2020 January - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Dolphins Work Out Alex Collins

January 28th, 2020 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins worked out former Ravens running back Alex Collins, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Collins didn’t play last season, but he’s aiming to get back to work in 2020.

Collins led the Ravens in rushing in 2017 with 973 yards, so he’d be a logical fit for the Dolphins as they look to revamp their backfield. Collins would not be the centerpiece of the Dolphins’ RB group, but he’d be an option worth exploring as a part of the team’s 90-man roster. The Dolphins figure to have upwards of $90MM in cap space and a bevy of draft picks, so they should have ample opportunities to upgrade.

Collins served his three-game ban for marijuana possession while in free agency limbo, so he’s ready to go for Week 1 of the upcoming season. If he doesn’t sign with the Dolphins, it’s possible that he could circle back to the Seahawks, Packers, and Bills – the teams he auditioned for down the stretch.

In addition to Collins, the Dolphins also worked out CFL quarterback Chris Streveler, Yates reports.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Dak Prescott

January 28th, 2020 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

With all the talk surrounding Tom Brady‘s impending free agency, it’s almost like you could forget about Dak Prescott‘s scheduled trip to the open market. Almost.

At the start of the season, it seemed like Prescott was right on the cusp of a brand new multi-year deal with the Cowboys. Back in September, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said a new deal was “imminent.” Then, Jones & Co. spent the rest of the year deflecting questions about a potential extension. Now, the pressure is on for the Cowboys to hammer out a mega-deal that will keep Prescott under center for the foreseeable future.

Both sides have ample reason to get something done, but the Cowboys, understandably, have reservations about tying up a ludicrously high percentage of their available dollars in a handful of players. Back in September, the Cowboys offered up a contract that would have paid Prescott an average of $33MM/year. However, Prescott held off during his insanely hot start, and he was probably eyeing Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM/year average.

The Cowboys’ second-half dip cost them a playoff berth and hurt Prescott’s leverage. Through the first seven games of the year, Prescott completed more than 70% of his passes with 12 TDs and seven INTs. On the back nine, Prescott completed just 61.5% of his throws with 18 touchdowns against four interceptions.

Still, there was plenty of blame to go around for the Cowboys’ drop, and much of it fell on Jason Garrett. Prescott, who won’t turn 27 until July, figures to cash in, one way or another. If the Cowboys can’t come to an agreement with Prescott on a long-term deal, they can keep him from free agency via the franchise tag, which is projected to come in at roughly $26.9MM for quarterbacks. The former fourth-round pick would surely prefer the security of a four-year contract, but that’s still a substantial pay bump from the $2.025MM base salary he earned in the final year of his rookie deal.

What will it take for the Cowboys to get a deal done with Prescott? After he finished second in passing yards (4,902) and fourth in passing touchdowns (30, a new career-high), it won’t be cheap. By betting on himself, Prescott has all but assured that he can top Jared Goff‘s four-year, $134MM deal, which averages out to $33.5MM/year. Meanwhile, his camp surely has Goff’s $110MM in guarantees – an NFL record – in the crosshairs.

The stats and comps are only part of the equation as the prospect of multiple franchise tags looms large. Sure, the Cowboys can cuff Prescott for 2020 at ~$27MM, but what about 2021, when the cost would rise another 20% to more than $39MM? (Assuming the franchise tag rules remain in tact after the new CBA.) After that, a third tag would be downright absurd – a 44% jump would cost upwards of $55MM for the 2022 season.

We’ve been fooled before, but all signs still point to a long-term accord between the QB and JJ. If the Cowboys are unwilling to top Wilson’s AAV, it’s possible that the two sides can meet in the middle on a three-year deal, which would allow Prescott to cash in at untold levels when he’s 30 years of age and the league’s revenue climbs even higher. Or, maybe they’ll cave and give Prescott just enough to edge Wilson on a four-year deal and claim victory. In any case, the Cowboys do not want to wait for Patrick Mahomes to land his next deal, which could top $40MM per annum. And, failing all of that, a tag is surely coming.

Prescott, technically speaking, is due for free agency in March, but we’d be shocked if he gets there.

Prospect Profile: Joe Burrow

January 28th, 2020 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have roughly three months to figure out who they’ll take with the No. 1 overall pick, but many are convinced that their selection has already been made. Quarterback Joe Burrow, who is coming off of a ridiculous season at LSU, may be a lock for Cincinnati.

Today, Burrow stands as the consensus top QB in this year’s class. But, in the summer, that wasn’t exactly the case. Scouts long drooled over the potential of Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jake Fromm while Burrow seemed to be on the tier below. But, thanks to Tagovailoa’s hip injury and Burrow’s meteoric rise, the landscape shifted drastically.

The former Ohio State backup debuted as LSU’s starter in 2018 but threw for only 2,894 yards and 16 touchdown passes as a junior. Then, in 2019, Tigers passing-game coordinator (and new Panthers OC) Joe Brady helped him rise to a whole ‘nother level. Burrow threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns (!), and lobbed just six interceptions en route to a National Championship and the Heisman trophy.

The numbers have generated headlines, but execs are equally impressed by Burrow’s intangibles.

“Burrow just has it. You can’t coach it; you can’t develop it. Some guys just have it,” one longtime QB coach told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller in November. “Baker Mayfield has it. Gardner Minshew has it. The difference is that Burrow has better size than both and a much better arm than Minshew.”

There are few knocks on Burrow, but no prospect is perfect. Among the (minor) concerns – Burrow’s limited track record of excellence. A highly-touted prospect out of high school, Burrow found himself mostly buried behind J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins at Ohio State. It wasn’t until 2018 that he got his first crack at starting with LSU, and his numbers didn’t exactly jump off of the page. Then, in 2019, he was unstoppable. Someone playing devil’s advocate with Burrow would probably start here – Burrow’s game tape is excellent, but most of it comes from one season of work.

There’s also the matter of Burrow’s arm strength – he can’t air it out like Herbert and he doesn’t have a Kyle Boller fastball in his arsenal. Still, execs everywhere say that Burrow has the overall makeup to offset those limitations.

The Bengals will do their due diligence on every top prospect in this year’s crop, and they may even listen on trade inquiries, but all signs are pointing to Burrow as the top pick in April.

AFC North Notes: Berry, Ravens, Mixon

January 27th, 2020 at 9:04pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC North:

The Browns hired former Eagles’ VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry to be their GM and EVP of Football Operations today, and he will report directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, just like new head coach Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks it’s fair to wonder whether Berry will really have final say over roster decisions, as his contract says he will. Of course, in order to pry Berry away from Philadelphia, Cleveland needed to give him such power contractually, but whether Berry will be permitted to fully use that power is another story. Stefanski and DePodesta may not be keen on consistently yielding to Berry, who was probably the team’s No. 2 choice behind Vikings exec George Paton.
In 2019, the Ravens made a number of in-season signings to bolster their defense that ended up paying major dividends. Baltimore has already inked one such acquisition, L.J. Fort, to a two-year extension, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic believes the club could also look to re-sign OLB/DE Jihad Ward and DT Justin Ellis.
Many have noted the Ravens‘ need to add pass rushing talent, and much of that discussion has focused on edge rushers. But in the same piece, Zrebiec says Baltimore will think long and hard about selecting a quality pass-rushing interior defensive lineman if one is available near the end of the first round. The Ravens haven’t really had such a player since the heyday of Haloti Ngata.
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic lays out a number of moves he believes the Bengals should make this offseason. The entire piece is worth a read for Cincy fans, but one move that Dehner thinks is especially likely to come to fruition is an extension for running back Joe Mixon. We recently heard that director of player personnel Duke Tobin would explore a new contract for his RB1, and such a deal won’t be cheap.

Latest On Browns RB Kareem Hunt

January 27th, 2020 at 7:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Browns running back Kareem Hunt found himself in a spot of bother with police late last week, as he was pulled over for speeding but was found to have marijuana in his vehicle. TMZ has since posted a video of the traffic stop, which revealed a few more critical details. For instance, in addition to the marijuana, Hunt had an open bottle of vodka in the vehicle and admitted to the officer who pulled him over that he would have failed a drug test in that moment.

Not too long ago, Hunt looked like one of the league’s brightest stars as a member of the Chiefs. But after a video showed the former rushing champion shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel in 2018, Kansas City parted ways with him.

The Browns took a chance on him last February, knowing that he would likely be hit with a lengthy suspension. Hunt was banned for the first eight games of the 2019 campaign, but he played reasonably well when he returned. As a complementary back to starter Nick Chubb, Hunt averaged nearly 60 yards from scrimmage per game and posted a 4.2 YPC mark.

Cleveland can retain Hunt via a restricted free agent tender, which seems much more likely than a long-term pact at this point. Although the Browns now have a new power structure, it stands to reason that the club would want Hunt back. He will be just 25 when the regular season opens, and with unrestricted free agency looming in 2021, he could be especially motivated to put his ugly off-field incidents further behind him and prove to the rest of the league that he can still be a top-flight starter.

But the traffic stop could give the Browns — and all 31 other clubs — some pause. Though he has not (yet) been cited for anything other than speeding, the fact that he used drugs not long before getting behind the wheel is troubling, and he was very emotional throughout his interaction with the officer.

“Man, I’ve been through a lot,” Hunt said. “I lost everything already, sir. I’m just trying to be in my hometown and chill.”

He certainly lost a slam dunk chance at a massive contract, and he has also missed a chance to win a title with the Chiefs this year, which clearly still upsets him.

“It hurts my soul,” he stated. “You don’t even understand. I’ve been fighting a lot of s*** lately. It still hurts me to this day.”

In order to give himself the best shot at regaining his former status, Hunt needs to stay squeaky clean, and this incident isn’t helping matters. It will be interesting to see how new GM Andrew Berry handles the Hunt situation in the coming weeks.

George Kittle Will Not Get Surgery On Torn Labrum

January 27th, 2020 at 6:31pm CST by Rory Parks

At the tender age of 26, 49ers TE George Kittle has become arguably the best tight end in football. And his performance over the past several seasons is even more impressive in light of his recent revelation on a Pardon My Take podcast (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).

Kittle said that he has played the past two seasons with a torn labrum, which he sustained in a 2018 preseason game. However, he has not gotten surgery on the injury and does not plan to.

“I can’t miss those workout days, man,” Kittle said, adding that there is “no chance,” he goes under the knife.

Assuming that he can tolerate the pain, there may be no reason for Kittle to get surgery, at least until his playing career is over. As Williams points out, Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence played through a labrum tear for two seasons, though he ultimately did have it surgically repaired. Kittle, meanwhile, will continue to wear a protective sleeve to combat the injury.

The Iowa product is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, and he may be the player to finally reset the tight end market. Jimmy Graham‘s $10MM AAV has paced the market for years, and Trey Burton and Jordan Reed are currently at the top of the heap in terms of total guarantees ($22MM). Kittle should exceed both of those figures, and San Francisco is expected to prioritize a new deal for him.

Of course, before that happens, the 49ers will vie for their sixth Super Bowl title. Kittle’s performance in this weekend’s title bout will likely play a major role in the outcome of that contest.

Chargers Considering Franchise Tag For Philip Rivers

January 27th, 2020 at 6:04pm CST by Rory Parks

Many have assumed that the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers would part ways in the coming months, thereby ending a 16-year partnership. But as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports, all options remain on the table (video link).

Per Rapoport, Chargers coaches have recently returned to the team facility, and they will sit down with GM Tom Telesco to determine how they want to move forward. Of course, the Bolts could simply make no effort to re-sign Rivers and instead opt to roll with Tyrod Taylor, a rookie signal-caller, or a free agent/trade acquisition (like Tom Brady).

But Rapoport says the Chargers are considering putting the franchise tag on Rivers, which would secure his services for one more season while Los Angeles grooms a young QB behind him (we recently heard that the team is high on Utah State’s Jordan Love). The franchise tag checks in just shy of $27MM, which is more than Rivers is likely to fetch on the open market.

Of course, the Chargers could also see how free agency shakes out and perhaps sign Rivers to a new contract after free agency opens if they cannot acquire an upgrade. But if they do bring back Rivers via the tag or a new deal, they probably shouldn’t bank on a vintage Rivers performance. The 38-year-old showed his age in 2019, throwing 20 interceptions and fumbling the ball eight times.

For his part, Rivers may not even want to return to the only team he has ever known. He has permanently moved from San Diego to Florida, and there is a lot of buzz connecting him to the Buccaneers.

Saints Sign Tommylee Lewis To Reserve/Futures Deal

January 27th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are reuniting with old friend Tommylee Lewis by signing him to a reserve/futures deal, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Lewis signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in May 2016 and spent the 2016-18 campaigns with the club.

However, the Saints opted against giving him a restricted free agent tender last offseason, so Lewis signed with the Lions. Detroit cut him prior to the start of the regular season, and he was out of football entirely in 2019, despite auditioning for the Bills and Bucs.

But he will be back in the game shortly. The Northern Illinois product was selected by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in the league’s October draft, and Dallas’ season will start on February 9. If the team advances to the XFL championship, Lewis may miss some practice time with the Saints. The championship game is slated for April 26, but New Orleans can begin its offseason workouts on April 20.

Lewis, a wide receiver by trade, has 20 career receptions, but he’s spent the majority of his pro career on special teams. Lewis averaged 22 yards on kick returns and 9.3 yards on punt returns during his stint in New Orleans. The 27-year-old is perhaps best known for being the intended receiver on the infamous non-pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game that denied the Saints a chance at a Super Bowl title.

Vikings Appoint Co-DCs

January 27th, 2020 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings will split their defensive coordinator role in two. On Monday, the team announced that assistants Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer will serve as the club’s co-DCs in 2020.

It’s an unusual move to split coordinator duties, but it will allow the team to maintain consistency on defense going forward. Patterson is entering his ninth year with the Vikes while Zimmer is entering season No. 7. Neither coach has previously served as an NFL DC.

Since rejoining the Vikings six years ago, Patterson has guided the defense to a No. 3 rank in sacks (260), rushing touchdowns allowed (123), and opponent yards per game (321.8). Last year, as the team’s defensive line coach, he had a part in the team’s 30 defensive takeaways, 17 interceptions, and 14 fumble recoveries. Meanwhile, pupil Danielle Hunter became the youngest player in NFL history to eclipse 50.0 career sacks.

Zimmer, the son of head coach Mike Zimmer, has been in charge of the team’s linebackers and instrumental in developing Pro Bowlers such as Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. In his six years, the Vikings have allowed opponents to converts on just 36.1% of third downs, the best rate in the league over that span.

Giants To Hire Freddie Kitchens

January 27th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Freddie Kitchens has landed a new job. The former Browns head coach is expected to join the Giants as their new tight ends coach, according to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Kitchens was one-and-done as the Browns’ head coach in 2019. Under his watch, the Browns limped to a 6-10 finish. But, before that, Kitchens made a major impression in the league for his work on the Browns’ offensive coaching staff. When he took over as OC in 2018, the Baker Mayfield-led attack started to click in a major way and Kitchens was widely credited for getting Cleveland on track.

Kitchens won’t be considered for head coaching vacancies anytime soon, but he remains a well-regarded offensive coach. In New York, he’ll reunite with new head coach Joe Judge – the two men overlapped at Mississippi State.

As the Giants’ tight end coach, Kitchens will be responsible for the development of Ole Miss product Evan Engram. Engram, a 2017 first-round pick, has missed 13 games over the past two seasons, but he’s impressed while on the field. In an injury-shortened eight-game season, Engram finished 2019 with 44 catches for 467 yards and three touchdowns.

New York is also adding Mizzou offensive coordinator Derek Dooley to its offensive staff, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Dooley worked as the Cowboys’ wide receivers coach from 2013-17 before returning to the collegiate ranks. He had previously served as the head coach for Louisiana Tech and Tennessee.

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