HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase

March 31st, 2021 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

With so much talk about this year’s top quarterbacks, this would be a good time to cast the spotlight on college football’s consensus No. 1 wide receiver. Playing from both the outside and the slot, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase has shown that he can break tackles and ankles with ease. On April 29th, he figures to be one of the first names called in Cleveland. 

Chase opted out of the 2020 season, though his decision wasn’t entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he was aiming to stay healthy in advance of the draft, but who could blame him? With a promising pro career ahead of him plus millions of dollars from his rookie contract alone, there was little sense in Chase risking an injury. The 6-foot, 208-pounder may have a little rust to shake, but evaluators aren’t too concerned.

In 2019, Chase set SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same offense produced three skill positions players that went in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Justin Jefferson. As good as Jefferson was, Chase was even better, capturing the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore.

Based on talent alone, some have Chase slotted as the third-best player in this year’s class. Of course, quarterbacks always shift the early makeup of the board, and last week’s blockbuster trades may push Chase out of the top five. That’s just fine by the Dolphins, who have reportedly been eyeing the LSU Tiger since he was just a cub. After the Jaguars officially select Trevor Lawrence, it’s expected that Zach Wilson (Jets) and Trey Lance (49ers) will follow. If the Falcons and Bengals stay put, they’re likely to address other needs before delving into WRs.

Barring more trades or early-board surprises, Chase seems destined for South Beach. As the most pro-ready receiver in the draft, many believe that he’s on course for an even stronger career than his old teammate.

“I thought Chase was on a different level [than Justin Jefferson],” one scout told The Athletic’s Bob McGinn. “Watching what Jefferson did this year (with the Vikings), that just makes me say, ‘Good Lord.’ Honestly, I thought (Chase) was the best receiver in the class last year.”

Bills To Sign LB Tyrell Adams

March 31st, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have agreed to sign linebacker Tyrell Adams, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.

Adams spent much of his Texans tenure bouncing between the practice squad and the varsity squad. Last year, however, he made 12 starts for Houston. Like many of last year’s first-string defenders, he wasn’t brought back by the Texans, leading him to Buffalo.

Technically, this marks the veteran’s second time with the Bills. The first stint in 2017 lasted just a couple of hours — GM Brandon Beane claimed him and quickly cut him loose again due to injury.

Adams, 28, performed admirably in Benardrick McKinney‘s stead. In 2020, he notched a new career high of 125 tackles with two sacks and two forced fumbles (both FFs came on Thanksgiving against the Lions). In the interest of equal time — the advanced metrics Pro Football Focus didn’t reflect well on his performance, placing him outside of the league’s top 60.

Adams joins a solid LB group in Buffalo that also features Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, and A.J. Klein.

Seahawks To Extend Tyler Lockett

March 31st, 2021 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have locked up Tyler Lockett for the long haul. On Wednesday, the two sides agreed to a four-year, $69.2MM extension (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal includes $37MM in guaranteed cash and likely tamps down his scheduled $14.95MM cap hit for 2021. 

[RELATED: Seahawks Strike New Deal With Jackson]

Lockett, 28, came to Seattle as a third-round pick in 2015. Ever since, he’s greatly outperformed his draft position with solid work out of the slot. Across the last six years, he has 376 grabs, 4,892 yards, and 37 touchdowns to his credit. He’s also coming off of a career-best 100 receptions (for 1,054 yards and ten touchdowns), though his 10.5 yards per catch average left much to be desired. Before 2020, Lockett was averaging 13.9 ypc, bolstered by his near 17-yard average in 2018.

Despite questionable depth at wide receiver, the Seahawks abstained from this year’s best available options. This new deal underscores their confidence in Lockett — not just for this year, but for many seasons to follow. For now, the Seahawks are set to enter 2021 with Lockett and D.K. Metcalf leading the charge with support from Freddie Swain, Cody Thompson, John Ursua, Darvin Kidsy, Aaron Fuller, and Penny Hart.

In addition to Lockett, the Seahawks have also re-upped guard Gabe Jackson with a three-year, $22.58MM extension. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, they moved on from defensive tackle Jarran Reed. With the 28-year-old out of the picture, their DL group will feature Kerry Hyder, Benson Mayowa, Carlos Dunlap, Poona Ford, and old pal Al Woods.

Bengals Re-Sign Amani Bledsoe

March 31st, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have re-signed defensive end Amani Bledsoe on a one-year contract, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

[RELATED: Bengals Meet With Ryan Kerrigan]

Bledsoe started his career with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Oklahoma product spent that year on Tennessee’s practice squad, then joined the Bengals during 2020’s training camp. He went on to make the cut and see time in 14 games last year, including four starts. All in all, he tallied 17 tackles and two pass defenses.

The Bengals are expected to continue hunting for edge rushing help in the draft with Carl Lawson and Geno Atkins out of the picture. There’s also the second-wave of veteran free agents to consider. The Bengals weren’t able to land Sheldon Rankins (like Lawson, he chose the Jets instead) but they do have interest in Ryan Kerrigan. Washington’s all-time sack leader turns 33 in August, but he could likely be had on a low-cost, one-year deal. Other notable and available names like Kawann Short and Jurrell Casey could also appeal to Cincinnati.

Extra Points: Jackson, Fans, Colts, Shaw

March 30th, 2021 at 10:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

DeSean Jackson just signed a one-year deal with the Rams, and before that we hadn’t heard of much known interest in the speedster. That doesn’t mean that interest didn’t exist however. Speaking to the media after signing in Los Angeles, Jackson revealed he had other suitors. “There were other options out there,” Jackson said, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com.

Jackson also explained his thought process in signing with the Rams, and it turns out their head coach was a big factor. “I could have went to other teams, other places. But my focus was really reuniting with Sean McVay. Talking to McVay once I was a free agent and really kind of having those open conversations, talking about the possibilities, it was something that was intriguing for me. So, I think that outweighs everything.” McVay coached Jackson during their time in Washington together, and it was reported at the time of signing that he played a role in recruiting Jackson to LA.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • We’ve only got a little over five months until the start of the 2021 regular season, and it sounds like the league is planning on having things back to normal by then. Commissioner Roger Goodell told the media on Tuesday that the NFL is planning on having all stadiums with full fan capacity for the 2021 season, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Obviously we’ve got a long way to go before the season actually starts and anything can happen, but it’s great to hear the league striking such an optimistic tone nonetheless. Here’s to hoping everything goes smoothly.
  • Frank Reich loves to feature tight ends heavily in his offense, so it might not surprise you to learn the Colts are covering all their bases at the position. Indy had free agent Jeremy Sprinkle in for a workout on Monday, Pelissero tweets. A fifth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2017, Sprinkle made a bit of noise with Washington in 2019 when he had 26 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown. This past season he appeared in all 16 games and played on over 20 percent of the snaps, but was mostly used as a blocker and only caught one pass.
  • The last time you heard about Josh Shaw, he was getting suspended for allegedly betting on Cardinals games while he was on the team’s injured reserve list in November of 2019. The defensive back was suspended for the entire 2020 season, but after serving his ban has now been reinstated by the NFL, the league office announced last week. Shaw started 12 games for the Bengals in 2016, but never made too big of an impact outside of that. He only just turned 29, but teams aren’t exactly going to be beating down his door to sign him now that he’s available.

Bengals To Re-Sign Mike Daniels

March 30th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Mike Daniels isn’t going to be a one and done in Cincinnati. The veteran defensive tackle is re-upping on a new deal with the Bengals, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

It’s a one-year contract worth “up to” $2.5MM, Pelissero reports. A fourth-round pick of the Packers back in 2012, Daniels spent his first seven seasons in Green Bay and became a borderline star there. From 2013-17, he had at least four sacks in every season despite weighing over 300 pounds and being primarily a run defender. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had five sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games.

He had an injury plagued 2018 campaign, and was released the following offseason due to a hefty contract. He was quickly scooped up on a one-year, $9MM deal from the Lions, but injuries limited him to nine games in 2019.

He signed with the Bengals in August of last year, and although he again missed five games, he started the other 11. He had no sacks while playing a less than full-time role. The Iowa product will turn 32 in May.

Cardinals To Sign Colt McCoy

March 30th, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard last week that the Cardinals would host Colt McCoy, and that visit apparently went well. Arizona will be signing the veteran signal-caller, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Financial terms weren’t immediately available, but Schefter reports it’s a one-year deal. McCoy has now reached true journeyman status, and will presumably hold Kyler Murray‘s clipboard in 2021. The Cards were apparently looking to upgrade the backup quarterback spot after former CFL player Chris Streveler mostly fell flat on his face in his only significant run in place of an injured Murray in Week 17 last year.

A college superstar at Texas, McCoy spent his first three pro seasons with the Browns, starting 21 games for Cleveland. After a one season stop with the 49ers, he went on to spend the next six years in Washington. He started seven games in spot duty across those six seasons.

He signed with the Giants in 2020, and started two games in place of an injured Daniel Jones. He completed 40 of 66 passes for 375 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s a competent backup, and the 34-year-old will also be a nice veteran mentor to Murray as he enters his third year.

Bills Meet With LB Tyrell Adams

March 30th, 2021 at 6:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of several Texans 2020 starters no longer with the team, Tyrell Adams booked a Bills visit. The defending AFC East champions brought in the veteran linebacker for a meeting, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Although Adams bounced on and off Houston’s practice squad at previous points during his three-year tenure with the franchise, he started 12 games last season. Adams spent a few hours as a Bill in 2017, with the team claiming the defender off waivers from the Raiders during the Sean McDermott–Brandon Beane regime’s first year. But the Bills sent Adams back to the waiver wire due to an injury.

The Texans, who added Adams in 2018, re-signed him in 2020 to a one-year deal worth $970K. An injury to Benardrick McKinney prompted Adams’ rise to a starting role for the first time, and the former UDFA made 125 tackles — up from his previous career high of 18 — in his fifth pro season. While Pro Football Focus graded the 28-year-old defender outside its top 60 at linebacker, he filled up the stat sheet by adding two sacks and forcing two fumbles.

Like most spots on their roster, the Bills are well-fortified at linebacker. They have Tremaine Edmunds on his rookie contract and just signed Matt Milano to a four-year extension. Buffalo also has A.J. Klein on its roster and just re-signed special-teamer Tyler Matakevich.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/21

March 30th, 2021 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

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