2020 June - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

June 10th, 2020 at 9:38am CST by Zachary Links

Colin Kaepernick‘s name is back in the NFL news cycle and he’s “more motivated than ever” to return to the field, a source close to the quarterback tells Mike Florio of PFT.

Kaepernick – despite the “retired” tag briefly displayed on his NFL player page recently – remains a free agent. He hasn’t played since January 1, 2017 and over the last three years, Kaep’s camp has insisted that he wants to play in the NFL as he continued his charity and social justice efforts. Kaepernick, for the most part, has avoided interviews and public comments, but he did discuss his situation in an interview earlier this year.

“My desire to play football is still there,” Kaepernick said in February. “I still train five days a week. I’m ready to go, I’m ready for a phone call, tryout, workout at any point in time. I’m still waiting on the owners and their partners to stop running from this situation. So I hope I get a call this offseason. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Kaepernick, 33 in November, would have some rust to shake off, but he’d also be returning to the game with fresh legs. It’s also worth noting that Father Time is kinder to quarterbacks than, say, running backs. Tom Brady (42), Drew Brees (41), and Ben Roethlisberger (38) can attest to that.

South Notes: Titans, Casey, Texans, O’Brien

June 9th, 2020 at 7:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After spending nine seasons the Titans, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey felt entirely disrespected when he was traded to the Broncos in exchange for a seventh-round pick earlier this year. “For us to get to that point to get better and to be a main focus of that and then you just throw me away to the trash like I wasn’t a main block of that, especially coming off an injury the year before and playing the whole season for ya’ll,” Casey tells Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. “No complaints, I did everything you wanted me to do and you throw me like a piece of trash.” Tennessee shopped Casey before trading him, per McCormick, and moved on him from largely due to his upcoming salary. But Casey says he wasn’t aware of any trade talks until roughly 30 seconds before the deal was finalized.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:

Count Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan among those who believe Colin Kaepernick should have a shot to return to the NFL. Speaking to reporters, Ryan said Kaepernick, who was essentially blackballed for protesting police brutality in 2016, should have “every opportunity” to join an NFL roster this year (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). The status of the 32-year-old Kaepernick has re-entered the news following the killing of George Floyd and subsequent nationwide protests against police violence and systemic racism.
The Texans fired ex-general manager Brian Gaine one year ago Sunday, paving the way for head coach Bill O’Brien to assume total power in Houston. Aaron Reiss of The Athletic looked back at the past year of O’Brien’s decision-making and highlighted that O’Brien is largely bucking conventional wisdom at every turn. Not only did O’Brien trade away a proven pass-catcher in DeAndre Hopkins, but he’s also placed little value on accumulating draft picks while deploying assets on running backs.
PFR’s Zach Links recently profiled Texans cornerback Gareon Conley as he enters a make-or-break year in 2020.

Latest On NFL, COVID-19

June 9th, 2020 at 6:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the NFL has approved coaches to return to team facilities (where local regulations allow), more than half of the league’s staffs were still working from home as of last Friday, according to Barry Wilner of the Associated Press. Many teams appear to be taking a cautious approach as COVID-19 lingers, and it’s possible that a number of clubs won’t come back to team sites until training camp begins. Indeed, that’s the attitude the Saints are taking, and other teams may follow suit.

Here’s more on the impact of COVID on the NFL:

The cancellation of Week 1 of the preseason is on the table, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports. In such a scenario, NFL teams would still report to training camp at their usual times, but the first week of the exhibition campaign would simply be canceled. The idea, per Breer, would be to limit soft tissue injuries as players ramp back into shape. Additionally, removing one week of the preseason would also reduce travel obligations and thus limit potential exposure to COVID.
Other COVID-related scenarios could also be at play, as Breer writes in a separate piece. One idea that’s been floated is delaying the start of the regular season until October. That would obviously be a large step, but Breer says some teams are in favor of such a move. Meanwhile, the NFL’s joint committee on health and safety has recommended a multi-week, pre-training camp acclimation period for players in order to allow them to get back into shape.
New Jersey dropped its stay-at-home order today, and the state’s governor recently said he’s not ruling out the idea of playing NFL games with fans in the stands. “I think it’s too early to tell,” Governor Phil Murphy said on WFAN (link via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “I think it’s a great aspiration. And outdoors is better than indoors with this virus. There’s no question about that. A ball game outside? Potentially.” Both the Giants and Jets, of course, play their home games in New Jersey.
Although the virtual component to this offseason will technically end when players are permitted to return to team facilities, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes that Monday’s NFL memo encourages teams to continue conducting player meetings in a virtual capacity. With meetings taking place constantly at team facilities, this would be a major change. And if teams insist on having players at meetings in-person, the league would prefer these sessions are conducted outside and with players in masks. These backdrops would make for unusual film sessions.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Saints Rumors: Gardner-Johnson, Jenkins

June 9th, 2020 at 5:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints didn’t hold any sort of offseason program (not even a virtual session), and the club doesn’t plan to get together again until training camp. Speaking on a conference call with reporters, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said New Orleans coaches will continue to work from home and won’t convene until training camp begins, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The NFL is now allowing teams to have coaches inside facilities, but the Saints won’t take advantage of that league decision.

Here’s more on the Saints:

Second-year New Orleans safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will spend a “good amount of time” covering the slot in 2020, as Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn tells Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (Twitter link). A fourth-round pick out of Florida, Gardner-Johnson played 807 snaps during his rookie campaign, with 290 of those reps coming in the slot. Those slot snaps were second on the club to only cornerback P.J. Williams, who remains on the roster but could potentially see a reduced role. Pro Football Focus graded Gardner-Johnson as the No. 37 safety among 99 qualifiers in 2020.
Including the postseason, veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins played in only 3 games with the Saints in 2019 after being acquired off waivers from the Giants. But that was enough time for New Orleans to decide to retain him. “Certainly there’s an overall body of work that you utilize to try to form opinions about what a guy can do or can’t do,” Allen tells Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. “But there’s nothing like the experience of having a guy in your building. I can tell you just from my experience with him in that brief period of time.” In March, Jenkins agreed to an extension that will keep him with the Saints through 2022.
In case you missed it, the Saints had interest in signing Tom Brady had Drew Brees opted to retire.

Seahawks Hire Alonzo Highsmith For Full-Time Role

June 9th, 2020 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Alonzo Highsmith has gone from a Seahawks consultant to a full-time Seattle employee, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. Highsmith is now listed as a “personnel executive” on the team website, signaling a larger and more permanent role within the front office.

Highsmith was a top lieutenant in John Dorsey‘s front office, up until Dorsey was replaced by Andrew Berry. In February, his Packers ties helped lead him to Seattle, working under John Schneider as a freelancer.

Highsmith hasn’t been afraid to go against the grain of the modern NFL, relying more on game tape than newfangled analytics. The 55-year-old has spent most of his adult life in football, having played in the NFL from 1987 through 1992. Then, he took a brief foray into boxing where he amassed a 27-1-2 record in the heavyweight division. In 2012, he began the third act of his career by joining the Packers in a senior front office role.

Meanwhile, there’s lots of work ahead for the Seahawks, even after the signing of 1,000-yard rusher Carlos Hyde. They may also be in the market for a starting-caliber cornerback, depending on how things go for Quinton Dunbar.

Seth DeValve To Be Ready By September?

June 9th, 2020 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Tight end Seth DeValve is expected to recover in 10-12 weeks after undergoing surgery on his toe (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). With that in mind, Dr. Robert Anderson tells DeValve that he should be ready to play in September, at or around the start of the season.

The Panthers cut DeValve last week with a non-football injury designation, making him a free agent all over again. The 27-year-old signed on with the Panthers just a few months ago in March after a one-year stint in Jacksonville. DeValve saw the most snaps of any Jaguars tight end last year, but he did not see a whole lot of targets. The ball was thrown his way just 18 times and the Princeton product finished out with 12 catches for 140 yards.

In 2017, with the Browns, DeValve enjoyed a much more active role in the offense, notching career highs of 33 receptions and 395 receiving yards. With the Panthers, DeValve was expected to take on a decent-sized role in the post-Greg Olsen era.

While DeValve recovers, teams in need of tight ends will probably prioritize other available options, including Jordan Reed, Delanie Walker, and Geoff Swaim.

New Jersey Drops Stay-At-Home Orders

June 9th, 2020 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The state of New Jersey has dropped its stay-at-home orders effective immediately, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Tuesday. Most importantly, this marks a return to life-as-usual and business-as-usual for millions in the Garden State. In terms of football, it’s a major roadblock lifted for the Jets and Giants as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Most states have at least partially-reopened in recent days, with California, Tennessee, and Oregon working through a regional reopening plan. That has resulted in a clear path for most of the NFL’s teams, though the 49ers, Rams, Chargers, and Titans are still waiting for full clearance. The Cowboys’ offseason plans have also been impacted – they’ll hold training camp in Texas, per the NFL’s mandate, rather than their usual site in Oxnard, CA.

Meanwhile, the NFL and NFLPA may allow rookies and relocated veterans to participate in on-site offseason activities before the originally planned date on June 26. And, earlier this month, the NFL permitted coaching staffs to return to facilities. There are still major COVID-19-related hurdles to clear, including salary cap negotiations with the players’ union, but the NFL is moving full steam ahead with the intention of kicking off the season in September.

The NFL also hopes to have fans in attendance for games at full capacity. The state of Texas is similarly optimistic, having already OK’d teams to fill stadiums halfway.

Vikings’ Dalvin Cook Seeking $15MM/Year?

June 9th, 2020 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Dalvin Cook is staying away from the Vikings until he receives a “reasonable” offer for his next contract. His exact demands are unclear, but sources tell ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin that Cook is seeking something in the range of $15MM per year.

Cook’s representatives opened talks by pitching the Vikings on a ~$16MM/year deal, roughly matching the record-breaking extension signed by Panthers star Christian McCaffrey. Cook’s camp has dialed that number back, but there’s still a significant gap between the two sides.

Cook has indicated that he won’t show up for work unless he gets the multi-year deal he’s seeking, but he can’t play the game of chicken for too long. Per the new collective bargaining agreement, players must report by the start of training camp in order to receive that year of credit towards free agency. Previously, that deadline was set at 30 days before the start of the regular season. Simply put, if Cook doesn’t show up for the start of camp, he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2021 season.

Last year, Cook ran for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also added another 519 yards through the air, giving him more than 1,600 all-purpose yards on the year. Those totals would have been much higher if not for a late-season chest injury. For now, Cook is set to earn a base salary of $1.33MM in 2020 and he wants to lock down a larger payday – ideally, with the Vikings.

“I definitely love Minnesota,” the 24-year-old (25 in August) said recently. “I love everything the state has to bring. Being a kid, I was drafted (in 2017) from Miami (his hometown), so I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I actually am happy where I’m at, and I would like to be in Minnesota long term.”

Lions Sign Julian Okwara

June 9th, 2020 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have officially signed rookie Julian Okwara, per a club announcement. The third-round defensive end out of Notre Dame should be able to get acclimated faster than your average NFL frosh – he’ll have help from his brother and new teammate, Romeo Okwara.

According to Pro Football Focus, Okwara posted a 23% pass-rush win rate in each of his last two collegiate seasons, one of the very best in the country. His broken leg hurt his draft stock in April, but the Lions believe that they scored a major value in the Notre Dame product. With tremendous speed, Okwara profiles as a promising pass rusher. If he can bulk up and improve against the run, the Lions may have a future star on their hands.

The Lions have now inked three of their draft picks, as shown in PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft Tracker:

Detroit Lions

1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State)
2-35: D’Andre Swift, RB (Georgia)
3-67: Julian Okwara, OLB (Notre Dame): Signed
3-75: Jonah Jackson, G (Ohio State)
4-121: Logan Stenberg, OL (Kentucky): Signed
5-166: Quintez Cephus, WR (Wisconsin)
5-172: Jason Huntley, RB (New Mexico State)
6-197: John Penisini, DT (Utah): Signed
7-235: Jason Cornell, DE (Ohio State)

This Date In Transactions History: Rams Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Jared Goff

June 9th, 2020 at 10:49am CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, the Rams officially signed No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. The Rams were happy to sign the promising young Cal product to a four-year, $28MM deal in accordance with his slot, though they paid a hefty price for the right to draft him in the first place.

After a classic Jeff Fisher middle-of-the-pack season, the Rams came into the offseason with the No. 15 overall pick and a major crush on Goff. A couple weeks before the draft, they pried the top choice away from the Titans with a Godfather offer, a package that included two 2016 second-round picks, plus 2017 first- and third-round choices.

Goff wasn’t everyone’s preferred quarterback in that class, but the Rams saw Goff as a more polished passer than North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz. It was hard to argue with Goff’s potential – he threw for nearly 8,700 combined yards and 78 touchdowns during his final two college seasons. And, in his final year, he established new personal watermarks by completing 64.5% of his passes and throwing for 4,714 yards and 43 TDs.

With Goff under center, the Rams reached the Super Bowl following the 2018 season. After Goff threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in the regular season and brought them to a snoozer of a championship game, the Rams rewarded him with a four-year, $134MM deal with $110MM guaranteed. Goff’s 2019 showing has raised some question marks about his second contract, but the Rams can’t complain about his first deal.

In keeping with team tradition, the Rams also signed the rest of their entire 2016 draft class on this same day. Thanks to the blockbuster deal to get Goff, the Rams’ next pick didn’t come until the fourth round at No. 110 overall, when they selected the troubled-yet-talented Tyler Higbee, a tight end out of Western Kentucky. In October of last year, the remainder of the class looked pretty unremarkable. But, after Higbee’s incredible finish last year, the Rams’ report card deserves a revised grade.