2021 April - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Sign TE Jeremy Sprinkle

April 7th, 2021 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys added a piece to their tight end room Wednesday, poaching one from rival Washington. Four-year Washington contributor Jeremy Sprinkle signed with Dallas.

Washington used Sprinkle as a frequent starter, trotting him out as a first-stringer in 33 games. The former fifth-round pick will join a Cowboys team that saw blocking tight end Blake Bell head back to the Chiefs this offseason.

Logan Thomas emerged as Washington’s top receiving tight end in 2020, but Sprinkle still played an extensive role. He suited up for all 17 Washington games, making six starts, but only caught two passes. The second came in Washington’s playoff loss. Sprinkle, however, played 64% of Washington’s snaps in 2019, when the team lost Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis to season-ending injuries. He caught 26 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown in his third year.

The 26-year-old blocker/occasional pass catcher will join Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz at tight end in Dallas.

Justin Fields To Throw At Second Pro Day; 49ers Expected To Attend

April 7th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

After considering the prospect of throwing for teams again, Justin Fields has decided to do so. The high-end draft target will throw for teams again April 14 on the Ohio State campus, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.

49ers staffers are expected to attend the session, according to Barrows. This comes after Fields’ previous pro day, March 30, overlapped with a Mac Jones throwing session at Alabama. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch opted to watch Jones throw, while 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters observed Fields’ workout. This time, it should be expected the top two 49ers power brokers will watch Fields in Columbus.

The 49ers shook up the draft by acquiring the Dolphins’ No. 3 overall pick. They made no secret of the fact the move was for a quarterback. Shanahan said late last month he was already comfortable that three QBs in this year’s draft could be the 49ers’ long-term answer. While it is uncertain if Fields is one of them, the talented passer agreeing to another pro day would point to him believing that is not the case.

Three-plus weeks ahead of the draft, the 49ers have been linked most closely to Jones. Fields will attempt to boost his stock with the 49ers and with other QB-needy teams next week. The two-year Buckeyes starter was once believed to be the 1A option behind only Trevor Lawrence, but Zach Wilson has likely surpassed him — being the favorite to go to the Jets at No. 2. Fields could be waiting a bit come draft night, though considering his talent and several teams’ need for a long-term quarterback solution, the 22-year-old talent’s floor likely remains high.

It is uncertain if Trey Lance, who was also believed to be considering another showcase, will follow Fields and throw for teams a second time. No private workouts are allowed this year, marking the second straight offseason that is the case. Shanahan and Lynch admitted they stayed away from North Dakota State’s pro day in order to avoid tipping their hands. Lance’s workout took place before the 49ers acquired the No. 3 pick.

49ers, Washington Expressed Interest In Sam Darnold

April 7th, 2021 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers and Washington moved on to other quarterback plans this offseason, but going into free agency, the NFC teams had Sam Darnold on their respective radars.

Said to have received inquiries on Darnold in early February, the Jets indeed spoke to the 49ers about their former top-three pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 49ers are not believed to have discussed this year’s No. 2 overall pick seriously with the Jets, but weeks before they made that seismic trade with the Dolphins, Rapoport notes they did ask what it would take to acquire Darnold.

Washington held conversations on the three-year starter as well, but Rapoport notes the Jets had not reached a consensus on their quarterback path yet. Washington then moved on, signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, who joins the re-signed Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.

San Francisco obviously took a much bigger swing, dealing two future first-rounders for the Dolphins’ No. 3 overall pick this year. This opened the door for the Panthers, who joined both Washington and the 49ers in the Matthew Stafford pursuit. Washington offered its first-round pick and change for Stafford. The Panthers offered their No. 8 overall pick and Teddy Bridgewater to the Lions but had to change course, pivoting to Darnold months later.

Darnold will head to Carolina for his fourth NFL season, while the 49ers have been connected most closely to Mac Jones at No. 3 overall. Jets GM Joe Douglas said the team likely would still be moving forward with Darnold were it not in possession of the No. 2 overall pick, which is expected to be Zach Wilson. Although other quarterback dominoes have moved this offseason, with Stafford and Carson Wentz trades shaking up situations elsewhere, there were a lot of moving parts in the Darnold saga.

Chance Warmack Visiting Seahawks

April 7th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Chance Warmack could be headed back to Seattle. The veteran guard is visiting with the Seahawks, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Fowler notes he’ll be getting a physical and that this is a “potential re-signing.” Warmack is most well-known for being the 10th overall pick of the 2013 draft by the Titans. He became an immediate starter in Tennessee but never lived up to his draft status, had his fifth-year option declined, and was allowed to walk after the 2016 season.

He spent the next two years with the Eagles as a reserve, making a few starts. He was out of football in 2019, then signed with Seattle in March of last year. He ultimately decided to opt out of 2020 due to COVID-19, and was released back in February. Now, he might end up back with the Seahawks for real. If he signs and makes the team it’ll be his first game action since 2018. He’ll turn 30 in September.

Bears Discussing Anthony Miller Trade

April 7th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A potential big trade could be in the works. The Bears have been discussing a deal involving receiver Anthony Miller with a “number of teams,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

We heard a few weeks ago that the team was shopping him, and it sounds like they’re receiving some real interest. Chicago has franchise tagged Allen Robinson, and they had Darnell Mooney breakout last season, making Miller expendable. He’s heading into the final year of his rookie deal, and the team clearly wants to get something for him before he’d presumably walk in free agency.

The 51st overall pick of the 2018 draft, Miller has flashed plenty of big-time potential but has never been able to fully deliver on it. He’s only missed one pro game, but has dealt with serious shoulder issues that have limited him in the past. He caught seven touchdowns as a rookie, then had 52 catches for 652 yards in 2019.

This past season his production dipped, as he had 49 receptions for 485 yards and two touchdowns. The less than 10 yards a reception isn’t great, and his stock likely took a hit. Still he’s only 26, and signed very cheaply for 2021, so it’s not surprising that teams are engaging in discussions. He could be an intriguing flyer with some real upside for a team in need of pass-catching help.

Ravens To Re-Sign Anthony Levine

April 7th, 2021 at 12:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Ravens are keeping a key piece of their locker room in the fold. Baltimore has agreed to terms with safety Anthony Levine on a new deal, his agent Dan Saffron announced on Twitter.

It’s a one-year contract, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets. Levine is one of the longest-tenured members of the organization as well as a team captain, so he’s an important piece even though he doesn’t play much on defense. Levine has been with the team since originally signing to their practice squad back in 2012. He got his start in the league as an UDFA with the Packers in 2010.

A Tennessee State product, Levine played only a few percent of the defensive snaps last year, but is a core special teamer. As recently as 2019 though he played a sizable role on defense, logging 17 percent of the defensive snaps that season. He got $1.812MM on the one-year deal he signed in March of last year, so we can probably assume this new contract is worth somewhere around there. He turned 34 last month.ant

Richard Sherman To Sign After Draft?

April 7th, 2021 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Richard Sherman expects his free agency to last at least a few more weeks. During a recent episode of his podcast, the veteran cornerback said that the upcoming draft – coupled with his age — has him in a holding pattern.

“Well, apparently we got to wait ’til the draft happens before anything else shakes out, because everybody has their hopes and dreams in the draft, which is understandable,” Sherman said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “You turn 33, and then it’s like, ‘We’ll wait until we get a young pup; and if we can’t get a young pup, we’ll take an old fool.’ So that’s where we’re sitting.”

Sherman recently said that he’d be open to a reunion with the Seahawks, though it’s not clear if the interest is mutual. On one hand, the Seahawks could use a corner who is familiar with the defense, seeing as how they lost Shaquill Griffin to the Jaguars in free agency. For now, they have Ahkello Witherspoon, Tre Flowers, and D.J. Reed among their CBs, but they may prefer to go younger and cheaper.

The Saints were also said to have interest in Sherman last month, though that’ll require some creative accounting given their cap situation. Also, a few days after that report, the Saints re-upped defensive back P.J. Williams on a one-year, $2.3MM deal.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: North Dakota State QB Trey Lance

April 7th, 2021 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

After just 17 starts at North Dakota State, quarterback Trey Lance is ready to turn pro. He also barely played in 2020 after NDSU nixed the season, but his tremendous 2019 season is still fresh in everyone’s minds. He may be green, and he’s yet to celebrate his 21st birthday, but Lance figures to be one of the first names called in the 2021 draft.

Lance arrived on campus in 2018 and attempted just one pass as a frosh. In 2019, he ascended to the starting job and put himself squarely on the NFL radar. As a sophomore, Lance threw for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Meanwhile, NDSU took full advantage of his running ability as he racked up 1,110 rushing yards off of 169 carries, good for a 6.5 average per attempt. In 2020, he led the Bison to a 39-28 comeback victory in their lone game against Central Arkansas. Despite the rust, he rattled off 143 rushing yards on 15 carries. He also threw the first interception of his collegiate career, but that can certainly be forgiven.

Aside from Trevor Lawrence, many feel that Lance is the most NFL-ready QB of this year’s bunch. Still shy of legal drinking age, Lance is known for putting in lots of film room time, and that showed throughout his ’19 season. Just a few months ago, Lance was seen as a second-tier QB, a consolation prize for middle-of-the-order teams missing out on Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Now, he’s very much in the same conversation.

So, where will Lance land? Some saw him as a fit for the 49ers after their move up to No. 3, but there’s increasing chatter that they’ll go with Alabama’s Mac Jones instead. Unlike Lance, Jones was able to provide lots of footage for evaluators last year as he set a new national record by completing 77.4% of his throws. He lacks the mobility of Lance, but the Niners may see him as the safer choice of the two.

For the other QB-needy teams on the board, Lance offers tantalizing upside. If Lance can adjust to the pro game and work from the pocket a bit more, the sky is the limit. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot probably recognizes that, which is why he’s reportedly hesitant to pass up a Matt Ryan successor at No. 4. And, if the Falcons trade the pick, there’s a good chance that the team moving up will be eyeing Lance. Right now, it seems like the No. 3 pick is Lance’s ceiling. And, while floors are always hard to peg, it would be a surprise to see him get past No. 7. If the Lions don’t use that pick to take Jared Goff‘s successor, another team could slide in to get their preferred passer.

Bucs, Antonio Brown At Standstill

April 7th, 2021 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown wants to return to the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers would love to have him back. Unfortunately, the two sides remain at a standstill, according to Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times.

Even after re-signing the majority of their stars, the Buccaneers have a shade over $5MM in cap room. Half of that space will go towards signing the incoming draft class, which probably means that the Bucs are offering Brown a one-year, ~$2MM deal.

“We’re just gonna take our time,” head coach Bruce Arians said recently. “There’s offers out there. We’ll see how it goes.”

After his suspension, Brown recorded 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns across eight games. Extrapolated for a full 16-game season, he would have been on pace for 90 catches, 966 yards, and eight touchdowns. At least, that’s the type of math that Brown’s camp is likely presenting. The Bucs’ negotiators would probably note that all of Brown’s TDs and 20 of his 45 catches came in the final three weeks of the regular season.

With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski ready to go, the Bucs could comfortably move ahead without Brown. Meanwhile, it’s not clear if there are any other suitors for AB, so there’s no real sense of urgency in Tampa.

Bills Sign Forrest Lamp

April 7th, 2021 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have signed guard Forrest Lamp to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely for something near the veteran’s minimum.

The Chargers selected Lamp in the second round of the 2017 draft to solidify their offensive line. Considered one of the safest offensive line prospects in the draft, the Western Kentucky product has yet to live up to that billing. Lamp’s first season was spiked by a torn ACL. After a knee procedure in 2018 and a broken ankle in 2019, Lamp suited up for just nine total games in his first three years under contract.

Injuries have kept him on the sidelines for much of his career, but he bounced back last year to play on 100% of his snaps last year. With the Bills, he has a chance to prove that the injury bug is behind him.