2021 May - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Extend Reid Ferguson

May 28th, 2021 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills signed long snapper Reid Ferguson to a brand new three-year deal, per a club announcement. Ferguson has served as the team’s LS for his entire four-year career. Now, he’s slated to continue in that role through 2024.

Ferguson came into the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. He didn’t make the final cut that year, but the Bills stashed him on the taxi squad. In 2017, he got the LS job, and he’s held it with perfect attendance ever since — four seasons, 64 games.

Today, the 27-year-old stands as the second-longest tenured player on the Bills’ roster, behind only Jerry Hughes, who has been with the club since 2013.

Titans Trying RB Darrynton Evans At WR

May 28th, 2021 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans are experimenting with using Darrynton Evans as a wide receiver, head coach Mike Vrabel says (via The Tennessean). Evans, a running back by trade, could give the team some much needed depth at the position.

“Those are ideas we try to have and try to get him some cross-training work,” Vrabel said. “A lot of those players that can handle more than one particular role, then we’ll continue to add those roles to them. And I’d say Darrynton is one of those players.”

The Titans used a third-round pick on Evans last year, but the Appalachian State product was limited to just eight games thanks to injuries and a few healthy scratches. All in all, he ran for 54 yards on 14 carries.

The Titans did take note of his soft hands, however, and he played some WR in college, catching 39 passes for 319 yards and five scores. Of course, it was his RB work that put him on the pro radar — he rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year on campus. But, with a fairly crowded room behind starter Derrick Henry, WR may be his best path to the field in 2021.

Outside of A.J. Brown, the Titans’ WR group is fairly thin. Corey Davis is out, Josh Reynolds is in, and the rest of the bunch won’t do much to take attention away from Brown. Evans will have a chance to get himself into the mix, but don’t be surprised if the Titans explore cap casualty veterans over this summer.

Rams’ Austin Corbett To Move To Center?

May 28th, 2021 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

After losing Austin Blythe to the Chiefs in free agency, the Rams plan on replacing him internally. Guard Austin Corbett is practicing at the center position, according to head coach Sean McVay.

“He and Matthew [Stafford] have established a nice rapport together,” McVay said (via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “I know that Austin can play really well at guard, and we’re going to continue to see what it looks like at center and try to find the best combination of five to play up front.”

It’ll be an adjustment, but this is roughly what the Rams did with Blythe. Blythe was a full-time guard starter on the Rams’ Super Bowl LIII-qualifying team. Then, in 2020, they moved him to the middle, where he graded out as Pro Football Focus ninth-best center in the NFL.

Corbett, meanwhile, came to the Rams in a 2019 midseason trade with the Browns. Since then, he’s appeared in 24 games (23 starts) for the Rams, including 16 starts last year at right guard. Now, he’ll try his hand at center, working alongside Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton.

Broncos, Saints Tried To Claim LB Joe Bachie

May 27th, 2021 at 10:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Before getting claimed by the Bengals, linebacker Joe Bachie generated interest from some additional teams. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos and Saints also tried to claim the 23-year-old. Bachie was waived by the Eagles earlier this week.

It makes sense that the Saints had interest in the linebacker. After the Michigan State product went undrafted in 2020, New Orleans made it a priority to quickly sign him. He spent much of the season on the Saints practice squad before he was snagged by Philly in December. He ultimately saw time in four games for the Eagles, appearing in 74 snaps (including 56 special teams snaps).

Bachie has a standout stint at Michigan State, finishing his career with 285 tackles, eight sacks, and five forced fumbles. He earned third-team All Big Ten honors during his senior campaign after compiling 71 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. However, the prospect was suspended after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and that revelation also killed his draft stock.

Considering his production in college, it’s not a surprise that so many teams had their eye on Bachie, especially since the linebacker now has a year of experience on his resume. Bachie should have a chance at competing for a job in Cincinnati. Outside of Germaine Pratt, none of the Bengals linebackers have much starting experience, so it’s not like Bachie has a huge uphill battle. He’ll compete with the likes of Akeem Davis-Gaither, Logan Wilson, Markus Bailey, Jordan Evans, and Keandre Jones for snaps.

Jaguars Executive Leaves Organization

May 27th, 2021 at 8:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Another recent hire is leaving the Jaguars. ESPN’s Michael DiRocco writes that senior vice president of football operations and strategy Karim Kassam has left the organization.

Kassam was a bit of an unconventional hire, as he had most recently served as the Minnesota Twins’ director of baseball research. However, he did have some NFL experience on his resume, having spent half a decade as the Steelers analytics research coordinator. Kassam was hired by the Jaguars back in February, and he was expected to “oversee the team’s football technology and analytics department” while also assisting with the salary cap (per DiRocco).

The team didn’t reveal the reason for Kassam leaving the organization, but they released a statement describing the decision as mutual.

“Karim and the team have come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to move in different directions. We wish Karim nothing but the best,” said Tony Khan, the Jaguars’ chief football strategy officer.

Earlier this offseason, Chris Doyle was hired as the team’s director of sports performance, but he resigned following negative reactions to the hiring. Doyle previously worked at Iowa, where he was accused of bulling players and making racist remarks.

Former Giants RB Brandon Jacobs Eyeing Comeback As DE

May 27th, 2021 at 8:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Tim Tebow has inspired another former player to attempt a comeback at a new position. Former NFL running back Brandon Jacobs announced on Twitter that he’s “serious” about returning to the league as a defensive end.

[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Tim Tebow]

“I can still run, I am strong and there’s no way Tim Tebow is a better athlete than I am,” the 2005 fourth-rounder tweeted. “I just need a shot that’s it!! If I can’t cut it I’ll take it like a man. Just give me one chance that’s all!!”

The soon-to-be 39-year-old hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2013, but Jacobs claims that he’s currently in as good of shape as he was during his playing career.

“Body feels great, even at 38,” Jacobs told Josina Anderson (Twitter link). “Right now I‘m at about 260lbs—same weight I played as a RB. I’m switching positions now because it’s something I should’ve done before, and honestly a position I can play….People always said I was a running back in a D-lineman’s body. It doesn’t cost anything to bring me into training camp. It doesn’t hurt to look.”

It’s hard to envision too many teams being interested in a former running back who’s trying to transition to defensive line, especially one who’d be one of the oldest players in the league. Maybe the Giants could give him a chance; Jacobs won a pair of Super Bowls and set the franchise record for rushing touchdowns during his eight years with the organization (two stints). Jacobs was known for his ability to shake defenders and break tackles, and he’d be looking to use that unique perspective if he ends up getting a shot from a team.

TE MyCole Pruitt Drawing Interest From Ravens, 49ers

May 27th, 2021 at 6:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The market for MyCole Pruitt is apparently heating up. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the veteran tight end visited with the Ravens this week and is set to meet with the 49ers next week.

After bouncing around the league a bit, Pruitt found a home in Tennessee in 2018. While the former fifth-rounder never put up big numbers during his stint with the Titans (20 receptions for 241 yards and one score), he had a consistent role as a blocking tight end, appearing in 42 games (15 starts) in three years. Pruitt also saw time in five playoff games for Tennessee, hauling in six receptions.

We learned last month that MyCole Pruitt was drawing interest from the Vikings. The tight end actually started his career with Minnesota back in 2015.

While both the 49ers (George Kittle) and Ravens (Mark Andrews) have Pro Bowl tight ends, they could still probably offer Pruitt a solid amount of playing time. In San Francisco, Ross Dwelley is the main backup behind Kittle, with 2020 sixth-round Charlie Woerner and undrafted free agent Josh Pederson rounding out the depth chart.

Baltimore’s depth chart is a bit more crowded, as the team is currently rostering seven tight ends. That includes long-time Raven Nick Boyle, veteran journeyman Eric Tomlinson, and former third-rounder Josh Oliver, who the team traded for this offseason. The team is also rostering 2020 undrafted free agents Jake Breeland and Eli Wolf, and they added 2021 undrafted free agent Tony Poljan earlier this month.

Patriots Cut LaRoy Reynolds

May 27th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Ben Levine

LaRoy Reynolds‘ tenure with the Patriots lasted a bit more than two months. The team announced that they released the veteran linebacker/special teamer today. The 30-year-old was released with an injury settlement.

Despite going undrafted out of Virginia in 2013, Reynolds has managed to put together an eight-year career. In stints with the Jaguars, Bears, Falcons (two stints), Eagles, 49ers, and Bengals, the veteran has collected 117 tackles, with most of those coming on special teams. He appeared in 315 snaps for the Falcons in 2020, including 275 on special teams. He finished the season with 12 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

The Patriots inked Reynolds to a one-year, $1.5MM deal back in March, and the journeyman was expected to serve as one of Bill Belichick‘s beloved special teams aces. Instead, Reynolds will be hitting free agency for the second time this offseason.

With the move, the Patriots have opened up a roster spot, and they’ll soon open another spot when they officially process Patrick Chung‘s retirement. The Patriots could use these spots to add an undrafted free agent or two, as their previous roster constraints only allowed them to add one rookie after the draft.

Packers TE Robert Tonyan Signs RFA Tender

May 27th, 2021 at 5:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Robert Tonyan is officially back with the Packers. The tight end signed his restricted free agent tender today, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (via Twitter). The 27-year-old will earn $3.38MM this upcoming season.

After effectively redshirting his rookie season, the former undrafted free agent hauled in only 14 receptions through his first two seasons of action. However, Tonyan had a breakout campaign in 2020, finishing with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. After the season, the Packers slapped Tonyan with the second-round tender.

After appearing in only 61-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in 2020, Tonyan could see an even larger role in 2021 (regardless of who’s under center). The tight end is projected to lead a depth chart that also features veteran Marcedes Lewis.

While Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay receivers have no-showed OTAs, Tonyan was one of the higher-profile offensive players to participate this past week, per Demovsky.

NFL Suspends Jared Veldheer

May 27th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent Jared Veldheer has been hit with a six-game ban (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The reason for the suspension is not immediately clear, but it will likely hurt the tackle’s chances of finding a deal this summer.

Veldheer, a 2010 third-round pick out of Hillsdale, has put together a 12-year career, appearing in 121 career regular season games. He joined the Colts in late December, and he ended up playing 100-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17 and the Wild Card Round. After that, he hooked on with the Packers, making him the first player in NFL history to play at least one postseason game for two different teams in the same year. It was all thanks the loophole provided by last season’s COVID-19 practice-squad rules.

It’s worth noting that Veldheer will turn 34 in June, so it’s not clear whether he’s planning on playing this year.