2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Rams Trade Brandin Cooks To Texans

April 9th, 2020 at 6:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have agreed to send a second-round pick to the Rams in exchange for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a future fourth-round choice, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With that, the Texans have found their replacement for DeAndre Hopkins while holding on to the second-round pick they acquired from the Cardinals.

Cooks, interestingly enough, was shipped from the Patriots to the Rams roughly two years ago today. The well-traveled 26-year-old still has tons of potential, especially now that he’s in Deshaun Watson‘s offense. The biggest question mark, perhaps, is Cooks’ health. He has a history of concussions and one more bad blow could put his career in jeopardy.

Cooks, a 2014 first-round pick, emerged as a top-end wide receiver in 2015 when he racked up 84 catches, 1,138 yards, and nine scores. In 2017, the Saints shipped Cooks and a fourth-rounder to the Patriots for first- and third-round choices. After one year, the thrifty Pats sent him to the Rams, allowing L.A. to give him his payday. Now, he’ll continue on his five-year, $80MM deal with the Texans.

Even with Hopkins out of the picture, the Texans’ offense still projects to be a potent one. With Watson under center, their starting lineup will feature Cooks, Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, and Kenny Stills as their top receivers. Meanwhile, David Johnson and Duke Johnson will be in the backfield, with blocking specialist Darren Fells up front.

In exchange for Cooks, the Rams will receive the No. 57 overall pick in this month’s draft. Given the depth of this year’s crop, it might not be hard for them to fill the void at wide receiver. They’ll also gain some extra breathing room by unloading Cooks’ contract.

The Texans will take on the rest of his multi-year pact, which calls for an $8MM base salary in 2020. After that, he’s set to earn escalating salaries of $12MM, $13MM, and $14MM until 2023.

Cam Newton Willing To Wait

April 9th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Cam Newton is willing to wait until after the draft, if necessary, to find the right deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter) hears. Newton has been on the market for a little over two weeks and, so far, it sounds like that feeling is mutual. Tons of teams are believed to have interest in the former MVP, but no one is in a rush to sign him at this moment.

[POLL: Where Will Cam Newton Sign?]

The Panthers shopped Newton before officially cutting him on March 24th, and they even announced it publicly to further spread the word (and, possibly, mitigate some PR damage with fans). Of course, once the Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater to a lucrative free agent deal, they had no real leverage in the matter.

The Chargers are one possible destination for Newton. Head coach Anthony Lynn says that even though Tyrod Taylor is the starter “for now,” he’ll be open to all options under center. That surely will include Newton, who was one of the best QBs in the NFL before he was beset by injuries.

In a recent PFR poll, nearly 34% of readers picked the Chargers as Newton’s most likely destination. The Patriots – who have some mighty big shoes to fill under center – placed second with ~26% of the vote.

Newton, 30, is looking to prove himself all over again following Lisfanc surgery in November. The current restrictions on medical exams could leave him waiting longer than he wants to – teams will want to get a close look at his foot, shoulder, and every other injured body part before making a serious commitment to him.

Chargers CB Michael Davis Signs Tender

April 9th, 2020 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers cornerback Michael Davis signed his second-round tender, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. With that, Davis will earn roughly $3.3MM in 2020 on a one-year deal.

Davis was set for restricted free agency and the Bolts tendered him at the second-round level to keep other teams at bay. Last year, Davis started in all 12 of his games as the Chargers worked around a rash of injuries in the secondary. Derwin James, Adrian Phillips, and second-round rookie Nasir Adderley all succumbed to different maladies, thrusting Davis into the spotlight.

Davis, meanwhile, missed a pair of games due to a substance-abuse policy violation. All together, the advanced metrics were not wild about Davis’ performance – he graded out as one of the NFL’s worst qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, he managed 39 stops and the first two interceptions of his career. It was, at minimum, enough for the Chargers to hang on to him for another season.

This year, the Chargers’ secondary will be bolstered by the arrival of Chris Harris, who is expected to play in the slot. The longtime Broncos star gives the Chargers three first-team All-Pros in the unit – Harris, James, and Desmond King – plus second-team All-Pro Casey Hayward. King, who excelled in the slot last year, will likely shift to safety.

Bucs GM On Brady, Gronk, Jones

April 9th, 2020 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht has been heavily criticized over the years, but he managed to come away with the league’s biggest prize this offseason. So, how does it feel to land Tom Brady?

“It feels damn good,” Licht said on Thursday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine).

The GM also recognizes his shortcomings, saying “a lot of [the criticism] was deserved.” The Bucs have gone 34-62 in Licht’s six years at the helm, but that could all be quickly forgotten if Brady is able to lead them to a Super Bowl championship.

Here are some of the highlights from Licht’s virtual chat:

Licht expressed confidence in Ronald Jones, signaling that the running back position might not be high on their to-do list. “We do think Ronald hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can be,” Licht said (via the team website). “He made a huge jump from year one to year two. He didn’t have to do much to do that because year two wasn’t very good for him. But year two, we felt very good about where he came, and we think he still has a tremendous amount of upside.” Jones, a former second-round pick, had a strong start to the 2019 season as a backup to Peyton Barber. Later, he was bumped up to the starting lineup, but his production took a nosedive. He also missed some key blocks on blitzes, an issue that he’ll have to correct if he wants to be a regular this year.
No matter what’s going on in the news cycle, tight end Rob Gronkowski seems to remain front and center. Brady’s arrival in Tampa has fueled speculation that Gronk could attempt a reunion with his longtime pal, but Licht didn’t take the bait. “Well he’s doing a pretty good job in Wrestlemania right now,” Licht said (Twitter link via Laine), referring to Gronk’s recent WWE appearance. “I have no idea if he’d want to play.” It’s worth noting that the Patriots still hold his rights, so a return with the Bucs or any other club would require cooperation from Bill Belichick & Co.
Earlier this week, Tom Brady sat down with Howard Stern to discuss his move to Tampa and what led him to leave the Patriots.

Roger Goodell: NFL Planning To Play In 2020

April 9th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Even amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, the NFL plays to forge ahead with its 2020 season. This week, commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated that stance in a chat with Kairos CEO Ankur Jain.

“The NFL is planning to play,” Goodell said (link via the NFL on Instagram). “That’s our hope, and that’s our planning to date…We can help our country heal. We can help bring our communities together. We can provide hope.”

Goodell also stressed that public safety is paramount to the NFL. Right now, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the NFL launches its season in September exactly as planned. Even if social distancing regulations are relaxed by local and federal regulators, the threat of a new COVID-19 wave will likely linger.

In the meantime, the NFL has drastically altered its offseason plans while mostly keeping the scheduled milestones in place. NFL executives will conduct the NFL Draft at their individual homes. And, between now and April 23rd, they’re conducting interviews with players via video conference.

President Trump has been pushing for the season to start on time, but there are many hurdles to clear between now and the fall. That goes for every city, but it’s doubly true in Los Angeles. SoFi Stadium is behind schedule and less than certain to be ready for Week 1, leaving the Rams and Chargers in limbo.

Latest On Utah RB Zack Moss

April 9th, 2020 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The surgically-repaired knee of Utah running back Zack Moss check out well in a recent exam, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. His agent tells Schefter that all 32 NFL teams have been notified of the results, which could boost his stock over the next few weeks.

Moss went under the knife in 2018, which prevented an early jump to the pros. Before that, he racked up 1,096 rushing yards off of 179 carries, good for an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. Moss didn’t show any ill effects last year, either – he went off for more than 1,400 yards with a 6.0 ypc average.

All together, Moss ran for over 4,000 yards at Utah, including three straight seasons of 1,000 yards or more. Still, his injury history might make some evaluators skittish. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Florida State’s Cam Akers, and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor could all come off the board before him.

Still, even if Moss isn’t a Day 1 selection, he’ll likely be a Day 2 pick for a team in need of backfield help. Moss offers power at around 220 lbs and he’s quicker than most ‘backs his size.

Chiefs To Re-Sign Bashaud Breeland

April 9th, 2020 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to re-sign Bashaud Breeland, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter). Breeland will return on a one-year deal worth $4.5MM as he looked to build off of last year’s momentum.

Breeland suited up for every game for the Super Bowl champs last year, capping his season with a ring and an interception on the game’s grandest stage. It was a big turnaround for Breeland, who had a bizarre 2018. After inking a three-year, $24MM contract ($11MM guaranteed) with the Panthers, his contract was voided due to an infected foot. Then, the veteran corner had to wait until late September until he finally found a home with the Packers. Unfortunately, he was held back by a hamstring injury and was unable to really showcase himself.

All along, Breeland has said that he wanted to return to KC. He got his wish, though he had to wait until the second/third wave of free agency before securing his deal. The ongoing pandemic surely played a role in his prolonged free agency as well.

Although it’s a decent payday for Breeland, the deal is a clear win for the Chiefs, who have managed to keep another difference-maker on the roster while crossing a major item off of the to-do list ahead of the draft. After watching Kendall Fuller leave for the Redskins, the Chiefs are glad to move forward with at least one of their free agent CBs in the mix. Morris Claiborne, who appeared in eight regular season games for KC last year, remains unsigned.

Breeland, 28, tallied 48 tackles, eight passes defended, and a pair of interceptions in the 2019 regular season.

Redskins High On Tua Tagovailoa

April 9th, 2020 at 11:31am CST by Zachary Links

Everyone seems pretty convinced that the Redskins will select Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. In fact, no teams picking below the Lions at No. 3 have even bothered to contact the Ohio State sack machine. Young-to-D.C. remains the most likely outcome, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Redskins head coach Ron Rivera is a big fan of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Due to his surgically-repaired hip, Tagovailoa’s stock has been murky for months. However, the QB seems to have restored much of his luster through his voluntary medical exam and videos that show off his health and mobility.

If the Redskins stun the football world by taking Tagovailoa and putting Dwayne Haskins on the back-burner, they’ll create a domino effect throughout the rest of the first round. The Lions, for example, could be tempted to bypass trade-back opportunities in order to grab Young, who many believe to be a generational talent. No matter what, the Lions seem to be in excellent position at No. 3.

Lions Discuss Trading Back From No. 3

April 9th, 2020 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have talked with other clubs about potentially trading back from the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The teams that want to move up “have been receptive,” Rapoport writes, so a trade could happen between now and when everyone logs on to the virtual podium.

For months, the Lions have been connected to Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah. The chatter has only increased in recent weeks, following the trade of Darius Slay to the Eagles. Okudah is widely regarded as the top cornerback in the draft and would be a logical fit for Detroit, but the Lions may feel that they can move down the board, get their guy, and add some additional ammo to their stockpile of picks.

The NFL Draft, of course, is completely unpredictable, but it’s fair to say that any team trading up to the third pick would not be chasing Okudah. Instead, any trade up to No. 3 would probably be for a quarterback – if the Bengals select Joe Burrow at No. 1 and the Redskins take Chase Young at No. 2, every other signal caller will be there for the taking. That includes Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa, who has received positive marks on his medical recheck and released promising workout videos.

The Dolphins are believed to have Tagovailoa in their sights. With the No. 5 pick, No. 26 pick, and even more in their arsenal, they’d be a logical candidate to swoop in. The Lions may also choose to wait until April 23rd before making any moves, just in case the Redskins throw everyone for a loop and pass on Young.

Stephen Gostkowski Doesn’t Plan To Retire

April 9th, 2020 at 10:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

After spending the majority of the 2019 season on injured reserve before being released by the Patriots last month, veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski isn’t ready to retire just yet. Appearing on Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Talk Podcast, Gostkowski indicated he’ll attempt to continue his career in 2020.

“I’m not ready to just hang it up,” Gostkowski said. “I’m gonna try to play. It’s going to be tough to show teams what I can do right now or work out or do a physical, but I’m not too worried about it. I’m not concerned. I kind of take things day by day.

I feel good. I’m starting to feel better. I’m trying to keep getting in better and better shape and I’ve probably done more so far this year as I would heading into a normal season so I feel like I’m ahead of where I usually am and I have nothing but time.”

Of course, Gotskowski’s free agent options are hindered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Any interested clubs would surely first want take a look at Gostkowksi’s medical records after a torn labrum in his left hip led to season-ending surgery a season ago. With a physical examination nearly impossible at the moment, Gostkowski may have to wait to land with another team.

A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All Pro, Gostkowski stands as one of this era’s best kickers. The former fourth-round pick’s 87.4% career field goal success rate ranks fifth in NFL history, and his 39 career playoff field goals rank behind only Adam Vinatieri’s 56 in postseason history.