HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Ravens Sign Second-Round RB J.K. Dobbins

May 7th, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have officially signed second-round running back J.K. Dobbins, per a club announcement. In addition to the Ohio State product, the Ravens also announced the signing of seventh-round safety Geno Stone. With those two in the fold, the Ravens have just four unsigned rookies left, including first-round pick Patrick Queen.

Dobbins was viewed as one of the best pure runners in this year’s class, but he saw four other running backs – Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), D’Andre Swift (Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), and Cam Akers (Florida State) come off the board before him. That fall might have bruised his ego, but the Ravens were happy to scoop him up at No. 55 overall.

Dobbins posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State and the Ravens believe that he can anchor the running game behind Lamar Jackson. Last year, he topped 2,000 yards with 23 total touchdowns. This year, he’ll fight for carries alongside Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.

Per the terms of his slot, Dobbins will earn $5.7MM over the course of his four-year rookie deal. That pact includes a $1.7MM signing bonus and a low cap figure of $1.04MM for 2020.

Here’s the full rundown of the Ravens’ class, where Queen, Duvernay, Harrison, and Phillips stand as the only unsigned rookies:

1-28: Patrick Queen, LB (LSU)
2-55: J.K. Dobbins, RB (Ohio State): Signed
3-71: Justin Madubuike, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
3-92: Devin Duvernay, WR (Texas)
3-98: Malik Harrison, LB (Ohio State)
3-106: Tyre Phillips, OL (Mississippi State)
4-143: Ben Bredeson, G (Michigan): Signed
5-170: Broderick Washington Jr., DT (Texas Tech): Signed
6-201: James Proche, WR (SMU): Signed
7-219: Geno Stone, S (Iowa): Signed

Steelers GM Fine With Backup QB Situation

May 7th, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers did not draft a quarterback and have not signed a veteran this offseason, and GM Kevin Colbert elaborated on why recently.

Not only did the Steelers’ 21st-year GM confirm the team did not make an offer to Jameis Winston, he said the Steelers intend to go forward with the backups they used last season. Pittsburgh has former third-round pick Mason Rudolph and ex-UDFA Devlin Hodges under contract. Former first-round pick Paxton Lynch is as well, though he did not play last season.

“We’re comfortable with Mason Rudolph as a backup and Devlin Hodges in the mix. Between the two of them, they were 8-6 last year,” Colbert said during an appearance on the #PFTPM podcast (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “You get into a backup quarterback situation, 8-6 is not 14-0 but there’s some comfort in knowing that they can get you through the hopefully nonexistent spell that may occur if your quarterback gets injured.”

The Steelers make sense for a veteran, with Ben Roethlisberger coming off elbow surgery in advance of his age-38 season. His two backups oversaw a last-place offensive DVOA season. The Steelers ranked sixth in offensive DVOA in 2018, when Big Ben started 16 games, but plummeted to last in 2019 after his Week 2 injury. The Steelers’ improved defense (third in DVOA) played a significant part in the team’s eight wins. Rudolph and Hodges tied for last place in Next Gen Stats’ average completed air yards metric, with each at 4.5 per completion.

Cam Newton is now believed to be open to being a backup in the right situation. Though, Newton has dealt with more injury trouble than Roethlisberger has in recent years. Joe Flacco is now shelved until perhaps September. Other veterans available include Blake Bortles, Geno Smith, Trevor Siemian, Mike Glennon and Drew Stanton.

Colbert attributed part of his team’s lack of interest in veterans to its salary cap situation. The Steelers hold $5.7MM in cap space and have yet to sign any of their draft picks. Although Pittsburgh frequently restructures contracts to create cap room, the team is not planning to change up its Roethlisberger-Rudolph-Hodges QB room for the time being.

“Lot of times when we get into salary cap management and you have significant dollars in your starter, it’s hard to put a lot of dollars in your backup,” Colbert said. “We’re very comfortable knowing if need be Mason and Devlin and/or Devlin and Mason and even Paxton Lynch, who’s got No. 1 talent. We’ll see what we got, but we’re comfortable with that right now.”

Andy Dalton Eyeing 2021 Starting Job

May 7th, 2020 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andy Dalton signed to be Dak Prescott‘s backup with the Cowboys this season, but the nine-year Bengals starter does not plan to stay in Dallas beyond 2020. The 32-year-old passer viewed Dallas as an ideal landing spot for a temporary stay — one he hopes will help his value going into 2021 free agency.

“I believe I’m a starter in this league, and I feel like I could bring a lot to the table,” Dalton said, via David Hellman of DallasCowboys.com. “I know I’m on a one-year deal. I understand the market’s going to be a little bit different next offseason. So for me, it’s just, I’m trying to set myself up and put myself in the best position for the second half of my career.”

As many as five teams are believed to have pursued Dalton, but he chose a Cowboys team with an entrenched starter — albeit one who is attached to a franchise tag. Prescott has not signed his tender, but Dalton does not expect to, challenge Dallas’ four-year starter.

“Dak has played really well, and I knew the situation that I was coming into,” Dalton said. “… This is Year 10 for me — so I think with everything involved and the timing of being a free agent when I was, this is the best decision for me and for family knowing I get to join a great organization on a team that’s ready to win a lot of games.”

Prescott has never missed a game but did battle a shoulder ailment late last season. The Dalton deal protects the Cowboys, who saw Tony Romo go down at various points during his run as their starter.

In the highest-profile quarterback free agent class since free agency began in 1993, Dalton and Jameis Winston signed one-year deals. So did Philip Rivers. Tom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater and Kirk Cousins, however, agreed to multiyear contracts in March. That will help clear things up in 2021. The ’21 free agency class may be headlined by Dalton, Winston and Cam Newton — after his presumptive one-year deal. This would put that trio in a better position to attract interest as starters.

Joe Flacco Undergoes Neck Surgery

May 7th, 2020 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Flacco‘s Broncos season ended early because of a neck injury, and the free agent quarterback underwent a procedure recently. The veteran quarterback had neck surgery in early April, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets.

The rehab from what NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero described as a 45-minute operation will sideline Flacco until late August or potentially mid-September (Twitter link). This could certainly delay Flacco’s opportunity to catch on with another team for a while.

The Broncos released Flacco in mid-March and plan to go with Drew Lock as their 2020 starter. Denver traded a fourth-round pick for the longtime Baltimore passer last year but saw Flacco’s season end after eight games. He only played in nine with the Ravens in 2018 but was healthy enough to return later that year.

While the 35-year-old quarterback could return to the backup radar at some point this offseason, this figures to keep him parked in free agency for the time being. Although the NFL released a statement indicating facilities could reopen during the offseason, the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disproportionately affects injured players. Teams being unable to have their medical personnel examine players has kept Cam Newton on the market as well. Flacco is now squarely in this boat.

Joe Staley Addresses Retirement Decision

May 7th, 2020 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Staley said during the 49ers’ playoff run he was not considering retirement, but a March report indicated he had opened the door to walking away after 13 seasons. The 49ers now have Trent Williams installed as their left tackle.

Williams’ predecessor confirmed injuries forced him to retire. Staley received more information about his injuries this offseason, leading the six-time Pro Bowler to walk away after playing in a second Super Bowl. During a recent interview with Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan, Staley said he is dealing with herniated disks and spinal stenosis.

“It was a bunch of stingers,” Staley said on Lewan’s Bussin’ With the Boys podcast (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “… It got to the point where in the Super Bowl, I’d make contact with my head with anybody (and) I’d have — from the base of my head down to my back — I’d have just a zing and my arms would go numb. I had herniations at a bunch of different levels and really severe stenosis.”

Staley suffered a broken fibula and a fracture finger in 2019, limiting him to a career-low seven games. But he was on the field for San Francisco’s three playoff tilts. However, he was battling more discomfort than what was previously reported. He met with several doctors this offseason, indicating a visit with Los Angeles-based spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins provided extensive clarity on the risk he would take by returning for a 14th season.

“[Watkins] “was like, ‘If you’re going to continue to play football, you’re probably going to have to have fusion surgery on multiple levels,’” Staley said. “I was like, ‘I’m 35. I’ve got kids. I don’t want to not be able to turn my neck for the rest of my life.’

“When I went and saw these doctors, I realized how serious it was. They were like, ‘If you continue to play, you’re going to really do some long-term damage.”

Staley started 181 games for the 49ers. That ranks fifth in team history, and his Week 17 start against the Seahawks moved him past Randy Cross for the most by an offensive lineman in franchise history. Staley did miss time for various injuries, missing seven games during the 2009 and ’10 seasons and sitting out three in 2016.

He also signed a through-2021 extension last June. Ten months later, the 49ers turned to Williams and will hope he can shake the various health issues that have dogged him in recent years. Williams has not played 16 games in a season since 2013.

Cam Newton Open To Being Backup?

May 7th, 2020 at 12:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton signed to be backup quarterbacks in high-profile situations, Cam Newton may now be open to taking this route.

Not previously believed to be considering backup jobs, the former MVP would now consider accepting one in the right situation, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Newton obviously would prefer to catch on somewhere as a starter, but with the nine-year Panther veteran perhaps needing to wait until training camp for that to happen — in the event of an injury — he may be forced to take a QB2 gig if he wants to sign somewhere soon. A month ago, teams were interested. But with no clear-cut starter jobs available, and with rookie QBs now landing with teams, finding interested parties becomes trickier.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2011, Newton started in Week 1 of his rookie season and saw only injuries interfere with his status as Carolina’s top quarterback. But with the Panthers releasing him after free agency began, and with teams being unable to host players on visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer wound up in a tough spot. Teams have wanted to examine the shoulder Newton injured in 2018 and the foot on which he underwent surgery on last year.

The three-time Pro Bowler has largely struggled since his 2015 MVP season, ranking 30th in Total QBR since 2016 and being unable to stay healthy for most of that span. But he remains a high-end talent, when healthy, and would certainly be an intriguing backup for many teams. This would likely be a one-year arrangement. Newton agreeing to a one-year deal would put him in position to have a better market in 2021 — in what could be a more normal offseason.

Winston signed for one year with a $1.1MM base salary with the Saints — a massive pay cut from his 2019 fifth-year option price — and Dalton agreed to a $3MM base with the Cowboys. Newton was scheduled to earn an $18.6MM base salary in the final year of his Panthers deal. Even as that contract was outdated based on where the QB market has gone, Newton may now be looking at a salary closer to Dalton’s than anything on the level of his previous deal.

Titans Sign 14 UDFAs

May 7th, 2020 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Titans officially welcomed 14 undrafted rookies to the fold:

Kinsey didn’t garner tons of attention out of Division III Berry College, but he did rack up 3,300+ receiving yards and 50 touchdowns over the course of his career in the Southern Athletic Association. Smith, a defensive tackle out of South Carolina, had more eyeballs on him as he lined up next to Javon Kinlaw. Over the course of his 48-game run with the Gamecocks, Smith tallied seven tackles for a loss.

Garrett is one of the more interesting names on this list – he lost the bulk of his final season with a pectoral tear, but he still managed three interceptions and three defensive touchdowns in five games.

Meanwhile, the Titans are reportedly still in the mix for Jadeveon Clowney. However, we learned this week that they may have some new competition with interest from the Eagles and Ravens.

Seahawks GM: “We’d Discuss” Marshawn Lynch Return

May 7th, 2020 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks “would discuss” a new deal with running back Marshawn Lynch, GM John Schneider told Jason La Canfora of 105.7 The Fan (Twitter link). Schneider also said that the Seahawks “wouldn’t say no to anything” though his comments indicated that any talks to this point have been preliminary. 

[RELATED: Seahawks, Lynch In Talks]

Recently, Lynch said that his agent has been in touch with Seattle about a new deal that would bring Beast Mode back to Seattle in 2020. Late last year, Lynch stepped in when the Seahawks’ RB group was completely decimated by injuries. Between his lone regular season game and two postseason contests, Lynch averaged just 2.3 yards per carry, though he did score four touchdowns. Afterwards, Pete Carroll was asked about the possibility of a Lynch return and said, “never say never.”

This time around, the Seahawks aren’t as desperate for backfield help. They’re expecting Chris Carson to be ready to go for the start of the season while Rashaad Penny should be able to suit up at some point following ACL surgery. They’ve also got Travis Homer, who averaged 6.3 yards per tote in a limited sample size as a rookie last year. And, just last month, they added fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas to the group, plus a pair of undrafted rookies.

For his career, Lynch has racked up 10,413 yards, 85 touchdowns, and five Pro Bowl selections.

NFL Won’t Change Supplemental Draft

May 7th, 2020 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

With the upcoming NCAA football season in limbo, some have wondered whether the summer’s supplemental draft could see a massive influx of players, including the top prospects ticketed for the 2021 NFL Draft. That won’t be the case, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). 

The league won’t alter the rules to accommodate players who are facing the prospect of a shortened or cancelled season. Instead, the usual rules will apply. Players who were barred from entering the regular draft but are no longer able to continue their collegiate can enter, but it’ll have to be for the usual reasons – academic issues, suspensions, and similar snags.

The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft finished with Washington State’s Jalen Thompson as the only player selected. The Cardinals used a fifth-round supplemental pick on the wide receiver and, per the supplemental draft’s rules, they forfeited the equivalent pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as a result. In the past, the NFL Supplemental’s Draft has brought some notable talents into the league, including Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon. This year’s draft may include similar talents, but you won’t see stars like Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II up for grabs this summer.

Raiders To Sign Devontae Booker

May 7th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have agreed to sign Devontae Booker, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 (Twitter link). On Thursday morning, the deal was also confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

Booker, formerly of the Broncos, will look to stick as a backup to Josh Jacobs. The Raiders also have third-round rookie Lynn Bowden on hand, so there are no more than two spots up for grabs on their RB depth chart. Jalen Richard and Rod Smith are also vying for their spots.

Booker was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2016 draft and went on to have an inconsistent run with the Broncos. As a rookie, he started in six games and finished out with 31 catches and 877 all-purpose yards. After that, he continued to play a role on passing downs, but his workload fluctuated over time and his carries dwindled. Last year, Booker suited up for all 16 games, but finished out with just two totes and six catches.By comparison, he had 105 catches and 289 carries from 2016-2018.

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