HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Packers Unlikely To Retain Bryan Bulaga?

February 28th, 2020 at 2:09pm CST by Rory Parks

Bryan Bulaga has been a stalwart on the Packers’ O-line since his rookie campaign in 2010. Though he has never made the Pro Bowl, he has been a consistently solid performer who has generally been able to keep star QB Aaron Rodgers clean, and 2019 was no exception.

The former first-round pick graded out as the 16th-best tackle in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and despite a couple of injury concerns during the season, he played a full 16-game slate for the first time since 2016. The O-line as a whole performed pretty well, and Bulaga was a big reason for that.

However, it looks like the Iowa product will be testing the free agent waters for the first time in his career. Tom Silverstein and Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report that the Packers have not had any talks with Bulaga’s camp since the end of the season, and while that could simply be a function of the uncertain CBA situation that has the entire league in limbo to some degree, the team does not appear to be interested in tagging Bulaga either.

Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, it’s unlikely that Bulaga gets hit with the franchise tag, which comes at a value of $16.1MM. Theoretically, the slightly less expensive transition tag could be in play, but it sounds as though the Packers are simply prepared to cut ties.

Bulaga would become one of the better tackles available on the open market, and he stands to earn a sizable raise over the $6.8MM he took home in 2019.

Patriots WR Mohamed Sanu To Undergo Surgery

February 28th, 2020 at 11:51am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots traded a second-rounder pick to Atlanta for receiver Mohamed Sanu in advance of last year’s deadline in the hopes that he could spark the club’s sagging vertical game. That did not happen, as Sanu suffered a high ankle sprain during a punt return in his third game with New England, and he was not the same after that (just one game prior, he tallied 10 catches for 81 yards and a TD in a loss to Baltimore).

Unfortunately, Sanu will require surgery on his ankle, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The hope was that the injury would heal on its own, but instead Sanu will have to go under the knife. There is not yet a timetable for his recovery, though it seems fair to expect that he will be at full strength in time for training camp.

Regardless of who plays quarterback for the Pats next year, they are widely expected to add a couple of pass catchers in free agency and/or the draft. But a healthy Sanu, along with a year of growth from 2019 first-rounder N’Keal Harry, would go a long way towards improving the club’s overall offensive output.

Sanu is under contract through 2020 and is due a $6.5MM salary this season, though the Pats could clear that entire figure off its books by cutting him. However, $6.5MM seems like a reasonable figure given Sanu’s potential production, and the team would hate to have given up a second-rounder without much of a return on its investment.

In 2018, Sanu turned in perhaps the best performance of his career, catching 66 passes for 838 yards and four TDs with the Falcons. So if he’s healthy, he’s still capable of being a key contributor.

Dolphins High On QB Jordan Love

February 28th, 2020 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

Feb. 28: The Dolphins’ infatuation with Love is only intensifying, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. However, Love’s stock appears to be rising around the league and the belief is that Miami will not be able to wait until the No. 18 overall pick to grab him. The organization thinks that a QB-needy team like the Chargers or Panthers are gearing up to jump the Dolphins’ No. 5 selection in order to take Tagovailoa, which would likely leave the ‘Fins with their choice of Herbert or Love. If that’s the case, it’s looking more like a toss-up between those two passers, though Herbert was very impressive during his throwing drills at the combine while Love had more of a mixed performance.

The Dolphins, with a number of holes to fill, do not want to part with their own hard-earned draft capital in order to guarantee themselves a shot at Tagovailoa. If the Bengals’ No. 1 choice — and therefore Burrow — were up for grabs, it may be a different story, but the team seems content with either Herbert or Love at this point.

Feb. 26: The Dolphins have been heavily connected to Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert in recent weeks, but they’re taking all of this year’s top quarterbacks in this year’s draft. One player they’re particularly intrigued by is Utah State standout Jordan Love, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears. 

Love isn’t as high on the mock draft boards and he’s probably not a candidate for the No. 5 overall pick (though, we’ve been surprised before, particularly when it comes to QBs). The Dolphins, in theory, could target Love with one of their later picks – No. 18 or No. 26 overall – and strengthen up another area with their top choice.

At 6’4″ and 225 pounds, Love has great size for the position. He also looked the part of a top-end QB in 2018 by throwing 32 touchdowns against six interceptions. Unfortunately, his arm strength and stature didn’t yield the same results last year – he had 20 TDs against 17 INTs. That performance hurt his draft stock, but teams like the Dolphins may see this as a value opportunity.

Besides, LSU’s Joe Burrow probably won’t be there for the Dolphins at No. 5 overall and the other top signal callers in this year’s crop come with their own question marks. Tagovailoa, of course, is recovering from a major hip injury. And many are quick to point out Herbert’s accuracy issues, even when praising his cannon.

As Salguero notes, we’ve plenty of QBs struggle as seniors and succeed in the NFL, including Matt Ryan and Dan Marino. Love, too, could rebound from his rocky year, and he might get to do it in South Beach.

Rams Interested In Jordan Reed

February 28th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Rory Parks

Longtime Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has suffered at least seven concussions since the start of his collegiate career, and his latest concussion forced him to miss the entire 2019 season. He finally cleared the concussion protocol earlier this month, which allowed Washington to release him and save a fair amount of money against the cap.

But despite the troubling head injuries and the fact that he has played in only 13 games over the past three seasons, Reed is committed to continuing his playing career. He may get the opportunity to do so in Los Angeles, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that the Rams have spoken to the 2016 Pro Bowler about a potential contract (Twitter link).

Rams head coach Sean McVay is eminently familiar with Reed, as he was Washington’s tight ends coach in 2013 — Reed’s rookie campaign — and he was the club’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16. Reed’s most productive seasons came under McVay’s watch, but he is far removed from those promising performances, and it’s unclear how much of a difference-maker he can be moving forward.

Plus, Los Angeles has two reasonably talented tight ends on the roster already in Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. Those two combined for 106 catches for 1,142 yards and five TDs in 2019, and Higbee’s 69 receptions were good for third on the team. Everett, a 2017 second-rounder, has played second fiddle to Higbee in each of his first three seasons in the league, so he may be appealing as a trade target for a TE-needy club that is unable to land Austin Hooper or Hunter Henry in free agency (though that is merely speculation at this point).

But trading Everett and replacing him with Reed is a risky proposition at best given the important of tight ends in NFL offenses today, so it’s perhaps more likely that the Rams view Reed as a low-risk, high-reward complement to their existing depth chart.

Packers To Pursue Austin Hooper; Latest On Aaron Jones

February 28th, 2020 at 10:02am CST by Rory Parks

An Aaron Rodgers–Austin Hooper connection is a pretty scary proposition for the Packers’ NFC rivals, and that’s exactly what Green Bay is hoping to create this offseason. Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, the Packers want to add a receiving weapon in free agency and in the draft, and they plan to pursue Hooper, the best TE available on the free agent market.

Already this morning we heard that the Bears and Redskins are interested in Hooper, but given that they advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2019 and have a future Hall of Famer under center, the Packers look like a much much more appealing landing spot for Hooper if they can make the money work. The 25-year-old will likely take home a contract paying him at least $12MM per season, and the tight end market as a whole is widely expected to be reset this year after it has stagnated for some time.

Indeed, the Packers’ own Jimmy Graham has long been the TE pacesetter in terms of average annual value ($10MM), but his play has not really merited that status in recent years. He did lead Green Bay tight ends with 38 catches for 447 yards in 2019, but an upgrade is definitely in order.

Hooper would provide just that. In 13 games for Atlanta in 2019, the 25-year-old two-time Pro Bowler set career-highs in receptions (75), yards (787), and touchdowns (six). Green Bay has often asked Rodgers to make hay out of an underwhelming receiving corps, and a combination of Davante Adams, Hooper, and perhaps a rookie WR from a class that is historically deep at the position would undoubtedly make A-Rod a very happy man. Adding Hooper may also allow the team to cut Graham and save about $8MM against the cap, which would help pay for Hooper’s salary.

Of course, the team also hopes RB Aaron Jones will stick around for the foreseeable future after a monster 2019 campaign as a do-it-all playmaker for the Green Bay offense. Jones is now eligible for an extension after having completed three years in the league, and Demovsky says the Packers were scheduled to meet with his reps at the scouting combine. Jones, a 2017 fifth-rounder, is interested in having contract talks.

Bears, Redskins Interested In Austin Hooper

February 28th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons would like to re-sign tight end Austin Hooper, the best player at his position eligible for free agency, but their tight salary cap situation means they will have to let him test the open market. You can expect plenty of interest in Hooper’s services, and as Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times writes, the Bears are planning to pursue the two-time Pro Bowler. Meanwhile, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com hears that the Redskins will also go after Hooper (Twitter link).

The interest from Chicago and Washington makes plenty of sense. Not only has the tight end position become hugely important in many NFL offenses over the past several seasons, but neither club got much production from their own TEs in 2019. The Bears’ Trey Burton saw his second year in Chicago almost completely wiped out by mismanaged recovery from sports hernia surgery and a calf injury, and as Lieser notes, Burton underwent surgery again this offseason. While the team is hopeful he can return to form in 2020, it’s far from a certainty. And even if he does, having a weapon like Hooper would be a huge lift to an offense that relies heavily on tight ends and that features an uncertain QB situation.

The Redskins also make plenty of sense as a landing spot for Hooper. The club pursued Greg Olsen before he signed with the Seahawks, and Washington needs to add to its cadre of weapons for Dwayne Haskins, or whoever happens to be under center in 2020. Last year, the Redskins’ tight end group was paced by Jeremy Sprinkle, who caught 26 passes for 241 yards and a TD.

In Atlanta, Hooper, 25, was busy setting career-highs in receptions (75), yards (787), and touchdowns (six), despite playing in only 13 games. He is clearly a player on the rise, and he will be a hot commodity over the coming weeks.

Lieser believes the Bears are a long-shot to sign him, and it’s unclear if Hooper would want to join a rebuilding outfit like the Redskins, as he will likely have more appealing destinations available to him.

Colts Did Not Meet With Tom Brady’s Camp?

February 28th, 2020 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

One of the biggest rumors that dropped yesterday was that the Colts (along with the Chargers and Raiders) had met with Tom Brady‘s camp at the scouting combine. Because of another rumor that surfaced a few hours earlier suggesting that Brady is gearing up to leave New England, the Colts-Brady connection garnered plenty of buzz.

However, a league source told Stephen Holder of The Athletic that the Indianapolis portion of that report was “made up.” Per Holder, that does not necessarily mean that the Colts are not interested in the Patriots legend, but they have not yet spoken to his reps. Speculatively, given that Indy is so flush with cap space, it makes sense that all agents would want to publicly connect the Colts to their clients as much as possible.

Holder’s source did say that the Colts are vetting another presumptive Hall of Fame passer, Philip Rivers. We heard several days ago that Indianapolis is interested in the longtime Charger, and that appears to be true. As Holder observes, that vetting can take a number of forms, including gathering intel on Rivers from around the league. The Colts are also said to have an eye on Titans QB Marcus Mariota, though Holder’s report did not specifically mention him.

Obviously, if the Colts were to sign someone like Mariota, there would be an open competition for the starting job between him and incumbent Jacoby Brissett. If they signed a player like Brady or Rivers, Brissett would either become a highly-compensated backup or trade bait.

In any event, Holder confirms that all options are on the table when it comes to the Colts’ quarterback decision. They could continue to roll with Brissett, who was performing well in 2019 before being sidetracked by an injury, they could sign a vet, or they could draft a collegiate signal-caller.

Latest On Amari Cooper, Byron Jones

February 27th, 2020 at 9:44pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys met with wide receiver Amari Cooper‘s reps at the scouting combine tonight, as Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News writes. Because the proposed CBA is looking like it will be ratified by the league’s players in short order, the need to get a deal done with Cooper is heightened, as a new collective bargaining agreement would remove Dallas’ ability to use the franchise tag and transition tag this offseason.

Cooper had been rumored as a transition tag candidate, but given that quarterback Dak Prescott appears increasingly likely to get hit with the franchise tag, the transition designation may no longer be an option for Cooper. Of course, the club could come to terms with Prescott on a multi-year pact in enough time to franchise tag Cooper, but it’s unclear how likely that is.

Gehlken says the Cowboys will probably be able to get Cooper under contract prior to the opening of free agency, and negotiations are expected to intensify over the coming days. Though Cooper does not always look like a WR1, he did set career-highs in receiving yards (1,189) and TDs (eight) in 2019, his first full season in Dallas. He is an indispensable weapon for Prescott.

Recent reports have suggested that the Cowboys will be unable to retain cornerback Byron Jones, who is viewed as the top CB on the free agent market. However, they will at least do their due diligence, as they are scheduled to meet with Jones’ reps tomorrow (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News).

Rhett Ellison Considering Retirement

February 27th, 2020 at 9:14pm CST by Rory Parks

Giants tight end Rhett Ellison is under contract through the 2020 season, but the 31-year-old is mulling retirement, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. Ellison missed the final six games of the 2019 campaign due to a concussion, and it’s that injury that is making him consider calling it quits.

Ellison has always been deployed primarily as a blocking TE, and he has averaged just under 150 receiving yards per season in his eight-year career. But he excels in that role, and he generally catches the passes that are thrown to him. Plus, with the Giants’ top tight end, Evan Engram, still in a walking boot and Scott Simonson a free agent, Big Blue doesn’t have much certainty at the position.

Kaden Smith has some upside, and the club has been connected to Jason Witten, but Ellison serves a valuable role and would be missed if he hangs up the cleats. If he does choose to come back, however, Dunleavy suggests he may be a restructure candidate.

After all, he is due a $4.97MM salary in 2020, which is probably too rich. It seems as though player and team would be able to come to terms on a pay cut if Ellison wants to continue his playing career.

No Contract Talks Yet Between Saints, Drew Brees

February 27th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Drew Brees recently confirmed that he would return to the field in 2020, and he had previously made it clear that he would only play for the Saints. So at this point, the drama that would ordinarily be surrounding a free agent QB of Brees’ caliber simply doesn’t exist.

However, GM Mickey Loomis said there have been no contract talks with Brees’ camp at this point, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic tweets. Loomis, though, understandably hopes that the two sides will have a deal in place by the time free agency opens on March 18. New Orleans does not very much cap space at the moment, and Brees will eat into the room that it does have.

Of course, Brees is only one piece of the club’s QB puzzle. Restricted free agent Taysom Hill, though he will turn 30 in August and has thrown all of 13 career passes, is rumored to be a hot commodity, to the point that the Saints may feel compelled to put a first-rounder tender (worth roughly $4.6MM) on him. New Orleans has made it clear that it plans to transition to Hill whenever Brees’ career is over.

To that end, the Saints may wish to get Hill more experience as a true QB in 2020, and they surely hope Brees gives them a little bit of a break in terms of salary. Spotrac estimates his market value at $36.5MM, and while he will probably not sign for that much, New Orleans will not have the flexibility to do much past re-signing him and retaining Hill.

Which means that Loomis will do much of his offseason work tinkering at the margins and focusing on the draft. To help Brees — and eventually Hill — the Saints are reportedly eyeing receiver prospects. This year’s draft is especially deep at WR, and Pro Football Network‘s sources say as many as 25 receivers could be drafted by the end of the third round. New Orleans doesn’t have a second-round choice, but PFN hears that the club could use its first- and third-round selections on pass catchers to serve as needed depth behind stud Michael Thomas.

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