2021 August - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Suspends RB Derrius Guice

August 13th, 2021 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the domestic violence charges ended up being dismissed for Derrius Guice in what has turned out to be a career-altering incident, the NFL will still suspend the running back.

The league handed Guice a six-game suspension Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Guice is not currently on a team, and this ban will not make his return to the league easier. Washington waived Guice in August 2020.

Guice played just one season with Washington, losing his rookie year to injury and being cut because of the 2020 arrest. In June, Guice saw charges against him dropped. He and the alleged victim reached an out-of-court settlement. No charges need to stick in order for an NFL suspension to commence, however, in accordance with the league’s personal conduct policy.

The LSU product also battled injuries during his time in Washington. Following his 2018 ACL tear, the former second-round pick ran into more knee trouble a year later. The setbacks limited Guice to just five games in 2019. While a comeback should not be considered out of the question, the 24-year-old back’s health history will make such a path more difficult following this suspension.

Seahawks TE Colby Parkinson Suffers Broken Foot

August 13th, 2021 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight summer, Colby Parkinson will begin rehab on a broken foot. The second-year Seahawks tight end will be out for an extended period after this second foot fracture, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times notes.

The break occurred in the same spot — the fifth metatarsal — Parkinson damaged while working out on his own last summer, per Pete Carroll, but the Seattle HC said this injury is not as bad as Parkinson’s 2020 ailment. Though Carroll is known for injury-related positivity, that would appear to be a good sign for a player who has run into bad luck to start his career.

The injury occurred on the final snap of Wednesday’s practice, Carroll said. Participating in his first training camp, Parkinson had fared well and was progressing toward a role in the Seahawks’ offense. But the 6-foot-7 Stanford product will be on the mend again.

Parkinson landed on the Seahawks’ NFI list last year; since this year’s injury occurred during camp, that designation will not be permitted. But the NFL has greenlit another year of unlimited returns from IR, which would allow the Seahawks to stash Parkinson there once he is carried through to the 53-man roster after roster cutdown day.

The Seahawks have run into rampant injury trouble at tight end in recent years. Will Dissly suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back years, and 2020 stopgap solution Greg Olsen missed much of the season because of a foot injury. Seattle now has Gerald Everett in place as its top tight end, and Dissly remains on the roster. Parkinson’s setback will affect the team’s depth, however.

Mike Williams Chargers Extension Unlikely?

August 13th, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers have Mike Williams tied to a fifth-year option in 2021, but the former top-10 pick is on schedule to be a free agent come March. The sides may be content to revisit this issue after the season.

A Williams extension is not expected to commence this year, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). While the Bolts have exclusive negotiating rights with Williams until the start of the 2022 legal tampering period, the former Clemson standout could become a marquee free agent in 2022.

Williams has battled injuries as a pro but has only missed two games over the past two seasons. He led the NFL with a 20.4-yard per-reception average in 2019 and totaled 756 receiving yards last season. With Justin Herbert going through a full offseason and the Bolts investing in several new offensive linemen, Williams could be poised for a big contract year. With Hunter Henry now in New England, the coast is clear for the former No. 7 overall pick to serve as Herbert’s clear-cut No. 2 weapon behind Keenan Allen. Considering Herbert’s historic rookie year, that status could provide a major boost for Williams’ value entering 2022.

Allen, 29, is signed through 2024 on a $20MM-per-year deal. The four-time Pro Bowler’s contract complicates Williams’ status, but the Chargers would still have the franchise tag to use if they are keen on keeping their receiving tandem together for at least another season while they determine the latter’s long-term value. The Buccaneers went this route with Chris Godwin this year, keeping their high-end wideout duo intact, and it would not surprise if the Bolts chose to follow suit with Herbert’s rookie contract in place through at least 2022.

Broncos’ Mike Boone To Miss Time

August 13th, 2021 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos running back Mike Boone will miss 4-6 weeks with a quad injury, as Mike Klis of 9 News tweets. It’s not ideal, but perhaps better than expected news after Boone was carted off the practice field this week.

Broncos GM George Paton brought the former Viking to Denver this year on a two-year contract worth up to $4.5MM. Formerly a special-teamer/third-stringer behind Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, Boone is now vying for time behind Melvin Gordon and second-round pick Javonte Williams. Phillip Lindsay is no longer in the picture, so Royce Freeman could pick up Boone’s work for however long he’s out.

While Boone has mostly played special teams as a pro, fantasy GMs remember his 2019 fondly. Serving as the Vikings’ top back down the home stretch, he finished the year with 273 rushing yards on a 5.6 YPC average. He didn’t see as many totes last year, however, registering eleven carries for 59 yards.

Latest On Seahawks, Duane Brown

August 13th, 2021 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says he wants to get Duane Brown‘s contract situation settled. However, it doesn’t sound like the front office is in any rush. The Seahawks told Brown that they want to keep him beyond 2021, but they want to discuss his next contract after the season (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

That probably won’t sit well with Brown, who is weeks away from his 36th birthday and entering the final year of his deal. He’s set to make $10MM this season – an extremely team-friendly rate given his production. Even when factoring in the past dollars on his deal, Brown’s $11.5MM-per-year average puts him just 16th among left tackles.

Pro Football Focus positioned Brown as the league’s No. 5 tackle last season. At the same time, he’s older than Nos. 1-4. The Seahawks are understandably skittish about committing top-of-the-market money to Brown as he inches towards 40, but they can ill afford a holdout. While they’ve added Gabe Jackson, Brown stands as the team’s most accomplished blocker by a mile.

“[Brown] looks like he’s 28-30 out there,” quarterback Russell Wilson said recently. “He’s really exceptional. So smart and physical, understands the game, and I think people fear him, to be honest with you, when they’re rushing him and playing against him. So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown.”

Dion Lewis Retires From NFL

August 13th, 2021 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

That’s a wrap. Longtime running back Dion Lewis has retired after ten seasons in the NFL (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Lewis had interest from teams as recently as last week, Schefter hears. But, for one reason or another, the veteran has decided against playing in his age-31 season.

A 2011 Eagles fifth-round pick, Lewis was a late-blooming talent. He made his name with the Patriots in the mid-2010s, a run that saw him lead the team in rushing in 2017. The Titans then signed the diminutive back to a four-year, $20MM deal. Lewis only part of that contract, however — the Titans dropped him in 2020 to clear the way for Derrick Henry‘s return. Lewis posted 4.8 yards per carry in the Patriots’ varied backfield, but averaged 3.5 yards per tote for the Titans.

Lewis bounced back somewhat with the Giants last year, averaging a decent 4.0 yards per carry in a small sample. However, Lewis had little left to prove — he leaves the game with eight-figure earnings and a Super Bowl ring. We here at PFR wish Lewis the best in retirement.

Teams Calling Broncos On Cornerbacks

August 12th, 2021 at 9:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos exited last season with no proven cornerbacks available, with Bryce Callahan injured and A.J. Bouye suspended. Teams have now observed Denver may have a surplus at this position.

Teams have called the Broncos about their depth, with Mike Klis of 9News noting some are eyeing Denver’s corner group. The Broncos cut Bouye but retained Callahan. They then added Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in free agency and drafted Patrick Surtain II ninth overall, passing on Justin Fields and Mac Jones to do so.

“We’re fortunate we have a player in Surtain that can play multiple positions at a young age,” first-year GM George Paton said, via Klis. “Not many rookies can play three positions. It’s a really good problem to have. It’s Vic [Fangio‘s] problem, but you can’t have enough of those guys. Corners, a lot of them go down so we’re really happy with our depth. We have a lot of teams calling us on our depth. But we like our corners, that’s for sure.”

Denver has an interesting mix of midlevel contracts — Callahan, Darby and Fuller are each signed to deals averaging between $7-$10MM per year — at corner, along with Surtain’s rookie-deal salary. The Broncos also used a third-round pick on Michael Ojemudia last year. Nickel sets generally call for three cornerbacks, potentially leaving teams wondering if the Broncos are open to moving one of their vets, though dime sets and others in which the team’s top four corners play together are likely in Fangio’s plans.

The Broncos are using Surtain at multiple spots, and Callahan and Darby bring injury pasts creating a need for depth. Callahan ended the 2018 and 2020 seasons on IR and missed all of the 2019 season. Darby was sidelined for 20 games from 2017-19. Denver’s depth may be limited to just 2021, with Callahan and Fuller on one-year deals, but it will nonetheless be interesting to see how the Broncos proceed at this spot.

Akiem Hicks Seeking Bears Extension

August 12th, 2021 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Akiem Hicks‘ 2016 Chicago arrival helped the Bears form one of the NFL’s best defenses over the past five years, but the veteran defensive lineman’s contract is up after this season. The Pro Bowler is aiming to extend his Windy City tenure.

The 11th-year veteran wants to sign a second Bears extension in order to finish his career in Chicago, according to his agent. Hicks’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was in Chicago on Thursday advocating for his client, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This extension hope comes not long after Hicks popped up in trade rumors.

After missing most of the 2019 season, Hicks bounced back and played in 15 games last year. While the sack total (3.5) did not match his three previous full seasons, which each featured seven-plus sacks, Hicks tallied a career-high 21 quarterback hits for a Bears team that rode its No. 8-ranked DVOA defense back to the playoffs. The 31-year-old D-lineman is set to earn $10.4MM in base salary, closing out the final season of the four-year, $48MM extension he agreed to in 2017.

It looked for a bit like the Bears were planning to move on from Hicks, whom they gave permission to seek a trade in March. The team made Kyle Fuller a surprise cap casualty that week, but shortly after the trade rumor surfaced, the Bears regrouped and held onto Hicks. The Bears do not have much invested at defensive end beyond Hicks, so plans will need to be made for the future soon — regardless of Hicks’ post-2021 status with the team.

Grant Delpit Week 1 Status In Doubt

August 12th, 2021 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After missing his rookie season, Grant Delpit is set to be a key Browns defender this year. But the 2020 second-round pick is behind in his pursuit of making his NFL debut in Week 1.

The final steps of Delpit’s Achilles rehab delayed his training camp start, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds that the second-year safety has run into a hamstring problem that may well keep him out of the Browns’ Week 1 game against the Chiefs. After suffering the hamstring injury during camp, Delpit has encountered a significant setback in his recovery from that ailment, per Cabot.

This will leave Delpit battling uphill in his quest to play a major role for the Browns early this season, given the reps he will stand to miss in the leadup to Week 1. Delpit, who suffered the Achilles’ tendon rupture in late August of last year, was sprinting by May and expecting full clearance come camp. This latest malady has interfered with the former Thorpe Award winner’s comeback.

The Browns are uniquely equipped to withstand a Delpit absence to start the season. They have returning starter Ronnie Harrison and veteran acquisition John Johnson at safety. However, Harrison has not practiced in two weeks because of his own hamstring injury. Cleveland’s potential three-safety setup set for deployment in sub-packages is down to just Johnson, who is teaming with backups Jovante Mofatt and Richard LeCounte III presently.

Jessie Bates Addresses Bengals Contract Situation

August 12th, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Jessie Bates expressed hope he would land a Bengals extension before the season, a report surfaced indicating the contract-year safety might have to play out his rookie deal.

Nearly a month away from Cincinnati’s season opener, Bates is set to earn $2.4MM in base salary. The talented safety’s comments on this situation may or may not indicate a certain level of annoyance, but time does remain for the sides to regroup and hammer out an agreement.

“I think as far as my contract goes, I guess I haven’t done enough yet to be considered one of the top safeties in this league, which is fine,” Bates said during an interview with the Bengals radio announcers Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham (via WKRC). “That’s fine with me. I’m going to go to work just like any other day, my first three years being here.

“Just being able to have that open conversation with my agent has been great in regards to just having the conversation, very open. I think this will probably be the last time that I speak on the contract just because I think it can get a little messy as far as thinking about it too much.”

No Pro Bowl invites have come Bates’ way yet, but the 2018 second-round pick is coming off a season in which Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s top safety. The Wake Forest product is 3-for-3 in 100-plus-tackle seasons and has intercepted three passes in each of his three pro years. This has not resulted in Bengals defensive success, with the team ranking near the bottom throughout Bates’ tenure, but the 24-year-old defender has largely done his part. He has started all 48 of the Bengals’ games over the past three seasons.

Bates would be a surefire franchise tag candidate, should the Bengals let this play out to that point. They did so with Carl Lawson and William Jackson, letting the defenders finish their rookie deals and leave in free agency. Cincinnati’s current defense features a number of free agency additions; Bates represents a homegrown talent who is poised to land a top-market contract. It will be interesting to see how the team proceeds here.