2021 April - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

49ers Seeking First-Round Pick For Jimmy Garoppolo?

April 4th, 2021 at 9:23am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, according to Mike Giardi of NFL.com (on Twitter). That’s likely more than any team would be willing to spend, given Garoppolo’s recent struggles.

After vaulting up to the No. 3 overall pick, the Niners seem poised to select a new QB. And, even before that deal, they were keeping tabs on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Still, the 49ers insist that Garoppolo is staying put.

“We went to ownership and said, ‘Hey, things are looking good. We’d like to make this move, but we also don’t want to say goodbye to Jimmy,” Lynch said. “We’ve shown we can get to a Super Bowl with him. We can play at a high level and we don’t think those two things have to be mutually exclusive.”

Meanwhile, there’s been chatter about the Patriots potentially reuniting with Garoppolo, especially since Cam Newton‘s new contract is light on guaranteed cash. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Pats meeting this asking price, especially since they received a second-round pick when they shipped him to SF in 2017.

Garoppolo played all 16 games in San Francisco’s 2019 NFC Championship season, but played in only three in 2018 and just six this past year. The 49ers went 3-3 in the 29-year-old’s starts this season, with Garoppolo completing 67.1% of his throws for 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Buccaneers GM: I Won’t Draft A Kicker

April 3rd, 2021 at 10:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht has learned his lesson. He’s reached for kickers twice during his tenure as Tampa’s GM, but he’s ruled out the position in this year’s draft.

“I won’t take a kicker,” said Licht, who intends to head into the fall with Ryan Succop as his kicker.

In 2016, Licht went for Roberto Aguayo in the second round, citing him as a generational talent. The Florida State product was the first kicker since 2005 (Mike Nugent, Jets) to be selected in the second round, but he made just 71-percent of his field goal attempts as a rookie. During the 2017 offseason, he was replaced by Nick Folk.

“This is the best kicker I’ve ever seen in college, my favorite kicker,” Licht said of Aguayo following the draft. “I’m not going to risk [not] getting him and then have to go through a kicking carousel again during my tenure. I want to get the best kicker. Every position, I want to get the best.”

Then, in 2019, Licht took Matt Gay with the No. 145 overall choice. This time around, he’s standing pat with Succop, who recently inked a three-year, $12MM contract extension.

PFR’s NFL Glossary: Supplemental Draft

April 3rd, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s supplemental draft allows teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year. For example, if a team selects a player in the sixth round of the supplemental draft this year, they will have to give up their 2021 sixth round selection.

In the past, teams have found gems in the supplemental draft. In 2011, the Raiders selected Ohio State quarterback and future standout NFL receiver Terrelle Pryor. In 2012, the Browns used a second round pick to take the talented and troubled Josh Gordon. Other supplemental draft alums include quarterback Bernie Kosar (Browns, 1985), wide receiver Cris Carter (Eagles, 1987), running back Bobby Humphrey (Broncos, 1989), wide receiver Rob Moore (Jets, 1990), nose tackle Jamal Williams (Chargers, 1998), and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (Bengals, 2006).

There were no players taken in the supplemental draft in 2016 or 2017, but the Giants snapped the cold streak when they selected Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal in the third round of the 2018 draft. Then, in the sixth round, the Redskins tapped Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander. In 2019, defensive back Jalen Thompson (Cardinals) was the only player to hear his name called.

Last year, due the pandemic, the NFL cancelled the supplemental draft altogether. The draft is likely to return in 2021, likely on the week of July 12th.

NFC East Notes: Rudolph, Eagles, Cowboys

April 3rd, 2021 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Rudolph is expected to undergo foot surgery soon, and he may be in for extensive rehab. The new Giants tight end is believed to be dealing with a Lisfranc injury, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. The troublesome foot malady can be difficult to shake, but Rudolph expects to be ready for Week 1. This injury is similar to what Evan Engram dealt with in 2019. Engram underwent surgery to address his Lisfranc issue in December 2019 and was ready for training camp last year. Rudolph’s timetable is considerably more condensed, which likely led to the delay in the veteran tight end signing his Giants contract. Engram and Rudolph would give the Giants one of the NFL’s top tight end tandems, but the former’s injury history and the latter’s current issue cloud that situation to some degree.

Here is more from the NFC East:

GM Howie Roseman and Eagles scouts had differing opinions on which players to select with the team’s top two draft choices last year. The veteran GM and Eagles coaches’ preference for Jalen Reagor won out over the consensus scouts’ preference: Justin Jefferson. Roseman also veered from his scouts’ recommendation in Round 2, tabbing Jalen Hurts over safety Jeremy Chinn, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. The Eagles will bank on the latter move this season, having since traded Carson Wentz and seemingly signed Joe Flacco to back up Hurts. Chinn went to the Panthers at No. 64 — 11 picks after Hurts — and finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Going to the Vikings one pick after Reagor, Jefferson finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Frank Reich‘s future took a major turn in 2018, when Josh McDaniels‘ backtracking on his Colts commitment ended up re-routing the Eagles OC to Indianapolis. This came shortly after Reich played a key role in the Eagles’ first Super Bowl championship. Reich nearly saw his status change in 2017, however. A front office push for Reich’s firing existed, according to McLane, who adds Doug Pederson managed to save Reich’s job. In Wentz’s first season — a 7-9 Eagles campaign, which was also Reich’s first as Eagles OC — the team ranked 22nd in total offense. They rose to seventh in 2017, with Wentz finishing first in QBR. The Eagles, who promoted Mike Groh to replace Reich and then fired Groh after the 2019 season, have since hired Reich’s top Colts protégé (Nick Sirianni) as head coach.
Brandon Graham agreed to restructure his deal to provide the Eagles with additional cap space last month. Graham’s adjusted contract can be classified as a one-year extension, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweeting the new deal is worth nearly $20MM over two years. The Eagles converted Graham’s salaries into prorated bonuses, with the 11-year veteran set to earn barely $1MM in base salary in each of the next three seasons. The team tacked on three void years to the contract, per OverTheCap, which indicates each of Graham’s cap numbers over the life of this through-2023 contract are south of $10MM.
After hiring Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys brought both Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee over from Atlanta. The latter’s deal will be worth the veteran minimum, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). Kazee will count just $988K against the Cowboys’ cap. Attempting to return from an Achilles tear, Kazee will collect $250K guaranteed.

Justin Fields, Trey Lance Considering Holding Second Pro Days?

April 3rd, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

In moving up to No. 3 overall, the 49ers shook up the draft late last month. They revealed the move was for a quarterback, and Kyle Shanahan added that he is already comfortable with three passers in this draft. The fifth-year San Francisco HC added that he could get there with the other two top QB prospects as well.

It is not known which members of this draft’s quarterback quintet fall into which category, but two prospects are considering adjusting their offseason itineraries as a result of the 49ers’ trade. Justin Fields and Trey Lance are considering staging second pro days in order to throw in front of top 49ers brass, Albert Breer of SI.com notes.

Neither Shanahan nor 49ers GM John Lynch attended North Dakota State’s pro day March 12, with the team’s top two power brokers not wanting to tip their hands ahead of the trade. Ohio State’s pro day occurred on Tuesday, overlapping with Alabama’s second pro day. Shanahan and Lynch opted to trek to Tuscaloosa for Mac Jones‘ workout, though it was expected Shanahan would meet with Fields at some point as well. Shanahan confirmed Jones is under consideration for the No. 3 pick, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

With the COVID-19 pandemic nixing private workouts for a second straight year, any additional throwing sessions would need to be on campus and would be open for all teams to attend. It would certainly be interesting if Fields and Lance conducting additional pro days with the purpose of auditioning for one franchise, but the Jaguars and Jets have been heavily connected to Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. The 49ers’ direction is less certain, though Jones has recently been linked by multiple experts to go third overall. ESPN.com’s Todd McShay now mocks Jones to the 49ers. Prior to the trade, Mel Kiper Jr. had Jones falling to No. 15.

Should the 49ers draft Jones, Fields and Lance could fall out of the top five. But neither should be expected to drop too far, with several teams — both in and out of the top 10 — in need of a hopeful franchise quarterback.

Texans To Re-Sign T Roderick Johnson

April 3rd, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite changing regimes this offseason, the Texans will bring back one of their offensive line regulars. They will re-sign Roderick Johnson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The sides agreed to a one-year deal Saturday.

A four-year veteran tackle, Johnson has been with the Texans since 2018. The former Browns draft pick started three games for the Texans last season and played 25% of the team’s offensive snaps. Nick Caserio, who has been quite active in adding low-cost outside free agents in his first free agency period as a GM, will keep Johnson in the mix.

This marks the second straight offseason in which Johnson has re-signed to stay in Houston. He spent the 2017 with the Browns but did not play in any games. The Texans claimed him in summer 2018, and although Johnson appeared in just one game that season, he saw action in all 16 for the 2019 Houston edition. Overall, Johnson has started six games with the Texans.

The Texans will likely have Johnson compete for a backup job. Caserio turned to his former employer for help at this position earlier this offseason, acquiring longtime Patriots starting right tackle Marcus Cannon via trade. Johnson and Cannon join starters Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard in Houston’s 2021 tackle mix.

NFL Eyeing Onsite Offseason Workouts; NFLPA Prefers Virtual Setup

April 3rd, 2021 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

An NFL memo circulated this week informing teams to prepare for in-person offseason programs to return this year. The league indicated meetings will likely remain virtual for the foreseeable future, but this year’s offseason workouts are not expected to be fully virtual like they were in 2020, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

As of now, teams can schedule onsite OTAs to begin April 19. This is, however, contingent on no offseason plan being agreed to between the NFL and NFLPA. The union has offered pushback to an onsite offseason returning this year, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting little progress has been made between the sides on this front.

The NFLPA’s medical staff believes a second virtual offseason should be in the cards, Florio adds, with COVID-19 still impacting the country. The NFL will not mandate players be vaccinated but will encourage them to do so. If teams reach a certain level of vaccination — among players and staff — COVID-related restrictions will be loosened, Pelissero tweets.

Setting aside coronavirus issues, it would benefit rookies to be able to work with teams onsite and even second-year players that did not have that opportunity last year. The NFL implemented daily COVID testing before training camps in 2020, and although the league would plan to amend virus protocols based on teams’ vaccination rate, the memo informed franchises to acquire sufficient testing supplies by April 19 (Twitter link). A resolution on the offseason format should be expected before that date.

Saints Eyeing QB Kyle Trask?

April 3rd, 2021 at 11:54am CST by Ben Levine

While it’s been assumed that one of Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston will emerge as Drew Brees‘ heir apparent in New Orleans, it sounds like the organization could end up pivoting to the draft to find their future quarterback. During an appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Saints are a “sneaky contender to get a quarterback” after the first round, with Fowler pointing to Florida’s Kyle Trask as a main target (video link).

Fowler adds that there was plenty of buzz during Florida’s Pro Day that the Saints could be eyeing the Heisman Trophy finalist. If the team does end up opting for Trask (or another quarterback), Fowler opines that the player probably wouldn’t see the field much as a rookie. However, that QB would likely be in a position to take on the starting gig in 2021, especially if the team uses a second- or third-round pick on the player.

If New Orleans is indeed seeking a rookie quarterback, Trask would make sense. For starters, the Saints will presumably miss out on the grouping of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Trey Lance, so there’s some merit to staying patient and seeing how far the second-tier QBs fall. After their first-round pick (No. 28), the Saints are armed with a second (No. 60) and two thirds (No. 98, No. 105); the team may need to trade up in the second round if they truly have their eye on Trask.

The Florida quarterback broke onto the scene in 2019, and he followed that up with a standout campaign in 2020. Trask ultimately finished this past season having connected on 68.9-percent of his passes for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

The Saints made sure to retain Winston via one-year, $12MM deal (including $5.5MM guaranteed) earlier this offseason. Hill will also be playing the 2021 campaign on a one-year, $12MM deal (despite the funky restructuring by the organization last month). Hill got eight starts filling in for an injured Brees in 2020, while Winston was limited to only 11 attempts in four games (although he tossed a 56-yard touchdown during the postseason).

This Date In Transactions History: Patriots Trade Brandin Cooks To Rams

April 3rd, 2021 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

When Brandin Cooks was traded to the Patriots in 2017, there was hope that the wideout would stick around New England as one of Tom Brady‘s top targets. About 13 months later, Cooks tenure with the team had come to an end. On this date in 2018, the Patriots traded the wide receiver to the Rams.

Cooks was plenty productive during his lone season in New England, with the wideout leading the air attack (alongside Rob Gronkowski) following Julian Edelman‘s season-ending injury. The receiver finished the regular season having hauled in 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns, and hee continued producing in the postseason, catching another 19 receptions for 292 yards.

That performance apparently wasn’t enough, as the Patriots sent him out on April 3, 2018. Perhaps the team was wary of Cooks’ impending free agency following the 2018 campaign, or perhaps they thought Brady and Bill Belichick‘s clout would land them a comparable (and/or cheaper) receiver via free agency. Either way, New England ultimately sent Cooks and a fourth-rounder to the Rams in exchange for a first-rounder (a pick that eventually turned into lineman Isaiah Wynn) and a sixth-rounder. The Rams subsequently signed the receiver to a pricey five-year, $81MM extension (including $50.5MM guaranteed).

Even though Cooks didn’t last all that long is Los Angeles, it’s hard to be too critical of the Rams. Cooks had a 1,200-yard season during his first year with the Rams, but he fell off in 2019, compiling only 635 yards from scrimmage in 14 games. Following the season, the Rams paired Cooks with a fourth-rounder and sent him to the Texans for a second-rounder (which ultimately turned into receiver Van Jefferson).

Similarly, it’s hard to be too critical of the Patriots; after all, Wynn is a fine consolation. However, the Patriots’ motivation for the trade has never really been explained. While the financial reasons were obvious, it was assumed that the organization would subsequently replace Cooks spot in the lineup. The team was also especially shallow at wideout after Danny Amendola signed with the Dolphins.

While New England would be connected to a number of receivers throughout that 2018 campaign, the team never did anything to significantly improve their receiver corps. That 2018 squad finished without a 1,000-yard receiver, with running back James White leading the squad in receptions. Per usual, that didn’t end up mattering all that much; the Patriots still won the Super Bowl that season after beating (you guessed it) the Rams. While the Patriots selected receiver N’Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 draft, they never really added another veteran receiver like Brady desired, an issue that was exacerbated after Gronkowski’s sudden retirement. That 2019 campaign would ultimately be Brady’s final season in New England.

Is there any takeaway from this trade? Maybe, but I’ll probably end up pulling something with this stretch. Brady was clearly dissatisfied with his weapons during his final seasons in New England. At the time of this trade three years ago, there were already whispers of tension within the Patriots organization. We can only assume that the quarterback wasn’t happy about the trade made on April 3, 2018, and it could have been one of the many reasons (or at least a contributing factor) that ultimately led Brady to walk away from the organization.

Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Future With Packers

April 3rd, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

Since the Packers surprised many by trading up for quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of last year’s draft, starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers has continually expressed doubt that he’ll finish his career with Green Bay. During an appearance on ESPN yesterday, Rodgers reiterated that skepticism.

“I said last year, I didn’t know if that was actually possible…to be able to finish [In Green Bay],” Rodgers said (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). “I still feel like that’s kind of where we’re at. I don’t know if a lot of that’s in my hands, and I guess we’ll see as we go.”

Rodgers seemed to respond to the Packers’ selection of Love, as the veteran had one of the best seasons of his career in 2021. The 37-year-old led the NFL and set career-highs in completion percentage (70.7) and touchdowns (48), earning him his first MVP award since the 2014 campaign (he also finished with first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors). However, the Packers lost in disappointing fashion to the Buccaneers during the NFC Championship Game, and Rodgers’ comments following the loss raised some eyebrows.

Rodgers repeated that his future with the team was uncertain, with some pundits interpreting the comments as a goodbye message. The quarterback has since downplayed those comments, and the organization has continued to assert that the future Hall of Famer will be back next season. Still, we’ve since heard that Rodgers is now seeking a new deal, and rival coaches and executives believe that the veteran wants out immediately (the Rams even reportedly made a run at the quarterback before pivoting to Matthew Stafford).

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