HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Browns To Re-Sign WR Rashard Higgins

April 28th, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns are expected to re-sign wide receiver Rashard Higgins, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. It will be a one-year, $910K deal for the 25-year-old.

We heard back in March that Cleveland was likely to let Higgins test the open market but was interested in re-signing him if the price was right. Cabot says the Colorado State product received more lucrative offers from other clubs, but he elected to re-up with the Browns because he loves playing with quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Browns selected Higgins in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and after setting career highs in 2018 with 39 receptions for 572 yards and four touchdowns, he appeared primed for a key role in 2019 behind star wideouts Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham. Unfortunately, he battled knee injuries early in the 2019 campaign and fell out of favor with prior head coach Freddie Kitchens upon his return. He ultimately caught just four passes for 55 yards and a score.

But with a new regime in place, Higgins will presumably have a good chance to rebuild his value. He will compete with sixth-round rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones and returning pieces like Damion Ratley for playing time.

49ers Sign Nine Undrafted Rookies

April 28th, 2020 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Niners’ draft class just got larger. On Tuesday, GM John Lynch announced the signings of nine more NFL rookies:

A few players in this group received larger-than-usual guarantees, (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). That list includes: Daniels ($105K), Finke ($95K), Hasty ($90K), and Mayden ($50K).

Daniels played at Oklahoma State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate last year. In his season with the Huskers, he captured Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, managed 1.5 sacks, and even came away with an interception while playing on the interior.

Over the course of his time with the Fightin’ Irish, Finke caught 106 passes for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns. He also showed his speed in the return game with 532 total yards off of 63 punt returns. The bonuses paid to Finke and Daniels indicate that they’ll get a decent chance at making the roster in the fall.

Rutter, meanwhile, will have his work cut out for him. The 49ers already have Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard under contract as backups to starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/20

April 28th, 2020 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

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

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

  • Waived: OT Ka’John Armstrong

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Claimed off waivers (Lions): G Casey Tucker

Seattle Seahawks

Jenkins, 30, spent the 2017 season with the Bears before spending time with the Giants and Dolphins. In Miami last year, he started five times and appeared in all 16 games. He finished out the year with 34 total tackles and his first sack since 2015. The deal also reunites him with old colleague Ryan Pace, the Bears GM who worked in the Saints’ front office when Jenkins was drafted back in 2013.

Ravens Pick Up Marlon Humphrey’s Option

April 28th, 2020 at 2:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens will exercise Marlon Humphrey‘s fifth-year option, as Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated tweets. Once the paperwork is finalized, he’ll be tied to the team through 2021 at a salary dictated by his draft position. 

[RELATED: Ravens Agree To Terms With OL D.J. Fluker]

Humphrey was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Per league rules for the fifth-year option on first-round picks, he’ll earn the average salary of the league’s No. 3 – No. 25 highest-paid CBs. That additional year will be guaranteed for injury only, though that rule will change starting next year with the 2018 class. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement didn’t give the NFLPA a ton of wins, but that was one of the union’s key victories in negotiations.

Humphrey, 24 in July, started nearly every game for the Ravens last year en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection and first ever First-Team All-Pro nod. Along the way, he notched three interceptions, recovered three fumbles, returned two of them for touchdowns. In the interest of equal time: the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 37th best cornerback in the NFL; solid standing, though most evaluators and fans would probably rank him higher.

Some of this year’s fifth-year option decisions were borderline – including the case of Browns tight end David Njoku – but there was little doubt that the Ravens would exercise their right to keep Humphrey for an extra year.

For now, Humphrey is set to play out the final year of his original rookie deal with a paltry base salary of $2.08MM. However, you can expect GM Eric DeCosta to be in touch with his agent over the coming months.

Steelers Exercise T.J. Watt’s Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2020 at 1:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The fifth-year option on T.J. Watt‘s contract has been picked up, according to a press release from the Steelers. With that, the linebacker will be under club control through the 2021 season. 

[RELATED: Steelers’ Dupree Signs Franchise Tender]

Watt, the younger brother of J.J. Watt, stepped out of his brother’s shadow while keeping with the family legacy of hard-nosed defense. Originally a tight end at Wisconsin, he switched to the other side of the ball midway through his career and delivered tremendous results off the edge. In 2016 – his first year as a starter – he notched 11.5 sacks. At the pro level, he’s gotten better and better each year.

In 2019, Watt managed 14.5 sacks and a league-leading eight forced fumbles en route to his best season yet. All in all, he’s got 34.5 career sacks, 177 stops, and 15 forced fumbles across three years. The exact figure on his option is not yet known, since he was drafted outside of the Top 10. Whatever the number is, it won’t be enough. Watt and the Steelers are expected to discuss an extension sooner rather than later to position him as one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL. Meanwhile, he says his best work is still on the horizon.

“It’s just working hard and getting more and more experience,” said Watt. “This was my second year playing the left side. I am just growing and learning how I can approach the game better, find out what works better for me as far as film study, practice and preparation. Hopefully I can keep taking those jumps as I progress in my career.”

Chargers Liked Tua Tagovailoa At No. 6

April 28th, 2020 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, the Chargers found their new quarterback in Oregon product Justin Herbert. But, even if wasn’t there, GM Tom Telesco says he would have taken a QB, no matter what. 

“We felt great about all three quarterbacks who went in the Top 6,” Telesco told Pat McAfee of Barstool Sports (Twitter link), referring to No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow and Dolphins choice Tua Tagovailoa. “Hopefully we won’t pick at No. 6 very often…if I do, I won’t be making very many picks here. If you’re going to pick this high and there’s a potential franchise quarterback, you have to take him.”

Burrow to the Bengals was long considered a sure thing and Tagovailoa was connected to the Dolphins for months. As the draft drew closer, whispers of the Dolphins’ interest in Herbert grew louder and louder. And, days before the draft, there was talk of the Dolphins trading up to the No. 3 pick to select an offensive lineman, rather than a quarterback. That’s one rumor that Telesco didn’t bite on.

“Every rumor I heard, I went through my head of, ‘How would we handle this if this happened?’,” Telesco told Pat McAfee. “Now, the whole, Miami taking a tackle at 3, maybe they really were, I just didn’t believe that one. You make plans, you talk with your head coach…you talk about trading up or down in certain situations. When you’re on the clock making the pick, you’re not discussing what you want to do, you’ve already decided.”

The opinions on Herbert are pretty mixed in the football world. Those that are high on him believe that his elite arm strength will allow him to succeed as a starter. Others are concerned about his pension for holding on to the ball for too long in the pocket. At the same time, Tagovailoa’s health remains a major question mark moving forward and Telesco says he would have been happy with either QB as the heir to Philip Rivers.

Bears Agree To Terms With 11 UDFAs

April 28th, 2020 at 10:34am CST by Ben Levine

The Bears announced this morning that they’ve agreed to terms with 11 undrafted free agents, including the brother of one of their star players:

Mack is the most notable name on the list, as he’s the younger brother of Bears Pro Bowler Khalil Mack. The Buffalo product finished his senior season with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The younger Mack is one of four linebackers signed by Chicago, and that’s after the organization added a linebacker (Trevis Gipson) in the fifth round of the draft.

Autry also has some NFL pedigree, as his brother, cornerback Denico Autry, plays for the Colts.

Wagner is perhaps the most interesting prospect in the group. The six-foot-five receiver spent three seasons playing basketball at Iowa before transferring to Kentucky to play football. He hauled in 15 receptions for 254 yards and two scores during his lone season with the Wildcats.

Panthers Agree To Terms With 17 UDFAs

April 28th, 2020 at 10:17am CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have been busy adding undrafted free agents, as the organization announced that they’ve agreed to terms with 17 rookies:

As the press release notes, three of those free agents (Mack, Sutton, Thompson) officially signed with the Panthers on Monday.

The front office was clearly looking to plug a hole at linebacker, as the organization added five undrafted rookies at the position. While the front office used each of their seven draft picks on defensive players, all those rookies are either defensive backs or defensive linemen.

The Panthers are also making a relatively large investment in Bayless. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the wideout will earn $100K in guaranteed money. The Arkansas State product finished last season with 93 receptions for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Ravens Agree To Terms With OL D.J. Fluker

April 28th, 2020 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

It didn’t take long for D.J. Fluker to find a new home. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran offensive lineman has signed with the Ravens. The deal is pending a physical.

Fluker was released by the Seahawks on Sunday after spending two seasons with the organization. Last offseason, the lineman signed a two-year, $9MM extension with Seattle, and he proceeded to start 14 games during the 2019 campaign (his highest total since 2016).

The 2013 first-round pick out of Alabama spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers before spending the 2017 campaign with the Giants. In total, the 29-year-old has appeared in 92 career games, including 88 starts.

The Ravens are naturally putting an emphasis on protecting Lamar Jackson, with the organization selecting a pair of rookies in the 2020 Draft (third-round lineman Tyre Phillips and fourth-round guard Ben Bredeson). The team is eyeing several holes on their offensive line, as Marshal Yanda retired and Matt Skura continues to recover from a knee injury.

Broncos Sign DL Christian Covington

April 28th, 2020 at 9:33am CST by Ben Levine

Christian Covington is heading to Denver. The defensive lineman is signing with the Broncos, reports SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

It’ll be a one-year deal worth $1.75MM for the 26-year-old. The deal includes $625K in guaranteed money.

Following a four-year stint with the Texans, the former sixth-rounder signed with the Cowboys last offseason. He ended up having one of the most productive seasons of his career, compiling a career-high 28 tackles to go with one sack and one pass defended in 16 games (six starts).

In total, Covington has made 66 regular season appearances (15 starts) during his career, collecting 8.5 sacks.

Covington will be competing with rookie third-rounder McTelvin Agim for snaps behind starter Mike Purcell.

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