2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Redskins Receive “Complete” Offer For No. 2 Pick

April 22nd, 2020 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are still fielding calls on the No. 2 pick and one team has laid out a “complete deal” for Ron Rivera & Co., Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

Meanwhile, one GM in the Top 7 has tried multiple times to get Chase Young on the phone for a 1-on-1, Anderson hears (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether that meeting actually took place, but it’s an indication that at least one club thinks they’ll have a chance to pry the pick away from Washington.

Young is widely viewed as the top talent in this year’s class, but most teams haven’t bothered to reach out to team. He’s an elite edge rusher, a potential generational talent, and he’s been thought to be a mortal lock for the Redskins at No. 2. Still, the Redskins are willing to hear other teams out.

According to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, Young’s performance has been positively off the charts. His 2019 score slotted him ahead of Josh Allen (Kentucky, 2018), Nick Bosa (Ohio State, 2017), Myles Garrett (Texas A&M, 2015), and every other collegiate edge rusher dating back to 2014. Last year, Young notched 17 sacks in 2019, the most of any player in the FBS – and that was with two missed games.

Redskins Discussing Trent Williams Trade With Multiple Teams

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are talking with multiple teams about a potential Trent Williams trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. If a deal is going to happen, they’d like to get it done ASAP in order to recoup draft picks for this weekend. Of course, any Williams deal would require a thorough physical, and that’s trickier than usual.

The Browns have been keeping a watchful eye on the situation and they’re not the only team that would be interested in picking up the multiple time Pro Bowler. The Jets, in theory, would love to add the veteran left tackle, though they’ve been unwilling to cough up a second-round pick thus far. Even if they changed their minds, a second-round pick might not be enough.

As it stands, Williams is set to earn $12.5MM in base salary under his current contract, which expires after the 2020 season. Any team that acquires him will have to negotiate a new long-term pact with the standout offensive lineman and that deal would probably be a market shifter. In addition to his medical history, there’s also his age to consider. Williams will turn 32 in July.

The Vikings have also been connected to Williams as they look to better protect Kirk Cousins. It’d be a logical fit, especially given their history together. For now, the Vikes have Riley Reiff penciled in at left tackle, though they’re still exploring their options.

Anthony Harris In “No Rush” To Sign Vikings Tag

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:47am CST by Zachary Links

Anthony Harris is in “no rush” to sign franchise tag, according to a source who spoke with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings and the safety have until July 15th to hammer out an extension, and Harris is gunning for long-term security. Tomasson hears that some talks could take place before the draft gets underway on Thursday night, but it’s unlikely that anything will be hashed out soon.

Harris, 28, was tagged back in March, but many figured that he would be a tag-and-trade candidate. That still remains a possibility, but GM Rick Spielman claims Harris is very much in their plans for 2020.

“I know we have some big changes in the secondary,” Spielman said this week, referencing the departures of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander. “One of the things — not only is Anthony Harris a great football player for us, and great in the community — but by us being able to franchise Anthony, we do have the safeties pretty well set, knowing that we’re going to have a lot of young corners we’re going to have to line up and play with.”

Either way, safety is on the Vikings’ to-do list this weekend, because they need to find support for Harris and Harrison Smith.

According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, Harris has been a top-five safety in each of the last two seasons, including exceptional coverage grades last year. Between 2018 and 2019, he’s totaled nine interceptions, 17 passes defended, and 106 tackles.

Panthers Willing To Trade Back From No. 7

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are “open to sliding back a few spots” in the NFL Draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). They currently sit at No. 7, a prime opportunity to strengthen their stockpile if another team looks to move up for a quarterback, cornerback, or tackle.

The Panthers are looking to fill a number of holes on defense – cornerback, linebacker, interior defensive line, and safety are all on the to-do list, though not necessarily in that order. At No. 7, they should be in range for Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown and they could have the chance to take Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons. Then, with their next seven choices (two picks in Round 5), they could fill out the rest.

Or, they can charge a king’s ransom to a team desperate for big-time help. Thanks to the Teddy Bridgewater signing, they don’t have to dedicate their top pick to a quarterback.

The Panthers aren’t the only Top 10 team willing to make a move. The Cardinals – who sit one spot below Carolina at No. 8 – could be swayed.

Percy Harvin Eyes NFL Return

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:03am CST by Zachary Links

Percy Harvin‘s second retirement might not stick. The longtime NFL wide receiver wants to return to the field in 2020, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

“I’m ready to return to the NFL,” Harvin said. “I thought I was done, but that itch came back. I’ve been training with a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.”

We haven’t seen Harvin on the field since 2016, when he played in a pair of games for the Bills. Throughout his career, he was held back by hip injuries, knee issues, and chronic migraines. But, when he was healthy, he was special.

Harvin, a former first-round pick, enjoyed his best season in 2011, when he posted 87 receptions for 967 yards and six touchdowns, while adding another 345 yards and two scores on the ground. Prior to the 2013 season, he was traded to the Seahawks, but he ultimately played in just six games before being dealt once again, this time to the Jets. Harvin struggled through a half-season with Gang Green before finishing his career in Buffalo, where he never truly got off the ground.

Harvin probably won’t fetch much in the way of guaranteed money, but he profiles as an intriguing low-risk pickup for teams in need of WR help.

Cardinals Looking To Trade Down From No. 8?

April 22nd, 2020 at 7:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have expressed interest in trading down from the No. 8 overall pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. This jibes with the speculation we’ve heard in recent weeks and it would make lots of sense for a team without a second-round pick.

The Cardinals sent their second-rounder to the Texans in the DeAndre Hopkins trade – a mere bucket of shells for one of the game’s most talented wide receivers. Meanwhile, they’re looking to address needs including offensive tackle, linebacker, and edge between now and the start of the season.

The No. 8 pick could be perfect for the Falcons, who are working feverishly to move up the board for a prime defender. There, GM Thomas Dimitroff might be able to land Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah or Florida’s C.J. Henderson, this year’s top cornerbacks. Or, if Clemson’s Isaiah Henderson slips, the Falcons could tap him to bolster their edge rush and safety depth all in one shot. That choice could also be prime territory for a QB-needy team.

Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy On Aldon Smith

April 21st, 2020 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about new acquisition Aldon Smith today, and it’s no surprise to hear that both men are optimistic about where Smith is in his bid to be reinstated by the league.

Dallas, of course, shocked the football world when it agreed to sign Smith earlier this month. Though the move seemed to come from out of left field, we soon learned that Smith — who was in the process of applying for reinstatement in March — has been sober for nine months and that the Broncos were also interested in his services. The new CBA does not make reinstatement any easier for indefinitely suspended players like Smith, but Jones and McCarthy are clearly hopeful that the 30-year-old will be cleared to return in short order.

“I would say first-hand that I know that [Smith] is very diligent in his work to do the things the NFL looks at to reinstate,” Jones said (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “I wouldn’t dare get into where the league is and how they will go about this process … [but] as a league, we really are bent toward the medical aspect of many of these problems or many of these things that have been in consideration when a player has to have some type of suspension. We’ve made it more medically oriented to where you can have good grades from doctors, and that weighs into being a player in the NFL.”

McCarthy, who first met Smith in December, talks about his initial impressions of the former 49ers star. “I was very impressed with everything that he’s done and his path,” McCarthy said. “I’ve always admired him from afar. Very impressive young man, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Smith’s contract represents a low-risk, high-reward gambit for the Cowboys. Though he has not played in an NFL game since the 2015 campaign, he recorded an incredible 42 sacks in his first 43 games in the league, and if he can earn reinstatement and work himself into game shape by the start of the regular season, he could become a key part of Dallas’ pass rush.

Seahawks GM: “Door Not Closed” On Jadeveon Clowney

April 21st, 2020 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Parks

Edge defender Jadeveon Clowney continues to languish on the open market, and though it sounded like he and the Seahawks were closing in on a re-up at the end of March, more recent rumors have indicated that other teams may be able to sign him away from Seattle.

In a video conference today, however, Seahawks GM John Schneider told reporters that the door is not closed on a new contract for Clowney (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). But the team could not wait to address its pass rush, which is why it went out and signed Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa in free agency.

Seattle could also add a pass rusher in this week’s draft, but a rookie defender would not preclude a Clowney signing any more than the Irvin and Mayowa acquisitions. At his best, Clowney is an absolute game-wrecker against both the run and the pass, and even though he has never managed double-digit sacks in a single season, his impact goes beyond his raw statistics.

Most likely, the fact that Clowney remains unsigned has less to do with his sack totals — though those totals do get plenty of attention from his detractors — and more to do with the fact that teams have been unable to gauge where he is health-wise as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Though he has played in at least 13 games every year since his rookie campaign, he has dealt with knee problems at multiple junctures of his career and underwent core-muscle surgery this offseason after dealing with a midsection issue throughout much of 2019.

The former No. 1 overall pick has come down from his initial ask of a $20MM/year contract, but the Seahawks are reportedly unwilling to offer more than $15MM/year for him, and it does not sound as if Clowney’s camp is prepared to go that low. And, as NFL Insider Adam Caplan notes, the Seahawks do not plan on increasing their bid (Twitter link).

The outcome of the draft could change Schneider’s thinking in that regard, but for now, if Clowney does not reduce his asking price even further, he will not be suiting up for the Seahawks in 2020.

Eric Berry’s Agent Confident Berry Will Be Back

April 21st, 2020 at 6:38pm CST by Rory Parks

Former Chiefs star Eric Berry sat out the entire 2019 campaign and hasn’t played more than two games in a season since 2016, but his agent, Chad Speck, is confident the three-time First Team All-Pro safety will return to the field. “The best is yet to come,” Speck wrote in a retweet of Berry’s collegiate highlight reel from SEConCBS.

We heard in January that Berry intends to play in 2020, and just last month we learned that multiple teams, including the Colts, will compete for his services. Though no concrete reports of negotiations between Berry’s camp and NFL teams have surfaced, perhaps there will be more movement on that front after this week’s draft.

The No. 5 overall pick of the 2010 draft, Berry quickly established himself as one of the best safeties in the league, despite an ACL tear that limited him to one game in 2011. He was a dominant back end defender in the 2012-13 seasons, and though he was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of the 2014 season, he suited up for all 16 of the Chiefs’ games in 2015 en route to his second First Team All-Pro selection. He followed that up with a similarly terrific 2016, but he tore his Achilles in the first game of the 2017 season and wasn’t able to return until the tail end of the 2018 campaign due to complications from that injury.

He did garner interest in advance of the 2019 season, but he chose to sit it out in order to make sure he is 100% healthy. Still only 31, the Tennessee product may yet have another good year or two left in him. He will almost certainly sign with a contender, and in addition to Indianapolis, the Eagles and Buccaneers look like potential landing spots.

Jets GM Joe Douglas On Jamal Adams

April 21st, 2020 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Parks

Jets safety Jamal Adams‘ future in the Meadowlands remains murky, but GM Joe Douglas continues to rave about his young star. Though the team is reportedly willing to slow-play negotiations with Adams, Douglas remains hopeful that the 2019 First Team All-Pro will be with Gang Green for the long haul.

“[Adams] was a big reason I was excited about coming here,” Douglas said on ESPN NY 98.7 today (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). “I feel this guy is a core player. The main goal that I’m trying to do right now is to surround him with like-minded players, because we know Jamal is a dog.”

Coming off his third year in the league, Adams is extension-eligible for the first time. He is planning to skip the Jets’ voluntary virtual offseason program as he seeks a new contract, one that will surely make him the highest-paid safety in NFL history. New York can theoretically control him through the 2021 season, but it doesn’t seem as though Adams will willingly play into the 2020 campaign without a new deal in place, let alone 2021.

A trade remains a possibility, but one of Adams’ most aggressive suitors at the 2019 trade deadline, the Cowboys, are unlikely to trade a first-rounder for him at this point, and the Jets will certainly not deal him for anything less than a first-rounder (and then some). That reality, combined with the fact that an acquiring club would need to give up premium draft capital and authorize a record-breaking contract, makes it increasingly likely that Douglas will get his wish and will get to keep Adams at the core of his defense (even if the two sides to not come to terms for a while).

“We have to surround him with guys that play as hard as he does, that love football as much as he does and can match his intensity,” Douglas said. The neophyte GM will have a chance to do just that this Thursday, when his team is on the clock with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft.