2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Browns: We’re Not Trading OBJ To Vikings

April 16th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, rumors of an Odell Beckham Jr. trade with the Vikings nearly broke the internet. Today, Browns Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta went on the record to pour cold water on those rumblings.

“In short, I will just say it was completely false,” DePodesta told reporters (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). “It’s a frustrating a little bit. I think it is pretty clear we are trying to build at this point…The idea that we would take away from that core at this moment just does not make a whole lot of sense and is not really something that we are exploring at all.”

Of course, OBJ is no stranger to the pages of Pro Football Rumors. The mercurial wide receiver has been viewed as a potential trade candidate for some time. In December, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that the former first-round pick wanted out of Cleveland. And, according to Glazer, he went so far as to tell opposing players, “come get me.” Soon after, Beckham did his best to quell the speculation:

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here,” OBJ said. “We’ll figure this thing out. It’s just too special to leave…We’re going to be here. We’re going to do it again. And we’re going to be what we felt like we should’ve been.”

Still, the rumor mill continued to churn. The 49ers, who were in talks with the Giants before Beckham was traded to the Browns, were thought to be a possible destination for him just last month. But, despite all of the friction, the new regime led by Andrew Berry insisted that OBJ was still in the plans.

Beckham finished 2019 with his worst career full-season stat line: 74 receptions, 1,035 yards, and four touchdowns. Still, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons.

With the exception of the Giants, just about every NFL team would welcome OBJ into the lineup. The Vikings, however, just moved on from wide receiver drama by trading Stefon Diggs to the Bills. After that deal, giving up valuable draft picks for Beckham would make little sense.

This Date In Transactions History: Patriots Draft Tom Brady

April 16th, 2020 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the 2000 NFL Draft, the day the Patriots took a flyer on a quarterback named Tom Brady with the No. 199 overall pick. He watched and waited for his name to be called behind 198 other players, including six other quarterbacks. And, two decades later, he’s still not quite over it. Earlier today, Brady posted a screenshot of the QBs drafted in front of him with a caption: “Nope, I haven’t forgot.”

Many of the quarterbacks taken in front of Brady have been largely forgotten by football fans, including Giovanni Carnazzi (49ers, No. 65 overall), Chris Redman (Ravens, No. 75), and Spergon Wynn (Browns, No. 183). Others, like Chad Pennington (Jets, No. 18) and Marc Bulger (Saints, No. 168) found some success at the pro level – but nothing like Brady.

The Jets, 49ers, Ravens, Steelers, Saints, Browns, and every other team in the league have been kicking themselves ever since. Then again, hindsight is 20/20, and few can claim that they envisioned Brady as an NFL starter, let alone a league legend. Brady got his first real opportunity in 2001 when Drew Bledsoe suffered a frightening injury. Fast forward to today, he has 14 Pro Bowl appearances, nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl rings. This year, in his age-43 season, Brady will try for his seventh ring with the Buccaneers.

The Patriots did pretty well for themselves with that sixth-round pick. And, now, they have the unenviable task of trying to replace him.

Raiders QB Nathan Peterman Signs Tender

April 16th, 2020 at 7:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman has signed his restricted free agency tender, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Ditto for offensive tackle David Sharpe. Both players will return to Las Vegas on one-year, $2.133MM deals.

Peterman, 26 in May, was a fifth-round pick of the Bills back in 2017. The Bills cut him midway through his second pro year. Pro Football Reference’s “indexed” statistics, which account and adjust for different eras of the game, rated Peterman dead last among all QBs since 1970 in passer rating, yards per attempt, interception percentage, and numerous other passing statistics.

Still, several teams took an interest in him when he hit the open market. The Raiders signed him towards the end of ’18 and he rewarded their confidence with a surprisingly strong preseason in ’19. Peterman connected on 60 of his 84 passes for 475 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. But, just before the start of the year, he landed on IR.

Earlier this week, fellow Raiders RFA Nicholas Morrow also inked his tender. Tendered at the second-round level, he’ll see a bump from $645K to $3.26MM.

49ers’ Matt Breida Signs Tender

April 16th, 2020 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers running back Matt Breida has signed his tender, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Per the terms of the second-round level cuff, Breida will earn $3.1MM in 2020.

The Niners reportedly used the second-round tender on Breida because they sensed that at least one other team was fixing to poach him at the original-round level. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s in the team’s plans for 2020 – reportedly, the Niners tendered him with the thought that he could be traded at a later date.

With Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman in the fold, Breida isn’t on track for a major role in the 49ers’ backfield. Jerick McKinnon is also in the mix – many thought that the Niners would cut Jet this offseason, but he’s on the books at a cheaper rate following his mid-March haircut.

At times, Breida impressed – he’s averaged at least 5.1 yards per tote in each of the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Over the course of three seasons, the Georgia Southern product has totaled just 381 carries.

2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team

April 16th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:

Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)

14 picks

Miami Dolphins

12 picks

Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots

10 picks

Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants

9 picks

Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions

8 picks

Carolina Panthers
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles

7 picks

Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
San Francisco 49ers
Washington Redskins

6 picks

Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tennessee Titans

5 picks

Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/16/20

April 16th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Chicago Bears

Re-signed: DB Sherrick McManis

New England Patriots

Signed RFA tender: OL Jermaine Eluemunor

New Orleans Saints

Re-signed: RB Dwayne Washington

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: DB Breon Borders, T Anthony Coyle, C John Keenoy, DB Arrion Springs

Broncos’ Von Miller Tests Positive For COVID-19

April 16th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos star Von Miller has tested positive for COVID-19, according to his agent (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). His agent says that the Super Bowl 50 MVP is in good spirits as he recuperates at home.

Miller’s camp has kept the Broncos in the loop and the pass rusher plans to speak publicly on the matter tomorrow. Unfortunately, Miller is not the first player to test positive for the coronavirus. Earlier this week, we learned that Rams center Brian Allen has also been diagnosed with the illness. And, early on in the pandemic, Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive. Allen is symptom-free, Payton has been cleared, and Miller appears to be in okay shape, but thousands have lost their lives to COVID-19. Miller’s diagnosis is yet another reminder to stay safe, practice good hygiene, and stay indoors whenever possible.

“You fatigue real easy,” Payton said after his recovery. “I’d be up moving around, doing something, then you’d want to lay down again. That lasted three or four days. By the time I got the test results back I had begun feeling better. I had my appetite back.”

Miller, 31, is set to enter his tenth season with the Broncos.

And, as Denver 7’s Troy Renck notes, Miller has been dealing with asthma and chronic allergies since childhood. We here at PFR wish Miller a speedy, and complete, recovery.

Rams Rumors: Kupp, Goff, Gurley, Matthews

April 16th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Rams:

With one year left on his deal, wide receiver Cooper Kupp says he isn’t sweating the Rams for an extension. “There’s so much going on in the world right now,” Kupp said (Twitter link via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “It’s not really a priority at this time.” Cupp, 27 in June, managed 94 catches, 1,161 yards, and ten touchdowns last year – all career highs.
If the Rams need additional cap room, Jared Goff is open to a restructuring of his deal. “I don’t see why not,” said the quarterback, who added that it’s a matter to be discussed between his agent and Rams COO Kevin Demoff (Twitter link via Omar Ruiz of NFL.com). Thanks to the four-year, $134MM extension he signed last fall, Goff is under contract with L.A. through 2024.
After parting ways with the Rams, running back Todd Gurley and linebacker Clay Matthews said that the team was late on money they were still owed. In an interview on the NFL Network, GM Les Snead said that they will, in fact, get their bonus checks. However, the Rams disagree with Gurley and Matthews on the language of the contracts – the Rams believe that they’re not due to pay for some time. The Rams, in theory, could wait until other clubs pick up part of the tab via offset language.

Chiefs Working To Extend Chris Jones

April 16th, 2020 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are busy preparing for the NFL Draft, but Chris Jones‘ contract remains an offseason priority for them. On Thursday, GM Brett Veach made it clear that he wants to keep the defensive tackle for the long haul.

“The deadline to get a deal done is July 15. So there’s a lot of time to continue dialogue and to work on something with Chris,” Veach said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “But, we certainly are going to work to retain him. Not just for next year, but for the future.”

Earlier this year, the Chiefs applied the franchise tag to cuff Jones for one year at a $16.1MM rate. Still, the Mississippi State product has continued to push for a long-term deal. Fresh off the heels of his first Pro Bowl nod, he’s not exactly thrilled about the prospect of a one-year contract.

“It’s like a mix of emotions,” Jones said in March. “Because you figure, you know, after four years, you do everything the right way, within the team way, you try to stay under the line, out of trouble, and be a good citizen for a team and for the city, you expect to be rewarded….It’s like, ‘Man, what else you want me to do?’”

The Chiefs would like to keep Jones for years to come, but they’re limited by their cap flexibility. The Sammy Watkins helped them get to just $5MM in space and Jones is aiming for something in the $20MM/year range.

Latest On NFL Draft’s Top WRs

April 16th, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have themselves a star wide receiver after trading for DeAndre Hopkins, but this year’s WR class is talented enough to tempt every team. Even though the Cardinals may like Kyler Murray‘s one-time teammate CeeDee Lamb and other WR talents, they’re not expected to use their No. 8 pick on a receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

With Hopkins installed as the Cardinals’ new WR1, Arizona will likely address larger needs with that pick – perhaps a stud defensive player or an offensive lineman. Then, somewhere around Nos. 11 or 12, where the Jets and Raiders pick, Rapoport expects the WR run to take flight. In that scenario, CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy stand out as likely candidates – they’re the consensus top receivers in this wildly talented crop, Rapoport hears.

Further down the board, the Eagles have been heavily connected to LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions that several teams could jump ahead of the Birds at No. 21 to land him. The Vikings (Nos. 22 and 25), Patriots (No. 23), and the Saints (No. 24) are all lurking, and they could make a play for a big-time WR like Jefferson.