2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Set To Earn $31.4MM In 2020

April 21st, 2020 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn’t know whether he’ll get a long-term deal this offseason. But, at least he knows how much he’ll make if an extension doesn’t come together. Upon recalculation, the league has set the exclusive franchise tender salary for quarterbacks at $31.4019MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

The franchise tag amounts are based off of the NFL’s top five salaries at the position. Last year, that figure was $26.824MM. When Prescott was tagged in mid-March, Jared Goff ($36MM/year), Ben Roethlisberger ($33MM), Kirk Cousins ($31MM), Russell Wilson ($31MM), and Jimmy Garoppolo ($26.6MM) topped the list. Afterwards, Cousins and Big Ben agreed to restructure their contracts, lowering their cap hits for 2020 and bringing Philip Rivers ($25MM), and Tom Brady ($25MM) into the top five.

With that change, Prescott’s projected tag amount wasn’t clear and some wondered if he’d wind up at odds with the league office over it. Ultimately, Prescott’s salary was calculated based on the previous Top 5. That’ll cost the Cowboys a few extra million this year and, potentially, many millions over the course of future seasons. Prescott now has extra leverage in talks thanks to the higher data point, and that will serve him well as he looks to reset the market.

The Cowboys have the option to tag Prescott in 2021 and again in 2022, but the numbers would be absolute cap busters. Next year, the tag would cost the Cowboys $37.7MM, a 20% raise over the 2020 salary. A third consecutive tag for 2022 would see a 44% increase, in excess of $54MM. Needless to say, the Cowboys want to get their star QB under contract at a more reasonable sum.

Falcons Prepared To Make “Huge Leap”

April 21st, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are working feverishly to move up the board. They continue to be “the team to watch when it comes to moving up in the NFL Draft,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Falcons currently hold the No. 16 overall pick, but they’ve been pressing to vault into the Top 10. They have multiple needs on the defensive side – including the pass rush and the interior defensive line – but their top priority is likely at cornerback. With that in mind, Rapoport echoes what we’ve been hearing for a while: Thomas Dimitroff is looking for a high-end cover man with eyes on Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s C.J. Henderson.

Most have projected Okudah to be the first cornerback off the board on Thursday, though not everyone agrees that he is the very best CB in this year’s class. More and more executives seem to be pointing towards Henderson as the best at the position. Recently, Peter King of NBC Sports heard that 40% of NFL teams have Henderson slotted as the CB1, with Okudah somewhere below him.

If the Falcons want to guarantee that they’ll get either player, they may have to move all the way up to No. 3 via trade with the Lions. Okudah has long been connected to Detroit, while Henderson has been flirting with the Top 10 boundary. But, as always, nothing is certain – anonymous sources love to run misdirection this time of year and there’s zero guarantee that Henderson would be available for Atlanta at, say, No. 8.

For what it’s worth, Falcons coach Dan Quinn has told reporters that he sees Kendall Sheffield as a potential CB1 (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

“In our league and division there are certainly some guys that you want to match up on if you need to,” Quinn said. “He’s definitely somebody with the speed and short-space quickness to do that. I definitely think he has a shot to do that, based on his speed and that I just think he’s going to continue to grow. Yeah, we’re very excited about him.”

Lamar Jackson: “I’d Be Happy” If Ravens Signed Antonio Brown

April 21st, 2020 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, Lamar Jackson told reporters that he would be in favor of the Ravens signing Antonio Brown (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). Of course, that wouldn’t be the quarterback’s call, but his endorsement is noteworthy nonetheless.

“I’d be happy if they signed him,” Jackson said. “But it’s not my decision.”

This isn’t the first time that Brown has been connected to Baltimore. Recently, Jackson worked out with the controversial wide receiver in South Florida, along with AB’s cousin, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Meanwhile, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has refused to comment on his own level of interest in the one-time superstar. Earlier this month, he said that he’d keep those thoughts “in-house” while continuing to explore options at the position.

“Do we feel the urgency? We probably feel that with every position,” the GM told the team website. “We want to be the best we can be at every position. This happens to be a wide receiver class with a lot of really good players. If we’re on the clock and we think that guy is the best player, we’ll probably pick him. Hopefully we can build our offense to the point where we can say, ‘Hey, we’re un-defendable.’”

Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is still in limbo with the league office. Recently, he hired a new agent to represent him, and he’s hoping that will expedite his case with Roger Goodell & Co.

Speaking strictly from a football perspective, Brown would boost any offense – including the Ravens’ world-class unit. He has caught 841 passes for 11,253 yards over the course of his ten-year NFL career, with a good chunk of those coming against Baltimore.

Packers Notes: Draft, Williams, Funchess

April 21st, 2020 at 11:50am CST by Ben Levine

While this year’s virtual draft will naturally lead to some challenges, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst still expects to be active in trade talks throughout the weekend.

“I don’t think there’s going to be too much of an issue, certainly not from our end,” Gutekunst said (via Curtis Crabtree of ProFootballTalk.com).

“I think we’ll be able to be as aggressive as we need to be. I like to move around. I think it’s a very good draft. I’d like to move around and get to the areas of the draft I think are strong.”

Gutekunst also mentioned that the team would consider moving up in the first round “if we need to.” The Packers highest pick is currently No. 30, which is one of the organization’s 10 selections.

The Packers have been connected to a number of first-round-caliber prospects, including defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. While they’ve been mentioned as a suitor for quarterbacks like Jordan Love, the team isn’t prioritizing the position in the upcoming draft.

Let’s check out some more notes out of Green Bay…

Tramon Williams remains a free agent, but it doesn’t sound like the Packers are in any rush to re-sign the veteran cornerback. Gutekunst told reporters that they’ll evaluate Williams’ fit on the roster after the draft. “If that fits once we get through the draft then we’ll certainly make it happen if we can,” Gutekunst said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky on Twitter). After spending nearly a decade with the Packers to start his career, Williams returned to Green Bay in 2018. He’s appeared in all 32 regular season games over the past two seasons, including a 2019 campaign where he had eight passes defended and a pair of interceptions.
Wide receiver Devin Funchess still hasn’t “completely” passed his physical, Gutekunst told reporters (via Demovsky). “There’s still a portion of it that he’ll have to kind of get through once hopefully this clears up or we’re able find another way to do it,” Gutekunst said. The Packers have already announced the deal, which is a one-year pact worth as much as $6.25MM. After hauling in 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight scores in 2017, the 25-year-old has only collected 54 receptions for 844 yards and nine touchdowns over the past two years (31 games).
Gutekunst isn’t particularly worried about any of the technical glitches during the league’s mock draft. “We got a lot of answers,” Gutekunst said (via the team’s website). “That was the big thing, getting through this and finding out the answers how we really want to do this.”

DeAndre Hopkins Isn’t “Demanding” New Contract From Cardinals

April 21st, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Ben Levine

While DeAndre Hopkins‘ demands for an extension or raise may have led to his ouster from Houston, it doesn’t sound like the star wideout is making the same requests from his new team. In a fascinating profile of Hopkins, Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop writes that the receiver isn’t “demanding” a new contract from the Cardinals.

However, the two sides are indeed discussing a new deal. In fact, there’s belief that Hopkins’ next contract could make him the “the highest-paid nonquarterback in the NFL.” That title currently belongs to Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, who’s earning $23.5MM per season. Falcons receiver Julio Jones is the highest-paid player at his position, taking home $22MM per season.

Back in 2017, Hopkins signed a lucrative five-year extension that includes $49MM in guaranteed money. Unfortunately for the star wideout, that contract soon became antiquated, and the remaining three seasons on the deal are non-guaranteed. In terms of average annual value, Hopkins currently ranks eighth among wide receivers.

Still, while his contract may be outdated, that’s not as much of a concern now that he’s playing for a new team. As Hopkins told Bishop, he had been looking to move on from the Texans for some time, and his desire for a trade was mostly due to his lack of a relationship with Texans head coach Bill O’Brien (who, Hopkins believes, was trying to trade him for more than a year). The receiver understood that “asking for a little raise would lead to the outcome…that I wanted.”

That premonition ended up becoming a reality. Back in March, the Texans sent Hopkins and a fourth-rounder to Arizona for running back David Johnson, a second-rounder, and a fourth-rounder.

Trent Williams “Still On The Table” For Browns

April 21st, 2020 at 9:17am CST by Ben Levine

Trent Williams could still be an option for Cleveland. ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that the offensive lineman is “still on the table” for the Browns. While a deal isn’t imminent, the Browns front office continues to monitor the situation.

The Browns have shown interest in Williams for months, but there were rumblings that the Andrew Berry-led regime wasn’t as infatuated with the player as the John Dorsey-led regime had been. The Dorsey-led regime had offered Washington a second-rounder back in October, but the Redskins declined that offer. It’s uncertain (and unlikely) that that offer is still on the table.

In fact, it sounds unlikely that the Redskins will be able to acquire a first- or second-rounder from any team. We heard earlier this week that the Jets, who have also been connected to Williams, are still unwilling to part with a second-round pick. The veteran’s commands for a new contracts are somewhat complicating trade negotiations, especially if Williams is adamant about getting paid $20MM/year. There’s some belief around the NFL that the Redskins will ultimately cut the disgruntled 31-year-old.

Former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan is among those who believe the lineman is worth the asking price. Speaking to Team 980’s Kevin Sheehan, McCloughan said Williams would still be taken in the first round of the upcoming draft, even at his current age.

“He’d be the first tackle taken this year in the draft, hands down — even at his age (31),’’ McCloughan said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “You know what you’ve got. You bring him in, you’re going get three to four years out of him, and it’s going to be Pro Bowl years, that’s legit one of the top five tackles in the NFL, hands down, right now.’’

Redskins Listening To Offers For No. 2 Pick

April 21st, 2020 at 8:44am CST by Ben Levine

The phones are ringing in Washington. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins have started to receive phone calls from teams interested in the second-overall pick. While the organization isn’t actively shopping the selection, they’re listening to offers.

Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that there’s a “sense in the league” that the No. 2 pick could be “bought.” ESPN’s John Keim notes (on Twitter) that the “teams that might have interest” understand that they don’t possess the ammo to make a trade.

It’s generally been assumed that the Redskins would stick with the second-overall pick and select Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. This opinion seemed to be all-but-confirmed when we learned that teams outside of the top-three hadn’t even talked to the talented pass-rusher.

However, over the past month, the majority of reports have revolved around Washington’s interest in quarterback prospects, including Tua Tagovailoa as well as Jordan Love. Of course, the Redskins could come away from the weekend with both Young and a quarterback, but it’s worth noting that the organization currently owns only seven draft picks.

Young is generally considered to be the top prospect in the draft, so the Redskins will certainly have their fair share of suitors. However, if they do actively shop the second-overall pick, they’ll find themselves competing with two other NFC foes. We’ve heard rumblings recently that both the Lions (#3) and Giants (#4) could trade their first-rounders.

John Lynch On Draft, Trades, Staley

April 20th, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With the draft approaching, 49ers general manager John Lynch conducted a teleconference with the local media Monday where he revealed several interesting nuggets. When asked about a report from earlier today that he was shopping veterans Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford, Jaquiski Tartt, and Marquise Goodwin, Lynch denied the first three but acknowledged the fourth.

“Marquise is the one guy out of that group that you mentioned where there’s active discussions going on,” Lynch said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. “The other guys, we love and are really looking forward to playing with moving forward.” It hasn’t been any secret they’ve been looking to trade Goodwin, and we heard last month they’d likely have to end up cutting him. However Lynch claimed there has been legit interest, saying a Goodwin deal “came close a couple of times” this offseason. Goodwin had a career year with San Francisco in 2017 with 962 yards, but injuries sapped his effectiveness and in 2019 he had only 186.

Also late last month we heard longtime left tackle Joe Staley wasn’t necessarily committed to playing in 2020, although Lynch assuaged some of those fears. “We’ve heard nothing that would lead us to believe that Joe is not going to play. So we’re encouraged with that. We’ll see where that goes,” he said. While that still is far from ironclad, it looks like Staley returning for a 14th season is a good bet.

The 49ers hold the 13th and 31st picks in the draft, and there has been speculation they’ll look to trade down since they currently don’t have any selections in the second, third, or fourth-rounds. Lynch confirmed he has talked to teams about potentially trading both picks, per a Maiocco tweet.

However, he said he’d stand pat at 13 if the team could land a “difference maker.” Lynch said that he and head coach Kyle Shanahan have so far identified six players they’d draft with the 13th pick before opting to trade down, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.

Justin Simmons, Broncos Exchange Offers

April 20th, 2020 at 6:22pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Broncos placed the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons last month, and it sounds like things could be progressing toward a long-term deal.

Speaking to local Denver media ahead of the draft, GM John Elway said the two sides were in “active negotiations,” per Mike Klis of Denver 9 News. “We’re in negotiations right now,’’ Elway said. “We’ve given them [an] offer and they gave us an offer back,” he revealed. Simmons is currently set to make $12.7MM under the tag in 2020, and the sides have until July 15th to hammer out an extension.

The Bears’ Eddie Jackson is currently the league’s highest-paid safety at $14.6MM annually, and it’s likely that Simmons is looking to eclipse that. Klis thinks he’ll end up somewhere close to $14MM. The Broncos already have fellow safety Kareem Jackson on a three-year, $33MM deal, so they’re going to have an expensive safety duo no matter what.

Simmons had a breakout season in 2019, when he started all 16 games for the second year in a row. He picked off four passes and batted down another 15, earning Pro Football Focus’ highest grade for any safety. The Boston College product turned 26 in November.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/20/20

April 20th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves will be posted here:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Released: RB Taj McGowan

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: OL Kahlil McKenzie

McKenzie is best known for being the son of former Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. Drafted by the Chiefs in the sixth-round back in 2018, he spent 2019 on Seattle’s practice squad. He was with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL most recently. McGowan was an undrafted rookie from UCF last year who spent his rookie season on the Jags’ injured reserve list after going down in July.