2020 July - Pro Football Rumors

Several Teams Interested In Domata Peko

July 28th, 2020 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Domata Peko may be on track for a 15th NFL season. Several teams are interested in the veteran defensive tackle, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The longtime Bengal and two-year Broncos run-stuffer certainly appears eager to play in this uncertain climate (Twitter link). The 35-year-old defender played in seven games for the Ravens last season, signing with Baltimore last November.

Peko has been a rock during his career, missing only seven games since coming into the league as a 2006 fourth-round pick. He was a full-time starter from 2007-18. Among pure defensive tackles, Peko’s 189 career starts rank eighth in NFL history. Ten more starts would move him into the top five on this list.

With the Ravens, Peko played 140 defensive snaps in his half-season of work but logged three starts despite the late arrival.

This news comes shortly after Peko’s cousin, Kyle Peko, opted out from the 2020 Broncos season. The Pekos were teammates in 2017. The elder Peko could well find a team soon, especially as the list of COVID-19-related opt-outs continues to expand.

Bengals, Joe Burrow Agree To Deal

July 28th, 2020 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

At long last, the Bengals have reached agreement with No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow on his rookie deal (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Per the terms of his slot, the LSU quarterback will receive $36.1MM over the course of four years, including a $23.88MM signing bonus.

Like the league’s other 31 clubs, the Bengals were skittish about forking over millions of dollars in the midst of economic uncertainty. Ultimately, Burrow got the payout structure he wanted – he’ll get 100% of his signing bonus within 15 days of the contract being executed, per Schefter. The deal will be formally signed later this week, after Burrow takes his physical.

Burrow joined Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield as consecutive Heisman winners to be drafted No. 1 overall. The Bengals’ Burrow infatuation was the league’s worst-kept secret. After a 2-14 finish to the 2019 season, they’re hoping that Burrow will help right the ship and put them in contention in the not-too-distant future.

An Ohio native, Burrow posted arguably the greatest quarterback season in the history of college football in 2019, completing 76.3% of his passes for 60 touchdowns. That TD total is an NCAA record, and he did it while throwing only six picks. Fresh off of a National Championship, the LSU star is now weeks away from his pro debut.

Vikings’ Michael Pierce Opts Out

July 28th, 2020 at 11:47am CST by Zachary Links

Vikings nose tackle Michael Pierce is opting out of the 2020 season, according to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). the Vikings signed Pierce in March to shore up their defensive front – without him, they’re left thin on the interior with weeks to go before the start of the season.

Pierce inked a three-year, $27MM deal to help replace Linval Joseph, following his departure to the Chargers. The 6-foot, 340-pound defensive lineman was slated to start, but he’ll sit out the year after assessing the risk. Pierce has a history of respiratory trouble, meaning that the coronavirus could put him in serious jeopardy.

In 2019, with the Ravens, Pierce logged 35 tackles (two for loss) in 14 starts. Previous to that, Pierce graded as one of the top interior defenders in football in 2017 and ’18, per Pro Football Focus, before dipping to a middle-of-the-pack spot in his contract year.

Pierce is just the latest NFL notable to opt out of the upcoming season. The full and ever-growing list can be found here, on PFR’s 2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker.

Steelers Sign RB Wendell Smallwood

July 28th, 2020 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have signed running back Wendell Smallwood, per a club announcement. Smallwood, at the time of this writing, is the seventh running back on the club’s roster.

Amidst a flurry of opt outs around the league, Smallwood is enlisting himself to play in 2020. It’s possible that the Steelers are simply looking into new backfield options in advance of camp, but it’s also possible that the Steelers are bracing for more opt outs. Starter James Conner – who found his way back to the game after a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – will in fact play this year, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The status of the club’s other RBs remains to be seen.

Smallwood, who spent his early NFL seasons with the Eagles, joined Washington last year. In 15 games, he registered 22 carries for 81 yards, good for a 3.7 yards per tote average.

Bills’ Star Lotulelei Opts Out

July 28th, 2020 at 10:56am CST by Zachary Links

The hits just keep on coming. Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei will opt out of the 2020 season, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Lotulelei has been in the Bills’ starting lineup for each of the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been high on the veteran, but he was set to return as a first-stringer in 2020. In 2019, Lotulelei was on the field for 516 snaps and recorded two sacks from the interior.

The former Panthers first-round pick may be swapped out for another ex-Panther. Vernon Butler, who joined the club earlier this year, could be the next man up. There’s also former Seahawks lineman Quinton Jefferson on hand – one of those two players may wind up as Ed Oliver‘s partner in the middle.

Upwards of 20 NFL players have opted out of the 2020 season, as of this writing. The Patriots have arguably been hit the hardest, with six opt outs including linebacker Dont’a Hightower, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, and safety Patrick Chung.

Patriots’ Patrick Chung Opts Out

July 28th, 2020 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots safety Patrick Chung will opt out of the 2020 season, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). That makes Chung the sixth Patriots player to opt out, a list that also includes middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower and right tackle Marcus Cannon.

The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he has spent all but one year of his career with New England. In that time, he’s started in 112 regular season games and collected three Super Bowl rings. Unlike Hightower, he’s never been selected for a Pro Bowl, but he’s an important member of the Patriots’ D nonetheless.

In May, the Patriots re-upped Chung on an extension that would allow him to earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. Now, he’s effectively under club control for five years. Chung’s contract will toll for 2020 and resume in 2021.

Last year, Chung appeared in 13 games and recorded 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss.

Latest On Vikings, Dalvin Cook

July 28th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like the Vikings and Dalvin Cook are on better terms than they were a few weeks ago. The star running back has indicated that he will not hold out from the team, according to head coach Mike Zimmer, who adds that he is going to make him a team captain in 2020 (via PFT).

[RELATED: Cook Seeking $15MM/Year?]

Cook is set to make $1.331MM in his walk year. Meanwhile, he’s been angling for a long-term deal that will make him one of the league’s highest-paid running backs. That’s a difficult proposition for a number of reasons. First, there’s the current economic climate. There’s also the matter of Cook’s track record – he was stellar in 2019, but often injured in his previous seasons.

Cook averaged almost 5.0 ypc in his first four games as a pro, before going down with an ACL tear. In 2018, a nagging hamstring capped him at just eleven games, though he did manage 4.6 yards per tote, plus 40 catches for 305 yards. Last year, he put up career highs left and right –250 carries, 1,135 rushing yards (4.5 YPC), and 13 touchdowns, along with 53 receptions for 519 yards. Those totals would have been even gaudier, if not for a late-season chest injury.

Christian McCaffrey blew the lid off of the RB market earlier this year, perhaps paving the way for Cook to secure an even larger bag. Eventually, Cook could get the eight-figure-per-year salary he wants, but it probably won’t happen this week. The COVID-19 opt out option is Cook’s last real piece of leverage, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll take advantage of that threat.

Bears’ Eddie Goldman Opts Out

July 28th, 2020 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman will opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 health concerns (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Goldman’s decision leaves the Bears with a major void to fill up front, with just over a month to go before the scheduled start of the season.

Goldman was set to continue on the four-year, $42MM+ extension he signed in the fall of 2018. Now, his $4.75MM in guaranteed salary will toll into 2021 and his full contract will run through 2023.

Last year, Goldman suited up for 15 games, notching 29 tackles and a sack. As a big man in the middle, his true value isn’t really captured by the traditional stats. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus framed him as the 35th best interior defender in the league out of 118 qualified players, thanks in part to his work against the run. For Goldman, that was actually a down year, and he’s provided steady pressure against quarterbacks over the last two seasons.

The opt outs are piling up quickly, and there are surely more on the way. NFL players have until Friday to formally make the call.

Ravens’ Andre Smith Opts Out Of 2020 NFL Season

July 28th, 2020 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

Ravens offensive lineman Andre Smith has opted out of the 2020 season, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). More than a dozen players have opted out as of this writing and that number figures to grow larger between now and the Aug. 1 deadline.

Smith, 33, hooked on with the Ravens at the end of the 2020 season to bolster their blocking unit in the playoffs. A former top-10 pick, Smith was once one of the game’s better protectors. He’s way past his prime, but the Ravens were hoping to have him around for depth. In total, Smith has appeared in 116 regular season games during his career, but he’s been somewhat limited since 2016 thanks to multiple injured reserve trips. He hasn’t earned a quality score from PFF since 2014.

Smith, who boasts 90 career starts and tons of earnings over the years, probably didn’t need the money this year. That’s especially true since his contract was at, or near, the veteran’s minimum.

Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower To Opt Out Of 2020 Season

July 28th, 2020 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will opt out of the 2020 season, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hightower wrestled with the decision, but ultimately decided to skip the season in order to protect his 2-week-old son.

“Me and my fiancée are just more concerned with the health of our family than football — especially the new addition to our family,” Hightower explained.

With that, Hightower becomes the fifth Patriots player to opt out. Running back Brandon Bolden, right tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale, and guard Najee Toran have also decided against playing. Hightower is the highest profile player of the Pats bunch, and one of the more notable players league-wide to opt out.

Hightower was slated to make $8MM in base salary before reaching free agency in March. Now, his contract will toll, with that final year being moved to 2021. With Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts out of the picture, the Patriots were counting on Hightower to hold down the fort at linebacker. There aren’t a ton of impact off-ball linebackers left on the open market, so the Patriots will likely have to work with what they have on hand.

Hightower, 30, has been a staple in the Patriots’ starting lineup since entering the league in 2012. Injuries aside – including a mostly lost 2017 – he’s served as the club’s locker room leader and the point guard of the defense. Last year, Hightower earned his second Pro Bowl trip and even managed 5.5 sacks from the middle.

Hightower’s opt-out falls under the “voluntary” label, meaning that he’s entitled to a $150K salary advance (likely negated by his 2020 earnings to date). Cannon, meanwhile, is “higher risk,” which means he’ll get a $350K stipend (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Cannon had two years to go on his current deal with a total of $9.5MM in base pay. His contract will also toll, with his 2020 season being bumped up to 2021.