2020 July - Pro Football Rumors

Redskins WR Kelvin Harmon Tears ACL

July 14th, 2020 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins wide receiver Kelvin Harmon suffered a torn ACL while working out, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Needless to say, he’ll be unavailable for the 2020 season.

A sixth-round pick in 2019, Harmon showed serious promise as a rookie. He reeled in 30 catches for 365 yards, but he’ll have to wait until 2021 to build on that performance. His collegiate track record also indicates that there are bigger things to come. At N.C. State, Harmon finished out with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. In his final year on campus, he went off for 81 grabs, 1,186 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Harmon was set to feature as one of the Redskins’ top receivers, alongside Terry McLaurin and Trey Quinn. With Harmon no longer in the picture for 2020, Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., and fourth-round pick Antonio Gandy-Golden figure to move up the pecking order. Emanuel Hall, who was set to fight for a job while on the 90-man roster, is also out for the season. Meanwhile, the team is waiting to see what happens with Cody Latimer following his May arrest.

Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue Drawing Trade Interest

July 14th, 2020 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is still drawing trade interest around the league as the deadline draws near, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. There are also still many roadblocks to a potential deal, including the Jaguars’ lack of interest in actually parting ways with the young edge rusher.

The Jags and Ngakoue are effectively playing a game of chicken at this point. Ngakoue wants out, and he’s reportedly prepared to sit out the entire 2020 season if he doesn’t get the trade he wants. Plenty of teams would like to add Ngakoue, but they’d have to cough up significant compensation and give him a payday to match, or at least approach, his free market value. That likely means a deal in excess of $100MM, with a large chunk paid up front, plus guarantees. That’s an especially tough sell in the current climate.

Teams may also be skittish about Ngakoue’s ability to reproduce his previous sack totals. The former third-round pick has posted at least eight sacks in four of his five pro seasons, but he finished just 25th in pressures last year (51), per Pro Football Focus. Other metrics like ESPN’s pass rush win rate and double-team rate also portrayed him as less-than-elite.

The Raiders gave the Jaguars a ring during the draft, but the talks didn’t get too far. The Eagles were eyeing Ngakoue earlier this year, but even before the pandemic, they were facing a 2021 cap crunch.

Titans’ Derrick Henry Unlikely To Sign Long-Term Deal

July 14th, 2020 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have until Wednesday afternoon to hammer out a long-term deal with Derrick Henry, but it’s not likely to happen, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Unless something changes quickly, Henry will play out the 2020 season with a salary of $10.27MM. After that, the two sides won’t be able to revisit talks until the season wraps, and he’ll be on course for free agency in March of next year.

Unlike Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, there’s no possibility of a holdout here. Henry has already signed the tender and the two sides are on good terms. When they do get down to brass tacks again, it’ll be a matter of money. Henry is believed to be seeking a deal worth at least $15MM per year and at least $30MM guaranteed – a big commitment for a running back, even one that’s as dominant as Henry.

Henry’s combo of gaudy stats and a low odometer should serve him well in negotiations. He didn’t see a ton of carries in his first three years and he’s coming off an unreal season. Last year, Henry led the NFL in rushing and bolstered the Titans to an AFC Championship Game appearance. All in all, he racked up 1,540 yards on the ground and 16 scores on 303 carries. He also tacked on another 206 yards and two TDs through the air for good measure.

In addition to cap concerns, the Titans’ short-term finances may also be a roadblock to a deal. Recently, Titans GM Jon Robinson said that the current climate has the team skittish about putting too much money on the books.

“I’m a big analogy guy,” Robinson said. “It’s no different than if I was if I was working for Pepsi or Coke, and I knew that we weren’t going to have as many sales. …You wouldn’t go out and buy a new house. I don’t know what that’s going to look like…What you don’t want to do is do something and then you’ve got to undo it or try to unpack it a year, two years from now, given the uncertainty of the salary cap.”

Eagles To Re-Sign Jason Peters

July 14th, 2020 at 9:04am CST by Zachary Links

Jason Peters is back with the Eagles. The nine-time Pro Bowler has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $6MM, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Peters, one of the league’s most accomplished tackles, will be playing right guard this time around to replace Brandon Brooks. Peters may not have much experience there, but he’ll likely thrive on the interior. Even at the age of 38, Peters still has the agility and the bulk to make it work. He also has ample experience in all sorts of blocking schemes, so it shouldn’t take him long to get the hang of it.

Peters stood as the best offensive lineman on the open market and one of the best free agents left, period. While he’s lost a step, he still turned in a solid 2019 – Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s sixth-best tackle among 81 qualifiers in 2019. Peters is also planning to stick around for a while – he says that he wants to play until he’s 40, so he could fly with the Eagles through 2022. For now, it’s a one-year arrangement.

Brooks suffered a torn Achilles in June while working out at the team facility, and it was a devastating blow for the Eagles’ O-Line. It was also personally devastating for Brooks, who tore his other Achilles in January of 2019.

Brooks performed as one of the best interior linemen in the league since joining the Eagles in 2016 as a free agent. Peters, of course, has been one of the league’s premier outside blockers. Originally, head coach Doug Pederson indicated that he’d fill the void internally, but everyone knew that Peters was the most logical choice for the job.

Support Pro Football Rumors And Go Ad-Free

July 13th, 2020 at 6:53pm CST by Tim Dierkes

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Then COVID-19 hit, reducing ad rates significantly at Pro Football Rumors. In April, I wrote a post explaining our situation. I was heartened by the response in the comments. Many longtime readers urged me to create a way to support the websites directly.

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NFL Suspends Chargers S Roderic Teamer

July 13th, 2020 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers have assembled one of the NFL’s best secondaries, but one of its youngest members will not suit up until at least the team’s fifth game.

Second-year safety Roderic Teamer drew a four-game suspension Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A UDFA out of Tulane, Teamer received the suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Teamer made six starts last season and played on 39% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps, seeing action on 377 defensive plays as one of last year’s most active UDFAs. Teamer intercepted a pass, recorded a sack and registered 40 tackles as a rookie. Pro Football Focus, however, ranked him 78th out of 85 full-time safeties.

For a Los Angeles secondary that now houses four All-Pros, Teamer projects as a depth piece — now that Derwin James and Nasir Adderley are healthy. The Bolts also return fourth-year safety Rayshawn Jenkins and used a sixth-round pick on safety Alohi Gilman.

COVID-19 Latest: JUCO, SEC, Bidwill, Strike

July 13th, 2020 at 6:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the JUCO circuit resides several levels away from the NFL, the National Junior College Athletic Association announced a major move Monday. The junior college football season will now take place in the spring, the NJCAA announced. While the Ivy League was the first to postpone its football season, it did not say spring football was a go. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have opted to play conference-only schedules amid the pandemic, but the latter has discussed a move to the spring. Junior colleges playing in the spring will not directly affect the NFL, but it marks the latest big step a football organization has taken amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Monday, the NFL has made no changes to its training camp plan. Most teams are set to open camp to all players July 28, but given the uncertainty the recent coronavirus spikes have caused, it would not surprise if the NFL had to adjust its schedule at some point soon.

Here is the latest from the league’s effort to navigate the pandemic.

Despite multiple Power 5 conferences making changes to their schedules, the SEC is holding out. The conference will wait until late July to make a decision on how to proceed with its football season, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said (via Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman, on Twitter). Most states housing SEC schools broke records for coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, with Florida’s Sunday case load (15,300) surpassing all of Europe’s that day.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has been released from the hospital, the team announced. Bidwill contracted the coronavirus and spent time at a Newport, R.I., hospital. The 55-year-old owner has not been in face-to-face contact with Cardinals coaches or players since the pandemic began.
A few key issues loom before the NFL and NFLPA can sign off on a return-to-work edict — the 2021 salary cap, the preseason slate, testing and opt-out protocols being among the main hurdles to clear — but Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets bonuses are also a sticking point. Players are concerned in-season COVID-19 contractions will result in missed money from per-game roster bonuses, and Pauline adds the NFL and NFLPA are discussing that matter. Players who contract the virus in-season would miss at least a game and possibly more, given the various quarantine policies the NFL has unveiled.
During Friday’s NFLPA meeting multiple questions emerged regarding a strike, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). This pertained to players’ concerns about being asked to return to work without the NFL providing concrete COVID answers. However, the NFLPA will not opt to strike, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. A strike would give the league the opportunity to pull the plug on the recently agreed-upon CBA, which was sent out for a vote before the pandemic changed the league’s financial standing. While the league believes it can unilaterally implement training camp rules, Florio adds that it is working with the NFLPA to avoid a grievance from the players’ side.

Jameis Winston To Change Agents

July 13th, 2020 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Changing teams for the first time in his career this offseason, Jameis Winston took a one-year, $1.1MM offer from the Saints. If the Saints approach their QB2 about an extension, they will have to discuss that deal with a new agent.

Winston will switch agencies, informing Joel Segal he will no longer represent him, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Segal is the CEO of Lagardère Sports.

The former No. 1 overall pick hired Segal in 2018, just after his suspension ended. Winston found himself in a rare buyer’s market at quarterback this offseason, with the Buccaneers ditching him for Tom Brady. The Panthers and Colts went in other directions as well, giving their starting jobs to UFA additions Teddy Bridgewater and Philip Rivers. This left Winston in the same boat as Cam Newton and Andy Dalton, though unlike those passers, the five-year Bucs starter was healthy and available since free agency’s outset.

Winston, however, chose to succeed Bridgewater as Drew Brees‘ backup and declined more lucrative offers to do so. Similar to Newton’s Patriots deal, Winston’s Saints agreement includes $3.4MM in available incentives. The Saints now have exclusive negotiating rights regarding a Winston extension until the start of the 2021 legal tampering period. Given Brees’ age, Winston looms as a possible successor option. The Saints, though, do have Taysom Hill signed beyond this season.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/13/20

July 13th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s draft pick signings, with the list being updated throughout the day.

The Ravens agreed to terms with third-round linebacker Malik Harrison, per agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link). Part of a key effort to upgrade the Ravens’ linebacking corps in the draft, Harrison will join first-round pick Patrick Queen in Baltimore. Baltimore has lost C.J. Mosley and Patrick Onwuasor in consecutive offseasons, and 2019 starter Josh Bynes signed with the Bengals this year. A four-year Ohio State contributor, Harrison flashed often as a senior. He registered 16.5 tackles for loss.
The Vikings are 1/14th of the way through their draft class signings. They inked seventh-round quarterback Nate Stanley on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Profiling as a practice squad candidate, the Iowa alum will join Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion and 2019 UDFA Jake Browning in Minnesota’s quarterback room. After throwing 26 touchdown passes in 2017 and ’18, Stanley mustered 16 last season. He did not complete 60% of his passes in a college season.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Williams

July 13th, 2020 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two players linked to the Cowboys in recent weeks are not in the team’s plans, it appears. Jadeveon Clowney has the Cowboys and Saints at or near the top of his figurative list, but the pass rusher who has been connected to nearly half the league this offseason is off Dallas’ radar, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes. That also applies to David Njoku, the Browns tight end connected to the Cowboys after his trade request surfaced recently. The Cowboys signed Aldon Smith and have Tyrone Crawford and four recent draft picks joining DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end. They also are looking likely to carry Dak Prescott‘s $31.4MM cap number on their books this season, limiting funding for a Clowney deal. At tight end, the Cowboys lost Jason Witten but extended Blake Jarwin. Beyond Jarwin, however, the team is fairly thin at this spot.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

One member of the Cowboys’ D-end contingent may not have a chance to supplement Lawrence. The Cowboys have continued to hope for the NFL to reinstate Randy Gregory, but as of Monday, Hill adds that the team has largely given up on this notion. The NFL banned Gregory indefinitely for substance abuse, and although the new CBA’s suspension structure is focused more on PEDs, the former second-round pick was suspended four times under the previous CBA’s discipline structure. Despite being drafted in 2015, Gregory has played 28 career games.
Returning to the Clowney news cycle, the free agent edge rusher wants to join a winning team, veteran Seattle-based NFL reporter John Clayton said during an ESPN 97.3 radio interview (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.radio.com), adding that the Eagles will appeal to the free agent. Clowney’s hesitance about the Browns stemmed from their modern history as a losing team; his Dolphins reluctance did as well, Clayton adds. The Eagles were unwilling to approach Clowney’s lofty asking price earlier this offseason, but with the Browns bowing out and the Seahawks not expected to match their previous offer, his price may now be reduced. And Philadelphia has not been shy about loading up along its lines.
Although the Giants plan to pay at least $16.1MM to see if Leonard Williams fits into Patrick Graham‘s defensive scheme, they have not given up on a long-term fit. Big Blue and Williams did not come close on an extension agreement, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes the team can still see a Williams accord coming to pass after the 2020 season. To secure the kind of money he seeks, Williams will need to improve on his half-sack (in 15 games) showing of 2019.
The Eagles are ready to increase T.J. Edwards‘ role. Despite the second-year player arriving in the league as a UDFA, the Eagles are penciling him in as their starting middle linebacker, Shorr-Parks notes. A Wisconsin alum, Edwards played just 11% of Philly’s 2019 defensive snaps. But the Eagles cut Nigel Bradham and do not have a host of high-profile names at linebacker. The team did draft two linebackers — in Rounds 3 and 6 — this year, however. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made this a bad year for rookie development.