2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta On 2020 Draft

April 9th, 2020 at 9:32am CST by Dallas Robinson

Fresh off a 14-2 campaign in 2019, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is now set to conduct his second draft as Baltimore’s top front office decision-maker. Holding the 28th pick in the first round, the Ravens could go in any number of directions to supplement an already talented roster.

Let’s take a look at the highlights of a draft-centric conference call DeCosta held with reporters earlier this morning:

The 2020 draft is thought to contain one of the best wide receiver classes in recent memory, so much so that DeCosta believes Baltimore could find an immediate contributor as late as the fifth round, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, DeCosta expects Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb to be off the board by the time the Ravens pick in Round 1, and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs will probably also be gone. But Baltimore could have a choice between options like Justin Jefferson (LSU), Tee Higgins (Clemson), Denzel Mims (Baylor), or Laviska Shenault (Colorado) at the end of the first round. DeCosta and the Ravens selected two wideouts — Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin — in the top three rounds of the 2019 draft.
Don’t expect the Ravens to attempt a move back up the board. “In general, trading up is dangerous,” DeCosta said, per Zrebiec (Twitter links). “It’s a little bit risky. I’d like to have 10, 12, 14 picks in every draft all things being equal.” Baltimore currently owns nine selections. If DeCosta wants to move that total into the double digits, he’d need to be trading back instead of up. Indeed, DeCosta said he would only consider a trade up for an “elite player.”
The Ravens depleted their tight end depth a bit by trading 2018 first-rounder Hayden Hurst to the Falcons, and DeCosta said it would be “foolish” for Baltimore not to consider adding another tight end at some point in the draft, tweets Zrebiec. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman runs a tight end-friendly scheme, but the Ravens currently only have three options on their roster: Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle, and Charles Scarff.
Baltimore may also consider adding talent in front of quarterback Lamar Jackson. “Offensive line is something we definitely want to address in this draft,” said DeCosta, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “We see some talent in all the rounds. It would be great if a guy in the first round that we thought was a really good player fell to us.” Given the presence of Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown, the Ravens don’t necessarily need immediate help at tackle, but DeCosta feels all the projected first-round tackles have the capacity to move inside to guard (where Baltimore does need help), as Zrebiec tweets.

Patriots Held Out Hope For Tom Brady Extension Until Free Agency

April 8th, 2020 at 6:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

During an interview with Sirius XM’s Howard Stern, Tom Brady said he had a strong indication going into the 2019 season that it would be his last with the Patriots. The sides had agreed to a deal last year that prevented the Pats from placing the franchise tag on Brady, but it does not sound like the team was definitively moving on.

The Patriots held out hope of re-signing Brady up until the week of free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Brady’s meeting at Robert Kraft‘s house provided the Patriots closure on their centerpiece player, but Rapoport adds that going into that summit the Pats were still hoping Brady would inform them he wanted to stay.

The Brady saga took substantial turns, from the Raiders and Chargers preparing bids to the Titans being the top threat to the Patriots to Brady’s camp showing interest in the 49ers to finally the Buccaneers winning the sweepstakes.

Brady announced on the morning of March 17 he was leaving the Patriots. His agent began discussing a deal with the Bucs once the legal tampering period opened at 11am CT March 16, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback did not engage in discussions with Bruce Arians or Jason Licht until the evening of March 18. At that point, Licht indicated Brady was pitching himself to the Bucs. It appears it was Brady who wanted to exit Foxborough more so than the Pats desiring to start over with a cheaper option.

Brady signed a fully guaranteed two-year, $50MM deal with the Bucs. As of now, 2019 backup Jarrett Stidham is the odds-on favorite to succeed Brady. However, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston are free agents. And while the Bengals are considering keeping Andy Dalton, his $17.5MM cap number makes him a potential release candidate.

Giants K Aldrick Rosas Signs Second-Round RFA Tender

April 8th, 2020 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although it does not appear teams are close to starting offseason workouts, the Giants will have their kicker in the fold when they do reconvene.

Aldrick Rosas signed his second-round RFA tender on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The former Pro Bowler will be attached to a $3.26MM salary.

It would make sense for the Giants to explore a Rosas extension. He’s one of only four Pro Bowl kickers in franchise history, following Josh Brown (2015), John Carney (2008) and Ali Haji-Sheikh (1983). Should Rosas not have an extension in place by next March, he will be set for unrestricted free agency.

The Giants’ kicker since his 2017 arrival, Rosas has played in 48 straight games with the team. He made 32 of 33 field goal tries in 2018 — including 6-for-6 from 40-49 yards and 4 of 5 from beyond 50. However, the former Titans UDFA missed seven field goals as a rookie in 2017 and missed nine kicks (five field goals, four PATs) last season.

The Giants held a late-season kicker workout last year, after Rosas missed two field goals in a five-point loss to the Bears. But the team did not replace him and is moving forward with its 25-year-old specialist.

Chiefs To Sign RB DeAndre Washington

April 8th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

A four-year Raiders backup will change sides within the AFC West. The Chiefs have agreed to terms with DeAndre Washington, according to Yahoo.com’s Terez Paylor (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal.

Washington served as the backup to Latavius Murray, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin and Josh Jacobs during his career and, due to the lack of tread on his tires as a pro, serves as an interesting addition for the Chiefs.

The former fifth-round pick has amassed just 370 NFL touches; he topped out at 108 carries last season. He will join a Chiefs team that has Damien Williams, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson under contract. This will also reunite Washington with his former college quarterback, with the ex-Red Raider having entered the NFL one year earlier than Patrick Mahomes.

The 5-foot-8 back recently turned 27 and has not posted a yards-per-carry average north of 4.0 since his rookie season, when both he and Jalen Richard surpassed 5.0 per tote. Last season, however, he gained 162 yards in starting the Raiders’ final two games. In his final season with Mahomes, Washington rushed for 1,492 yards (6.4 per carry) and totaled 16 touchdowns.

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock opted to extend Richard, pointing to a Washington exit. Richard doubles as one of the few Reggie McKenzie-era players making the trip to Las Vegas. The Raiders, of course, are likely to have Jacobs as their backfield centerpiece for years.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/8/20

April 8th, 2020 at 4:24pm CST by Zachary Links

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

Baltimore Ravens

Released: DE Ufomba Kamalu

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: P Tyler Newsome

New Orleans Saints

Re-signed: OL Cameron Tom

New York Giants

Released: LB Nate Harvey (failed physical)

Bengals HC: A.J. Green Is “Fully Healthy”

April 8th, 2020 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, A.J. Green missed the entire season thanks to a foot injury. Last month, the Bengals cuffed him with the franchise tag anyway. Fortunately, the wide receiver appears to be “fully healthy,” according to head coach Zac Taylor.

“Everything’s been positive with A.J.,” Taylor said in a virtual presser on Wednesday. “He’s fully healthy and is working hard. He’s been in Atlanta. It’s all been positive in that regard.”

The franchise tag will pay Green roughly $18MM in 2020, a steep price given Green’s age and questions about his foot. As he looks ahead to his 32nd birthday in July, Green is preparing to prove himself all over again.

Meanwhile, Green has been vocally opposed to playing on the franchise tag. It remains to be seen whether he’ll get the long-term deal that he wants – he’s been largely unstoppable throughout his career, but the Bengals may be fearful of committing major dollars to him beyond 2020.

“I have no problem with the franchise (tag). I don’t like it, but I’m not a guy that’s going to sit out the whole year,” Green said in December. “But at the end of the day, that shows me they’re not committed to me. That’s fine. They have a business they have to run. As the player I have my own business, so if you do that I have to protect myself.”

“If you’re not committed to me long-term, I understand. There are no hard feelings. You have a business to run. All great businesses face difficult decisions. I understand that. For me, I have to make a big decision as well.”

Green qualified for the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven NFL seasons and he’s tallied more than 1,000 yards in every campaign with at least 13 games played. He’s also gone for double-digit touchdowns in three separate seasons with a career average of almost 15 yards per catch.

Falcons GM Says Todd Gurley’s Deal Includes Injury Protection

April 8th, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Like most deals this offseason, Todd Gurley‘s contract has yet to be 100% finalized. This week, the Falcons announced that they have “agreed to terms” with Gurley, though the star running back has yet to take his physical.

Despite Gurley’s knee trouble, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff isn’t too worried about the situation. Meanwhile, if any red flags pop up, he says the team is well covered.

“We looked closely at it. We have language our contracts that will protect us and the player.” the GM said (Twitter link via William McFadden of the team website). “We’re not looking at it that way…[we’re] very comfortable with it.”

Last year, Gurley was limited to just 223 carries – the lowest total in any of his five pro seasons. The Falcons are hoping to get a full season out of the longtime Rams star, who still managed 1,000+ all-purpose yards despite the setback. The Falcons, meanwhile, have gone two full seasons without a running back hitting the 1,000-yard mark, or even the 900-yard mark.

Gurley is set to take over for Devonta Freeman, who was released in March amidst injury concerns of his own. Ito Smith, Brian Hill, and Qadree Ollison sit behind him on the depth chart, though the RB group could be shuffled between now and the start of the season. Gurley will work to get back to his old form, which saw him lead the league in rushing touchdowns in both 2017 and 2018.

Cardinals Have “No Concern” Over DeAndre Hopkins Trade

April 8th, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Three weeks ago, the Cardinals swung a blockbuster deal with the Texans to acquire DeAndre Hopkins. Three weeks later, the deal has yet to be finalized due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is confident that the trade will be finalized before the “fully virtual” NFL Draft begins on April 23.

“There’s no concern,” Kingsbury told reporters this week (via Mason Kern of Sports Illustrated). “Those (physicals) aren’t official as far as I know at this point, but we’ll get it done. There’s obviously — the medical field and personnel have much bigger fish to fry at this point. It’s been slower than it (normally) would be, but I have no doubts it’ll be done before the draft.”

The delay has some Cardinals fans nervous and, perhaps, has some Texans fans hopeful that, somehow, the deal will be nixed and Hopkins will return to Houston. That doesn’t seem like it’ll be the case. Barring any snags involving the physicals, Hopkins is going to Arizona and running back David Johnson is going to Houston.

Despite his injury history, Johnson was reportedly healthy by the end of the 2019 season. In theory, the Texans could use a spotty medical check to renegotiate the deal, but there shouldn’t be any real surprises once the running back is finally looked over. Besides, the Cardinals have already started discussing a new deal with Hopkins and the Texans weren’t willing to give into his contract demands in the first place.

For now, D-Hop is set to count for just $12.5MM against the Cardinals’ cap in 2020. His cap charges for the rest of his contract – which runs through 2022 – do not exceed $14MM in any given season.

Most NFL Teams Haven’t Talked To Chase Young

April 8th, 2020 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

The entire NFL is convinced that defensive end Chase Young won’t fall past No. 3 overall. In fact, none of the teams picking at No. 4 or lower have reached out to the Ohio State superstar, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

At this point, it would be shocking if the Bengals did not select LSU Joe Burrow No. 1 overall, followed by the Redskins taking Young at No. 2. Young’s absolute floor would probably be with the Lions at No. 3 overall. The Lions are believed to be targeting fellow Buckeye Jeff Okudah, and would perhaps trade down before trying to nab him, but they wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a potential generational talent in Young.

For what it’s worth, Rapoport also hears that the Redskins have “opened up the possibility” of taking a QB at No. 2. Still, that’d be a stunning move given Young’s potential and the presence of Dwayne Haskins. Recently, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report was told that they are not giving real consideration to a signal caller with the second pick.

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.

Young tallied 17 sacks in 2019, the most of any player in the FBS, despite serving a two-game ban.

Vikings Have Dre Kirkpatrick On The Radar

April 8th, 2020 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are “kicking the tires” on Dre Kirkpatrick, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter link). However, their interest is still in the preliminary stage.

The Bengals dropped Kirkpatrick in late March to save $8.3MM against the cap while making room for former Vikings corner Trae Waynes, who inked a three-year, $42MM pact. If the Vikings sign Kirkpatrick, the two teams could wind up with a cornerback trade of sorts with Mackensie Alexander also headed to Cincy.

The history between Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and Kirkpatrick could play a role here. Zimmer was on the Bengals’ coaching staff when they drafted Kirkpatrick in the first round of the 2012 draft. Meanwhile, new Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones has spent the previous two seasons with the Bengals. There are connections aplenty, and Kirkpatrick may profile as a potential add at this stage of the offseason.

For his career, Kirkpatrick has 99 appearances to his credit over the course of eight seasons. Last year, his season was cut short by a hyperextended knee injury, leaving him with a stat line of 33 tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery in six games. Before that, in 2018, he allowed just 44.4% of the targets thrown his way to be caught, good for the second-best rate in the NFL.

After losing Waynes, Alexander, and Rhodes, the Vikings are left with a green group of CBs. As it stands, Mike Hughes and Holton Hill profile as the team’s top corners.