives from another club, it does not result in any draft pick compensation should the applying team decline to match. However, no team would give up two first-round picks to sign Henry, so the transition tag makes sense in this case even though it’s only marginally less expensive than the franchise tag ($9.2MM vs. $11MM).

The tight end market is due for a reset, but in light of his health concerns and lack of a true breakout season, Henry may not be the player to reset it. If he elects for the security of a multiyear pact, he may be looking at something akin to the four-year, $29.8MM deal between Darren Waller and the Raiders. Or, if he is hit with the transition tag, he could play out the 2020 campaign on the tag, make a nice salary in the process, and look to jump back into the market in 2021.

Latest On Bucs, Shaq Barrett

January 22nd, 2020 at 12:14pm CST by Rory Parks

The Buccaneers are still up in the air as to what they want to do with Jameis Winston, but pass rusher Shaq Barrett is another story. Tampa Bay gave Barrett a one-year, $4MM deal shortly after free agency opened last March, but it’s fair to say he’s going to make a lot more than that in 2020 and beyond.

Barrett exploded with an incredible 19.5 sacks in 2019, dwarfing his previous career-high of 5.5, set in 2015. The former UDFA out of Colorado State displayed flashes of pass rushing talent during his five-year tenure in Denver, but only the Bengals and Bucs extended him a contract offer last offseason. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was obviously thrilled with Barrett’s performance, and Arians recently indicated the team would not let Barrett get away.

Speaking at Pro Bowl practice on Wednesday, Barrett echoed Arians’ sentiments. “I don’t know where it’s going to end up at but I’m confident that I’m going to be where I should be, which I think is Tampa,” Barrett told reporters, including Scott Smith of the team’s official website (Twitter link).

Of course, it’s going to take a highly-lucrative deal to keep Barrett around. He’s in line for a contract paying him upwards of $15MM per season with $30MM or so in full guarantees, though the Bucs could buy themselves some more negotiation time by hitting Barrett with the franchise tag (depending, perhaps, on what the club elects to do with Winston). The fact that Barrett is also no slouch against the run could drive his price up even further.

Luckily, Tampa Bay will have plenty of cap space to work with, so it would be a shock to see Barrett hit the open market.

Texans S Justin Reid To Undergo Surgery

January 22nd, 2020 at 11:51am CST by Rory Parks

For the second straight year, Texans safety Justin Reid will undergo offseason surgery. Last year, Reid went under the knife for a wrist ailment, and this year, he will have surgery to repair a torn labrum, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV tweets.

Reid has quietly established himself as one of the game’s better young safeties, and it’s fair to wonder how good he would be if he were completely healthy. As a rookie, he battled the wrist injury throughout the 2018 season, and he was playing through the labrum tear in 2019. His perseverance has earned him the respect of his teammates, who voted him the 2019 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award.

Though he did miss one regular season game with a concussion, Reid started every one of the club’s other 15 games, picking up two interceptions to go along with 78 total tackles. He was also on the field for every defensive snap in both of the Texans’ postseason contests.

Houston largely struggled in pass defense in 2019, but Reid earned strong reviews for his work from Pro Football Focus. As a 2018 rookie, the Stanford product will be eligible for an extension for the first time next offseason. However, fellow safety Jahleel Addae is eligible for free agency this year, along with cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby, so there could be a lot of turnover in the Texans’ defensive backfield.

Kraft: Patriots “Plan To” Keep Tom Brady

January 22nd, 2020 at 11:14am CST by Rory Parks

As expected, Tom Brady rumors have picked up steam over the past couple of days. It has been clear for some time that the chance of a split between the future Hall-of-Famer and the Patriots is as great as it’s ever been, but a return to Foxborough is still on the table.

And team owner Robert Kraft wants to see Brady back with the Pats for his age-43 season. Kraft was asked by a TMZ reporter on Tuesday if the Patriots are going to re-sign Brady, and Kraft said, “we plan to” (h/t Doug Kyed of NESN.com).

Of course, we recently heard that Brady is looking forward to exploring free agency, and even if he ultimately remains with the Patriots, it will not be before he has first had the opportunity to test the market. The Chargers continue to be mentioned as a possible landing spot for Brady, and the Colts and Raiders have also been named as speculative fits.

Brady is not the player he once was, but the fact that he is still playing is remarkable in and of itself. In 2019, the Pats were driven primarily by their defense, as Brady posted a fairly pedestrian 88.0 QB rating. But with a very underwhelming collection of talent at wide receiver and tight end, he still threw for over 4,000 yards and 24 TDs against just eight interceptions.

The Chargers boast much more receiving talent than the Patriots do at the moment, and they also have a running back in Austin Ekeler who is adept at catching passes out of the backfield (assuming the Bolts bring Ekeler back, which they almost certainly will). With a strong supporting cast, there is no reason to think Brady cannot play at a starter level for one or two more seasons.

Eagles To Pursue CBs In Free Agency

January 22nd, 2020 at 10:39am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles are expected to “go hard” after cornerbacks in free agency, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears. Philadelphia is projected to have around $44MM in cap space, and the club plans to use a big chunk of that on a CB or two.

The Broncos’ Chris Harris and the Cowboys’ Byron Jones are two of the biggest names being thrown around, and assuming they do not re-up with their current clubs, they will hit free agency with a good shot at a top-of-the-market deal (i.e. $15MM+ per year with upwards of $45MM in full guarantees). However, the Eagles will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to upgrade their CB corps, per Pauline.

Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby are also eligible for free agency, and it’s unclear if the Eagles will bring back either player. They may explore a multiyear deal with Mills, who played decently after returning from injury in Week 7, but it would not be a surprise to see them part ways with Darby. Plus, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com writes, Philadelphia does not consider Rasul Douglas or Sidney Jones starter material, and both are trade candidates.

As such, there will clearly be room for several cornerbacks on the Eagles’ 2020 roster. In 2019, the team finished in the middle of the pack in terms of pass defense efficiency, per Football Outsiders, and in passing yards allowed per game, so an upgrade is in order. Of course, they did their best to swing a trade for a quality CB (including Harris) at this year’s trade deadline, but they ultimately did not want to part with the type of draft capital that such a trade would have required.

Jaguars Hire Jay Gruden As OC

January 22nd, 2020 at 10:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Jay Gruden‘s interview with the Jaguars ended up leading to a job offer. The former Redskins head coach has been hired as Jacksonville’s new offensive coordinator, the team announced. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported yesterday (via Twitter) that this was the expected outcome.

Gruden joined ex-Giants HC Ben McAdoo and ex-Rams HC and Cowboys OC Scott Linehan in interviewing for this post. The Redskins set several passing records during Gruden’s years with Kirk Cousins and were in first place in the NFC East when Alex Smith went down with the severe leg injury that harpooned Washington’s 2018 season. The Redskins ranked 10th in scoring in their 2015 playoff season and were third in total offense a year later.

Despite Marrone entering his fourth season as the Jags’ full-time head coach, this has not been a stable position in recent years. The Jags fired Nathaniel Hackett late in the 2018 season and will make John DeFilippo a one-and-done in the OC role. With Marrone avoiding the ouster many expected, Gruden’s work with Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew will be critical to this regime staying in place. Gruden also figures to be auditioning for a future HC job.

The Redskins fired Gruden after an 0-5 start to his sixth season. He clashed with ownership and since-fired team president Bruce Allen on the drafting of Dwayne Haskins but has a history in helping young quarterbacks. Gruden was in his first year as Cincinnati’s OC when the team traded Carson Palmer and pivoted to rookie Andy Dalton. The Bengals made the playoffs from 2011-13 and were a top-10 scoring offense in the ’12 and ’13 campaigns. Minshew, who is set to compete with Foles this offseason, will be his next project.