2021 February - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Re-Sign Davontae Harris

February 5th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens got a jump start on their spring cleaning by releasing a host of players in January, including defensive back Davontae Harris. This week, they re-signed Harris to a brand new deal, per the league’s transactions wire.

It was an unusual flurry of transactions by the Ravens, who were effectively cutting veterans as a professional courtesy. After Harris, fellow DB Tramon Williams, running back Mark Ingram, quarterback RG3, and wide receiver De’Anthony Harris were released, they were eligible to join playoff teams. Or, at minimum, engage in talks for 2021 contracts elsewhere.

The Ravens plucked Harris off waivers from the Broncos towards the end of the year. He went on to suit up in four games and register ten tackles before suffering an ankle injury. After previous stints with the Bengals and Broncos, he’ll try to stick with the Ravens for next season.

Jadeveon Clowney Open To Re-Signing With Titans

February 4th, 2021 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Jadeveon Clowney‘s stop in Tennessee may last beyond the 2020 season. A source told Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com that the pass rusher is “definitely open” to returning to the Titans next season. The 27-year-old is still expected to test free agency this offseason, but “the Titans apparently remain an option to re-sign him.”

After sitting unsigned for months, Clowney eventually joined the Titans on a one-year, $12MM deal last offseason. The former first-overall pick failed to collect a sack in any of his eight regular season games, and he ultimately finished the season having compiled 19 tackles, one forced fumble, and six quarterback hits. A left meniscus injury (and subsequent surgery) ultimately knocked Clowney out for the season.

Of course, Clowney isn’t far removed from his stretch of three-straight Pro Bowl appearances. From 2016 through 2018, the former Texans standout averaged 8.2 sacks and two forced fumbles per season. Clowney has only appeared in 16 games once throughout his career, although that injury risk will surely depress his value in free agency.

As McCormick notes, a reunion would make sense for the Titans. The team lacks depth at outside linebacker, and they finished with the third-fewest sacks in the league last season. Plus, Clowney has a relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel that dates back to their time in Houston.

Could Bills Franchise LB Matt Milano?

February 4th, 2021 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Matt Milano should be one of the top free agents available at his position…if he makes it that far. While speaking to reporters last week, Bills general manager Brandon Beane “did not rule out using the franchise tag” on the 26-year-old (per Jourdon LaBarber of the team’s website).

“We’d love to be able to get Matt back,” Beane added. “He knows that. I shared that with him and I’m sure Sean has as well. The business side matters. He wants to and he’s earned the right to go to free agency and see what his market bears.

“We’ll do our best to retain him and as many guys as we can. We just don’t even know the numbers yet and what it’s going to be. There’s going to be some tough decisions unfortunately for us, whether it’s letting guys go on this roster or having to watch guys leave.”

Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic adds some additional context, noting that the franchise tag would be a realistic option if the two sides can’t agree to a long-term pact. However, considering the expected $15MM franchise price for linebackers, Buffalo would likely have to cut a few players to retain financial flexibility. Sheil Kapadia and Aaron Reiss of The Athletic agree with the franchise-tag sentiment, noting that a Milano tag would be similar to last offseason when the Patriots and Vikings surprised many by franchising guard Joe Thuney and safety Anthony Harris, respectively.

A 2017 fifth-round pick, Milano has spent his entire career with the Bills, including a 2019 campaign where he compiled career-highs in games started (15) and tackles (101). He was limited to only 10 games (five starts) in 2020 due to a pectoral injury, but he still managed to compile 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He started each of the Bills’ three playoff games, collecting an additional 25 tackles.

Jason Garrett Expected Back As Giants OC

February 4th, 2021 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants dropped from 18th to 31st in scoring offense last season, and Daniel Jones did not make considerable strides. But the team is not planning to make big changes to its offense.

Jason Garrett is expected to stay on as New York’s offensive coordinator, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. Some potential turnover at this position coach level could take place, and Raanan adds assistants like tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens, QBs coach Jerry Schulplinski and wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert may take on increased responsibility. (Tolbert has interviewed for Minnesota’s OC job.) But Garrett will still run the show.

This is not especially surprising. Dave Gettleman said last month, as Garrett interviewed for the Chargers’ HC job, he was “antsy” about the prospect of losing his OC. Keeping Garrett will ensure Jones only has two play-callers in his first three seasons, though the Giants have plenty of improvements to make on offense. Saquon Barkley‘s expected re-emergence will certainly help.

Joe Judge already fired a coach Garrett brought in, ex-Cowboys O-line assistant Marc Colombo, and Raanan adds the new Giants HC’s hands-on approach with the team’s offense caused tension between he and Garrett. Last season was Garrett’s first as a full-time play-caller since 2012.

One of the changes on Big Blue’s staff will be replacing Dave DeGuglielmo. The veteran O-line coach is not expected back, and Raanan notes that the Giants have interviewed ex-Texans O-line coach Mike Devlin and Giants assistant O-line coach Ben Wilkerson for the job.

Roger Goodell Expects Virtual Offseason Setup To Remain

February 4th, 2021 at 6:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Roger Goodell expects much of the 2020 virtual offseason program to remain for 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, the longtime commissioner foresees most of the components of last year’s offseason to be brought back.

“We anticipate that a lot of the things that we did last year with respect to training camps, with respect to the offseason will be done again,” Goodell said Thursday, via the Houston Chronicle. “Virtual is going to be part of our life for the long term.

“I think we learned, and the coaches learned to players learned, that it was actually a very positive way to install offenses and to work in the offseason. I don’t know when normal will occur. I don’t know if normal will occur again.”

The pandemic forced the NFL to cancel all in-person activities — from free agency visits to OTAs to minicamps — through training camp, which preceded a canceled preseason. The league and the NFLPA engaged in offseason protocol discussions for weeks, then proceeded to negotiate training camp policies and a pandemic-era salary cap for months. They will do so again this year, with union executive director DeMaurice Smith indicating the sides will likely organize the offseason program in March or April (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

As of now, the draft remains scheduled to be an in-person event in Cleveland, but with the combine already being split into limited-attendance regional events, it is certainly not hard to envision the draft going virtual for a second straight year.

While the coronavirus vaccine effort remains in the early stages, the NFL will face an interesting hurdle in the near future. The league cannot unilaterally force players to be vaccinated once they become eligible, Pelissero notes. A vaccine policy would need to also be collectively bargained. Goodell and Smith have said they will not skip the line by having players vaccinated before their tier becomes eligible. This led Smith to predict an all-virtual 2021 offseason (Twitter link).

Arthur Blank: Matt Ryan, Julio Jones Will Be With Falcons In 2021

February 4th, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, we heard the Falcons are not taking calls on Matt Ryan and that they expect his top weapon to remain in the fold as well. Falcons owner Arthur Blank confirmed that Ryan and Julio Jones will be part of Arthur Smith‘s first Falcons roster.

“Well, I’d be shocked, completely shocked if he was not, and it really has nothing to do necessarily with his contract,” Blank said of the prospect Ryan would not be a Falcon in 2021, via Andrew Siciliano of NFL.com. “… He’s performed beautifully, was MVP of the league one year. So Matt can still play at a very high level and we expect him to be a Falcon next year, fully.

“We expect Julio to be a Falcon, to be playing next year at a very high level as well. God-willing, taking care of his body, his hamstring will be healed up. He’ll be able to play in more games than he played last year. So they’ll both be with us.”

The QB trade market recently produced a blockbuster, with Matthew Stafford going to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and three draft picks. Ryan resides in a similar position to Stafford. He has been with his team for over a decade (13 years) but has seen it decline to point it holds a high draft pick. Like the Lions, the Falcons also hired a new head coach and GM. However, Ryan both signed for more money on his most recent extension — in 2018 — and restructured his deal to further pile up money on Atlanta’s cap going forward. A Ryan trade would cost the Falcons more than $40MM. Three seasons remain on Jones’ $22MM-per-year deal.

Blank, however, acknowledged the prospect of a succession plan. The Falcons hold the No. 4 overall pick — their highest draft slot since they used 2008’s No. 3 overall choice to select Ryan — and will see their longtime starter turn 36 this year. The owner referencing the Chiefs’ successful (but rarely utilized) QB developmental model perhaps points to the Falcons being in the market for a passer at No. 4.

“In any business, including professional football or any sports business, you do have to prepare for succession planning, and that’s what separates a lot of great organizations that are great over a longer period of time because they think through, how do they continue to stay at the level they’re at,” Blank said.

“A good example is what Kansas City has done when they drafted Patrick Mahomes, who came out of a very high-scoring offense in college but needed to go through a professional transition. He played behind Alex Smith for a year, a great competitor, a great quarterback, a great mentor, and he learned a lot, so he’s producing now at a much higher level and he’s had a healthy transition. So I think you have to think about long-term while you think about winning today. That’s what good coaches and what good general managers do.”

49ers, LS Taybor Pepper Agree On Extension

February 4th, 2021 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bigger business resides on the 49ers’ contract docket, but the team took care of a lower-profile player Thursday. The 49ers signed long snapper Taybor Pepper to a two-year extension.

Pepper’s agreement includes $300K guaranteed, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. The four-year veteran snapper was due to be a free agent in March; he is now signed with San Francisco through 2022.

While long snappers can remain in place with teams for many years, often in anonymity, this marks a change of pace for Pepper. He began his career with the Packers in 2017 but only played in four games. He did not play in 2018, but the Dolphins used him as their full-time deep snapper in 2019. They did not bring him back.

Pepper caught on with the 49ers in late September of last year and snapped in the team’s final 12 games. No salary specifics have emerged, but with non-rookie-contract snappers confined to a narrow salary range between $1MM and $1.2MM, Pepper will probably be the latest member of this group.

Raiders Extend QB Nathan Peterman

February 4th, 2021 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the annual questions exist around Derek Carr‘s status with the Raiders, the franchise now has two of his backups under contract for 2021.

The Raiders announced Thursday they have agreed to terms with Nathan Peterman on a one-year deal. The deal could pay Peterman up to $2.775MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes.

Peterman being back on Las Vegas’ 53-man roster in 2021 would mark a fourth season in silver and black for the former Bills draftee. The Raiders initially added Peterman to their practice squad late in the 2018 season. Being a 2017 draftee, Peterman was eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

Despite Peterman’s Bills performances prompting constant criticism, he has found a home with the Raiders. The team reworked his rookie deal last summer and now will have him entering the 2021 offseason on the roster behind Carr and Marcus Mariota. The latter is signed through the ’21 season.

A former fifth-round pick, Peterman has played in one game as a Raider. He completed 3 of 5 passes in the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Falcons in November. Overall, Peterman’s numbers are ghastly. He has thrown three touchdown passes and 12 interceptions — five of those picks coming in a disastrous start against the Chargers as a rookie — and has averaged just 4.2 yards per attempt. But while the Raiders have employed Mike Glennon and DeShone Kizer since acquiring Peterman, Jon Gruden kept Peterman around over those former starters. This relationship is now set for a fourth season.

Jackson: Watson Interested In Broncos

February 4th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kareem Jackson‘s final two Texans seasons overlapped with the start of Deshaun Watson‘s Houston stay. Jackson left for Denver in 2019 and has one season remaining on his contract. He has spoken with his former teammate about his interest in the Broncos as a trade destination.

Watson is interested in Denver as a destination, per Jackson, who told TMZ Sports he has discussed this topic on multiple occasions with the disgruntled quarterback. The Broncos figure to be among the many teams interested in Watson, should the Texans make him available. Watson requested a trade last week, shortly after the Texans hired David Culley as head coach.

Like the Panthers, who are planning to make a push for Watson after being in the mix for Matthew Stafford, the Broncos present an intriguing wide receiver group. But Denver would not be able to put together the kind of draft pick package the Dolphins and Jets could. The Broncos hold the No. 9 overall pick, but the Jets and Dolphins have top-three selections and additional first-rounders this year. The Jets have two first-rounders this year and next. Watson, who has a no-trade clause that will allow him to approve his destination, is also believed to be open to most deals.

New Broncos GM George Paton exchanged offers with the Lions for Stafford, though the longtime Vikings exec balked at including promising young players on his new team in the deal. Those talks did include Drew Lock, however. Watson is certainly a more valuable asset than Stafford, going into his age-26 season on the heels of three Pro Bowls (to Stafford’s one in 12 seasons), so it will be interesting to see how serious the Broncos would be if Watson is made available. Acquiring Watson will require one of the best trade packages in NFL history.

The Broncos have used nine starting quarterbacks in the five seasons since Peyton Manning retired. They used a first-round pick on a passer in 2016 (Paxton Lynch), a second-rounder on Lock in 2019 and have acquired starters via the trade route (Joe Flacco) and free agency (Case Keenum). Before the Broncos signed Keenum in 2018, a few of their Super Bowl holdovers made pitches to Kirk Cousins. The team, which has seen almost all of its Super Bowl 50 cogs depart, remains in search of quarterback stability. Limited by this position, the Broncos ranked 30th in offensive DVOA in 2020.

Bucs’ Bruce Arians “Wouldn’t Be Surprised” By Tom Brady Extension

February 4th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have Tom Brady signed through the 2021 season. Still, head coach Bruce Arians “wouldn’t be surprised” to see the future Hall of Famer ink an extension sometime after the Super Bowl.

“I don’t have anything to do with contracts, so that would be a Jason [Licht] question,” Arians told reporters on Thursday. “I think Tom’s real happy with where he’s at, and I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Brady will turn 44 in August and he’s teased playing past the age of 45.

“Yeah, definitely. I would definitely consider that,” said B week (via NFL.com). “Again, it’s a physical sport. Just the perspective I have on that is you never know when that moment is. Just because it’s a contact sport and again it has to be 100 percent commitment from myself to keep doing it.”

“I’ve been fortunate over the years. Alex (Guerrero) and I work really hard to make sure physically I can perform at my best because you take different hits, over the course of the year you deal with different bumps and bruises, different injuries and so forth. You know, it’s just going to be me continuing to make that commitment to making it part of my year-round process to play football and continue my career.”

Even though Tom Terrific hasn’t been totally perfect with his new team, the Bucs are four quarters away from winning it all. And, win or lose, Arians also says that he’s in for at least another season.