2021 May - Pro Football Rumors

Texans To Cut Ryan Finley

May 24th, 2021 at 1:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Texans have been adding quarterbacks left and right as they prepare for a potential worst-case scenario in the Deshaun Watson saga, and now they’re letting one go.

Houston is releasing Ryan Finley, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Texans had just traded for Finley back in March, acquiring him from the Bengals in exchange for a late-round pick swap. Cincy was planning on cutting Finley before they were able to turn a seventh-rounder into a sixth-rounder a couple months back.

The Bengals drafted Finley in the fourth-round only in 2019, but he didn’t pan out. The NC State product started three games his rookie season after the team benched Andy Dalton to get a look at the youngster. He looked totally unprepared for NFL football, and was so bad the Bengals quickly moved back to Dalton. He started one game last year, and in four career starts has averaged 5.4 yards per attempt with a 48.7 percent completion percentage.

The Texans decided to take a flyer, but after signing Jeff Driskel the quarterbacks room became crowded. Outside of Driskel and Watson, the Texans also have Tyrod Taylor and rookie third-round pick Davis Mills on the roster.

None of them are particularly inspiring, but Houston is making sure they have options in the event they can’t reconcile with Watson.

David Njoku ‘In A Good Place’ With Browns

May 24th, 2021 at 1:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a lot of drama with David Njoku and the Browns over the past year. The young tight end requested a trade last July, then rescinded that request in August. In October, he once again changed his mind and asked to be traded around the deadline.

No trade materialized, with Cleveland reportedly not wanting to deal him. Just when it seemed like everything had calmed down, Njoku fanned the flames once again in February by responding very cryptically to an interviewer asking about his future with the team.

However, it seems like things have now been patched over. The Browns have “weathered the storm” and Njoku is now “in a good place with the franchise,” a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Cleveland signed Austin Hooper to a big contract and drafted Harrison Bryant, which reduced Njoku’s role and made him unhappy. The Browns drafted the Miami product 29th overall back in 2017. While he’s shown plenty of flashes of potential, he hasn’t lived up to first-round status.

In 2018 he appeared on the verge of breaking out, racking up 639 yards and four touchdowns. Injuries then limited him to only four games in 2019, and he caught only 19 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite all the drama, Njoku is slated to make a little over $6MM this season after Cleveland picked up his fifth-year option last year. It’ll be the final year of his rookie deal. Njoku was drafted very young so he’s still only 24, and has all the theoretical potential in the world. 2021 is shaping up to be a make or break year for him.

Melvin Ingram To Visit Dolphins

May 24th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Melvin Ingram‘s market has been quiet, but it looks like things could be heating up. The free agent pass-rusher is visiting with the Dolphins on Monday, a source told Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald.

Ingram visited with the Chiefs back on March 20th, and this is the first we’ve heard about him since. Miami has made overhauling their edge rushing group a priority this offseason, cutting Kyle Van Noy and then drafting Jaelan Phillips in the first-round last month. The Chargers drafted Ingram 18th overall back in 2012, and he spent his first nine seasons with the team.

Ingram had a lot of success with the Chargers, making three straight Pro Bowls from 2017-19. He struggled with injuries early in his career, but became a late bloomer and eventually formed one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league next to Joey Bosa.

Unfortunately his run of good health came to an end this past year, when multiple knee injuries limited him to seven games. After finishing with at least seven sacks in each of his previous five seasons, he had zero last year. Now 32 and coming off an injury plagued year, it’s not shocking his market has been slow to develop.

As Beasley points out, it’s not even clear if he’s 100 percent healthy since there hasn’t been much reporting on his knee. Either way, Ingram was a Pro Bowler just two seasons ago, and the South Carolina product could be a nice veteran presence for a young team. He was a vocal leader on the Chargers the past few seasons.

Aaron Rodgers Won’t Attend Packers’ OTAs

May 24th, 2021 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers kicked off their organized team activities on Monday. As expected, Aaron Rodgers was not among those in attendance (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky).

Historically, Rodgers has been on hand for voluntary work. But, in recent weeks, he’s told those close to him that he wants out. For their part, the Packers say he’s staying put.

“We still obviously feel the same way,” head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this month. “We want him back in the worst way. I know he knows that. And we’ll continue to work at it each and every day.”

They can try, but Rodgers seems to be sticking to his position. The Broncos and other clubs have been keeping a watchful eye on the situation with the hope that the Packers’ asking price will come down a bit. It’s been speculated that the Packers want at least two first-round picks, a second-rounder, and perhaps even a quality young quarterback.

Offseason work goes from voluntary to mandatory on June 8th, with minicamp running through June 10th. Rodgers has already lost out on $500K in bonuses by staying home — that number will quickly top $1MM if he abstains from minicamp and training camp.

For cap purposes, a Rodgers deal would need to be a post-June 1st thing anyway. With mandatory activities rapidly approaching, we should know a lot more soon.

Texans’ Deshaun Watson Still Wants Trade

May 24th, 2021 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson won’t be with the Texans when they begin OTAs (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Despite everything else going on in Watson’s world, the longtime Houston star still wants to be traded, Pelissero hears.

Watson’s rift with the Texans was the big storyline to start 2021, with the Panthers and other contenders rushing to the phones. Then, a slew of allegations started to trickle out in the spring. To date, Watson and his attorney have denied wrongdoing in the 20+ cases. Meanwhile, his deposition is set for February of 2022 — after Super Bowl LVI.

Watson could be free to play in the interim, if he’s not parked on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. If he’s cleared to play by the league office, the easiest path to the field would be to try and mend fences with the Texans. For now, GM Nick Caserio isn’t saying much regarding the situation.

“If you want to speculate, you should probably go buy Bitcoin,” Caserio said recently.

Watson, 26 in September, led the league with 4,823 passing yards in 2020 — a new career-high. He also set new personal bests with 33 passing touchdowns and a 70.2% completion rate. Given his ongoing legal situation it’s unclear if any team would actually trade for him right now, or what they’d give up if they would.

Certainly, the compensation would be something less than the earth-shattering mega package they would’ve received a few months ago. Either way, it doesn’t sound like the allegations have done much to alter Watson’s firm stance, and it sure doesn’t seem like he’ll be reporting any time soon. Assuming the two sides don’t reconcile, the Texans have a few options.

They signed Tyrod Taylor, a serviceable veteran bridge guy. They also drafted Davis Mills 67th overall from Stanford, and signed backup journeyman Jeff Driskel.

Julio Jones On Falcons: “I’m Out Of There”

May 24th, 2021 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, FS1 host Shannon Sharpe called up Julio Jones and asked him about his status in Atlanta. The Falcons wide receiver, who might not have known that he was on air, told Sharpe that he’s “out of there” (Twitter link).

Sharpe also asked Jones if he would be interested in going to Dallas, since he was recently spotted in Cowboys gear. To that, Jones said, “I ain’t going to Dallas, I never thought of going to Dallas.” Then, sometime after that, Sharpe informed Jones that he was live on national television.

Jones requested a trade a few months ago, sources confirmed to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The Falcons subsequently agreed to listen to offers. As it stands, the asking price is a first-round pick (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). So far, they haven’t gotten an offer to their liking and execs around the NFL league doubt they’ll get it, Schefter hears.

Jones’ contract has three years to go. This year, he’ll earn a guaranteed $15.3MM. Beyond that, he’s set to make $15.5MM in 2022, with a couple million already locked in, followed by another $11.5MM in 2023. Even though Jones is a perennial All-Pro, that’s a lot of coin for a 32-year-old coming off of a partial season.

The Falcons could net more in the way of draft compensation by eating a portion of Jones’ deal. Still, even if they eat the lion’s share, they might not be able to get a Round 1 pick for the veteran. Meanwhile, they’ve got a numbers crunch of their own to deal with, so they can’t necessarily afford to pay out the bulk of the contract.

Lions Notes: Okwara, Onwuzurike, Tavai

May 24th, 2021 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have a new regime in place, led by head coach Dan Campbell. Often times, coaching changes put incumbent players on the chopping block, but that’s not necessarily the case for 2019 second-round pick Jahlani Tavai.

“I tell you what, I’ve been really impressed with Jahlani,” linebackers coach Mark DeLeone said (via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News). “He’s been here (and) he’s been doing a great job. He’s in really good shape right now. I’m excited to work with him. I’m excited for us to get to OTAs and be able to continue with him because I’m really excited about him.”

“I can just tell you when he came out when he was out on the field this week, he’s been doing well and I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far. He has a really good understanding of the game. I think he’s gonna be a nice piece for us to work within this scheme.”

The Lions are exploring their options at LB, including newcomer Alex Anzalone, who has history with Campbell. Tavai, meanwhile, has failed to impress in his two pro seasons. After notching two tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception as a rookie, Tavai didn’t make much of an impact last year. He appeared in all 16 games and made ten starts, but earned poor marks from Pro Football Focus across the board, including a dismal 35.7 score for his coverage. Still, the Lions seem to think that this can be a turning point for the young ‘backer.

Eugene Chung: NFL Team Told Me I Was “Not The Right Minority”

May 24th, 2021 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

During an interview earlier this year, former NFL assistant Eugene Chung claims that a team executive told him that he was “not the right minority” for the job (via the Boston Globe). On Monday, Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director Rod Graves issued a statement calling for an investigation into Chung’s experience.

“Alleged comments made to Eugene Chung by an NFL team during a recent interview should be investigated by the NFL,” Graves said. “If the comments regarding his status as a Korean American are true, it is further evidence that despite good faith changes to diversity-related policies, the NFL’s actual hiring practices are still riddled with discrimination.”

Chung has so far declined to identify the team or executive in question. It’s also unclear what type of job Chung was interviewing for. The ex-Patriots offensive lineman served as Andy Reid’s assistant offensive line coach with the Chiefs and Eagles. He stayed in Philly to work on Doug Pederson‘s staff while also managing tight ends and the running game. He left the Birds when his contract expired after the ’18 season and has been out of the league ever since.

Chung, 51, was just the second Korean-American to play in the NFL. Now, as a coaching candidate, he’s believes there are more barriers to be broken.

“I think that’s what can be done, is to put that information out there and let people know,” he said. “If people don’t know about the temperature of what’s going on out there, they’ll never know.”

Raiders, Dolphins Tried To Claim Geron Christian

May 24th, 2021 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Texans claimed former Washington left tackle Geron Christian. But, they weren’t the only team to submit a claim for him. Had the WFT passed, Christian would have joined the Raiders (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). The Dolphins also submitted a claim on the 2018 third-rounder.

Christian was less-than-stellar in D.C., but quality tackles are hard to come by at this stage of the offseason. He’s also on the final year of his low-cost rookie year deal, making him an affordable pickup for teams in need. That was a definite selling point for the Texans, who have spent most of their offseason inking free agents to short-term contracts.

The 6-foot-6 blocker has played in 24 games over the course of his pro career, which started as a reserve behind Trent Williams. Injuries have held Christian up along the way, including an MCL tear as a rookie. Last year, Christian saw just six games and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 60 ranked tackle in the league. On Friday, Washington brought an end to Christian’s tenure while also dropping the durable Morgan Moses.

Now, Washington has new options in rookie Samuel Cosmi and veteran Charles Leno. The Texans are well covered with Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, Marcus Cannon, and Christian. Meanwhile, the Raiders and Dolphins will continue to search for outside protectors.

Extra Points: Lance, 49ers, Chubb, Broncos, Patriots

May 23rd, 2021 at 9:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 49ers just drafted Trey Lance third overall, officially starting the countdown clock for how long Jimmy Garoppolo will remain the team’s starter. Lance was considered a somewhat raw prospect due to his limited amount of college experience at North Dakota State, which is why most expect Garoppolo to open the season as the starter. While Garoppolo is the favorite to be under center come Week 1, that doesn’t mean we won’t get to see Lance on the field right away.

The 49ers will try to “sprinkle in Lance the way the Saints have used Taysom Hill in recent seasons,” Matt Barrows of The Athletic believes. Barrows highlights recent comments Kyle Shanahan made on KNBR, when he raved about how Lance’s athleticism could open up the offense.

“It really makes the defense — if you’re in certain formations — honor 11-on-11 football. Because he is that type of threat, not just with his feet but also the way he runs the ball. He’s very natural at it. He can protect himself. He’s got the size to handle a couple of things. He’s always going to be a threat at any time,” the 49ers head coach said. Even if he’s not throwing the bulk of the passes, it’ll be fun to see what kind of packages Shanahan can come up with for Lance off the bench.

Here’s more from around the league on a quiet Sunday offseason night:

We heard over the weekend that Bradley Chubb underwent an ankle procedure, which understandably caused some concern. Broncos fans were surely having flashbacks to when the young stud pass-rusher missed most of the 2019 season with a torn ACL. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. The surgery was a scope to remove a bone spur, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets, noting that it’s “very common.” Rapsheet adds he’ll be in a “boot for a couple weeks and will be fully ready for camp.” The fifth overall pick of the 2018 draft is coming off a Pro Bowl season where he had 7.5 sacks in 14 games.
The Patriots have a 17-year streak going of at least one undrafted rookie making their opening day roster. That streak looks like it may be coming to an end, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Reiss points out the team has only signed one UDFA so far, kicker Quinn Nordin from Michigan. The Pats have three kickers on the roster and Nordin will need to beat out both Nick Folk and Roberto Aguayo if New England is going to make it 18 years in a row.