HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Saints’ Taysom Hill Likely Done At QB

March 29th, 2022 at 6:27pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Taysom Hill‘s stint as a quarterback has come to an end. Speaking with reporters at the owners meeting, Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Hill will primarily play tight end in 2022.

“A lot more of the F-tight end, a tight end type of role,” Allen said (via WDSU.com). “I think that’s the direction we need to move with him. Because I think he may be one of the better players in the league in that role.”

According to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (on Twitter), it was always the Saints’ plan to move Hill to a full-time tight end. The player’s four-year extension was designed to pay him like a tight end, and the escalators were only in place for the slim chance that Hill returned to the quarterback position.

Hill flirted with the quarterback position early in his career, and he had opportunities to show what he’s got while filling in for Drew Brees in 2020 and filling in for Jameis Winston during the post-Brees 2021 campaign. While the Saints have gone 7-2 when Hill has started under center, he’s still only tossed eight touchdowns vs. eight interceptions while completing 64.2 percent of his passes.

Of course, Hill has also shown the ability to be a game-changer in a Swiss Army Knife-type role. Over the past four years, Hill has collected 1,571 yards from scrimmage and 23 touches on 255 touches.

WR Damiere Byrd Visited Falcons, Raiders

March 29th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Damiere Byrd is starting to generate some interest around the NFL. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Falcons hosted the free agent wideout on a visit. Yates notes that Byrd previously met with the Raiders.

The former undrafted free agent spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers, where he mostly played a special teams role. He saw a larger offensive role during his lone season with the Patriots in 2020, finishing with 619 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 49 touches.

Byrd joined the Bears last offseason, and he proceeded to collect 329 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 26 touches. He saw time in all 17 games with four starts.

The Falcons offense will look a whole lot different in 2022, with Matt Ryan gone and Calvin Ridley suspended. While the team can still hang their hat on Kyle Pitts, their receiving corps is questionable at best, so Byrd would provide some experience to the unit. The wideout is also familiar with Falcons exec (and former Bears GM) Ryan Pace. Similarly, Byrd is familiar with Josh McDaniels, who he played under in New England. However, Byrd wouldn’t have as clear of a path to playing time in Las Vegas. At best, Byrd would be fourth in line for targets behind Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and tight end Darren Waller.

Cowboys Not Pursuing Bobby Wagner

March 29th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Conflicting reports surfaced on the Cowboys’ interest in reuniting Dan Quinn and Bobby Wagner. Executive VP Stephen Jones effectively cut off the Wagner-Cowboys connection Tuesday.

Despite Wagner remaining a free agent, Jones said the future Hall of Fame linebacker is not a Cowboys target. The 10-year Seahawk has been connected to several teams this offseason, with the Rams and Ravens being the two leaders at this point.

“Obviously Dan’s had a history with Bobby and knows him well [so] you look into it,” Jones said of a Wagner pursuit, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (on Twitter). “He’s a great, great football player, Hall of Fame-type player. But as it turned out, it didn’t work out with us.”

Even as the Cowboys looked into Wagner, the price point never appeared to make sense for the team. The Cowboys made Amari Cooper a salary dump in a trade and made La’el Collins a cap casualty. The Cowboys have $15MM-plus in cap space, but they never appeared a serious Wagner suitor. Quinn coached Wagner for two seasons in Seattle, but they last worked together in 2014. In the time since the Cowboys were connected to Wagner, they re-signed Leighton Vander Esch to a one-year deal worth just $2MM.

The Rams and Ravens have hosted Wagner on visits, with the Ravens believing they have submitted a strong offer to the eight-time Pro Bowler.

NFC North Notes: Alexander, Bears, Lions

March 29th, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers were unable to reach an extension agreement with Davante Adams, leading to a blockbuster trade following a franchise tag. Brian Gutekunst would prefer the Jaire Alexander process conclude before a potential Alexander tag comes into play. The fifth-year Packers GM said the team “would love” to extend Alexander this offseason, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman (on Twitter). Gutekunst confirmed the Packers and Alexander are in talks, which became known earlier this month, and said the discussions could continue throughout the year. Alexander finds himself in an interesting position, coming off a season a shoulder injury mostly nullified. But the one-time Pro Bowler is still eyeing a top-market extension. Alexander figures to face a decision on playing out a contract year ahead of a potential tag or taking long-term security — at likely a slightly lower price — before the season.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Larry Ogunjobi was onboard with the Bears for fewer than five days, with the team nixing the defensive tackle’s deal due to a failed physical. New Bears GM Ryan Poles is open to agreeing to another contract with Ogunjobi, per ESPN.com’s Courney Cronin, who notes the failed physical stemmed from the former Browns and Bengals D-lineman’s surgically repaired right foot (Twitter link). Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury during the Bengals’ wild-card win. Poles noted the Bears’ deal with Ogunjobi prevented them from adding other free agents during the legal tampering period, per Adam Jahns of The Athletic (subscription required).
  • Viewing Trevor Siemian as a better fit in the offense Luke Getsy is installing, Poles said (via Jahns) he hopes a Nick Foles trade emerges in the near future. But nothing is on the horizon, continuing this holding pattern for the former Super Bowl MVP. Foles is due a $4MM base salary in 2022, the final year of his contract. Foles has the Bears’ fourth-largest cap number ($10.7MM); a trade would let the Bears off the hook for Foles’ salary but still hand the team a $6MM-plus dead-money charge.
  • Although the Bears gutted their front seven by trading Khalil Mack, cutting Danny Trevathan and not re-signing Akiem Hicks, Poles said the team is not planning to move on from Robert Quinn. No Quinn trade scenario has come up, Poles said (via Jahns, on Twitter). Quinn’s $17.1MM cap figure is the largest on the Bears’ 2022 payroll. Despite going into his age-32 season, Quinn boosted his trade value last year by breaking Richard Dent‘s franchise single-season sack record.
  • Prior to Chandon Sullivan‘s Vikings agreement, the Packers made a late push to keep him, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Sullivan spent the past three seasons with the Packers, who have a need at slot cornerback thanks to his defection to a division rival. The Broncos also pursued Sullivan but signed K’Waun Williams days before news of Sullivan’s Vikings agreement surfaced.
  • The Lions will primarily use a 4-3 defense next season, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Detroit started last season by changing to a 3-4 look, but Aaron Glenn‘s unit adjusted a bit down the stretch. Prior to last season, the Lions had used a 4-3 look for many years.

Cowboys Preparing To Draft O-Lineman Early

March 29th, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Cowboys starting offensive linemen are now on AFC teams, with Connor Williams defecting to the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent and La’el Collins moving to the Bengals after becoming a cap casualty. Dallas hopes to bolster this position group early in the draft.

While a proclamation to draft an offensive lineman early does not ensure this will take place, the Cowboys have not addressed the position in free agency and have their top two blockers — Zack Martin and Tyron Smith — set to turn 32 this year.

“Famous last words: We’ll get one unless [CeeDee] Lamb or [Micah] Parsons is there,” Jerry Jones said of drafting an O-lineman early, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “And then add one more to it. … I’ll accept criticism when the time comes for not knowing what we’re doing.”

This refers to the Cowboys passing on bigger needs to draft Lamb and Parsons, respectively, the past two years. While both picks worked out, the Cowboys are fairly thin up front. But the team does have elite talent in Smith and Martin. And Pro Football Focus ranked Dallas’ 2021 O-line first overall, creating an interesting decision for a Cowboys team that could conceivably field a quality first-string line without a rookie factoring in. Smith has missed at least three games in each of the past six seasons, however; he missed six in 2021.

The Cowboys have Terence Steele penciled in to replace Collins; Steele can be kept off the unrestricted free agent market until 2024. Connor McGovern‘s rookie deal runs through season’s end, giving Dallas a possible Williams replacement on a line with solidified starters in Smith, Martin and center Tyler Biadasz. The Cowboys are unlikely to add a veteran O-lineman for more than the league minimum this offseason, Gehlken adds.

Dallas hit big on first-round interior O-linemen when they last addressed the position that early, landing perennial Pro Bowlers in Martin and Travis Frederick. The Cowboys hold the No. 24 overall pick. The top three tackles — Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross — are expected to be long gone by the time the NFC East champs go on the clock, though Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning could be in range. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slots Penning 26th and has Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green as this class’ top guard, ranking the latter as the No. 28 prospect. The Cowboys hold each of their own picks in the second and third rounds but do not possess any additional Day 2 choices.

Falcons Hosting Kemoko Turay, Rashaan Evans

March 29th, 2022 at 3:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons could be in line for two notable additions on defense. The team is holding free agent visits with edge rusher Kemoko Turay and linebacker Rashaan Evans.  

[RELATED: Falcons Sign WR Tate]

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Turay visit (on Twitter). The 26-year-old was a second round pick of the Colts in 2018. He saw the most playing time in his rookie season, registering his only three starts. It was in 2021, however, that he posted a career-high 5.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. He could at least provide depth behind the likes of Lorenzo Carter and Adetokunbo Ogundeji, while providing a boost to the team’s pass rush.

The Evans visit, meanwhile, was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The former first-rounder has played four seasons with the Titans, starting 50 of 59 games. His best year came in 2019, where he totalled 111 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Tennessee declined his fifth-year option, however, leading him to free agency this offseason. Evans met with the Jaguars one week ago.

Either of those two options could help add not only experience, but also, potentially, upside to the Falcons’ defense. That would certainly be welcomed, as the team ranked at or near the bottom in almost every major category on that side of the ball in 2021.

Lions Willing To Trade No. 2 Pick Before Draft

March 29th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still early in what could be a lengthy rebuild, the Lions have two first-round picks this year. Their own choice landed at No. 2 overall. While Detroit could acquire a top-end prospect at that slot, the team is open to dealing it away.

Brad Holmes said he has discussed the pick with multiple teams and will not need to see how the Jaguars proceed at No. 1 to make a decision on moving down. The second-year Lions GM would greenlight a pre-draft trade, given the right offer.

“I think definitely we could pull that trade off, if the other team is willing, before the draft,” Holmes said, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. “I would say right now it’s still relatively early for those discussions, but I would expect for it to heat up, especially with the pick that we have this year. Because it definitely heated up, even with us at seven last year. So I expect to have more dialogue.”

The No. 2 overall pick has changed hands twice in the previous six drafts, though it has not moved since 2017. The 49ers moved down from 2 to 3 in 2017, doing so on draft night when the Bears made an offer to secure Mitchell Trubisky draft real estate, while the Browns dealt 2016’s second choice to the Eagles days before that draft. Philadelphia sent Cleveland five picks to climb from No. 8 to No. 2, a haul that included 2017 first- and second-round picks in addition to third- and fourth-rounders in the ’16 draft. The Lions might not be blown away by an offer, considering there is no prospect on the Trubisky or Carson Wentz level in this year’s draft.

Depending on how far the Lions are willing to move down the draft board, a trade would arm the franchise with additional capital to address its myriad needs. The team still holds the Rams’ first-round pick (No. 32 overall), the No. 34 overall choice and two third-round selections this year.

Packers To Target WR Upgrades

March 29th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the absence of not only Davante Adams but also Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide receiver is an obvious area of weakness on the Packers’ roster right now. It comes as no surprise, then, that the team is trying to address the position, as noted by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. 

[RELATED: Packers Made Late Push For Valdes-Scantling]

Speaking after Valdes-Scantling left for Kansas City, head coach Matt LaFleur said, “certainly, if you look at our roster right now, we definitely need to get some speed in that room. We need a legit guy that can take off the top of the coverage. We lost a guy that was pretty good at doing that.”

General manager Brian Gutekunst added, “to replace a guy like [Adams] is gonna be kind of a multifaceted approach. It won’t be like a singular guy.” Given that the top of the depth chart at the position currently consists of Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers and Randall Cobb, many expect the Packers to make multiple additions between now and the beginning of next season.

Demovsky names Will Fuller as a free agent option, given the connection between he and the team at the trade deadline in 2020. He adds D.K. Metcalf as a potential trade candidate, though the Seahawks intend to re-sign the young Pro Bowler. With two picks in both the first and second rounds of this year’s draft, Green Bay will have plenty of options available via that route as well.

While LaFleur adds that he has “no idea right now” how the teams’ receiver room will look in the coming weeks and months, additions are all-but inevitable. They will also be necessary if the team is to maintain its status as an NFC contender.

Ravens Sign John Harbaugh To Extension

March 29th, 2022 at 2:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens will continue their John Harbaugh partnership for a while. The rumored extension for the longtime Baltimore HC came to fruition Tuesday. Steve Bisciotti announced Harbaugh has signed a three-year re-up, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (on Twitter).

This is Harbaugh’s fifth extension since he joined the Ravens in 2008. Harbaugh, 59, was entering a contract year; he is now signed through the 2025 season. With Sean Payton moving on from his Saints post, Harbaugh will enter the season as the NFL’s third-longest-tenured HC.

While the Ravens stumbled down the stretch last season, tumbling out of the playoff picture thanks to a six-game losing streak, Harbaugh has been one of the NFL’s steadier leaders since taking over. Baltimore has ventured to nine playoff brackets under Harbaugh, who has taken the team to three AFC championship games and secured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title nine years ago. He will enter the 2022 season with 137 wins (27th all time) and a .609 win percentage (33rd all time).

Baltimore’s only two losing seasons under Harbaugh came when his starting quarterback missed significant time. Prior to Lamar Jackson missing games to close out this past season, Joe Flacco suffered a torn ACL during the 2015 campaign. During the Flacco-to-Jackson transition year, uncertainty emerged regarding Harbaugh’s Baltimore future. Jackson’s late surge in that 2018 season helped Harbaugh off the hot seat, and he has not been connected to potentially losing his job since.

With Harbaugh locked down, focus can now shift to Jackson’s contract. Harbaugh has repeatedly said the former MVP will land a long-term extension from the Ravens, but no reports have indicated the sides are particularly close on a deal.

Patriots To Sign Jabrill Peppers

March 29th, 2022 at 1:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

After visiting with the Patriots, safety Jabrill Peppers has decided to join the team. He is signing a one-year contract with New England, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). His colleague Field Yates tweets that the deal has a maximum value of $5MM. 

The 26-year-old met with the Patriots yesterday, signalling that a deal could be imminent. Now, he is set to join a new NFL team for the second time in his career. The former first rounder played two seasons in Cleveland, but wound up with the Giants as a result of the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.

He played in the Big Apple for three years, starting in 30 of his 32 appearances. Over that time, the former Michigan Wolverine totalled 196 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 17 pass breakups. While his numbers in terms of pass coverage have never been favorable, he has established himself as an effective safety defending the run, and contributed on special teams as a returner as well.

By signing in New England, Peppers will reunite with Joe Judge, his head coach in New York. The longtime Patriots assistant – whose background is in special teams – will work to replace Josh McDaniels‘ contributions on offense this season. While he and Peppers likely won’t work as closely together in New England, therefore, there is still a high degree of familiarity between the two.

Peppers will join a Patriots safety room already featuring the likes of Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger. Schefter reports that he is expected to be recovered from a torn ACL in time for this season’s training camp. The Giants, meanwhile, will likely turn to Xavier McKinney as Peppers’ replacement.

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