2020 May - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers To Hire Pat Stewart As Player Personnel Director

May 11th, 2020 at 2:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a short stay with the Eagles, longtime scout Pat Stewart will receive a major opportunity elsewhere. The Panthers are hiring Stewart as their director of player personnel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

Stewart has spent the bulk of his NFL career with the Patriots, serving as a scout for most of his 11-year tenure with the team. The Eagles hired him in 2018 to be a national scout. This marks another climb up the ladder for the veteran staffer.

Stewart and Matt Rhule worked together at multiple college programs in the mid-2000s. After Stewart opted for an NFL path in 2007, Rhule stayed at the college level. They will reunite in Charlotte.

Both were on Temple’s staff in 2006, when Stewart was the program’s assistant director of football operations and Rhule was in Year 1 of his first stay at the Philadelphia-based school. Rhule coached the Owls’ defensive linemen that year. Prior to that, each spent the 2005 season on Division I-FCS Western Carolina’s staff. Rhule served as the Catamounts’ associate head coach, while Stewart spent a year as a graduate assistant.

The Panthers have a relatively new owner and a new head coach, but GM Marty Hurney remains in his post. The franchise is expected to hire an assistant GM soon, and that executive could be groomed to succeed Hurney at some point. For the time being, Carolina’s new hire will be one of Hurney’s right-hand men.

Larry Warford Targeting $7MM Per Year

May 11th, 2020 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amassing a rare surplus of interior offensive linemen, the Saints released Larry Warford last week. In doing so, the team made one of the league’s better guards a mid-May free agent.

The Saints signed Warford to a four-year, $34MM deal back in 2017, and the three-time Pro Bowler wants to pick up nearly where he left off. The soon-to-be 29-year-old blocker is believed to be targeting around $7MM per year on his next deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

Twenty guards are currently signed for more than $7MM AAV; several are much less accomplished. Even at a point when NFL teams have mostly assembled their depth charts, this makes Warford’s ask quite reasonable. In three years with the Saints, Warford made three Pro Bowls. While each trip came as an alternate, he was still a key part of one of the NFL’s best offenses.

The Texans and Bears immediately surfaced as suitors. While the Bears are no longer believed to be in the mix, Rapoport adds that the former Lions third-round pick has already received plenty of interest. Warford has never missed more than three games in a season and has started all 101 NFL games in which he’s played.

Dolphins Sign Tua Tagovailoa

May 11th, 2020 at 12:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Most of this year’s top draft picks – including No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow – have yet to ink their rookie contracts. You can put Tua Tagovailoa in the “signed” column. On Monday, the Dolphins agreed to terms with the quarterback on his first NFL deal (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).

Per the terms of his slot, the Alabama star will earn $30.275MM over the course of his four-year pact. And, because he’s a first-round pick, the Dolphins will also hold a fifth-year option for his services, allowing them to leg out the arrangement through 2024. Per the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, that extra year will not be guaranteed exclusively for injury, it’d be just plain guaranteed.

The Dolphins tried their best to run a misdirection play with Justin Herbert, but they ultimately chose Tagovailoa, their longtime draft crush, with the No. 5 overall pick. With that, he’s set to take center stage in South Beach while grizzled and bearded veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick shows him the ropes.

Tagovailoa easily could have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, if not for his career-threatening injury and Burrow’s absolutely absurd final season at LSU. Tagovailoa’s camp says he’s on track for 100% health this year and doctors that have checked him out are in agreement. If his hip, wrist, and ankle injuries stay in the rearview mirror, Tagovailoa figures to have a bright future ahead.

As a fully healthy sophomore in 2018, Tagovailoa dazzled as he threw for almost 4,000 yards and 43 touchdowns with only six interceptions. In that year, he was the runner-up for the Heisman trophy behind Kyler Murray, the eventual No. 1 overall pick.

Tagovailoa finished his college career with a Division I-FBS-record 10.9 yards per attempt. The dynamic southpaw also exited Tuscaloosa with an 87-11 career TD-INT ratio. He represents the most-hyped Dolphins quarterback Since Dan Marino, whom the franchise has been trying to replace for 20 years.

Eagles Interested In Carlos Hyde

May 11th, 2020 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are interested in signing free agent running back Carlos Hyde, Adam Caplan of WIP hears. The veteran turned down an offer from the Texans in March and he’s still available here in mid-May.

Hyde is coming off of the best statistical season of his career. Last year, he racked up 1,070 yards on the ground for six touchdowns and a per-tote average of 4.4 yards. And, for good measure, he added two receiving scores off of ten catches.

Unfortunately for Hyde, free agency is always tough for “older” running backs. He’ll turn 30 in September and the Eagles are only interested in signing him to a one-year deal for something at or near the veteran’s minimum, per Caplan.

With the Birds, Hyde could serve as something of a LeGarrette Blount-type power rusher. If signed, Hyde would join Miles Sanders and Boston Scott in their RB group. Still, a minimum-salary deal might not get it done. After his best season ever as a pro, he’s probably not eager to take a pay cut from last year’s base salary of $1.4MM.

Over the course of his six-year career, Hyde has averaged 4.1 yards per carry for the 49ers, Browns, Jaguars, and Texans.

Bengals’ Jessie Bates Hires New Agent

May 11th, 2020 at 11:22am CST by Zachary Links

Bengals free safety Jessie Bates III has changed representation and hired David Mulugheta of Athletes First, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Mulugheta counts Earl Thomas, Landon Collins, and other elite safeties among his clients. Bates, 23, could be in line for a big payday of his own someday.

The former second-round pick has two years left on his inexpensive rookie deal, but he’s already looking ahead to his next contract. Bates has started in every possible game over the past two seasons, racking up 211 tackles and six interceptions along the way. After celebrating his 23rd birthday in February, he could be poised for another major leap forward in 2020.

For now, Bates is set to earn $930 in base salary this year and slightly more in 2021 with cap hits of $1.3MM and $1.6MM, respectively. That’s an exceptional bargain for a high level free safety who is barely above the legal drinking age. The Bengals haven’t engaged in extension talks just yet, but it’ll be at the top of their agenda next spring.

In the interest of equal time: the advanced metrics weren’t all that high on Bates last year. But, as a rookie in 2018, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 ranked safety in the NFL.

In other Bengals news, the club is hoping to extend running back Joe Mixon. Mixon is coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons and entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/20

May 11th, 2020 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

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

Las Vegas Raiders

Waived: LB Derrick Moncrief

The Raiders signed Moncrief, a former CFL all-star, to a reserve/future deal in January. Since then, they’ve added a number of linebackers via free agency and the draft, squeezing the 26-year-old out of the 90-man roster. In March, the Raiders picked up Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski to bolster their LB group. Then, in the third round, they tapped Clemson product Tanner Muse. Moncrief will look to catch on with another NFL club while his former league faces a likely cancellation of the 2020 season.

CFL Likely To Cancel 2020 Season

May 11th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

As of this writing, the NFL is planning to forge ahead with its 2020 season, as scheduled. North of the border, in the CFL, it’s not quite as likely.

“Our best-case scenario for this year is a drastically truncated season,” commissioner Randy Ambrosie told Canada’s House of Commons (via The Associated Press). “And our most likely scenario is no season at all…Ours is a big brand but not a wealthy business. Unlike large U.S.-based leagues, our biggest source of revenue is not TV — it’s ticket sales.”

Ambrosie explained that the government’s measures to protect the public against COVID 19 “have made it impossible” for the CFL to operate. The NFL and professional sports leagues all across North America are faced with similar obstacles, though they’re better equipped to handle them from a financial standpoint. In 2019, Ambrosie says the CFL lost $20MM. The NFL, meanwhile, took in roughly $16 billion in revenue with profits skyrocketing past their operating costs. Much of that money, as Ambrosie said, comes from lucrative TV deals.

With that in mind, the CFL isn’t necessarily a canary in the coal mine for the NFL. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NFL has to test players early and often in order to play games, but that’s a feasible expense for Roger Goodell & Co., thanks to the TV money.

Jets Searching For Backup QB

May 11th, 2020 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

After failing to land Andy Dalton, the Jets are still on the lookout for a veteran backup quarterback. There aren’t many experienced options left and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears that Matt Moore – viewed by many as a logical candidate – is probably not in the cards.

[RELATED: Jets Wanted Andy Dalton]

Moore overlapped with Gase in Miami, where he started in 17 games. However, 12 of those starts came in the 2011 season. Outside of that, the 35-year-old (36 in August) has never made more than five games in any of his NFL seasons. Despite his lack of starting experience, he’s been an in-demand backup in the past – the Panthers and Chiefs have also leaned on him as a QB2.

With Dalton off the market, Moore off the table, and Cam Newton out of their price range, there aren’t a ton of great QBs in the bargain bin. David Fales could be an option, Cimini notes, since he played under Gase with three different teams. There’s also Joe Flacco to consider, if he’s healthy.

Other available QBs include Blake Bortles, Drew Stanton, and Trevor Siemian, who saw last year’s Jets season end in Week 2. The Jets desperately need a quality backstop for Sam Darnold, but they might have to wait until the summer, or maybe even the end of the summer, to pick up vets dropped by other teams.

Latest On Logan Ryan

May 11th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Last week, free agent cornerback Logan Ryan bid farewell to the Titans. But, before that, he says they rejected his pitch: A new one-year pact to match last year’s salary of $9.5MM.

“I was willing to come back and work with the team on a one-year deal to earn the right for an extension or to go back to free agency next year,” Ryan told the McCourty twins on their podcast (transcript via ESPN.com). “I just wanted my salary that I made last year. You play well in a contract year, you’re going to get paid. I wanted to keep that thing going, but they weren’t really interested in that.”

“It’s just a business. Tennessee really never offered me a contract. They never really talked extension or free agency. They never really tried to bring me back.”

Meanwhile, Ryan is waiting for business to pick up. The 29-year-old started all 16 games for the Titans last year as their top slot man and helped them reach the AFC title game. He also set new career watermarks in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four).

However, his market has been slow to develop, and his price tag probably has something to do with it. Teams, he says, are “taking their time.” Ryan says he’s received multi-year offers from teams, though he’s still waiting for the right fit.

The Jets and Giants still have needs at cornerback and would make some sense for Ryan. The Titans, meanwhile, are going in a different direction – they selected LSU product Kristian Fulton in the second round and even gave him No. 26, Ryan’s old number.

Dr. Fauci: COVID-19 Will “Make Decision” For NFL

May 11th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

If the NFL goes ahead with its 2020 season, they’ll have to take drastic measures to keep players safe. In an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave his thoughts on how the league might approach the coming campaign in the social distancing era.

“If you really want to be in a situation where you want to be absolutely certain, you’d test all the players before the game. And you say, Those who are infected: Sorry, you’re sidelined,” Fauci said. “Those who are free: Get in there and play.”

And, for absolute certainty, the NFL would have to test hundreds of athletes daily – possibly multiple times per day. Even with social distancing measures and limited practices, players would likely be in close proximity to each other throughout the week.

“If I test today, and I’m negative, you don’t know if I got exposed tomorrow,” Fauci said. “There’s no guarantee that you’re going to get exposed and be positive the next day. To give you an example, you’re probably reading in the newspapers that there’s an infection in the White House. I was exposed to that person. So I immediately got tested. I am negative. So, I’m negative yesterday. I don’t know if I’m going to be negative Monday. Understand? It’s almost an impossible situation.”

Then, there’s the obvious risk of in-game transmission. The virus isn’t known to transmit via sweat, Fauci said, but breathing means viral shedding, and heavy breathing in close quarters has the potential to be dangerous.

“To be 100 percent sure, you’ve got to test every day,” Fauci said. “But that’s not practical and that’s never going to happen. But you can diminish dramatically by testing everybody Saturday night, Sunday morning, and say OK, only negative players play.”

At the same time, Fauci stressed that he cannot predict the fate of the 2020 NFL season. “The virus will make the decision for us,” the infectious disease expert said, stressing that he is sharing his educated opinion, rather than a surefire forecast. In my uneducated opinion, I believe that the potential safety measures will be balanced with public relations concerns. If testing is not widely available by September, the NFL will have a hard time justifying tens of thousands of tests for athletes and key personnel. And, without rapid and constant testing, football won’t be feasible.