2021 May - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Release QB/WR Joe Webb

May 18th, 2021 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants claiming Ryquell Armstead will result in the team moving veteran Joe Webb off its roster. The Giants released the quarterback/wide receiver/special-teamer Tuesday.

An 11-year veteran, Webb caught on with the Giants late last season. The team then signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January. Webb, however, will return to free agency.

Webb, 34, has been one of the NFL’s more versatile players during his career. He started a playoff game at quarterback — a Vikings first-round loss to the Packers — and has seen action at receiver and extensive work on special teams. The Giants signed Webb after Daniel Jones went down with an injury last year. He played in two games with the team, seeing brief time on special teams.

The Lions parted ways with Webb during the 2020 season, doing so after the Texans cut him loose earlier last year. Webb has played 104 regular-season games — with the Vikings, Panthers, Bills, Texans and Giants — over the course of his career.

Broncos Waive WR DaeSean Hamilton

May 18th, 2021 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last week, reports indicated the Broncos were ready to waive DaeSean Hamilton. But the team found a trade taker for the fourth-year wideout. Hamilton’s subsequent ACL tear nixed that deal.

The Broncos are making Hamilton’s exit official Tuesday. They waived the former fourth-round pick, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This transaction will come with a non-football injury designation, with Hamilton having suffered the serious knee malady Friday morning.

Denver was prepared to move on because of its depth at receiver. The Broncos became the first team since the 2003 Cardinals to use first- and second-round picks on receivers in the same draft last year, taking Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. That duo joins contract-year talents Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, and the Broncos drafted Auburn’s Seth Williams in this year’s sixth round.

Hamilton was not able to become a consistent target in Denver, failing to surpass 300 receiving yards in any of his three seasons. He is expected to miss the rest of this season due to injury, one that could become a point of contention.

Like Ja’Wuan James, Hamilton was working out on his own — during the time the Broncos going through Phase 1 of their offseason workouts. James and Hamilton were following the NFLPA’s recommendation for veterans to boycott teams’ voluntary offseason programs. The Broncos are not expected to pay James his $10.58MM base salary, setting up a potential grievance. While Hamilton was set to make far less in 2021 ($2.183MM), it will be interesting to see if the team takes the same stance with its second player who suffered a major injury working out on his own.

North Notes: Chase, Steelers, Vikings

May 18th, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals encountered some scrutiny for passing on Penei Sewell to take Ja’Marr Chase at No. 5, given their issues on the offensive line. But the Chase-over-Sewell stance formed weeks ahead of the draft. Bengals brass went to Joe Burrow for a detailed opinion on this matter. Chase having played a key part in Burrow winning the 2019 Heisman Trophy, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes the second-year quarterback gave his ex-LSU teammate a strong endorsement. Chase-to-Cincinnati gained considerable steam ahead of the draft, and the Bengals followed through with the move to add the impact receiver prospect to a wideout group that includes Tyler Boyd and 2020 second-rounder Tee Higgins. The Bengals viewed Chase as the kind of talent too good to pass up, Fowler adds. The Bengals drafted offensive linemen in the second, fourth and sixth rounds, with Jackson Carman — whom the team selected after trading down eight spots — being the most notable of these additions.

Here is the latest from the North divisions:

Continuing recent tradition, the Raiders surprised draft viewers with their first-round pick. The Jon Gruden–Mike Mayock regime chose Alex Leatherwood 17th overall. The Alabama tackle was viewed by most as a major reach; Scouts Inc. rated him as this draft’s 60th-best prospect. The Raiders may have been leery of two teams eyeing Leatherwood in the back half of Round 1, however. The Steelers and Vikings had Leatherwood on their respective radars, per Fowler. The Vikings drafted Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw (Scouts Inc.’s No. 20 overall prospect) at No. 23. Pittsburgh preferred him to most of the draft’s second-tier tackles, but the team appeared locked in on ex-Leatherwood teammate Najee Harris at No. 24. Leatherwood is expected to work as a right tackle in Las Vegas.
Although the Steelers’ depth chart has the look of one that would benefit from a veteran tackle addition, they do not appear to be eyeing one in the post-draft period of free agency. Despite Alejandro Villanueva defecting to the Ravens and the Steelers not drafting a tackle before Round 4, the team likes its left tackle setup, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Pittsburgh lost three O-line starters — Villanueva, Maurkice Pouncey and Matt Feiler — this offseason and is planning to move right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor to the left side. Pro Football Focus viewed Okorafor as one of the league’s worst tackles in 2020, grading him 70th at the position. Okorafor spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons as a backup, moving into the Steelers’ starting lineup after Zach Banner‘s Week 1 ACL tear. Banner has re-signed and is expected to compete for the right tackle job.
Thanks to the Lions’ $13.5MM-per-year extension for Frank Ragnow, the NFL has a new highest-paid center.
The Bears did not become aggressive in their effort to trade up for Justin Fields until draft day, when they identified a few teams as trade-down candidates and engaged in negotiations.

Giants Claim RB Ryquell Armstead

May 18th, 2021 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing COVID-19 wipe out his 2020 season, Ryquell Armstead will have a chance to resume his career. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim for the running back Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

A 2019 fifth-round pick, Armstead saw action behind Leonard Fournette as a rookie in Jacksonville. Going into his second season, however, Armstead encountered perhaps the NFL’s most severe coronavirus case and needed to be hospitalized twice for significant respiratory issues. The Jaguars cut Armstead on Monday.

The Giants already handed out a notable backup running back contract, giving Devontae Booker a two-year deal worth $6MM. They also selected Gary Brightwell in the sixth round and signed Corey Clement over the weekend. The team did lose top 2020 rusher Wayne Gallman, however. Armstead, 24, will join the mix of players vying for a spot behind Saquon Barkley.

The Jags drafted Armstead 140th overall out of Temple. A Matt Rhule-era Owls recruit, Armstead played a key role for the American Athletic Conference program in his final three seasons. In 2018, he amassed 1,098 rushing yards and totaled 13 touchdowns. Armstead did not opt out in 2020, so two seasons remain on his rookie contract.

WFT Gives Morgan Moses Permission To Seek Trade

May 18th, 2021 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Football Team is ready to move on from Morgan Moses. This week, the front office granted the longtime starting tackle permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Moses is currently slated to earn $7.75MM in 2021. That’s not an unreasonable sum, but it’s more than WFT will pay Charles Leno on his brand new one-year, $5MM pact. Leno, 29, is now the leader to man Washington’s left tackle spot with second-round pick Samuel Cosmi positioned to take over in the long run. Now, Washington may look to slot Cosmi in as the RT starter while turning Moses into a bit of future draft capital.

“It gives us more depth,” head coach Ron Rivera told reporters after signing the ex-Bears starter. “It gives us more opportunity to fill some of the other basic needs we have and having another guy that’s been a very durable, veteran player. I just don’t think you can have enough quality offensive line depth.”

Moses hasn’t been a world-beater. But, to his credit, he hasn’t missed a start since his rookie year. He did so while playing through some painful injuries over the last few seasons. Moses’ medical chart includes ankle and Lisfranc surgeries, plus pectoral tears.

Colts’ Darius Leonard: “You Know What You Deserve”

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

The Colts expect to hammer out an extension with Darius Leonard sometime soon. There’s mutual interest between the team and Leonard, but the linebacker isn’t looking to give a deep hometown discount.

“You know what you’ve done, and you know what you deserve,” Leonard said (Twitter link via Zak Keefer of The Athletic). “Hopefully, they see as much value as I see.”

Taken with the No. 36 overall pick in 2018, Leonard was an instant difference maker for the Colts. He’s proven to be a great second-round value, though his slot did not provide Indy with a fifth-year option. As a result, he’s currently on course for free agency in the spring of 2022.

Leonard made an All-Pro team in each of his first three seasons, including his first year when he also captured the Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy. He’s now aiming for top-of-the-market inside linebacker money and it’s a safe bet that he’ll get it. You could say that Leonard has been very solid but shy of spectacular, but he’s still young — he won’t turn 26 until July.

For the Colts, that could mean a deal worth about $20MM per year. Meanwhile, they’ll also work to lock up the No. 37 pick in the ’18 class, starting right tackle Braden Smith.

Bengals’ Joe Burrow On Track For Week 1

May 18th, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is on track to suit up for the season opener. The former No. 1 overall pick is “all systems go” for Sept. 12 against the Vikings, per Dr. Neal ElAttrache (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).

That’s welcome news for the second-year quarterback who is returning from severe knee injuries suffered in late November. The damage, which included ACL and MCL tears, put Burrow in a nine-month rehab program.

“I’m very optimistic about where I’m at and also where the team’s at,” Burrow said back in April (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). “Rehab is going very, very well. Lifting is going very, very well. I’m in great shape. Legs feel good. Knee feels good…There’s still opportunities for setbacks. But the way I’m feeling right now, I’m very optimistic that I’ll be ready Game 1.”

The former Heisman Trophy winner finished his injury-shorted season with 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just five interceptions through nine-plus games. Burrow did it all in spite of his patchwork offensive line — Bengals coaches say they’ll do a better job of protecting him this year.

The Bengals re-signed Brandon Allen this offseason, but the hope is that he’ll be holding the clipboard throughout 2021. Beyond Allen, the Bengals also have Kyle Shurmur, Collin Hill, and Eric Dungey on the offseason roster.

Bengals Sign Second-Rounder Jackson Carman

May 18th, 2021 at 1:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have signed rookie offensive lineman Jackson Carman, per a club announcement. With Carman in the fold, the Bengals now have eight players signed from their ten-man class.

Carman, taken in Round 2 with the No. 46 overall pick, made his mark as Clemson’s starting left tackle. But, as a pro, the Bengals will shift him over to guard. It’s new territory for Carman, but it’s his best bet to see the field as Jonah Willaims and Riley Reiff man the outside.

Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 335 pounds, Carman already has an NFL build. Some scouts were unsure about his ability to play LT at the next level, but few could knock his natural ability. As a five-star prospect coming out of high school, he was was nationally known before he even arrived on campus.

With the fierce blocker under contract, the Bengals will move on to inking first-round wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and third-round edge rusher Joseph Ossai.

Browns Sign Rookie James Hudson III

May 18th, 2021 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have another one in the books. On Tuesday, the Browns formally inked fourth-round pick James Hudson III, per a club announcement. Per the terms of his slot, the offensive tackle will earn $4.16MM over the course of four years, including a $677K signing bonus.

The Cincinnati product began his college career as a defensive tackle. Then, the Bearcats asked Hudson to switch sides. In his lone year as the team’s left tackle, Hudson allowed zero sacks and only six quarterback pressures. Now, the No. 110 overall pick will aim to take his game to the next level behind starters Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin.

In addition to Hudson, the Browns have already signed fellow rookies Demetric Felton (RB, sixth-round), Richard LeCounte III (S, fifth-round) and Tony Fields II (LB, fifth-round). They still have four rookies to go, including first-round cornerback Greg Newsome II and second-round linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramaoh.

Jaguars Trade CB Josiah Scott To Eagles

May 18th, 2021 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have agreed to trade cornerback Josiah Scott to the Eagles (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). In exchange, the Eagles will send fellow cornerback Jameson Houston to Jacksonville, along with a 2023 sixth-round pick.

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Scott will help to solidify the Eagles’ CB group, although it’s a less splashy than their reported interest in veteran Steven Nelson. The ex-Chief/Steeler has been a solid starter in the league, ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 cornerback over the last two years. Scott, meanwhile, is heading into his second year after appearing in six games as a rookie reserve. The 2020 fourth-round pick finished last year with a grand total of eleven tackles, including one tackle for a loss.

Houston, meanwhile, went undrafted last year. Then, he got a mini-tour around the country by signing deals with the Browns, Panthers and Eagles. The 5’11” corner saw his first live action with Birds, suiting up for three games down the stretch. The bulk of his time came in Week 16, when he was on the field for 35% of the snaps against Washington.