2021 April - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Panthers Discussing Trading Down From No. 8 Slot; Broncos Exploring Move Up

April 20th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Panthers GM Scott Fitterer comes from a Seahawks organization that has made some notable trade-down maneuvers. Carolina is now interested in moving back.

The Panthers have held discussions with other teams about trading out of their No. 8 overall draft slot, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Carolina has been linked to a possible quarterback pick, with Fitterer indicating the team’s trade for Sam Darnold would not impede such a move. However, the Panthers could also deal the pick to a team with a greater QB need.

With the Broncos picking ninth, a team moving up to the Panthers’ No. 8 spot would make sense. Teams are viewing Denver as a stealth quarterback seeker, though given the Broncos’ glaring need, it is rather obvious to see why teams would be interested in trading into the Panthers’ position.

The rebuilding Panthers are interested in accumulating more draft capital this year, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Carolina currently holds seven picks. Interest in adding to that total may result in the Broncos being dealt a blow, one that would possibly make them attempt to trade up. Denver has indeed discussed moving up, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). The Broncos hold nine picks in this year’s draft, but the only additional selections are seventh-rounders. A move up would surely cost at least one high pick in 2022.

Washington, the Bears and the Patriots have been linked to potential trade-ups for quarterbacks. It is possible the No. 8 spot could be where the fifth quarterback goes, should the Panthers move down. Of course, the Falcons’ decision at 4 will play a big part in determining what the QB situation looks like at 8. Plenty of moving parts exist going into this year’s top 10, and it seems the Panthers are willing to help another team’s cause — for a likely significant price.

The Panthers are not the only team connected to a possible trade-down maneuver. The Dolphins, Lions and Giants — who hold Nos. 6, 7 and 11, respectively — have expressed interest in accumulating more picks as well. All three would represent spots for teams with designs on acquiring one of the top five quarterbacks. The Panthers may well have thrown their hat in this ring as well.

NFL Suspends Cowboys’ Rashard Robinson

April 20th, 2021 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashard Robinson has incurred another suspension. The NFL handed the Cowboys cornerback a two-game ban for violating its performance-enhancing drug policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This is familiar territory for the veteran defender. Robinson received four- and 10-game suspensions in 2018 and ’19, respectively. Both bans were for substance abuse. This marks the five-year vet’s first PED ban.

The Cowboys signed Robinson in September, adding him to their practice squad. The former fourth-round pick has also played for the 49ers and Jets. San Francisco traded Robinson to New York at the 2017 deadline.

While Robinson was a 13-game starter with the 49ers, he has not received extensive playing time since. The Cowboys used the 25-year-old cover man in four games last season, though he did start three of those, shuttling him on and off their active roster. Robinson is signed through the 2021 season.

Rams Sign P Corey Bojorquez

April 20th, 2021 at 2:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Bills moving in a different direction at punter, Corey Bojorquez will head elsewhere. The Rams agreed to terms with the young specialist Tuesday.

Buffalo’s punter since 2018, Bojorquez will join a team that employs arguably the NFL’s premier punter. Four-time All-Pro Johnny Hekker has been the Rams’ punter since 2012 and is signed through 2023. Still, the Rams are adding Bojorquez, who is from the Los Angeles area.

The Rams may well only have room for Hekker on their final roster, but Bojorquez did lead the NFL with 50.8 yards per punt last season. The Bills signed former Dolphins punter Matt Haack early in free agency.

The Patriots added Bojorquez as a UDFA, but he did not kick in a game for them. The New Mexico alum found his way to Buffalo midway through the 2018 season and kicked in 16 games in each of the past two years. Hekker, 31, is due to count $4.94MM against Los Angeles’ cap this year.

Draft Rumors: Chase, Lions, Lance, Patriots

April 20th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Either the Bengals are crafting a layered smokescreen operation, or they are ready to eschew their top need to load up at wide receiver. Oregon tackle Penei Sewell is expected to be on the board when the Bengals go on the clock at No. 5, but Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes “all signs” point to the team picking LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase (subscription required). This marks another Chase-to-Cincinnati connection. Such a move would reunite Chase and Joe Burrow and give the Bengals a top-flight trio of Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. This would come at the expense of a key O-line pick, though the Bengals did sign Riley Reiff to join Jonah Williams at tackle. And director of player personnel Duke Tobin pointed to this draft’s depth on the O-line, believing the team can acquire a starter on Day 2. Despite Burrow suffering a major knee injury behind a leaky line last season, he is believed to have made an effort to sell Bengal brass on Chase. The 2020 opt-out is viewed as this draft’s top wide receiver.

Here is the latest news coming out of the draft:

The Lions have made noise as a team interested in trading down, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Many around the league believe the Bengals and Dolphins will stay at their Nos. 5 and 6 positions, though the Dolphins have since surfaced as a team considering another move down the board. Should Cincy and Miami stay at their respective spots, Detroit would emerge as a team willing to auction off its pick to a quarterback-seeking team. One or two QBs figure to be on the board when the Lions go on the clock at No. 7, and while new GM Brad Holmes has said he studied this year’s QBs, Jared Goff has received internal support. And the Lions are in a full-on rebuild; trading down could net them a third 2022 first-round pick.
The Patriots sent staffers to Justin Fields and Trey Lance‘s second pro days. Although the Pats re-signed Cam Newton and have not chosen a first-round quarterback since Drew Bledsoe 28 years ago — well before Bill Belichick‘s HC tenure — Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com writes the team would like to take one in this year’s first round. Belichick generally runs a tight ship ahead of drafts, with advance intel difficult to come by, but a recent report also indicated the Pats are on the QB radar — potentially as a trade-up team.
Although a previous report had Washington reps attending Lance’s second pro day, Breer notes Ron Rivera‘s team was not in Fargo, N.D., for the Division I-FCS prospect’s second showcase. The 49ers, Falcons, Broncos and Patriots were there. The 49ers were the only team to send its head coach or GM; both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were there. Lack of attendance aside, Washington is believed to be high on Lance. The team might not be interested in climbing too high for him, but if Lance falls into the bottom half of the top 10, Washington may pounce.

Arthur Blank ‘Fascinated’ By Draft’s Top QBs

April 20th, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Falcons owner Arthur Blank referenced the Chiefs’ Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes baton pass in February, when discussing his team’s quarterback situation. Blank appears interested in his franchise traversing such a path.

The Falcons hold their highest draft choice since selecting Matt Ryan 13 years ago, and NBC Sports’ Peter King reports Blank is “fascinated” by this year’s top crop of quarterbacks. The prospect of the Falcons capitalizing on their rare top-five pick to acquire Ryan’s heir apparent has factored into Blank’s thinking here.

While the longtime Atlanta owner could throw his weight around and insist his new regime go for a quarterback at No. 4 overall, King adds that Blank will not push Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith in a direction. Smith is also believed to be intrigued by this QB class, King notes, but the first-year Falcons HC also believes Ryan still has quality football left. When a report surfaced indicating Smith and Fontenot disagreed on how the team should proceed with the No. 4 pick, Smith was said to prefer drafting a non-quarterback. Fontenot, however, was believed to be leaning closer to the Falcons indeed selecting Ryan’s successor.

Despite a subsequent report indicating Smith and Fontenot came to an understanding on what they will do at 4, Blank and his new GM being linked to QB interest could throw a wrench into this year’s draft. The Falcons are entertaining all options at 4 and have received calls. Should they select a quarterback, not only would this be the first draft ever to begin with four straight QBs being chosen, but the rest of the QB-seeking lot — a list that includes several teams — would be down to one of this year’s top five passers for which to vie. This would apply pressure on the likes of Denver, New England, Washington and Chicago.

The Falcons sent three staffers — assistant college scouting director Dwaune Jones, QBs coach Charles London and passing-game specialist T.J. Yates — to Trey Lance‘s second pro day, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. They also sent the maximum three staffers to Justin Fields‘ second pro day last week. While the 49ers will control which quarterbacks are available for the Falcons at 4, the latter team could follow San Francisco’s QB pick with one of its own.

Giants Trading Down From No. 11 In Play

April 20th, 2021 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

While history certainly suggests the Giants will not move down from their No. 11 overall draft slot, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets this is a scenario the team is considering.

GM Dave Gettleman, famously, has not traded down in any round during eight drafts as a GM — five with the Panthers, three back with the Giants. The Giants have not moved down in Round 1 since 2006, when they traded back with the Steelers and drafted Mathias Kiwanuka at No. 32. But the team has done extensive work on an edge rusher class that may not feature a talent worth selecting at No. 11 overall.

The Giants have also been linked to adding another wide receiver, and a trade-down scenario may depend on whether Alabama stars DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are on the board at 11. Big Blue, however, already handed out the top wideout contract (by far) this offseason, in signing Kenny Golladay to an $18MM-per-year deal. The Giants have Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton penciled in as their top three receivers.

New York has been in need on the edge for years. The team did not address the position with a notable draft pick last year and has since traded Markus Golden and let 2020 stopgap solution Kyler Fackrell walk in free agency; he signed with the Chargers. The Giants do feature high-end talent on their defensive line, with Leonard Williams signing a monster extension this offseason, but certainly could use help at outside linebacker. Moving down from No. 11 would put the team in better position, value-wise, to draft one in the first round.

The scenario that would obviously strengthen the Giants’ bargaining position at 11: one of this draft’s top quarterback prospects falling to this spot. The Giants have affirmed their faith in 2019 draftee Daniel Jones. Should Mac Jones, Trey Lance or Justin Fields be on the board at 11, the Giants would reside in a strong position to collect quality assets from a quarterback-seeking team — potentially the Patriots or Bears. However, this draft may well be the first to see five QBs selected in the top 10. The Giants may be interested in being the emergency vehicle for a QB-needy team, in the event that does not occur.

Panthers, DT DaQuan Jones Agree To Deal

April 20th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers are bringing in a longtime defensive line starter. They agreed to terms with DaQuan Jones on a one-year deal Tuesday, per Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). The team announced the deal, which Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes is worth $4.05MM (Twitter link).

A six-year Titans starter, Jones visited the Panthers on Tuesday, Rapoport tweets. Jones’ most recent Tennessee contract expired, sending him to free agency. The Panthers marked his first offseason connection, and the seven-year veteran should be expected to play a key role with his new team.

Jones has logged 16-start seasons in five of the past six years, moving into the Titans’ lineup in 2015 and only missing time (four games) in 2017 since. Although the Titans cratered in almost every defensive aspect last season, Jones graded as a middle-of-the-pack defensive tackle — in the view of Pro Football Focus — in 2020. The former fourth-round pick registered career-high marks in tackles (49) and quarterback hits (six) last season. Jones graded as a top-30 interior defender in 2019, excelling against the run to help propel the Titans to their first AFC championship game in 17 seasons.

The 29-year-old lineman played in a 3-4 defense throughout his career but now figures to slot alongside 2020 first-round pick Derrick Brown in Carolina’s 4-3 look. The Panthers cut longtime starter Kawann Short and lost key contributor Zach Kerr in free agency. Kerr signed with the 49ers last month; Short remains a free agent.

49ers To Meet With DE Arden Key

April 20th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a week after the Raiders released Arden Key, the young defensive end secured a meeting in a familiar locale. The 49ers are hosting Key on a visit Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The former Bay Area resident lasted just one season in Las Vegas. The Raiders waived the ex-third-round pick last week, with fellow third-year D-lineman Maurice Hurst receiving the boot as well. The 49ers have lost multiple D-ends this offseason, with the Raiders signing Solomon Thomas and Kerry Hyder defecting to the Seahawks.

The 49ers still have Dee Ford on their roster, but he and Nick Bosa are coming off major injuries. Ford’s status is less certain, creating a need for edge depth alongside Bosa and Arik Armstead. Dion Jordan, a San Francisco contributor last season, is a free agent.

Key played three seasons with the Raiders, who nabbed the LSU product after he unexpectedly fell into Round 3. The Raiders used Key as a 10-game starter as a rookie but relegated him to backup duty over the past two seasons. For his career, Key has just three sacks in 37 games. He did register 11 QB hits in 2020, however, and will only be 25 come Week 1.

Reid: Door Open For Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz Returns

April 20th, 2021 at 10:01am CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs created a major depth chart issue ahead of free agency, making longtime tackle starters Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz cap casualties. Both remain free agents, however, and Andy Reid said the door is not closed on either returning.

“Unfortunately with Schwartz and Fish, you run into these cap situations,” Reid said, via NFL.com. “Some of these things had to be done. But the greatest thing about this is those guys, with their stay in Kansas City, they go out as champs, and they can hold that with them. Again, you never know. This is a small fraternity of teams. What goes around could come back around to you.

“Not that they’re not back with us at some point, but that door always remains open. These guys did it the right way here.”

Reid’s comments do not make it sound likely either returns, but the Chiefs have not necessarily replaced them. The savings from the Fisher and Schwartz cuts — upwards of $18MM — allowed the Chiefs to sign Joe Thuney. The team then competed for Trent Williams, finishing second in that pursuit. Kansas City re-signed Mike Remmers, who started at both tackle spots last season, but would appear to be in need of upgrades at left and right tackle still.

Fisher suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in the Chiefs’ AFC championship game rout; the injury pushed Remmers from right to left tackle and led to the Buccaneers’ pass rushers pressuring Patrick Mahomes throughout Super Bowl LV. Schwartz missed most of 2020 with a back injury, one that ended his iron-man streak. The stalwart right tackle had never previously missed a start. Fisher and Schwartz served as the Chiefs’ tackles for the bulk of the past five seasons.

Reid added that 2020 third-round pick Lucas Niang, who opted out of his rookie season, could be an option at left tackle. But the Chiefs figure to need at least one new tackle starter, and regardless of Fisher and Schwartz’s statuses, the two-time reigning AFC champions are likely to address the position early in the draft. Fisher and Schwartz were previously attached to eight-figure-per-year deals; both would need to accept major discounts to return.

Fisher turned 30 in January; Schwartz will turn 32 in June. Both profile as two of the top remaining free agents, but with each coming off 2021 surgeries, they may linger on the market for a while. Depending on how the Chiefs’ draft goes, at least one of these reunions may be in play.

TE Jordan Reed Intends To Retire

April 20th, 2021 at 9:06am CST by Sam Robinson

Jordan Reed made a return to the NFL last season, catching on with the 49ers after missing all of 2019 due to injury. But the eight-year veteran is not expected to continue his career.

Reed, 30, is planning to retire, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). While the former third-round pick quickly showed potential as a pass-catching weapon, constant injury trouble disrupted that promise. Reed, however, will walk away after a four-touchdown season, one in which he played a key role following George Kittle‘s early-season malady.

Washington nabbed Reed in 2013, and while he never surpassed 14 games in a season, the ex-Florida Gator became one of the league’s best pass-catching tight ends for a stretch. Reed followed up a career-high 952-yard, 11-touchdown 2015 season by signing a five-year, $46.5MM extension. This preceded his lone Pro Bowl, in 2016, when Reed teamed with Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder in Washington’s potent passing attack.

Injuries intervened often, however. Reed missed 53 regular-season games and suffered at least four concussions as a pro. Those head injuries came after he sustained multiple concussions at Florida. Reed also suffered two MCL sprains, battled toe trouble for years and dealt with hamstring, chest, quadriceps and thumb maladies during his career.

Most notably, Reed missed the entire 2019 season because of a preseason concussion and contemplated retirement in 2020. Washington released Reed that year, but he caught on with San Francisco as Kittle’s backup. Reed played in 10 games last season, returning to action after an MCL sprain sidelined him in Week 3.

Reed will finish his career with 355 receptions for 3,602 yards and 28 touchdowns. Those numbers rank third in catches and yards among tight ends — behind only Jerry Smith and Chris Cooley — in Washington franchise history.

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