HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Ravens To Host Alejandro Villanueva

April 19th, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent tackle Alejandro Villanueva is set to meet with the Ravens this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Steelers haven’t shown much interest in bringing him back, but they could wind up seeing him a couple of times in 2021. 

Villanueva has spent the last seven years with the Steelers. For much of that span, the Steelers’ offensive line was viewed as a strength. However, things declined over the last couple of years as the unit got older. The departure of offensive line coach Mike Munchak may have also been a factor.

Villanueva was never considered an elite left tackle, but he usually did an okay job of protecting Ben Roethlisberger‘s blindside. He’s also been durable, starting all 16 games in each of the past five seasons.

The Ravens are currently projected to start the returning Ronnie Stanley at left tackle with Orlando Brown Jr. on the right side. However, after performing well in Stanley’s stead last year, Brown says he wants to stay at LT. If Brown forces a trade, Villanueva could be considered for the starting lineup. Of course, the Ravens prefer to keep Brown and employ someone like Villanueva as a backup.

 

49ers To Meet With Tony Jefferson

April 19th, 2021 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are set to meet with Tony Jefferson this week (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). The veteran safety has not played in nearly two years, but he could mount a comeback with the 49ers if he passes his physical.

An ACL tear in October of 2019 sidetracked Jefferson’s NFL career. Then, the pandemic interfered with Jefferson’s rehab. Under normal circumstances, Jefferson would have been mostly healed by April. Instead, he was unable to see his physical therapist or gain access to the equipment he needed.

“I was really getting into a groove with my workouts and my rehab,” Jefferson said. “Now, I’m waiting two or three weeks just to get a medicine ball.”

After spending the early part of his career with the Cardinals, Jefferson inked a four-year, $34MM contract with the Ravens in 2017. He started in all 35 of his games for Baltimore from 2017-2019, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus weren’t fond of his work in 2019 (the five-game season). The Ravens went on to release Jefferson in February of 2020, but he wasn’t healthy enough to land a deal elsewhere.

Jefferson will have to settle for less than his last contract, but he’ll be better positioned next year if he can turn in a healthy season. After all, he’s still just 29 years old with five-plus seasons worth of starting experience to his credit.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Lawrence, Seahawks

April 18th, 2021 at 9:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Over half of the league’s teams have now issued statements saying some or all of their players will sit out in-person offseason workouts. While those standoffs continue, we’ve got an adjacent update on the NFL’s COVID-19 policies. The NFLPA told players over the weekend that they’d no longer be subject to discipline for “high-risk COVID conduct,” a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

That includes things like going to bars and large indoor events. There some high profile discipline incidents for high-risk COVID conduct last season, perhaps most notably when Dwayne Haskins was fined and stripped of his captaincy after being photographed mask-less with strippers. As Pelissero points out, this means that the players who do decide to report to team facilities for in-person workouts won’t have to live in quarantine. Pelissero reports the NFL will still maintain the right to hand down discipline for violating protocols inside team facilities.

Here are a couple other notes from around the league on a quiet Sunday night:

  • Not that it’s any secret the Jaguars are taking Trevor Lawrence, but we’ve got some more info on what’s going down behind the scenes. Urban Meyer pretty much publicly acknowledged a couple weeks ago that the team would draft the Clemson passer first overall later this month, and it sounds like the budding relationship is going well. Jacksonville has been sharing elements of their offensive scheme and playbook with Lawrence to see what he can retain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter video link). These zoom sessions have apparently been going well, as Lawrence has “impressed them” by “being able to talk like he’s already a member” of the team, Rapoport says.
  • There was a lot of drama surrounding Russell Wilson this offseason, which led to trade rumors, but it sounds like he’s been very engaged in the Seahawks’ offseason plans. Running back Chris Carson signed a two-year deal to stay in Seattle despite interest from a number of other teams, and he recently revealed that Wilson played a big role in recruiting him. “He was definitely in my ear,” Carson said, via John Boyle of the team’s official site. “We talked about it before the season ended that we didn’t want this to be the last year we played with each other. He definitely was in my ear during the offseason.” He also said fellow running back Rashaad Penny played a big role in recruiting him back. Wilson’s efforts here, as well as his recent reassurances to Carlos Dunlap, seem to indicate he isn’t planning on leaving the Seahawks anytime soon.

East Notes: Jets, Eagles, Washington

April 18th, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Teams around the league have been announcing that many if not all of their players would skip voluntary offseason workouts, including the Jets a couple of days ago. Things are now up in the air between the NFL and NFLPA, and one of the biggest sticking points is what to do about players with workout bonuses in their contracts. As of right now those players would stand to lose out on those bonuses, and collectively many millions of dollars, which is why some teams have said that some of their players will still be showing up.

Fortunately for Jets players, nobody on the roster has a workout bonus in their deal, according to Overthecap.com, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Cimini notes the Jets had doled out lots of workout bonuses in past years, but “the current regime” led by GM Joe Douglas “has moved away from them.” He also points out that New York is “one of only five teams with no workout bonuses.”

Here’s more from the East, shifting to the NFC now:

  • Jordan Howard recently signed back with the Eagles on a one-year deal, and he apparently didn’t have too many other options. Speaking to the media in a press conference this past week, Howard revealed he thought he might’ve been done in the NFL this offseason. “My market was just pretty dry,” Howard said, via Tim McManus of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “I was having thoughts like, I might be done,” he admitted candidly. “Teams weren’t really calling,” he added. Given the apparent lack of other interest, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that Howard’s one-year deal is for the vet minimum and contains no guaranteed money, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports reports. Howard made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 with the Bears, but his stock has fallen rapidly since. He started last year with the Dolphins before getting cut and ending up back in Philly. He was also with the Eagles in 2019, when he carried the ball 119 times for 525 yards and six touchdowns in ten games.
  • Washington made an interesting developmental signing this past week when they added former basketball player Sammis Reyes, who is hoping to become an NFL tight end. It was a cool story, and it turns out Washington views Reyes as something more than just a dart throw. His contract comes with $392K in guaranteed money, with a $20K signing bonus and $372K in guaranteed salary, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That’s more than some established veterans are getting on this open market. That’s also way more than any old undrafted free agent would get, so Ron Rivera and co. clearly think Reyes has some real potential to contribute. After they watched Logan Thomas go from quarterback to very productive tight end for them last year, it’s not hard to understand why they’d try to catch lightning in a bottle twice.

Robert Saleh Wants Richard Sherman On Jets

April 18th, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Richard Sherman recently said he’d be open to returning to the Seahawks and Pete Carroll, but he could end up reuniting with a different head coach that he’s familiar with.

New Jets head coach Robert Saleh is interested in reuniting with Sherman in New York, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com is told. Whether or not GM Joe Douglas will sign off on such a move apparently “depends on a few factors.” Cimini notes it could hinge on what the Jets do at cornerback in the draft, which could mesh since we heard a couple of weeks ago Sherman wasn’t planning on signing before the draft.

Cimini also says that Sherman “seemingly would prefer a contending team in the West,” so it’s not clear the interest is entirely mutual. Saleh, of course, was Sherman’s defensive coordinator in San Francisco the past few seasons. Sherman spent a long time as one of the top corners in the league as part of Seattle’s legendary ‘Legion of Boom’ defenses, then signed with the 49ers in 2018.

The Stanford product was limited to only five games this past year and turned 33 last month, but he was still a second-team All-Pro in 2019. He’ll be an interesting gamble for a team, as he’s past his prime and coming off an injury-plagued year, but also played at a very high level not too long ago.

As Cimini cautions there are “a few bridges to cross before anything happens,” but it sounds like there is another very realistic suitor for Sherman on the table.

Falcons “Open To All Options” With No. 4 Pick

April 18th, 2021 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons are open to all options with respect to their No. 4 overall pick, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (video link). The teams holding the first three picks in the draft — the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers — are going to select quarterbacks, so the Falcons are the first club that could go with a non-QB or trade down. As such, there has been plenty of speculation about what Atlanta might do.

Our own Sam Robinson nicely recapped all of the reports regarding the No. 4 pick in a recent PFR poll (most of our readers presently think that the Falcons will keep their pick and select Florida TE Kyle Pitts, while a smaller but still significant contingent thinks Atlanta will trade down). Essentially, while new GM Terry Fontenot and new HC Arthur Smith were previously said to be split on what do to with the selection — Fontenot wanted to use it on a QB, while Smith wanted to use it on a player who would make more of an immediate impact — the club’s top power brokers are now reportedly in lockstep.

But that could just mean that they are in agreement on the QB vs. non-QB issue. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have decided which prospect, quarterback or otherwise, they want to select — though some league sources believe the club is targeting Pitts — and if another team puts together an enticing trade package, a move down the board remains on the table.

In the meantime, the Falcons continue to do their due diligence on the quarterbacks that could be available. They will have reps at Trey Lance‘s Pro Day tomorrow, and they had eyes on Lance at his first showcase as well. They were also in attendance at both of Justin Fields‘ Pro Days, and if nothing else, the idea that they are seriously considering one of those two passers will only help their asking price in trade talks. As Fowler notes, Atlanta could certainly use some additional draft capital to shore up its defense.

Fowler confirms previous reports that the Broncos — whose hunt for a QB upgrade has been well-documented — could be looking to move up from No. 9 to No. 4, while Atlanta’s division rivals, the Panthers, might be another team looking to trade down now that they have landed Sam Darnold.

PFR Originals: Falcons, Pitts, NFL Draft

April 18th, 2021 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at the best of our original content:

Latest On Browns S Grant Delpit

April 18th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns snagged LSU safety Grant Delpit with the No. 44 overall pick of last year’s draft, which looked to be something of a steal considering Delpit’s upside. Unfortunately, the winner of the 2019 Jim Thorpe Award suffered a torn Achilles during the first week of training camp last August, thereby ending his rookie season before it could even begin.

To help fill the void, Cleveland traded for young Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison, and it had signed Andrew Sendejo before the Delpit injury. Sendejo, however, was one of the worst safeties in the league in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and he remains a free agent. The Browns did sign former Ram John Johnson in free agency last month, and between him, Harrison — who was PFF’s ninth-best safety — and Delpit, Cleveland will have a young and talented safety corps for defensive coordinator Joe Woods to work with.

But it will still be a while before Delpit can return to the field. The 22-year-old tells Anthony Poisal of the team’s official website that he is a few months away from full medical clearance. “I’ve put so many hours in the weight room,” he said. “That’s just part of life when you’re playing in the league. I’m doing everything I can to get on the field.”

As Poisal writes, Delpit’s recovery timeline should allow him to be ready for the start of training camp. It’s hard to speculate on what his role might be until he gets a couple of weeks of work under him, but his coverage abilities and physicality suggest that he will be a major factor on a team that has made a number of additions to the defensive side of the ball this offseason and that is looking to build on its most successful season since it rejoined the NFL in 1999.

PFR’s 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile Series

April 18th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In the lead-up to the 2021 NFL Draft, we’re taking a closer look at some of the brightest stars in this year’s class. There’s more to come, but here’s a look at our Prospect Profile series thus far:

Steelers To Draft RB In First Or Second Round

April 18th, 2021 at 10:01am CST by Rory Parks

Given that their running back room is currently comprised of Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, and free agent signee Kalen Ballage, we expected that the Steelers would be on the lookout for running back help in the draft. And as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, GM Kevin Colbert will indeed select a collegiate running back, and he will most likely do so in the first round.

Running back is no longer seen as a position that must be filled with a first-round draft choice, unless the prospect in question is an obvious Pro Bowl talent. But while the Steelers’ league-worst rushing total of 1,351 yards in 2020 could be at least partially explained by the pass-heavy offense quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was operating, the team wasn’t effective when it did choose to run the ball. Pittsburgh’s 3.6 YPC average was also the worst mark in the NFL, so it’s clear that a major upgrade is in order.

Three-year starter James Conner recently signed with the Cardinals, and while he received a modest contract from Arizona, the Steelers — who are revamping their rushing attack under new OC Matt Canada and new OL coach Adrian Klemm — simply wanted to go in a different direction. Plus, Conner is not necessarily the explosive player that Pittsburgh believes it can land in the draft.

With the No. 24 overall selection, the Steelers should have a shot at at least one of the top two RBs in this year’s draft: Alabama’s Najee Harris and Clemson’s Travis Etienne. Harris is a powerful runner who is just as effective between the tackles as he is on the perimeter, and he has developed into a reliable receiver over the course of his collegiate career. Etienne, meanwhile, is a threat to break off a big play whenever he touches the ball, and he would make an excellent chess piece for Canada as he seeks to exploit favorable matchups against opposing defenses.

Dulac says that if the Steelers pass on an RB in the first round, they will certainly grab one in the second. Top Day 2 prospects include UNC’s Javonte Williams — who probably won’t fall to Pittsburgh’s second-round choice at No. 55 overall — fellow Tar Heel Michael Carter, and Ohio State’s Trey Sermon.

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