HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Browns Hope To Sign G Ronald Leary

August 12th, 2020 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns brought in Ronald Leary for a Wednesday visit and hope to sign the veteran guard, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Leary spent the past three seasons with the Broncos and has been a starter for Denver and Dallas in an eight-year career. The Broncos cut the experienced blocker earlier this year, declining the option on the final year of his contract. In 2017, Leary signed a four-year, $36MM deal with the Broncos.

The 31-year-old lineman struggled with injuries in Denver, failing to finish the season in each of his three years with the team. He did play in 12 games last season, however, and did so after battling back from a torn Achilles’ tendon. Pro Football Focus rated Leary as a lower-end guard in both 2018 and ’19 but viewed him as a top-20 player at the position in 2016 and ’17.

Cleveland employs well-paid guard Joel Bitonio but lacks experience opposite its longtime interior-line starter. Leary would add a veteran presence — either as the Browns’ starting right guard or an experienced swing man — to the team’s line.

The Browns lost four offensive linemen, including three guards, to opt-out decisions last week. Cleveland’s $40MM in cap space leads the NFL by a wide margin. Former Bills backup Wyatt Teller started nine games at right guard for the Browns last season. PFF graded Teller 58th among guards. Adding Leary would seemingly give the Browns three new O-line starters this year, with the team already paying up for right tackle Jack Conklin and using a first-round pick on left tackle Jedrick Wills.

Raiders, DL Datone Jones Agree To Deal

August 12th, 2020 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will give former first-round pick Datone Jones an avenue back to the NFL. The veteran defensive lineman agreed to terms to join the Raiders in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Although Jones has played in just one game over the past two seasons, he has seen several teams express interest. The Raiders were among them. They worked out Jones last October.

The 30-year-old defender spent some time with new Raiders D-line coach Rod Marinelli, playing in five Cowboys games from 2017-18. Jones, however, has not enjoyed a regular role since his four-year Packers tenure ended after the 2016 season. The Packers passed on Jones’ fifth-year option, and he spent time with the Cowboys and 49ers in 2017.

For his career, the UCLA product has only amassed 10 sacks and made nine starts. But he will have another chance to crack a D-line rotation with the Raiders, who recently agreed to terms with another player who had seen action in just one game over the past two seasons. Their Jeremy Hill deal did not last long, however. Jones’ most recent stay came with the Jaguars in 2019. He could not make the team out of camp, though.

Jaguars Expected To Sign Timmy Jernigan

August 12th, 2020 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two months after Timmy Jernigan and the Texans agreed to terms, the veteran defensive tackle looks to have another deal in place. Jernigan visited the Jaguars and is expected to sign with the team soon, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The free agent defensive tackle’s Houston contract fell through in early June. He looks set to join one of the Texans’ top rivals instead. The former second-round pick went to high school in north Florida and sought a Jaguars deal over other options, per Garafolo (on Twitter).

Free agents have spent much of 2020 in limbo, with the coronavirus pandemic prompting the NFL to restrict teams from meeting with players or working them out. But the league gave the green light for teams to conduct visits and workouts Tuesday, and the Jags will add some depth to their D-line.

Jernigan, 27, lingered in free agency until June and returned to the market following his nixed Houston agreement. The Jags will mark the seventh-year defensive lineman’s third NFL team. Jernigan spent the first three years of his career with the Ravens before playing with the Eagles from 2017-19.

Traded from Baltimore to Philadelphia in 2017, Jernigan was a full-time starter for the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team. He signed a four-year, $48MM extension to stay with Philly long-term, but the Eagles cut him in 2019. However, Jernigan re-signed with the Eagles for less money shortly after. He started nine games last season, playing 306 snaps and rating as a middle-of-the-pack interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Bengals’ WR John Ross Leaves Team To Care For Son

August 12th, 2020 at 2:57pm CST by Rory Parks

Bengals WR John Ross is stepping away from the team for a bit, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Ross’ son has tested positive for COVID-19, so Ross is heading to Los Angeles to care for him (the child’s mother has also tested positive). There is currently no timetable on Ross’ return, and the club is likely to place him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Ross’ decision is admirable, especially since it comes during a pivotal time in his NFL career. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Ross has fallen well short of expectations to date, and Cincinnati made the easy call to decline his fifth-year option for 2021. So this will be a contract year for Ross, who could position himself well for a big payday next offseason if he can get on the field and start living up to his potential.

Of course, health has played a big part in Ross’ struggles to date. Due to various injuries and his inability to impress then-head coach Marvin Lewis, Ross played in just one game in his rookie campaign. Though he started 10 games in 2018, he managed only 21 catches for 210 yards — which was a disappointment in terms of both overall output and yards-per-catch average — and after a hot start to 2019, he missed another eight games due to injury.

Now, A.J. Green is back to full health and the Bengals added Tee Higgins in the second round of this year’s draft, so Ross may have struggled to carve out a ton of playing time anyway. His absence will only make things more difficult from a football perspective, but obviously the health of his family is of paramount importance.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/20

August 12th, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves. We will update as necessary throughout the day:

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Signed: CB Prince Smith

San Francisco 49ers

Giants’ Deal With Ross Cockrell Falls Through

August 12th, 2020 at 1:39pm CST by Rory Parks

It appeared that the Giants had added a veteran CB several days ago, when it was reported that the club had signed Ross Cockrell. However, that deal subsequently fell through.

According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, New York believed it had agreed to terms with Cockrell before he came to the facility. Then, after the 29-year-old went through COVID-19 testing and his physical, he opted against signing the contract (Twitter link). Vacchiano reminds us that the Giants also believed they were in agreement with Cockrell on a new deal back in 2018, but Cockrell ultimately backed out of that agreement and signed with the Panthers.

The Bills selected the Duke product in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, and he appeared in seven games for Buffalo during his rookie year, mostly as a special teams contributor. He was released before final cutdowns in 2015 and hooked on with the Steelers shortly thereafter. He ultimately played in 31 games (23 starts) over two seasons in Pittsburgh, and he was traded to the Giants before the start of the 2017 campaign. Advanced metrics were generally fond of his work with the Steelers and the Giants, and it made sense that New York hoped to re-sign him in 2018.

Cockrell wound up not playing at all in 2018, as he suffered a broken leg during his first training camp with the Panthers. He ultimately appeared in 14 games (11 starts) for Carolina in 2019, and though he tied a career-high with 62 total tackles and tallied two interceptions, he was not as sharp in coverage as he had been in previous seasons.

Still, the Giants are exceedingly thin at cornerback behind free agent acquisition (and former Cockrell teammate) James Bradberry, so Cockrell may have had a real chance to re-establish himself as a starting-caliber corner with Big Blue. Instead, he is still looking for work.

For what it’s worth, head coach Joe Judge said adding a different veteran CB is not a priority, which suggests he’s comfortable with his in-house options (Twitter link via Dan Duggan of The Athletic).

Bills Sign HC Sean McDermott To Extension

August 12th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bills have signed head coach Sean McDermott to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, McDermott’s new contract will be for a six-year term, keeping him with the team through 2025 (Twitter link). As is typically the case with head coach contracts, no financial details were disclosed, but it’s likely that the William & Mary graduate received a sizable pay bump.

McDermott, 46, broke into the NFL coaching ranks in 2001 as an assistant with the Eagles, and he became the club’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach in 2009. He moved on the Panthers’ DC job in 2011, and his performance over his six years in Carolina — his unit finished in the top 10 in overall defense from 2012-15 — helped him land the Bills’ HC job.

With the Bills, McDermott has compiled a 25-23 regular season record and has guided the team to two playoff appearances in his three seasons at the helm. Buffalo had not qualified for the playoffs in any of the 16 years prior to McDermott’s hire.

Under McDermott, the Bills’ defense has become one of the best units in the league. And, given the offseason acquisition of Stefon Diggs, along with another year of development for QB Josh Allen, Buffalo is a trendy pick to snap the Patriots’ streak of 11 consecutive AFC East titles.

Earlier this year, we learned that McDermott was worried that the issues with workplace culture the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres were facing could impact the Bills’ own culture — the Bills and Sabres are both owned by Terry and Kim Pegula — but apparently those worries have been assuaged.

In a statement, Kim Pegula said the following: “Sean’s leadership on and off the field has been nothing but genuine and transparent, qualities we appreciate as owners. He is the same great person to us, the players and everyone across all our organizations. We will never forget how impressed we were during his first interview. Sean’s attention to detail was apparent back then and his process driven approach has brought great stability to our organization. We are happy to extend his contract and keep him in Western New York for many years to come.”

49ers Host Tavon Austin

August 12th, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers are bringing in veteran receiver Tavon Austin for a visit, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team hopes to finalize a contract with the speedster.

Austin, 30, was selected by the Rams with the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft. The club could not resist Austin’s playmaking ability as a receiver, rusher, and returner, and while he has certainly had his moments of explosiveness, injuries have also dogged him throughout his career.

Over his seven years in the league, Austin has caught 215 passes and has averaged less than 10 yards per reception, which is disappointing for a player with his speed. The two years he spent in Dallas from 2018-19 saw him average over 15 yards per catch, but he was limited to seven games in 2018 and totaled just 21 receptions during his time with the Cowboys.

However, the Rams utilized him as a ball carrier much more than the Cowboys did, and he does boast a strong 6.8 yard-per-carry average. And that’s to say nothing of his return experience. While he has not returned more than three kickoffs in a season since his rookie campaign, he has returned 185 punts in his career, with a career return average of 7.9 yards to go along with three house calls.

If anyone can get the most out of Austin’s ability, it’s 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. With Marquise Goodwin and Travis Benjamin out of the picture, Shanahan could use some speed in his WR depth chart, and the team could also benefit from an experienced punt returner given Richie James‘ injury concerns.

Austin has earned nearly $40MM in his career, but his next contract may not be for much more than the veteran minimum.

Latest On Colts, T.Y. Hilton

August 12th, 2020 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Aug. 12: Hilton has been removed from the active/NFI list and is ready to go, according to a team announcement. To make room, the club activated WR Malik Henry from the reserve/COVID-19 list and waived him.

Aug. 10: Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton says he is almost healed from a hamstring injury and days away from being able to return to the field. Hilton also told reporters that there hasn’t been much momentum in his contract talks as he enters his walk year (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of The Athletic). 

As it stands, Hilton has one year to go on his deal, which carries a $14.5MM cap hit. An extension would give Hilton extra security on what he says will be his last NFL contract, regardless of length. Still, teams have been reluctant to fork over guaranteed dollars, and Hilton’s age complicates matters further. As it stands, his deal ranks 16th among wide receivers in per-year average.

Hilton has performed as one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats when healthy – from 2013 through 2018, he’s averaged 16 yards per grab. Last year, his calf limited him to just ten games, leaving him with a final stat line of 45 catches, 501 yards, and five touchdowns. This year, he’ll look to get back to his old form as he builds a rapport with new quarterback Philip Rivers. He may have a stronger case for a new deal next year if he can reprise his 2018 showing. In that season, Hilton finished out with 76 catches for 1,270 yards and six TDs.

Big 12 Still Aiming To Play In 2020

August 12th, 2020 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

Yesterday, two Power 5 conferences, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, announced that they would be postponing their football seasons until Spring 2021. But as SoonerScoop.com was first to report (via Twitter), presidents of schools in the Big 12 will allow the conference to move forward with a fall season, and a conference scheduled has been released (Twitter link).

Field Yates of ESPN.com observes that, in addition to the Big 12, the ACC and SEC are still planning to play in 2020 (Twitter link). Of course, the situation remains fluid, but for now, 60% of the Power 5 conferences are trying to forge ahead with something akin to a normal season.

Even if that happens, the NFL will still have a major decision to make with respect to the 2021 draft. If collegiate games are not played until the spring, the season may not be completed prior to the draft as currently scheduled. The NFL has the right to unilaterally push the draft back to July 2, but any further delay would require another NFL-NFLPA bargaining session.

Another factor to consider in all of this is the likelihood of additional opt-outs. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that several top collegiate players have lined up agents and are preparing to opt out of the next college season, whenever it’s played (video link). A few high-end players have already made that decision, and it stands to reason that more and more players will end up doing the same in an effort to maximize their professional prospects.

RapSheet adds that the NFL understandably wants to do everything it can to accommodate college football, which includes a modification of the offseason schedule.

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