HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Bengals “Maxing Out” Their Time To Talk With Joe Burrow

April 15th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have been using every possible minute to talk with Joe Burrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. That’s just the latest indication that the Bengals will take the LSU quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft. 

[RELATED: Joe Burrow’s NFL Draft Profile]

The Bengals’ infatuation with Burrow has been the worst kept secret in the NFL for months. We’ve been surprised before in the NFL Draft, but it would be a genuine shock if the Bengals selected anyone else.

In the days before the draft, teams do their best to run misdirection plays, anonymously downplaying their targets and signaling interest the players they don’t want. Still, the Bengals haven’t been able to hide their crush, nor have they made a real effort to conceal it.

“It doesn’t look that way,” confessed head coach Zac Taylor when asked about the possibility of trading the pick. “If there is a guy there that you believe in that can really change the franchise over the next 10-15 years, then that’s a hard thing to pass up on.”

Even in January, the Bengals were up-front about their affinity for the LSU star.

“He’s got natural pocket feel. He feels it,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “It seems like he never takes his eyes off down the field. He extends the play really, really well. He’s a lot faster than you might assume when you see him running away from all those SEC guys. He’s got incredible up-field accuracy. The ball hardly ever hits the ground in a game, which is rare. He just naturally puts the ball in places where those guys can make plays.”

There will be lots of surprises in store throughout draft weekend, but the Bengals seem locked on Burrow with the top pick.

Joe Flacco Open To Joining Eagles?

April 15th, 2020 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

If the Eagles give Joe Flacco a call, it sounds like he’ll pick up the phone. When asked about the possibility of signing with Philly, the free agent quarterback indicated that he’s open to flying with the Eagles. 

“I grew up with it. All my friends live and die with the Eagles,” said the South Jersey native (Twitter link via ABC’s Jeff Skversky). “There definitely be a lot of very cool things about that. You never know what the future holds.”

At this stage of his career, the one-time Super Bowl MVP profiles as a backup quarterback. The 35-year-old has been hampered by injuries for years – he missed time in 2015, played through back pain in 2017, and missed more time in 2018. In 2019, his first season with the Broncos, Flacco suffered a serious neck injury that sidelined him for the second half of the year.

Before that, Flacco turned in a 65.3% completion rate, the best of his career. However, he threw just six touchdown passes against five interceptions. In March, the Broncos waived him to take his $20.25MM in base salary off of the books for 2020. By dropping Jersey Joe, the Broncos saved $10MM+ against the cap with $13.6MM in dead money.

Given Carson Wentz‘s injury history, the Eagles can be expected to spend on a backup. They have ample cap room for the coming year and too many dollars committed for 2021, so they’ll likely target veterans on one-year deals. As it stands, Nate Sudfeld is slated to serve as Wentz’ QB2, but he has just $500K guaranteed on his new contract. Flacco could be a fit, but his friction with former Broncos offensive coordinator and current Eagles assistant Rich Scangarello may be a barrier.

Dr. Fauci: “There’s A Way” For Sports To Resume In 2020

April 15th, 2020 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has mostly kept its offseason on schedule throughout the pandemic with an eye on playing in the fall. Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that’s feasible, provided that the league does not have fans in attendance.

[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Twitter]

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told Snapchat’s Peter Hamby (YouTube link). “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled….But have them tested every single week, make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”

Fauci, a devoted baseball fan, added that he “wants to see them play again.” And, in his personal opinion, he believes that fans will be eager to watch games, even if the atmosphere is lacking. Of course, the NFL has time on its side, whereas MLB does not. Already behind schedule, MLB owners and players are thinking about launching the season in Arizona for every team, with zero fans in the stands. Every league, including the NFL, will be keeping a watchful eye on baseball to inform next steps.

The Trump administration has taken a vested interest in the return of professional sports. They’ve solicited suggestions from Roger Goodell, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, MLB commish Rob Manfred, owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, and many more leaders in the sports world. That list also includes WWE czar Vince McMahon, who has filed Chapter 11 on the XFL, and UFC president Dana White, who hopes to broadcast cards from “Fight Island” (Parts Unknown).

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to talk with the NCAA’s Playoff Management Committee to assess options at the amateur level (Twitter link via Kaitlan Collins of CNN).

Falcons Looking To Trade Up?

April 15th, 2020 at 9:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons may be looking to move up the draft board. They’ve done lots of homework on players who figure to be gone before their No. 16 pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, and other teams are projecting that they’ll deal for a higher choice. This echoes what we heard earlier this week from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, who also reported that the Broncos and Bucs are serious about trading up. 

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that the Falcons went all-in for a top prospect. In 2011, GM Thomas Dimitroff moved up to No. 6 for Julio Jones by shipping Nos. 27, 59, 124 and their first- and fourth-round picks in 2012 to the Browns for Julio Jones.

This time around, it’s not exactly clear who the Falcons might be targeting, but they’re likely looking at defenders since they’re well set on offense. Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, who could go as high as No. 3 to the Lions, would make sense after the release of Desmond Trufant. Other corners like Florida’s C.J. Henderson would also fit the bill. Or, if the Falcons want to plug multiple holes on defense, they could turn to versatile Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons.

The first two picks in the draft – belonging to the Bengals and Redskins – are probably unavailable. However, the Lions and Giants – picks Nos. 3 and 4, respectively – could be willing to move down. Depending on who the Falcons want, they could aim lower with a team like the Cardinals at No. 8.

Ravens’ Mark Ingram II On His Future

April 15th, 2020 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

Father Time isn’t always kind to running backs, but Mark Ingram isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. In a chat with reporters this week, the 30-year-old said that he plans on playing “at the highest level for another four or five years.” 

“That’s how I feel, man,” Ingram said (via the team website). “I’m with a great team that takes care of me, and I feel like I can play this game at a high level – at the highest level – for at least another four or five years…My body feels good. I’m moving good. I have nothing really lagging. If I do, I’ll be working on it, rehabbing it, strengthening it up so all my weaknesses are turning into my strengths. I just want to be the best, man. I want to be one of the best. When you talk about running backs who had long, prestigious careers, I want to be in that discussion.”

Ingram – who is only “old” by NFL RB standards – delivered his third 1,000-yard season in 2019, paving the way for his third career Pro Bowl selection (he also came 36 yards shy of the four-digit mark in 2014). After averaging 4.5 yards per carry across eight seasons with the Saints, he took things to a new level in Lamar Jackson‘s offense, setting a new career high with 5.0 ypc. So far, his three-year, $15.5MM deal looks like a clear win for the Ravens.

Beyond the yards and touchdowns, Ingram also maintained his usual high standards when it comes to pass blocking. For a second straight year, he was one of Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked qualified tailbacks in the category. All things considered, we’d be surprised if the Ravens invested an early pick in the position, though they may use a middle or late-round choice to back Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.

Packers, Aaron Jones Discuss New Deal

April 15th, 2020 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers opened up extension talks with Aaron Jones at the combine earlier this year, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky hears. As it stands, the running back is set to reach free agency for the first time in his career following the 2020 season. 

Jones, still only 25, made a strong case for himself with a monster 2019. The former fifth-round pick ran for 1,084 yards with a league-leading 16 touchdowns and averaged 4.6 yards per carry as the Packers’ primary back. He also hauled in 49 receptions – one of several new career watermarks – for 474 yards and three scores.

A new deal for Jones wouldn’t approach Christian McCaffrey‘s new record-breaking extension with the Panthers, though CMC’s deal will bolster the market for running backs everywhere. That’s especially true for dual-threat types like Jones. More than ever, the league recognizes the impact of RB1s that also provide WR2/WR3 value.

The Packers don’t have an in-house replacement for Jones and, as Demovsky writes, their approach to the early rounds of the draft may tip their plans. The Packers have bigger fish to fry than running back – wide receivers and run-stuffers are on their to-do list – so drafting an RB inside of the first two rounds would speak volumes. Someone like Florida State’s Cam Akers could serve as a strong complimentary back for Jones in Year One and, potentially, take over as the starter in 2021.

Through injuries, suspensions, and committees, Jones has shined throughout his Packers tenure – albeit in a limited sample size for his first two seasons. Between 2017 and 2018, Jones averaged 5.5 yards per carry on a total of 214 attempts. This past season, he held strong with his 4.6 yard average on 236 attempts.

Vikings’ Kirk Cousins On Diggs, Contract

April 14th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Naturally, Kirk Cousins wants to see life return to normalcy as soon as possible. But, if this year’s NFL games have to be played without fans in the crowd, he’s willing to take an optimistic view.

“Honestly, we practice every day in an empty grass area and pump in fake crowd noise for away games,” Cousins told reporters (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com). “But more often than not, you’re used to it. OTA practices don’t have a lot of pomp and circumstance to them. So honestly to go out and just play the game would kind of be refreshing, a breath of fresh air, to just let us know that we don’t have to have all the smoke and the fire, we can just play football. As long as we’re playing the game, I won’t have a lot of complaints, and hopefully if it’s still not returned to normal, we can find a way to make it work.”

Meanwhile, Cousins has extended his contract with the Vikings, agreeing to a new two-year, $66MM add-on to give him a grand total of $96MM over the next three seasons. This week, Cousins opened up to beat reporters about his shiny new deal and also gave his thoughts on Stefon Diggs for the first time since the trade. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

On his contract:

“We felt like with the CBA and the shifting landscape that it was going to be difficult to know where this was going to go from here, so the timing was not going to be easy. I think that was a big point of communication through the process…a long contract would have been difficult because of the changing landscape of the CBA and I think that’s true for both sides. It was a win-win to get that contract structured the way it was.” (Twitter links via Cronin).

On the talks and the cap space provided by the extension:

“It was a no brainer to be back with the Vikings and find a way to make it work,” Cousins said (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).

On his reaction to Diggs being traded to the Bills:

“It became apparent that he [Diggs] wanted to play elsewhere, and I think it was smart of the Vikings to grant him that opportunity…I think it wasn’t a mystery, and that’s OK. I wish him really well. I just so enjoyed playing with him. He’s a special player, and we now have to find a way to move forward and replace that, if you will, with a variety of players.”

On bidding Diggs farewell:

“I think my text message to him said something along the lines of, ‘You’re as good as any receiver I’ve ever played with. That includes some names like Adam Thielen, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon … he’s elite. I just wanted to affirm him, and thank him.“

Seahawks Rescind Malik Turner’s Tender

April 14th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have pulled their exclusive rights tender for Malik Turner, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, Turner has gone from the ERFA property of the Seahawks to a full-fledged free agent.

It’s rare for an ERFA to have his tender pulled, especially since those deals are inexpensive with no real guarantees, but the Seahawks apparently had second thoughts. Turner, 24, appeared in 15 games for Seattle last year. He managed 15 receptions for 245 yards and a touchdown in his second season with the club.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks re-upped a pair of their own free agents this week. Guard Mike Iupati, entering his age-33 season, will return on a one-year deal. Ditto for cornerback Neiko Thorpe, who is also looking to stay healthy after finishing the 2019 season on IR.

Seahawks To Re-Sign Mike Iupati

April 14th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have agreed to a brand new deal with Mike Iupati, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The veteran guard will return on a one-year deal as he looks to battle back from a neck injury. 

Iupati signed with the ‘Hawks on a one-year pact last spring, bringing him to the third NFC West team of his career. The former 49ers and Rams protector stepped in to replace J.R. Sweezy and played on the first-string unit for 15 games, up until the injury bug struck late in the year. Iupati was unable to play in either one of Seattle’s playoff games and had to watch from afar as the Seahawks fell 28-23 to the Packers in the divisional round.

Iupati, 33 in May, has four Pro Bowl appearances to his credit, but injuries have hampered him over the last few seasons. At his peak, he inked a five-year, $40MM free agent deal with Arizona.

The Seahawks managed to keep Iupati, but they’ve watched offensive linemen George Fant (Jets) and Germain Ifedi (Bears) depart in free agency this season. To help replace them, they’ve added new faces in B.J. Finney and Chance Warmack. Meanwhile, Joey Hunt remains unsigned.

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