2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Redskins Work Out Seantrel Henderson

January 29th, 2020 at 4:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Veteran offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, released by the Texans last year, worked out for the Redskins on Wednesday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Henderson could be a candidate for the 90-man offseason roster, giving the Redskins an interesting depth candidate for the year ahead.

Early in his career, he started in 26 contests for the Bills between 2014 and 2015 and proved to be a proficient blocker. However, things took a turn in later seasons.

Henderson was hit with a ten-game substance abuse policy suspension in 2017, his second ban after previously serving a four-game suspension. For his part, Henderson says he was only using marijuana to help treat symptoms of his Crohn’s disease.

Henderson hooked on with the Texans in 2018 and earned a re-up for 2019. But, after Week 1, the 28-year-old was benched, then waived in November. Henderson went on to audition for the Bills, Seahawks, and Ravens, but was unable to find a new club.

The Redskins’ O-Line, without Trent Williams, still managed to perform decently as a unit. This year, new head coach Ron Rivera and new OL coach John Matsko will look to build upon that and they’ll have a healthy Brandon Scherff to help the cause.

Latest On Browns’ Myles Garrett

January 29th, 2020 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says he’ll meet with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in the next 60 days (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Garrett is under indefinite suspension from the NFL for his actions in an ugly November brawl with the Steelers and quarterback Mason Rudolph.

One league source told Cabot that he expects Garrett to be reinstated after meeting with Goodell, though the commish declined to speculate on how the meeting might go. Already, Garrett has been withheld from six games, costing him $1.14MM in lost pay, not including his $45K fine.

Garrett struck Rudolph with his helmet and later alleged that the QB used a racial slur against him. Rudolph and his attorney have vehemently denied the accusation.

Recently, Garrett was permitted to return to the Browns’ practice facility, which may be an indication that the league is ready to welcome him back. Meanwhile, teammates tell Cabot that Garrett has been in good spirits.

If Garrett is re-instated after meeting with Goodell, he’ll be eligible to partake in the Browns’ voluntary offseason program, which gets underway on April 6.

Roger Goodell Isn’t Thinking About Retirement

January 29th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Roger Goodell has frequently come under fire since taking over as the NFL’s commissioner in 2006. He’s also made a fortune in one of the most heavily-scrutinized executive positions in sports, but he doesn’t envision walking away anytime soon.

“I haven’t thought about retiring, it’s not on my agenda. We have too much to do,” said Goodell.

Atop the list of things to do: Guiding the NFL to a brand new collective bargaining agreement as the current one nears its expiration. But, even after Goodell hammers something out with the players’ union and negotiates new television deals, he doesn’t think he’ll transition from football to daily tee times on the golf course.

Goodell, 60, did acknowledge the need for a succession plan. At this time, there’s no clear internal candidate to take over for the commish, as was the case years ago in the NBA when Adam Silver assumed David Stern’s position. Interestingly, there have been rumblings of big-name candidates from outside the sport over the years – like Silver – and out of sports – like former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

Roger Goodell On Antonio Brown

January 29th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

In a press conference with reporters, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed Antonio Brown‘s ongoing saga and uncertain status with the league. Goodell, who is overseeing the ongoing investigation that probably won’t reach its conclusion anytime soon, expressed concern for Brown’s overall welfare.

“We want to help him get on the right track,” Goodell said. “We are confident it will happen.”

Before Brown can think about a return to football, he’ll have to get his personal life and legal affairs in order. The wide receiver was parked on the Commissioner Exempt list after being hit with a lawsuit for one of the sexual assault allegations against him. Since then, Brown has been featured weekly on the pages of Pro Football Rumors for mostly non-football reasons. Just last week, he was cuffed for three charges, including battery.

Goodell declined to give a timeline on discipline from the league office. At this point, it’s hard to see Brown getting back on an NFL field in 2020 and he may never return to the sport if he’s unable to make wholesale changes to his personal life.

Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, will turn 32 in July.

Surgery For Bears’ Mitch Trubisky

January 29th, 2020 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky underwent surgery to repair the partially torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder shortly after the end of the season, ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson tweets. The typical recovery time for the procedure is around two months, which means that Trubisky should be ready to go well before training camp gets underway.

Although it’s not as serious as, say, surgery for his right shoulder, it’s a situation worth monitoring. Trubisky is coming off of a rocky year and even though the Bears intend on moving forward with him as their top QB, the issue could prompt the Bears to spend on a veteran backup.

There’s also the matter of Trubisky’s fifth-year option. The 2017 first-round pick can be cuffed through the 2021 season at a rate of $25MM, guaranteed for injury only. The Bears, at this point, are expected to trigger that option by the May 5th deadline, but a hitch in Trubisky’s recovery could give them pause.

The shoulder wasn’t Trubisky’s only injury in 2019, there was also a hip injury and other maladies along the way. All in all, Trubisky threw for 3,138 yards with 17 touchdowns against ten interceptions – a pretty big step back from his strong 2018 Pro Bowl showing. The Bears went 8-7 in Trubisky’s 15 starts and went 8-8 on the year, falling short of the playoffs.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Chase Young

January 29th, 2020 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals (will probably) select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. Not long after that, the draft’s consensus top talent – Ohio State defensive end Chase Young – will be chosen.

It’s a familiar refrain in the NFL Draft, which never unfolds in the order of the “best player available.” Even though Young likely won’t be the top choice this year, he’s arguably commanded more attention in the football world than any other prospect in his class, and for good reason.

Young isn’t just the best edge rusher in 2020 – some say he’s the best pass-rushing prospect in years. Pro Football Focus, which has been grading at the college level since 2014, bestowed historic grades to Josh Allen (Kentucky, 2018), Nick Bosa (Ohio State, 2017), Myles Garrett (Texas A&M, 2015), and other elite prospects – Young topped them all in 2019.

Still, you don’t need advanced metrics to see why Young is such a special talent. Evaluators have been drooling over his potential for years, dating back to his days at high school powerhouse DeMatha Catholic. His presence was felt immediately at Ohio State in 2017 and he followed that up with a ten-sack season as a sophomore in 2018. Last year, Young went ballistic: 17 sacks (the most in the FBS), 21 tackles for a loss, and seven forced fumbles…in a season that was cut short by two games, thanks to a suspension over a loan from the draconian NCAA.

Listed at 6’5″ and 265 pounds, Young seems to check every box. He’s powerful against the run and unfathomably smooth as a pass rusher. At Ohio State, Young was the focus of every opposing offensive line, including some of the nation’s most elite units. Frequently, Young was double-teamed, and that didn’t usually work, save for his December matchup against Michigan in which it felt like they double-teamed him on every snap. Even then, the extra attention on Young meant more opportunities for the rest of the front seven, and Ohio State rolled to a 56-27 blowout.

Even evaluators that have put Young under a microscope haven’t been able to find many flaws. Young may have to get more consistent with his pad level and work on his vision, some say. Those critiques are the football equivalent of seeing a supermodel walk down the street and remarking that her nail polish color is tacky. As far as pass-rushing prospects go, Young is as good as they get.

Despite their glaring need at quarterback and unbridled love for Burrow, the Bengals will consider the local phenom for the top pick. At this stage, we’re expecting the Bengals to take Burrow no matter what, but that won’t affect Young much. The Redskins, at No. 2, probably represent Young’s absolute floor.

Browns Sign FB Johnny Stanton

January 29th, 2020 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, new Browns GM Andrew Berry shook up his front office. He also made a roster move that is less splashy on the surface, but notable in its own right.

The Browns announced the signing of fullback Johnny Stanton, a UNLV product who converted from the quarterback position. Last year, Stanton went to camp with the Vikings as a UDFA and spent some time on their practice squad.

The Browns did not use a fullback in their offense last year, but Kevin Stefanski had C.J. Ham on the field for a good number of snaps in 2019. Ham blocked for Dalvin Cook, who drove the Vikings to the playoffs with a career-high 1,654 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns. Stanton, or another fullback, could feature heavily in the Browns’ offense as they look to get the most out of their backfield talent.

Speaking of the Browns’ backfield, Kareem Hunt recently found himself in some off-the-field trouble following a traffic stop. The Browns can retain Hunt via the restricted free agent tender, but the incident could impact his standing with the club in light of his previous issues.

Browns, Alonzo Highsmith Part Ways

January 29th, 2020 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns and VP of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith have mutually agreed to part ways, per a club announcement. Highsmith previously worked alongside new GM Andrew Berry, but he won’t have a role in Berry’s own front office. Ditto for assistant GM Eliot Wolf, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter).

Highsmith’s contract was set to run through the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead, he leaves just before the heat of the 2020 offseason. Wolf, meanwhile, was contracted through the 2022 draft.

Highsmith and Wolf joined the Browns in January of 2018. Over the last two years, they’ve been connected to a few other notable front office jobs around the league, so they probably won’t be out of work for long. Before that, Highsmith and Wolf served under John Dorsey in Green Bay, which is what led them to Cleveland in the first place.

Berry won the Browns’ GM job after fellow top candidate George Paton withdrew his name from consideration. Reportedly, Paton had serious reservations about the power structure in Cleveland, where the GM and new head coach Kevin Stefanski would be reporting directly to owner Jimmy Haslam. Berry, apparently, is comfortable with the structure, and he’s been given the OK to shape his own team as he sees fit.

AFC Notes: Browns, Titans, Texans

January 28th, 2020 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Once thought to be the Browns‘ top choice for their latest GM vacancy, George Paton backed out of the race. However, a deal may not have been imminent. The Browns had yet to make Paton an offer, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Paton’s reasons for backing out of the Cleveland search are not totally clear, but Breer confirms an issue with Jimmy Haslam‘s organizational hierarchy was one of them. Most of the Browns’ GM candidates had an issue with Haslam’s setup — in which the GM, Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta report directly to the owner — and Paton was not an exception, Breer adds. With the Browns since bringing Andrew Berry back to Cleveland as the NFL’s youngest GM (at 32), Haslam has now worked with six GMs or front office heads since buying the team in 2012. While Breer notes Paton was seriously considering taking the job after the first interview went well, the frequently hesitant Vikings exec will stay in his assistant GM post in Minnesota.

Here is the latest from the AFC:

Although the Browns are set up on an analytics front, their scouting experience in the front office is less certain. John Dorsey hired both assistant GM Eliot Wolf and VP of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith, but each longtime exec worked with Berry when he was still with the team in 2018. Highsmith’s contract runs through the 2021 draft, and Wolf’s goes through the ’22 draft, Breer adds.
An intra-AFC South coaching move occurred Tuesday. The Titans poached Texans defensive backs coach Anthony Midget, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Midget, who’d been with Houston throughout Bill O’Brien‘s six-season tenure, received the head coach-GM’s permission to interview with Tennessee, per Paul Kuharsky of Paul Kuharsky.com (Twitter link). He will hold the same job with the Titans next season, replacing Kerry Coombs.
The Texans will replace Midget in-house, promoting assistant secondary coach D’Anton Lynn to the top DBs role, Wilson adds. Lynn, 30, is the son of Chargers HC Anthony Lynn and has been with the Texans since 2018.
Texans backup center Greg Mancz underwent ankle surgery, according to Wilson. A five-year veteran and 28-game starter in his time with the Texans, Mancz underwent an arthroscopic procedure and is expected to be ready for Texans OTAs. The former UDFA originally injured the ankle during the preseason.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/28/20

January 28th, 2020 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Cleveland Browns

FB Johnny Stanton