HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Bills Meet With Eli Ankou

June 21st, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

For the second time this year, the Bills are meeting with Eli Ankou (Twitter link via WGR’s Sal Capaccio). The defensive tackle last visited Buffalo in May and could finally join them this summer if all goes well. 

Shortly after his trip to Buffalo, Ankou signed with the Falcons. However, that deal didn’t last long — Atlanta dropped the 327-pound lineman after a few weeks.

Ankou, a former UDFA out of UCLA, started his career with the Texans. After getting cut by Houston he was claimed by the Jaguars, and played a sizable role in Jacksonville as a rookie. In nine games in 2017, he had 15 tackles and a sack and a half as a rotational run defender.

He remained with the Jags up until the Browns signed him off the practice squad in October 2019. He wound up making two starts while appearing in nine games for Cleveland that year. Ankou then had a short stint with the Colts, was waived, claimed by the Texans, and then traded to the Cowboys in November of last year.

He finished the 2020 season in Dallas, and played around a third of the defensive snaps in the seven games he was active. Still only 27, Ankou offers size and intriguing upside as a run-stuffer.

Browns ‘Amazed’ With Odell Beckham Jr’s Recovery

June 20th, 2021 at 9:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard last week that Odell Beckham Jr. was working out with Jarvis Landry and Baker Mayfield ahead of minicamp, and now we have another positive update as the star wideout comes off his serious knee injury.

The Browns are “amazed” with where OBJ is in his recovery from surgery, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Beckham, of course, tore an ACL back in October and missed the rest of the 2020 season. Just eight months later, it appears he’s pretty much back to full strength. Kay Cabot reports he’s “been running fullspeed, cutting on a dime and leaping to make his trademark one-handed catches” during minicamp practices.

She also notes that he’s been doing it “without a brace or sleeve” on his knee. There’s been a lot of talk about the supposed lack of chemistry between Beckham and Mayfield since the former arrived in Cleveland, and Kay Cabot reports the duo “got to know each better off the field during some boating and other recreational activities in Austin” around the time of Mayfield’s aforementioned passing camp in Texas.

That’s got to be music to the ears of Browns fans. The LSU product had 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in his first season in Cleveland in 2019, which was solid but not great by his standards.

Then he had only 23 catches for 319 yards in seven games before going down last year. The Browns made major progress last season, but will need OBJ to get back to his old self if they want to be a true championship contender. Thankfully, everything appears to be going smoothly for the receiver who not too long ago appeared to be on his way out of Cleveland.

NFC Notes: Washington, Gallup, Ridley

June 20th, 2021 at 7:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Washington Football Team was always meant to be a temporary name after Washington ditched their old nickname. Then it became somewhat popular with fans, leading to some consideration of making it permanent. That appears less likely now, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just “issued an initial refusal” of the team’s attempt to trademark the name, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post reports. The decision cited the “generic geographic nature of the request.”

That doesn’t mean they can’t use the name Washington Football Team for the 2021 season, it just means they can’t enforce the trademark right now for things like merchandising. However, experts that Fortier spoke to seem to think the franchise has a good chance of getting this decision overturned on appeal. Either way, it might further incentivize owner Dan Snyder to go with something entirely new. One expert suggested to Fortier the team could add new elements to make the brand more distinctive, like a mascot. A ‘Football Team’ mascot would certainly be something to behold.

Here’s more from around the NFC on a quiet Sunday evening:

  • Sticking in the NFC East for a moment. It’s “unlikely” that receiver Michael Gallup is on the Cowboys’ roster beyond this season, Jon Machota of The Athletic writes. Machota argues there’s “just not enough salary cap space,” to fit contracts for Gallup, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. A third-round pick in 2018, Gallup is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will be looking to get paid next offseason. Machota does think there’s “a scenario” where Cooper deals with injuries or regresses and the team opts to move on from him and keep Gallup, but that they won’t likely be back together. The Colorado State product is coming off a solid season where he turned 59 catches into 843 yards and five touchdowns, mostly without Dak Prescott. In his last year with Prescott, in 2019, he had 1,107 yards and six scores in only 14 games.
  • After trading Julio Jones, the Falcons will be leaning heavily on Calvin Ridley this season. As such, there was understandably some concern when it was announced a couple weeks ago that Ridley had undergone foot surgery. Fortunately, we’ve got another positive update to pass along. The foot injury was actually something Ridley dealt with during the 2020 season, and not a new injury suffered this offseason, the wideout told the media recently, via Scott Bair of the team’s official site. “It was just minor,” Ridley said. “I can walk and all that right now. I’m taking it one day at a time.” He also added that he’s “pretty sure” he’ll be ready for training camp, although Bair writes “that remains a bit of an unknown at this stage.” Either way, it doesn’t sound like anything to panic about.
  • In case you missed it, Bears linebacker Roquan Smith is saying he isn’t worried about a potential contract extension.

Sheldon Richardson Turned Down More Money From Browns To Sign With Vikings

June 20th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Sheldon Richardson ended his free agency this past week by signing a one-year deal with the Vikings worth $3.6MM with a max value of $4.35MM via incentives.

Apparently, he could’ve gotten a little more than that. The defensive tackle turned down more money from the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. We had previously heard that Cleveland made an offer, but it wasn’t known what the financials were like.

Kay Cabot writes that Richardson’s decision was “more about principle” after the Browns elected to release him back in April to save around $12MM in cap space. She also says that Cleveland may have been able to get him back had they gone a bit higher than they did, but that they “set their price and stuck to it.”

Richardson signed a three-year, $37MM pact with the Browns in 2019, and made it 2/3 of the way through it. He spent 2018 with the Vikings, so it’s not like he chose a totally foreign environment over returning to the Browns. The 13th overall pick of the 2013 draft turned 30 in November.

PFR Originals: Smith, Rison, Simms

June 20th, 2021 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

  • Years before Eli Manning‘s retirement, Giants fans bid farewell to longtime quarterback Phil Simms. Our own Sam Robinson took a look back at the end, which was actually a release. Simms says he could have continued his career with another team, but ultimately chose to call it quits.
  • In 1997, the Chiefs were in the championship mix and needed a big splash to try and get over the hump. So, in July of that year, they added Andre Rison to their WR group. As Sam notes, Rison’s playmaking ability was sorely needed in KC. In ’97, he was the only Chiefs pass catcher topped 500 yards in 1997 as he reached 1,092 on 72 catches.
  • Our Ben Levine looked back on the Panthers’ first contract with Steve Smith. At the time, it was just another third-round pick completing his paperwork. But, of course, Smith went on to set franchise records in receiving yards (12,197), receptions (836), and total touchdowns (67).
  • The trade market tends to be quiet in June. But, ~seven years ago, the Texans and Falcons completed a noteworthy move by swapping quarterback T.J. Yates and linebacker Akeem Dent. And, in an interesting twist, both players became Texans coaches on the very same day in 2019.

Ten First-Round Picks Remain Unsigned

June 20th, 2021 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

This year, NFL teams have been quick to tackle their rookie paperwork. Still, there are a decent number of unsigned draft picks remaining, including ten of this year’s first-rounders: 

In a sense, this is a sign that things are back to normal in football following the pandemic. For example, by June 12th of 2019, 22 first-round picks had put pen to paper, with 222 rookies inked on the whole. However, around this time last year, there were just two first-round picks officially in the fold – Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown.

Offset language and similar minutia could be holding these ten deals up, but there’s no reason to panic. In all likelihood, these rookie contracts will be squared away before the start of training camp this summer.

Jets, Jamison Crowder Rework Contract

June 20th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Jun. 20: Details are in on Crowder’s pay cut. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, Crowder did indeed agree to reduce his 2021 pay to $5MM, $4.5MM of which is guaranteed (his original $10MM salary was completely non-guaranteed). He can still earn $500K in per-game roster bonuses.

As a result, Crowder’s cap charge for 2021 will drop from $11.375MM to $6.35MM.

Jun. 14: The Jets and Jamison Crowder have worked out a new contract (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Initially set to make $10MM in 2021, Crowder will now see a “significant” cut, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano (on Twitter). The exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but the Jets were reportedly pushing a 50% reduction. 

Reading between the lines, it sounds like Crowder was going to be released if he didn’t agree to the trim. Crowder had just $1MM guaranteed this year — releasing him would have saved the Jets $10.375MM.

Crowder, soon to be 28, probably couldn’t have topped $5MM on the open market. At least, not at this stage of the offseason, when most of the available dollars have been spent. Meanwhile, the Jets are growing increasingly confident in their other options. Second-round slot receiver Elijah Moore has drawn rave reviews in practice — ditto for ex-Patriots speedster Braxton Berrios. One or both of those players could have supplanted Crowder as a top option to go with Corey Davis and Keelan Cole.

Now, the Jets have more money to spend, which could enable them to sign free agent tackle Morgan Moses. If that happens, they’ll have Moses to start at right tackle opposite of Mekhi Becton.

Jets OT Chuma Edoga On Roster Bubble

June 20th, 2021 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets are nearing a deal with free agent OT Morgan Moses, and assuming the two sides ultimately agree to terms, fellow tackle Chuma Edoga could be looking for a new employer. Per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Edoga’s place on New York’s roster is tenuous, and a Moses signing might force him off the squad entirely.

Edoga was part of former GM Mike Maccagnan‘s final draft class in 2019, so the current regime has no real attachment to him. The USC product was named the Jets’ starting right tackle a few weeks into his rookie campaign, and he ultimately started eight games before succumbing to a season-ending MCL injury. New York then added George Fant in free agency last year and selected Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft, so Edoga only saw action on the offensive side of the ball in six games in 2020, including four starts (he lined up exclusively as a special-teamer over the last four weeks of the season).

Pro Football Focus gave him a 61.3 overall grade for his 2020 performance, which would have been near the bottom of the league if he had enough snaps to qualify. So, all things considered, it’s not terribly surprising to learn that he is on the roster bubble. Moses and Becton would represent a solid tackle tandem in support of rookie QB Zach Wilson, and Fant looks a lot better as a swing tackle than he does as a starting option.

However, Edoga was a third-round draft choice not too long ago, and he was generating some interest at last year’s trade deadline. If he is cut, there will be at least a few clubs interested in acquiring him.

Cam Erving To Compete For Panthers’ LT Job

June 20th, 2021 at 11:30am CST by Rory Parks

When the Panthers signed OL Cameron Erving in free agency, Erving’s ability to line up at any position on the O-line was cited as one of his best assets. At the time of the signing, Joseph Person of The Athletic suggested that Erving would have a chance to compete for Carolina’s starting LT job, and now that the team’s summer roster is mostly set, Person confirms that Erving is very much in the mix to be Sam Darnold‘s blindside protector.

As Panthers fans know all too well, the team’s left tackle post has been a revolving door for nearly a decade. Whoever wins the job will be Carolina’s ninth LT in as many years, and at first blush, Erving doesn’t look like the long-term solution the Panthers have been seeking. The Browns drafted the Florida State product in the first round of the 2015 draft, but the fact that the Browns flipped him to the Chiefs for a fifth-round pick before his third pro season tells you all you need to know about his tenure in Cleveland.

He ultimately played three seasons in Kansas City, starting 25 games over that span and lining up at left tackle and both guard positions. His play was not good enough to convince the Chiefs to pick up his 2020 option, and he hooked on with the Cowboys last May. Due to multiple knee injuries, he played in just six games (five starts) for Dallas.

As Person notes, Erving missed most of the Panthers’ OTAs and minicamp due to an unspecified injury, though he is expected to be ready to go for the start of training camp. Trenton Scott, who played four games at LT for the Panthers last season, remains in the mix for the starting job in 2021, but he is dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own.

2019 draftees Greg Little and Dennis Daley are also in the running, but Person does not mention third-round rookie Brady Christensen as an LT candidate. Carolina brass was very high on Christensen and targeted him with the No. 60 overall selection before the team got word of the Saints’ interest in WR Terrace Marshall Jr. The Panthers nabbed Marshall at No. 60 and ultimately traded up to land Christensen with the No. 70 overall pick.

However, Scouts Inc. actually had a seventh-round grade on Christensen, and his stature and lack of lateral quickness might make him a better fit at guard at the professional level. At least initially, it seems that the Panthers plan to deploy him on the interior.

No Acrimony Between Patriots, Stephon Gilmore

June 20th, 2021 at 10:19am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots and CB Stephon Gilmore have not made much progress in extension talks, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com does not believe the relationship between player and team is in a bad place. Reiss says Gilmore enjoys playing for the Pats, wants to remain in Foxborough, and held out of minicamp simply because he believed it was the most effective way to generate productive negotiations.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com agrees with Reiss and suggests that a new deal could be in place by the end of the summer (Twitter link). The Patriots did sign Jalen Mills as part of their free agent bonanza and plan to deploy him at corner, but there is a reason Mills’ old team, the Eagles, transitioned him to safety in advance of the 2020 season. He is simply not in Gilmore’s class, and since New England clearly has designs on returning to the playoffs this season, keeping Gilmore in the fold would seem imperative.

But there are complications. Gilmore will turn 31 in September, and though he made the Pro Bowl last season, that bid seemed to be based more on name recognition than anything else. He played in only 11 games due to injury and COVID-19, and Pro Football Focus ranked him just 61st among qualified corners.

On the other hand, he is just one year removed from Defensive Player of the Year honors, and he is not old enough to think he cannot at least come close to replicating that form. His camp has identified Darius Slay‘s three-year, $50MM contract with Philadelphia as a reasonable benchmark, and the fact that Gilmore is not shooting for a top-of-the-market deal suggests that the two sides might be able to find some common ground.

The Patriots still have a fair amount of cap space to work with, so Gilmore’s $16MM+ cap number for 2021 probably doesn’t bother them too much. Perhaps a front-loaded deal that gives Gilmore a nice influx of cash while providing New England with some flexibility after the upcoming season would make sense.

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