2021 February - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Cut OL Chance Warmack

February 8th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the season wraps up the Seahawks are doing some housecleaning, and one veteran whose name will ring some bells is getting the boot from the offseason roster. Seattle has released offensive lineman Chance Warmack, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Warmack is a notable name as the tenth overall pick of the 2013 draft. He was a full-time starter his first few years in the league at right guard with the Titans, but never lived up to his draft status and flamed out quickly in Tennessee. His fifth-year option was declined, and he missed most of the 2016 season with an injury. He was with the Eagles from 2017-18 mostly as a reserve, but started a few games.

He spent 2019 out of football before signing with the Seahawks in a comeback bid back in March. Then he became one of the first players in the league to opt-out due to COVID-19 back in July, and now he’s been cut before his contract had a chance to toll to 2021. Still only 29, he won’t generate a ton of interest on the open market.

That being said he isn’t necessarily done in Seattle, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com is told Warmack does want to play next season and a source told him the Seahawks want to bring him in for a workout to see how he looks physically after all the time away (Twitter link).

Antonio Brown Wants To Return To Bucs

February 8th, 2021 at 3:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve got one more for you in a slew of Bucs posts following their Super Bowl win. We had already heard a few weeks ago that Tampa was interested in bringing Antonio Brown back next year, and it sounds like that interest is mutual.

Speaking after the Buccaneers’ dominant win over the Chiefs, Brown said he wants to do another round with Tom Brady. “Man I’d love to, I look forward to going through the process, this is a great spot for me and I would love to come back and give it another shot at a two-peat,” Brown said after the game, via Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. “I would love to be back here next year. It would mean everything to be back. I’m just excited and super grateful.”

Brown is set to be a free agent, and it’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract he lands this offseason. On the one hand he’s an incredibly accomplished and talented receiver who just helped his team win a Super Bowl. On the other hand, he’s got a long list of off-field issues hanging over his head, he’ll turn 33 this summer, and he put up solid but certainly not spectacular numbers this past season.

In eight games with the Bucs in 2020 after sitting out the first half of the season due to a suspension, he finished with 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. That would put him on pace for a 90/966/8 line if he had played a full 16 games. Again, respectable, but not the kind of All-Pro numbers he was routinely putting up with the Steelers prior to his trade to the Raiders and subsequent implosion. He had five catches for 22 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Obviously a large part of that was due to playing in an offense with a lot of mouths to feed with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans among others also present. Either way, he’s not likely to command the kind of hefty contract he would’ve gotten had he hit the open market after the 2018 season. Bruce Arians seems to think they won’t have too much trouble fitting everyone in financially, and Evans is apparently willing to take a pay cut.

Bruce Arians Returning To Buccaneers In 2021, Confident Team Can Keep FAs

February 8th, 2021 at 1:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It really sounds like the Buccaneers will be getting the full band back together in 2021. Rob Gronkowski has already said he isn’t retiring, and he’s previously indicated he only wants to play in Tampa. Tom Brady is expected back for at least one more ride, and quite possibly more.

And now we’ve got confirmation that the coach isn’t planning on riding off into the sunset either. “I ain’t going anywhere. I’m trying to get two, and then we’ll see,” Bruce Arians said after the Bucs’ Super Bowl win, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). There had been some speculation that the 68-year-old Arians could be headed for retirement, but one championship clearly wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

Arians’ priority will now turn toward keeping all his guys, and he seems to think he’s got a good shot. “I’m very, very confident,” the team will keep its core, Arians said in a Monday press conference, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I have all the trust in the world in (GM) Jason (Licht) and what he would do.”

“These guys, they have a bond. There will be dollars involved. But I think that this group is so, so close that sometimes dollars don’t matter. But we’re going to do everything we can to get the dollars right too because they earned it.” Arians’ sentiment about the money not being a deal-breaker was echoed by Mike Evans, who has apparently said he’d be willing to knock off some of his $12.5MM salary for next year to help keep other players.

Stud pass-rusher Shaq Barrett and long-time linebacker Lavonte David are both set to be free agents, as is star receiver Chris Godwin. There will be a lot of guys looking to cash in, and despite Arians’ optimism it’s a simple fact of the NFL that it’ll be hard to retain *everybody*.

Arians retired as Cardinals coach after the 2017 campaign, but his time away from the game ended up only lasting one season. Having Tom Brady and making a deep playoff run appears to have rejuvenated him, and he could very well coach into his 70s at this point.

Alex Mack Interested In Joining 49ers

February 8th, 2021 at 12:44pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Falcons center Alex Mack is 35 now, but it doesn’t sound like retirement is anywhere near his mind. In fact, the impending free agent appears to already be thinking about destinations, and has an interesting one in mind.

Mack called playing for the 49ers “very enticing” when speaking with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports this past week. Mack specifically singled out Kyle Shanahan, who he played under in 2014 with the Browns and 2016 with the Falcons. “Kyle is an incredible coach,” Mack said. “He’s an incredible coach, great person, strong motivator and runs an offense that is something that I’d know really well and that I performed very well in.”

The interest is clearly there on Mack’s side, and since the 49ers have a lot of uncertainty at center right now, it could be a perfect match. Weston Richburg, San Francisco’s normal starter, missed this entire past season after suffering a devastating knee injury late in the 2019 campaign. He has two years left on his deal but it’s unlikely he’s back at his hefty $8MM+ salaries, and as Maiocco points out the team can save nearly $5MM by cutting him this offseason.

Ben Garland became the 49ers’ starter, but he’s a journeyman who got himself injured as well after just a handful of games. A first-round pick out of Cal back in 2009, Mack is a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who made the NFL’s all-decade team for the 2010s at center.

Despite his somewhat advanced age he’s been durable, starting 14 games this past year and all 16 in 10 of the previous 11. Mack got five years and $45MM from Atlanta last time he hit free agency and while his next contract won’t be quite as lucrative, he should still command a decent amount of money from the 49ers or any other team.

Bucs’ Mike Evans Willing To Take Pay Cut

February 8th, 2021 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Evans is scheduled to make $12.5MM next year. However, the Buccaneers’ star wide receiver is willing to take a little bit less if it keeps the Super Bowl-winning band together.

[RELATED: Gronk Wants To Return]

“Mike Evans is the most unselfish superstar I’ve ever met,” head coach Bruce Arians told Peter King of NBC Sports. “He’s told us to use some of his money if we need to contracts to keep the team together.”

The Buccaneers are hoping to keep tight end Rob Gronkowski and the rest of their key pending free agents. Among those eligible for the open market: wide receivers Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, inside linebacker Lavonte David, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and edge rusher Shaquil Barrett.

Evans has helped the Bucs move money around in the past, including a 2019 adjustment that converted $2MM of his base salary into a signing bonus. The layout of his deal — a five-year, $82.5MM extension inked less than two years ago — allows for flexibility with no guaranteed dollars from this point forward.

Evans may seek some locked-in dollars in exchange for his cooperation. But, either way, the Bucs will probably take up Evans on his offer, especially with the possibility of a $180MM cap this offseason.

49ers To Bring Back Josh Rosen

February 8th, 2021 at 10:37am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are set to bring back Josh Rosen (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). It won’t cost them much to retain the former first-round pick, who is tethered to the team as an exclusive rights free agent.

Rosen was cut by the Dolphins in early September and spent the bulk of the year on the Bucs’ practice squad. He has yet to impress as an NFL quarterback, though he has not been given the best of opportunities. The 2018 No. 10 overall pick struggled for the Cardinals — who ranked last in scoring and total offense in 2018 — and the Dolphins, who had perhaps the league’s worst roster in 2019. Rosen took over for Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 2 and started the next three games that year, but Brian Flores didn’t really look back after giving him the hook.

The fourth quarterback selected in 2018’s five-QB first round, Rosen owns a career 54.8% completion rate and a ghastly 4.4 adjusted yards per attempt figure. He has thrown 12 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions in 20 career games (16 starts).

Still, there’s no sense in the 49ers giving up on the one-time Bruins star. Rosen won’t turn 24 until February, and the 49ers have him on the cheap.

Bucs’ Rob Gronkowski: “I Don’t See Why I Won’t Be Back”

February 8th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links

Rob Gronkowski wants to keep the party going. After capturing his first Super Bowl ring sans Bill Belichick, the tight end told reporters that he plans to continue playing in 2021.

“Yeah, I’ll remain unretired,” Gronk said (via PFT). “I’m a free agent. It’s the first time in my career that I’m a free agent…But I definitely see myself coming back, just the guys around here, the players around here, the coaches, the people in the front office, they’re all just great people. I loved working with them all year long.”

“So, obviously going to soak this in and see where I’m at in a couple weeks, but I don’t see why not. I don’t see why I won’t be back.”

Gronk previously hinted at another season and reports indicated that he’d only suit up for Tom Brady & Co. Gronk, 32 in May, managed to shake off the rust in pewter, notching 45 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. That stat line wasn’t as gaudy as his best seasons with the Patriots, but he showed up big in the Super Bowl, leading all receivers with six grabs for 67 yards and two TDs.

While Gronkowski needs a new contract, Cameron Brate‘s deal extends through 2023. That shouldn’t be much of a barrier, however. The Bucs can cut Brate to save $6.5MM against the cap with no dead money charge. The bigger numbers crunch will come from fellow free agents such as wide receiver Chris Godwin, outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, and inside linebacker Lavonte David.

Vikings Promote Klint Kubiak To OC

February 8th, 2021 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are set to promote Klint Kubiak to the role of offensive coordinator (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll take over for his father, Gary Kubiak, who retired in early January.

Kubiak, 33, joined Minnesota along with his dad in 2019. There was talk of him possibly leaving town last year when the Browns hired ex-Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski, but he stayed put. Now, he has his very first OC job as the Vikings look to bounce back from their 7-9 season.

With Kubiak ascending to OC, the Vikings will install Andrew Janocko as their QBs coach (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Giants wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert also impressed during the interview process. Tolbert didn’t get the job this time, but he’ll likely be in the mix for other OC opportunities in the next cycle.

Even though the Vikings’ 2020 season was a letdown, the offense was still strong, ranking top 5 in yards and first downs. Kubiak will have plenty of talent to work with, including running back Dalvin Cook, who is fresh off of a 1,500+-yard/16 touchdown campaign, and promising young receiver Justin Jefferson.

Buccaneers’ Bruce Arians Has Succession Plan For Todd Bowles

February 7th, 2021 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Bruce Arians retire after the Super Bowl? “Hell no,” the coach says. But, someday, the Buccaneers head coach plans to hand things off to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

“I think [our defense has improved by] lightyears,” Arians said of Bowles recently. “Just the mixture of all those guys in the secondary [and] solidifying the front. Again, going into last season, we had to get Shaq Barrett back [and] we had to get Ndamukong Suh back. Keeping everybody there [and] now getting Vita Vea back. And, that secondary was key. Getting guys that could play man-to-man, that were aggressive bump-and-run type people that could also play zone, rather than soft zone players. It took a while, but I think Todd has just done a tremendous job and we’ve been winning with defense.”

Bowles’ defensive prowess is undeniable — his units were stellar in Arizona and even his Jets defenses were decent. However, his win/loss record in New York was rough. In four years, he had only 24 wins in total, despite a 10-win campaign in 2015.

Meanwhile, speculation persists about Arians’ plans, despite his denials. The 68-year-old has retired twice before. His most recent “retirement” came in 2017, after leaving the Cardinals. Previous to that, Arians also claimed to be walking away in 2011, when he peace’d out on the Steelers. Today, win or lose, Arians says he’s coming back for at least one more season.

Chiefs’ LDT, Damien Williams Likely To Return

February 7th, 2021 at 4:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs found their way back to the Super Bowl, despite losing guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and running back Damien Williams to COVID-19 opt-outs. However, both players are expected to return for the 2021 season, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Duvernay-Tardif, a medical school graduate, was the first NFL player to exercise his right to opt out. Since then, he’s been volunteering at a long-term care facility in Quebec. Duvernay-Tardif was set to play on his five-year, $42.36MM deal. Instead, his contract has tolled, meaning that his deal will resume in 2021 and extend through the 2022 season. The Chiefs surely wish they could have him back today, given that they’re down multiple starters on the front five.

Williams, 29 in April, was inconsistent in the 2019 regular season, but he came up big in the playoffs. Williams scored six touchdowns in the postseason and could have won the Super Bowl LIV MVP award if not for Patrick Mahomes‘ performance. In that game, “Playoff Damien” managed133 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns en route to his first ring.