2021 April - Pro Football Rumors

Aldon Smith Booked On Battery Charge

April 21st, 2021 at 10:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Aldon Smith turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night and was booked on a second-degree battery charge, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

A warrant went out for Smith’s arrest earlier this week for an incident that took place Saturday. The recent Seahawks acquisition has been accused of assaulting an acquaintance outside a coffee house in New Orleans. Smith, 31, is now free on bond, Gehlken adds.

Smith, however, contends he did not touch the man who is accusing him of assault, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The alleged dispute was between Smith and members of his family and the husband of Smith’s pregnant sister, according to Florio.

The Seahawks signed Smith to a low-cost one-year deal. While the veteran pass rusher remains a member of the Seahawks, this latest arrest could change that status. Smith battled past legal issues during his first NFL run and during the ensuing four-plus-year hiatus. The Cowboys ended Smith’s exile from the NFL but elected not to re-sign him this offseason.

Dolphins Open To Drafting DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle?

April 21st, 2021 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

A report earlier this offseason indicated the Dolphins wanted to add a boundary wide receiver and a slot target. The team checked off the first of those boxes by signing Will Fuller and may be preparing to finish this mission in Round 1.

Rumblings of another Dolphins trade-down maneuver have surfaced, with the team appearing open to moving down again — perhaps if another team wants to fork over major assets for a quarterback. The Dolphins would be put to a decision in this case, because they may not want to move down too far. The team would not mind ending up with one of the two Alabama wide receivers — DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — if Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase are not available, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.

Both Pitts and Chase be gone by the time the Dolphins go on the clock at No. 6. The Bengals continue to be linked to Chase at No. 5. If Pitts is still there at 6, the Dolphins should be expected to draft him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). But if the Dolphins believe they can land Smith or Waddle a bit later than 6, the right offer could prompt the team to pull the trigger on a trade before the draft.

Should both the Alabama prospects be available whenever the Dolphins’ first pick ends up, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the team is believed to be high on Waddle.

Miami acquired a bounty from San Francisco late last month, collecting the No. 12 pick, two future first-rounders and a 2021 third for the No. 3 selection. The Dolphins may be preparing to capitalize on another quarterback-needy team. A team like the Broncos, who hold pick No. 9 and have discussed moving up, may be a fit for another Dolphins trade-down maneuver. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s latest ESPN mock draft has Waddle and Smith falling to the Nos. 11 and 12 spots.

Climbing back from 12 to 6, however, via the trade with the Eagles seemingly indicates the Dolphins want to equip Tua Tagovailoa with another weapon. Tagovailoa played with Smith and Waddle at Alabama; each of his former Crimson Tide teammates would be a major upgrade for the Dolphins and would join Fuller and DeVante Parker in a formidable receiver group.

Contract Details: Smith, Falcons, Texans

April 21st, 2021 at 9:09am CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from some of the league’s most recently agreed-upon contracts:

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR (Falcons): One year, $3MM. The decorated kick returner’s contract includes a $1.7MM base salary and $1.3MM signing bonus, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
DeMarcus Walker, DL (Texans): One year, $1.5MM. The ex-Broncos D-lineman will receive $500K guaranteed and can earn up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses, per veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). Walker’s deal will count $1.45MM against the Texans’ cap.
Jaleel Johnson, DL (Texans): One year, $1.3MM. Johnson will see $300K of his $1MM base salary guaranteed, Wilson tweets. A $350K incentive also exists within this deal.
Roderick Johnson, T (Texans): One year, $1.15MM. Johnson will receive $350K guaranteed. He will be attached to a $920K base salary and can collect $130K in per-game roster bonuses, Wilson tweets.
Aldon Smith, DE (Seahawks): One year, $1.13MM. Smith agreed to a deal that includes a nonguaranteed $990K base salary, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. He will collect a $137K signing bonus, with the contract counting at $988K on Seattle’s cap sheet.
Lane Taylor, G (Texans): One year, $1.13MM. Taylor will collect a $138K signing bonus and count $988K toward Houston’s cap, Wilson tweets.
Duron Harmon, S (Falcons): One year, $1.1MM. Harmon will receive $363K guaranteed, per Rothstein. He will count $988K against Atlanta’s cap.

T.J. Ward Announces Retirement

April 21st, 2021 at 8:16am CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Ward caught on with the Cardinals’ practice squad for a bit last season, doing so after being out of football for a lengthy stretch. The former Pro Bowl safety will not attempt to play in 2021. Ward announced his retirement Wednesday morning, Troy Renck of Denver7 reports.

Best known for being part of the Broncos’ No Fly Zone secondary, which played a major role in the franchise’s third Super Bowl championship, Ward was a regular for eight NFL seasons. He also spent time with the Browns and Buccaneers, last suiting up for a regular-season game in 2017.

Ward, 34, will wrap his career as a two-time Pro Bowler. The Browns selected Ward in the 2010 second round and used him as a starter throughout his four-year tenure in Cleveland. In 2014, Ward signed a four-year, $22.5MM contract to join the Broncos. This move elevated Ward’s profile and bolstered a Broncos defense that was coming off a rough outing in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The ex-Oregon Duck spent three seasons with the Broncos, joining DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders as part of the franchise’s quality 2014 free agent class. An intimidating presence on the back line of a dominant Broncos secondary, Ward joined Talib, Chris Harris, Darian Stewart and Bradley Roby in helping the Broncos rank first in pass defense DVOA in 2015 and ’16.

Ward intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in Super Bowl 50, playing a pivotal part in Denver’s upset victory, and continued as a starter in 2016. The Broncos gave Stewart a long-term extension that season and used two 2016 draft picks on safeties — Justin Simmons and Will Parks. Simmons ended up replacing Ward in 2017. The Broncos released Ward ahead of that season, leading to his one-year, $4MM Bucs deal.

The hard-hitting safety finished his career with two 100-plus-tackle seasons — both with Cleveland — and 29 tackles for loss. He added 10 forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns — both of which came in 2013, when he earned second-team All-Pro recognition.

Bills To Consider RB At No. 30?

April 20th, 2021 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills seem to have a full depth chart at running back, but Brandon Beane is receptive to adding a running back in the first round. Speaking to reporters, the GM revealed that the team would consider taking a running back at No. 30.

“What does his skill set have in comparison to what we have on the roster?” Beane asked reporters (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Is this player going to do something … I don’t think either one of our backs are home run hitters, so is there an elite trait that this guy has and says, ‘Man, he’s got something we don’t have.’ That’s probably the conversation, versus, ‘OK, are we going to take the same type of back as Devin [Singletary], are we gonna take the same type of back as Zack [Moss]? Because even those two guys have different skill sets.”

While the Bills have used third-round picks in each of the past two drafts to select running backs (Singletary in 2019, Moss in 2020), the team still ranked in the bottom-half of the NFL in rushing yards, yards per attempt, and rushing touchdowns (with a chunk of that production coming from Josh Allen and his 421-yard, eight-touchdown performance on the ground). While Singletary and Moss (along with free agent addition Matt Breida) should be a passable grouping in 2021, it’d make sense that the team would look to add a dynamic play-maker to the bunch.

Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Alabama’s Najee Harris, and North Carolina’s Javonte Williams could all be available when the Bills are on the clock at No. 30.

Seahawks OL Kyle Fuller Signs ERFA Tender

April 20th, 2021 at 9:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Kyle Fuller is officially back with the Seahawks. The offensive lineman signed his ERFA tender today, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).

The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Baylor started two of his nine games as a rookie with the Texans, but he was let go after one year with the organization. The offensive lineman had brief stints with both Washington and the Dolphins before landing in Seattle prior to the 2019 campaign.

Fuller spent the majority of his first season with Seattle on the practice squad, but he saw a larger role in 2020. After sitting out the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the lineman proceeded to appear in nine games (one start) for the Seahawks. The 27-year-old didn’t play a whole lot (78 offensive snaps, 25 special teams snaps), but he made enough of an impression to get a tender from the team.

Fuller could end up seeing more playing time during his third season with Seattle. The Seahawks lost a pair of backups this offseason in Chad Wheeler and Chance Warmack, although they’ll probably add to the position with rookies.

Latest On Extension Talks Between Bills, Josh Allen

April 20th, 2021 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Josh Allen and the Bills will eventually agree on a long-term pact, but the two sides are starting to play some hardball. Speaking to reporters, general manager Brandon Beane seemed to hint that the two sides weren’t close on a deal.

“Josh and I have spoken,” Beane said (via Chris Brown of the team’s website on Twitter). “We’d love to get Josh extended, but it has to be a number that works for him and us. We’re all on same page. Josh wants to be here. That gives me hope we’ll get something done at some point. Can’t guarantee it’ll be this year.”

That tiny revelation at the end is a bit telling. It was only last month that Beane revealed that the two sides would likely focus on extension talks following the draft, and there seemed to be some optimism that the deal would be completed relatively quickly. Now, it’s sounding like the organization isn’t convinced that a deal will get done any time soon.

Of course, there shouldn’t be any cause for concern. Allen could simply play the 2022 season on his fifth-year option, meaning there’s no urgency to get a deal done before the start of the 2021 season. In fact, Beane has plenty of experience dealing with this contract scenario; the former Panthers executive detailed how his front office was unable to extend Cam Newton following the QB’s third season.

“He played that season and then after that season, we got it done pretty quick that next offseason,” Beane said (via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). “We were all on the same page. I guess what I’m saying is, you can’t force it. It happens when it happens. If it happens this year, great. If it doesn’t, I’ll be very positive that we’ll get it done next year.”

Allen had a breakout campaign in 2020, transforming into an MVP candidate and guiding the Bills to 13 wins. He finished the year having completed 69.2-percent of his passes for 4,544 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and he added another 421 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the grund. He also helped lead the Bills to the AFC Championship Game, the organization’s first appearance in the game since 1993. Considering some of the recent quarterback deals that have been handed out, Allen will certainly be eyeing a lucrative pay day when he inevitably puts pen to paper.

Eagles Could Move Up In First Round?

April 20th, 2021 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

After having made one blockbuster trade involving first-round picks, the Eagles might not be done. Albert Breer of SI.com writes that the Eagles could look to move back up in the first round.

The Eagles currently sit with the No. 12 pick in the draft, and Breer writes that the team could spend assets to move into the top-10 while still coming out ahead (when combined with their deal with the Dolphins). The writer speculates that the front office could target a cornerback in a hypothetical trade-up scenario, although Breer doesn’t discount the chances that the team would take a quarterback; this would be a significant pivot after the team selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of last year’s draft.

Alternatively, Breer hints that the Eagles are also sniffing around at trade scenarios that would see them move back even further in the first round. If the Eagles are indeed seeking a cornerback, this path would make some sense, as there’s a chance the team is perfectly fine with any of the top-three players at the position (Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain, Caleb Farley).

Either way, it sounds like the No. 12 pick could be on the block, and that particular selection has switched teams multiple times this offseason. That selection was originally owned by the 49ers, and it was sent to Miami (along with a 2021 third-rounder and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023) in a trade that brought the No. 3 pick to San Francisco. Then, Miami went and traded that No. 12 pick (plus a 2022 first-round pick) to the Eagles for No. 6 and No. 156.

Saints Add Two Offensive Linemen

April 20th, 2021 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints are adding to their offensive line. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans has re-signed offensive lineman Will Clapp. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the team has also signed center Christian Montano to a one-year deal.

Clapp joined the Saints as a seventh-round pick in 2018, and he’s spent time alternating between the active roster and practice squad over the past three seasons. After appearing in a career-high 14 games (with three starts) in 2019, Clapp appeared in eight games this past year. He collected only 62 offensive snaps and 41 special teams snaps, and he was responsible for only a single penalty.

Montano went undrafted last year following a standout career at both Brown University and Tulane University. He spent most of the preseason with the Steelers, but he was let go by the organization prior to the regular season.

The Saints offensive line is already set to look a bit different next season following the release of Nick Easton. Without a whole lot of financial flexibility, the Saints are going to be depending on young players like Adam Trautman and Zack Baun to protect either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.

Raiders Hosted CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson

April 20th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Blidi Wreh-Wilson could be heading back to the AFC. The Raiders hosted the veteran cornerback on a visit today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Following a standout career at UConn, Wreh-Wilson was a third-round pick by the Titans back in 2013. He spent three seasons in Tennessee, including a 2014 campaign that proved to a be a career season. During that sophomore season, Wreh-Wilson finished with 57 tackles, one interception, and 10 passes defended. Following a 2015 campaign that saw him appear in only 10 games, Wreh-Wilson was let go by the Titans at the end of the 2016 preseason.

Wreh-Wilson eventually caught on with the Falcons during their 2016 run to the Super Bowl, appearing in a single regular season game. He ended up spending the next four seasons with Atlanta, appearing in 40 games between the 2017 and 2020 seasons. He also got into a pair of playoff games during the 2017 season.

Las Vegas will begin the season shorthanded at corner, with the recently re-signed Nevin Lawson set for another two-game suspension. The team added Rasul Douglas yesterday, and they signed former first-round pick Karl Joseph earlier this offseason.