HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers Meet With Raheem Mostert

July 20th, 2020 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

A “high-ranking” 49ers official met with Raheem Mostert earlier today in an effort to clear the air, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Agent Brett Tessler expressed some optimism about things being worked out, so it’s possible that the two sides will be able to move forward together. 

[RELATED: 49ers’ Raheem Mostert Requests Trade]

Frustrated with the lack of progress in extension talks, Mostert requested a trade earlier this month. The Niners are understandably reluctant to give him a new deal – he still has two years to go on his three-year, $8.7MM contract.

Mostert, meanwhile, wants to strike while the iron is hot. Once a special teams player, he has emerged as a legitimate backfield threat. In 2018, he averaged 7.7 yards per carry on 34 totes. Last year, he proved that he can do it on a larger scale – he broke out with a team-leading 772 yards and led the NFC West with 5.6 yards per carry. Then came the NFC title game, where he set an all-time record with four rushing TDs.

Mostert, 28, has a limited window to secure big bucks. He won’t approach the numbers scored by Derrick Henry on his new Titans deal, but that contract could give his camp some juice as they argue against the usual knocks on RB contracts.

If the two sides can’t mend fences, the Niners would be left with Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon, and Jeff Wilson as their top RBs.

Bucs To Sign Rookies Tyler Johnson, Khalil Davis

July 20th, 2020 at 11:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are chipping away at their rookie class. Sixth-round defensive tackle Khalil Davis has agreed to terms, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Meanwhile, fifth-round wide receiver Tyler Johnson has formally inked his deal, per an announcement from his agency (via Twitter).

The Bucs sent several scouts to the 2020 Outback Bowl between Minnesota and Auburn. At that game, they watched Johnson turn in the best game of his collegiate career – 12 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly, that left an impression. With the No. 161 overall pick, they snagged Johnson to help round out their WR group. This summer, he’ll look to carve out his spot on the depth chart behind stars Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Davis, meanwhile, figures to support starting nose tackle Vita Vea. Even though he was a late pick, the Bucs are high on Davis’ skillset – at 308 pounds, he managed to run the 40-yard-dash at 4.75 seconds, good for sixth among all defensive linemen at the combine.

Here’s the full rundown of the Bucs’ class, via PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft tracker:

1-13: Tristan Wirfs, T (Iowa)
2-45: Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Minnesota)
3-76: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB (Vanderbilt)
5-161: Tyler Johnson, WR (Minnesota): Signed
6-194: Khalil Davis, DT (Nebraska): Signed
7-241: Chapelle Russell, OLB (Temple)
7-245: Raymond Calais, RB (LSU)

Eagles, Jalen Reagor Agree To Terms

July 20th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles and first-round pick Jalen Reagor have reached agreement on a deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Once finalized, the wide receiver will be set to earn $13.3MM over the course of his four-year contract. 

Early on, Reagor was mocked as a second- to third-round pick. But, as the draft approached, the TCU speedster bolted up draft boards around the league. The Eagles pounced on him at No. 21 overall, giving them a potent deep threat who can take the baton from DeSean Jackson.

“I feel like I’m a great vertical threat. I can run any route in the route tree. I’m an electric player. I’ll make an immediate impact when given the chance,” Reagor said earlier this year (via the team website). “So, I’m coming in ready to work and ready to learn. I’m a great teammate and I won’t be a cancer to the locker room. Ultimately, I just show love, and I’m going to continue to elevate my game and continue to try to grow and become a better player.”

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound receiver stood out with a 1,000-yard campaign in 2018. Last year, he posted 43 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns.

Here’s the full rundown of the Eagles’ draft class, via PFR’s tracker:

1-21: Jalen Reagor, WR (TCU): Signed
2-53: Jalen Hurts, QB (Oklahoma)
3-103: Davion Taylor, LB (Colorado)
4-127: K’Von Wallace, S (Clemson)
4-145: Jack Driscoll, G (Auburn)
5-168: John Hightower, WR (Boise State)
6-196: Shaun Bradley, LB (Temple)
6-200: Quez Watkins, WR (Southern Miss): Signed
6-210: Prince Tega Wanogho, T (Auburn): Signed
7-233: Casey Toohill, DE (Stanford)

NFL Proposing One Preseason Game

July 20th, 2020 at 8:11am CST by Zachary Links

At last check, NFL owners were pushing for a two-game preseason. The NFLPA countered with zero. Now, the league is willing to meet the union in the middle, with just one preseason game, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

[RELATED: NFL Players Launch Coordinated Social Media Blitz]

Under the league’s plan, that game would be held on August 27, which usually marks the third preseason game out of a four-game slate. Meanwhile, players have asked for the preseason to be wiped out entirely, to give them a full 21 days of strength and conditioning work before the start of the regular season. This could be a workable compromise, though the NFLPA has argued that the preseason is not at all necessary. In their minds, exhibition games only serve to add unnecessary exposure, putting athletes in jeopardy and adding another hurdle before Week 1.

Most players aren’t fans of the preseason in general, but it’s a critical period for players who are on the fringe of the 53-man roster. Undrafted free agents and other players looking to solidify spots would be shortchanged by the union’s proposal. Of course, that’s secondary to the general health and wellbeing of the league’s employees, so the NFLPA’s objection is understandable.

Over the weekend, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, and other NFL players launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. The message: The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment so that the season can go on as scheduled. If the league cannot take steps towards ensuring safety, it’s possible that a large-scale grievance could be filed.

5 Key Stories: 7/13/20 – 7/19/20

July 19th, 2020 at 5:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Been busy? Let’s get you caught up with a look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:

Titans, Derrick Henry Reach Deal: They took it right up to the buzzer, but they got it done. With less than an hour to go before the deadline, the Titans inked running back Derrick Henry to a four-year, $50MM deal with $25.5MM guaranteed. At $12.5MM/year, Henry is now the fifth-highest paid RB in the NFL. More importantly for Henry, he effectively has two full years of the deal guaranteed. 

Chiefs, Chris Jones Hammer Out Extension: Henry was just one of two players to agree to terms before the deadline. The other was Chiefs standout defensive tackle Chris Jones, who returns on a four-year, $80MM deal with $37MM guaranteed at signing. Among interior D-linemen, Jones now sits third in guaranteed money and fourth in fully guaranteed funds. It was a sharp turnaround from just a couple weeks ago, when Jones hinted at a potential holdout via social media.

Jaguars Receive Trade Offers For Yannick Ngakoue: The Jaguars got another batch of trade offers for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, but none of them were to their liking. The disgruntled defensive end isn’t necessarily stuck in Jacksonville, however – the Jags still have the option to trade him at a later date, and Ngakoue’s willingness to play out the year on his current deal could help facilitate a deal down the line.

Browns Give Myles Garrett Record Extension: On Wednesday, the Browns officially made Myles Garrett the league’s highest-paid defensive player. The five-year, $125MM deal guarantees Garrett a whopping $100MM in total, including $50MM at signing. Garrett’s resume isn’t at the same level as Khalil Mack‘s just yet, but he’s roughly five years younger than the Bears superstar. Last year’s ugly incident sidelined Garrett for the home stretch of the season, but he’s expected to get back to form this year. In 2018, the former No. 1 overall pick registered 13.5 sacks and 29 QB knockdowns.

Jason Peters Returns To The Eagles: Jason Peters is back with the Birds. This time around, the legendary tackle will try his hand at guard to help replace the injured Brandon Brooks. The 38-year-old doesn’t have much experience on the interior, but the Eagles don’t think it’ll take long for him to get the hang of it.

PFR Originals: 7/13/20 – 7/19/20

July 19th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Zachary Links

A look back at some of our faves from the past week:

Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence Considering Opt Out

July 19th, 2020 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is mulling the possibility of opting out of the 2020 season, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Lawrence, who has a baby on the way, wants to know more about the league’s plans and safety procedures before stepping on the field this fall.

“Shoot, I love to ride with my brothers and play the game of football. When I have to take that away from myself, it’s hard and I don’t want to make a decision like that,” Lawrence said. “But I also have to make sure I’m taking care of my family. Family is No. 1. After the game of football is done, that’s the only thing I have to depend on, so I’ve got to take care of them.”

Lawrence won’t have long to get those answers – training camp opens in less than ten days, on July 28. A few days later, August 1, marks the proposed cut off date for players to make the call. Lawrence wants to know more about the living situation for players and the frequency of testing. So far, that’s all up in the air.

“It’s those type of thing that make you think, ‘Man, are we some pawns? Is my life just a game,'” Lawrence said. “I know I ain’t got forever to play, but at the end of the day, come on, you’re just going to toss me around because you’ve got dollar signs in your face?”

In Lawrence’s case, it’s a matter of many dollar signs. The 28-year-old is set to enter the second year of his five-year, $105MM mega-deal. If Lawrence doesn’t report for camp, he may have to forfeit a chunk of his signing bonus ($25MM in total). And, if the league’s latest proposal is finalized, Lawrence’s contract will toll. That means he’ll delay his next free agency turn for another year – a move that could cost him a fortune.

Despite offseason labrum surgery, Lawrence suited up for all 16 of the Cowboys’ regular season games last year. He posted only five sacks, but he registered a combined 25 sacks between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. This year, if he decides to play, he’ll look to get back to his Pro Bowl form.

NFL Players Launch Coordinated Social Media Blitz

July 19th, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Rory Parks

Training camp for all 32 teams is still scheduled to start on July 28, and rookies, QBs, and injured players are slated to report this week. However, unanswered questions remain regarding, among other things, preseason length, opt-out rules, and economics, and a number of prominent players launched a social media blitz today to highlight their concerns.

Using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, players were very blunt. Saints QB Drew Brees said, “We need Football! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL“

49ers CB Richard Sherman said, “The NFL has ignored the safety recommendations from the experts that THEY hired. We all love this game and want to go out and compete with our brothers. The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment for us to do that.”

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter) that the tweets are primarily aimed at disputes over the acclimation period and preseason schedule. The joint medical committee recommended a 21-day acclimation period, and the NFL originally proposed early report dates to accommodate that. The union rejected that, but they do not have the right to reject the originally-scheduled training camp start date of July 28. And, as of now, the plan remains for there to be two preseason games, which the NFLPA has opposed for some time.

Pelissero says in a separate tweet that the players could file an unsafe work environment grievance, and today’s social media blitz suggests that they are considering exactly that. Union president J.C. Tretter joined the barrage with the following tweet: “What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts’ recommendations.”

For all practical purposes, the league and the union need to get safety matters resolved tonight, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com opines (via Twitter). With Texans and Chiefs rookies and QBs scheduled to report to their respective teams tomorrow, Graziano says a grievance could certainly be in the works if the union has not approved all safety protocols.

Extension Candidate: Kenny Golladay

July 19th, 2020 at 11:33am CST by Rory Parks

Top Lions wideout Kenny Golladay is due to make $2.133MM in 2020, the final season of his rookie contract. Considering his importance to the team, his overall abilities, and the fact that he is starting to look like one of the better receivers in the league, that represents a terrific value for Detroit.

It stands to reason that the Lions would like to extend Golladay before he is eligible to hit the open market next offseason, and both sides are interested in a new deal. But as of March 30, no contract talks had commenced, and it’s highly unlikely that anything will change in that regard until there is more clarity on future salary caps.

Indeed, big-money extensions have been rare in the current climate, and Golladay’s next contract will undoubtedly be a hefty one. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes the Northern Illinois product will land a deal with an average annual value of at least $17MM (Twitter link), and a review of the receiver market shows that estimate might actually be on the low end. While Golladay may not be on the level of the Saints’ Mike Thomas, it can certainly be argued that he is at least as good as the Cowboys’ Amari Cooper, who just inked a five-year, $100MM contract ($60MM guaranteed) this offseason.

Golladay could stand to improve his consistency, as he put up a couple duds in 2019 even before QB Matthew Stafford was lost for the season. But when Stafford was under center last year, Golladay posted four 100-yard efforts, and he was a TD machine throughout the season, hitting paydirt 11 times. For what it’s worth, Golladay graded out as a top-10 receiver in terms of Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement, and he also made the first Pro Bowl of his career.

In all, he tallied 1,190 yards to go along with those 11 TDs, both career-highs. And though his career catch rate is a little on the low side (57.6%), that often comes with the territory for a big-play threat. After all, Golladay posted a whopping 18.3 yards-per-reception last year, good for fourth in the league.

He has been on an upward trajectory over his first three professional seasons, and it would be fair to expect another step forward in 2020, assuming Stafford stays healthy. As soon as the team gets a better understanding of its future financial picture, it seems likely that it will start negotiations in earnest.

Redskins To Face League Discipline?

July 19th, 2020 at 10:30am CST by Rory Parks

TODAY: Any punishment the Redskins face is likely to be limited to fines, Maske writes in a full-length story. Because Snyder himself was not directly involved in any harassment, this situation is different from the one that culminated in former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson selling his team several years ago. It’s also why the league is likely to defer to Wilkinson’s findings rather than conduct a separate investigation.

So unless there are new developments with respect to Snyder’s role, it seems he will keep his team and his draft picks. Snyder and his wife, Tanya, emailed an apology letter to every member of the organization on Friday night (via Schefter on Twitter).

JULY 17: The much-ballyhooed story concerning the Redskins’ organizational culture broke last night via a Washington Post article that details sexual abuse allegations made by 15 former female employees of the team. As a preemptive strike, the club hired DC-based attorney Beth Wilkinson to conduct a thorough review of its protocols, and depending on what Wilkinson finds, the Redskins could be subject to league discipline.

The NFL released the following statement in response to the story (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com on Twitter):

“These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL’s values. Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment. Washington has engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations. The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so. We will meet with the attorneys upon the conclusion of their investigation and take any action based on the findings.”

So it certainly sounds as if a fine and/or draft pick forfeiture could be in the cards. And while owner Dan Snyder was not accused of harassment himself, this report will doubtlessly intensify the already loud cries for him to sell the team.

It will also be interesting to see if the NFL undertakes its own investigation once Wilkinson’s is complete. After all, the Redskins are Wilkinson’s client, so her duty is to them. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv suggests, it would be a bad look for the league to allow the organizational review to be handled exclusively by a person hand-picked by the organization (Twitter link). Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has also called on commissioner Roger Goodell to get to the bottom of the matter, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets.

Snyder, meanwhile, issued the following statement (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com on Twitter):

“The behavior described in yesterday’s Washington Post article has no place in our franchise or society. This story has strengthened my commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach [Ron] Rivera earlier this year. Beth Wilkinson and her firm are empowered to do a full, unbiased investigation and make any and all requisite recommendations. Upon completion of her work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all.”

In other Redskins news, the team announced that it has promoted Jeff Scott to the role of assistant director of pro scouting/advance coordinator. Scott will oversee advance scouting of opponents and evaluate potential talent in NFL free agency and all other pro leagues. He will still assist with the evaluation of trade scenarios during the draft (Twitter links via NFL Insider Adam Caplan).

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