2024 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Cowboys To Meet With WR Zay Jones

May 8th, 2024 at 8:49am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars’ Zay Jones release moved an experienced wide receiver to the market post-draft, and teams have taken notice. Jones is set to log a third free agency visit this week.

Already meeting with the Titans and Cardinals, Jones is now heading to Dallas. The Cowboys are bringing in the veteran pass catcher for a Wednesday meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. The Titans have since signed Tyler Boyd, seemingly removing them from this mid-offseason derby.

Jones, 29, would stand to provide Dallas some insurance against 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert not being ready to become a regular. The Cowboys cut Michael Gallup just before part of his 2024 salary was to become guaranteed, and the NFC East team did not address the receiver position early in the draft. The Cowboys waited until Round 6 to add a wideout, selecting Ryan Flournoy out of Division I-FCS Southeast Missouri State.

This fit certainly seems like it would appeal to Jones, who is a Dallas native. The son of former Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones — a starter on each of Dallas’ three 1990s Super Bowl-winning teams — Zay played at Stephen F. Austin High and trekked to East Carolina for college before becoming a Bills second-round pick in 2017. Zay Jones played a regular role for the Jaguars over the past two seasons, but after the team added Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round, it moved on from the two-year starter’s $8MM-per-year contract.

The 6-foot-2 target fared much better in 2022 compared to last season. After fetching a somewhat surprising three-year, $24MM deal from a Jags team committed to upgrading its roster talent in free agency that year, Jones tallied 823 receiving yards and five touchdowns to help the team win the AFC South. Jones then became a key part of the Jags’ 27-point wild-card comeback, catching eight passes for 74 yards and a score against the Chargers. The seven-year vet then led the Jags with 83 receiving yards in a narrow divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. Last season, however, Jones produced just 34 catches for 321 yards. He played in only nine games.

Jones did not make any trips to IR last season but missed six games in a seven-week span over the campaign’s first half. These absences came about because of a PCL issue and femur damage, Jones later admitted. This affected Calvin Ridley‘s season as well, as the veteran’s biggest games came when Jones was on the field. All four of Ridley’s 100-plus-yard showings came in games Jones played. Ridley defected to the Titans, leaving Christian Kirk as the only piece of the team’s previous WR trio left.

The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks in place as their top two wideouts. Lamb’s slot capabilities would stand to pair with Jones’ outside game. Tolbert has not shown too much since becoming a 2022 third-round pick, though he did make progress last season by hauling in 22 passes for 268 yards and two scores. A Jones addition would probably cut into the South Alabama alum’s time.

It can be argued the Cardinals need more help by comparison, despite Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s arrival, but Jones being from Dallas adds some intrigue here. Barring the former Bills and Raiders target setting an unrealistic asking price, it seems he will have a new home soon.

Giants Claim QB Nathan Rourke

May 8th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 8: The Falcons joined the Giants in submitting a claim, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes. The Giants finishing with a worse 2023 record (6-11) compared to the Falcons (7-10) gave them the priority here. Atlanta’s QB situation has generated far more attention over the past two weeks, but the team also has a starter (Kirk Cousins) coming off a major injury.

As Cousins rehabs his Achilles tear, the team has Michael Penix Jr. and Taylor Heinicke as healthy options for offseason work. The team also reached an agreement with UDFA John Paddock (Illinois). Rourke would have become a fifth QB on Atlanta’s 90-man offseason roster.

MAY 7: Nathan Rourke has not yet turned his CFL production into regular-season NFL work, but teams continue to show interest in the Canadian quarterback.

Being waived by the Patriots on Monday, Rourke will make his way to New York. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim to add the QB, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will be team No. 3 for Rourke, who has spent time with the Jaguars and Pats during his young NFL career.

[RELATED: Drew Lock In Play To Win Giants’ QB1 Gig?]

Rourke, 25, is a British Columbia native who played at Ohio University in the late 2010s. He ventured back north of the border in 2020 and became a successful passer for the BC Lions. The early-2020s production in Canada drew attention from nearly half the NFL. Twelve teams worked out Rourke from December 2022 to January 2023. The Giants were among them; they will now get a closer look at the aspiring NFL backup.

The Giants passed on adding a quarterback in the draft, despite exhaustive research on this year’s class, but did send the Patriots a substantial trade-up proposal for No. 3 overall. The offer, which included Nos. 6 and 47 overall and a 2025 first-rounder, was believed to be so the Giants could select Drake Maye. New England balked and drafted Maye, leading the Giants to take Malik Nabers. This kept Daniel Jones as the team’s QB centerpiece.

Rourke will join Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito in the Giants’ QB room. Teams regularly carry four QBs into offseason programs and into training camp. The Giants now have three healthy QBs on their roster; Jones remains on the rehab route post-ACL surgery. The five-year starter is expected to be back come training camp. The NFL also increased flexibility regarding the game’s premier position, allowing a non-roster player to serve as the emergency third QB.

Rourke spent most of last year with the Jags, signing a futures deal and spending time on both their active roster and practice squad. The Pats claimed Rourke off waivers in December; they beat the Texans to the punch there. But after making major changes to their QB room this offseason, the Pats moved on.

Titans, WR Tyler Boyd Agree To Deal

May 7th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Boyd‘s free agency is set to come to an end. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This agreement has a maximum value of $4.5MM, Fowler adds. Boyd is the latest receiver to find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency, after the likes of Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. signed deals of their own last week. This agreement will allow Boyd to continue working with Brian Callahan.

The latter worked alongside Boyd during his time as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator before taking on Tennessee’s head coaching gig this offseason. His debut season at the helm of the Titans will include a familiar face operating in the slot. Boyd – who included the Titans on his list of free agent visits – had spent his entire eight-year career in Cincinnati prior to today’s news.

With Tee Higgins in need of the franchise tag (and/or a long-term extension) and Ja’Marr Chase set to receive one of the league’s most lucrative receiver deals in the near future, though, signs have long pointed to Boyd heading elsewhere this offseason. The 29-year-old was reported to have a mutual interest in a deal sending him to his hometown Steelers, but the sides could not find common ground on contract terms. That left him free to pursue deals with other teams, and a number of potential suitors emerged.

Tennessee already made a massive investment at the receiver position this offseason, prying Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars and Patriots. The former first-rounder landed a four-year, $92MM featuring almost $47MM guaranteed at signing. The Ridley addition, in turn, came just one year after the Titans added DeAndre Hopkins; the latter is under contract for one more season. The team also has 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in the fold, but Boyd will look to compete for a starting role.

The former second-rounder topped 800 yards each season between 2018-21, twice eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark during that span. With Chase and Higgins taking on a major share in the Bengals’ passing game, though, Boyd has seen his usage and production decline in recent years. In 2023, he posted 667 yards, the second-lowest total of his career in a full season. The low cost of this Titans deal illustrates how his market was viewed around the league.

A strong season from Boyd will help his chances of landing a more lucrative accord next offseason, but for now he will turn his attention to serving as a dependable complementary option for quarterback Will Levis. Tennessee also hosted wideout Zay Jones yesterday, but this Boyd deal will likely take them out of the running for further free agent additions.

Patriots To Interview Eagles’ Brandon Hunt

May 7th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

After going 0-for-3 in interview requests for their top front office position, the Patriots are indeed set to meet with a candidate. Eagles exec Brandon Hunt will go forward with an interview, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

The Hunt interview is on tap for today. Hunt has been with the Eagles since 2022, coming over after a lengthy tenure with the Steelers. This Patriots connection marks Hunt’s first GM-related tie since the Steelers passed on promoting him to that post, elevating Omar Khan instead, in 2022. Hunt interviewed twice for the Pittsburgh GM gig.

Hunt is currently in place as the Eagles’ director of scouting. He was with the Steelers, as their director of pro scouting, from 2010-22. Khan hired Eagles exec Andy Weidl as assistant GM; the latter move preceded Hunt leaving for Philadelphia. The Eagles lost four staffers (Weidl, Brandon Brown, Ian Cunningham, Catherine Raiche) to assistant GM posts elsewhere in 2022; Hunt became one of Howie Roseman‘s additions in the wake of those exits. Brown, Cunningham and Raiche have come up in GM searches since; the Eagles will now see another of Roseman’s lieutenants take a key meeting.

News of this Hunt meeting comes after three execs — Trey Brown, Terrance Gray and Quentin Harris — turned down Patriots interview requests. The Pats are likely to keep Eliot Wolf atop its front office, soon in a more official capacity, likely leading to the run of execs turning down interview requests.

Each of the four known external candidates for this position are Black. Teams must interview at least two external minorities for HC and GM positions, shaping the nature of a Patriots search that other GM hopefuls clearly believe will end with Wolf staying in place atop the AFC East team’s front office.

Zamir White Expected To Be Raiders’ RB Starter; Jack Jones ‘Set’ As Starting CB

May 7th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the more eventful days in running back history, transactionally speaking, occurred March 11. More than a third of the league either signed a veteran starter or lost one, with several clubs in both camps. The Raiders ended up only in the first section, losing Josh Jacobs to the Packers hours into the legal tampering period.

More moves affecting 2023 starters occurred soon after, as the Raiders added primary Vikings first-stringer Alexander Mattison a week into free agency. While Mattison worked as Minnesota’s initial Dalvin Cook replacement last year, the Raiders might not be readying a competition to fill the spot Jacobs held for five years.

The Raiders brought in Mattison as a player who will work as a sidekick to Zamir White, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. White filled in for Jacobs as the Las Vegas starter over the final four games last season. He totaled 100-plus rushing yards in two of those tilts. Two seasons remain on White’s rookie contract, giving him a path to take over as a multiyear option for the Raiders.

The Vikings released Mattison one year into a two-year contract; the Raiders gave him a one-year, $2MM deal. The former third-round pick’s run as Cook’s replacement did not go well. While the Vikings look to have picked the right offseason to jettison Cook, their run game ranked 29th. Mattison averaged 3.9 yards per carry and did not score a rushing touchdown. The Vikings joined the Raiders in investing a 2022 Day 3 pick on a back (Ty Chandler), and Jacobs’ Green Bay arrival led Aaron Jones to Minneapolis. Mattison, 25, fared better as a Cook spot starter in prior years; the Raiders will give him a chance to mix in behind White, who is going into his age-25 season.

Elsewhere on the Las Vegas depth chart, Bonsignore adds Jack Jones is “set” as a starting cornerback. The ex-Patriots draftee is on track to work as one of the Raiders’ boundary starters, with a competition in the works for the role alongside he and slot cog Nate Hobbs. Considering where Jones stood prior to the Raiders claiming him, a route to a clear-cut starting role is interesting.

Jones undoubtedly benefited from ownership’s decision to remove Antonio Pierce‘s interim tag. Pierce coached Jones at both Long Beach Poly High and then at Arizona State. Jones, 26, ran into off-field trouble in college and in the NFL. An arrest for trying to bring a loaded gun onto a plane overshadowed Jones’ 2023 offseason, and the 2022 fourth-round pick fell out of favor with Bill Belichick late last season. The Patriots waived Jones after he had missed curfew in Germany.

The Raiders upped the talented corner’s usage rate shortly after the November waiver claim, using him as a starter over the final three games. Jones delivered a memorable stretch, which included pick-sixes in back-to-back games. A 2022 starter who encountered speedbumps last year — which also featured an IR stint following a September hamstring injury — Jones is on steadier ground with his second NFL team.

The team let Amik Robertson walk (to the Lions) in free agency and did not draft a corner until Round 4. The Raiders used fourth- and seventh-round picks at the position, but the team is planning to have Jones and Hobbs as locked-in starters. Jakorian Bennett and the reacquired Brandon Facyson may be the early leaders for the other boundary CB job, Bonsignore adds, with the rookies (Decamerion Richardson, M.J. Devonshire) in the mix now as well.

Lions Viewed Packers As Threat To Draft CB Terrion Arnold?

May 7th, 2024 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions joined the Eagles in going cornerback-cornerback to start the draft. Beyond slot corner Brian Branch, this will effectively complete a Detroit overhaul at the position.

Terrion Arnold began the Lions’ CB-CB first two rounds, with Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. going to Detroit a day after the team traded up for the Alabama-developed cover man. In reuniting Branch and Arnold, the Lions needed to move up the board. The team’s intel probably involved a lurking division rival.

Arnold’s camp viewed the Packers as a team squarely on the radar to draft the corner at No. 25, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Packers are believed to have rated Arnold highly going into Round 1. The Lions climbed up five spots (via the Cowboys) to draft Arnold at No. 24, completing an interesting CB revamp at the position.

Coverage issues created some turnover going into the offseason, and the Lions had trade acquisition Carlton Davis on track to team with Cameron Sutton. But Sutton’s domestic violence arrest — and delay turning himself in — led to the Lions cutting bait on the 2023 free agency pickup. The team was still eyeing corners in the wake of that arrest, as it did not tender Jerry Jacobs as an RFA. The team now looks deep at the position, with Davis, Branch, Arnold and Rakestraw joining the likes of Kindle Vildor, Amik Robertson and Emmanuel Moseley. Given Moseley’s two ACL tears since October 2022, the ex-49ers mainstay is more flier than surefire contributor at this point. It cost the Lions far less to sign him this year than last.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst came into this draft 7-for-8 in going defense with first-round picks, with the 2020 Jordan Love trade-up the exception. Prior to Gutekunst’s 2018 move into the GM chair, the Pack had not chosen an offensive player in the first round since 2011. Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes were part of Gutekunst’s draft run, with the latter — who did not see his fifth-year option picked up — running into injury trouble early in his career. The Packers also traded Rasul Douglas to the Bills at last year’s deadline.

Green Bay, which did not join Detroit in hosting Arnold on a “30” visit, did not draft a corner until Round 7 (Kalen King). The team chose tackle Jordan Morgan at No. 25. Discussing a trade with the Seahawks for No. 16, the Packers did not make an offer for that pick. It cost the Lions No. 73 overall and a 2025 seventh-rounder to move from No. 29 to No. 24. They will bet on Arnold being worth the package sent to Dallas.

The Lions did not view it as likely Arnold would still be there by No. 24, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the team is believed to have put together trade parameters involving another player. That helped accelerate Detroit’s move up the board. Presumably viewing it as unlikely Arnold would make it past the Eagles at No. 22, the Lions observed Philly draft Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Both teams benefited from the draft not producing a defensive pick until No. 15. As for the player the Lions were previously targeting with a trade-up maneuver, Breer indicates Brad Holmes and Co. were eyeing Mizzou’s Darius Robinson.

It is not clear if the Lions and Cowboys had a trade worked out prior to Arnold remaining on the board, but the Lions were apparently ready to trade up for multiple defenders in this class. A versatile defensive lineman, Robinson ended up going to the Cardinals at No. 27.

Cardinals To Sign LB Markus Bailey

May 7th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Columbus native who attended Purdue before being drafted by the Bengals, Markus Bailey will soon take up residence outside the Midwest. Winter clothing will be far less relevant for the veteran special-teamer.

The Cardinals are adding the linebacker/ST presence, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Agreeing to a one-year deal with the NFC West club Tuesday, Bailey will head to the desert as a likely second-string presence and soon-to-be regular for Arizona’s specialty units.

For the most part, Bengals DC Lou Anarumo pointed Bailey’s focus toward special teams. The former seventh-round pick only passed the 100-snap barrier on defense in one of his rookie-contract seasons. On special teams, Bailey exceeded 275 snaps in each of the past two seasons. He topped out at 309 ST plays last year.

A 2021 Logan Wilson injury did lead to the Bengals using Bailey as a fill-in starter. Bailey made three starts during the Bengals’ Super Bowl LVI-qualifying season. He ended up playing 26 snaps against the Rams in that season’s decider.

Arizona was not especially aggressive at linebacker this offseason, but the team still has some pieces from 2023. Kyzir White remains under contract, as does Krys Barnes. The Cards added Mack Wilson last month as well, and fifth-rounder Owen Pappoe is going into his second season. Bailey, 27, will mix in with this group, likely set to work as a backup and ST regular for a second team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/24

May 7th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Waived (non-football injury): OL Ryan Swoboda

Green Bay Packers

Reverted to IR: WR Thyrick Pitts

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: WR Jaaron Hayek
Waived: WR Reggie Brown

Minnesota Vikings

Waived: WR Daylen Baldwin

Tennessee Titans

Waived: DL Shakel Brown

Washington Commanders

Waived: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, CB D’Angelo Mandell, DE Joshua Pryor

Lions Sign DT Kyle Peko

May 7th, 2024 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Peko has made his way around this site’s transaction posts over the years, bouncing to a few teams and on and off practice squads. But the veteran defensive tackle has continued to generate interest despite working mostly as a backup.

A stint with the Titans last year brought new territory — regular starter run — for the eight-year veteran, and it looks like that stretch will lead to another gig. The Lions signed Peko on Tuesday, bringing him in and greenlighting a reunion with C.J. Moore.

Detroit will be Peko’s sixth stop since coming into the NFL as a UDFA in 2016. The ex-Broncos signee had made a combined three starts from 2016-22. Last season, the Titans used him as a 10-game starter. Peko, whose other three career starts came for the 2021 Titans, rejoined the Tennessee D-line last year. He made 22 tackles (two for loss) and batted down a pass.

Pro Football Focus did not view Peko, 30, as a productive defender; the advanced metrics site graded the journeyman as a bottom-10 performer among D-tackle regulars. But the Lions hired former Mike Vrabel assistant Terrell Williams as their D-line coach/defensive run-game coordinator. That familiarity will certainly help produce another opportunity for Peko, who played for Williams — previously the Titans’ D-line coach — during both his Tennessee stints.

A cousin of longtime NFL DT Domata Peko, Kyle has played for the Broncos, Bills, Colts, Raiders and Titans. Last season also marked the Oregon State alum’s career-high mark for games played (13). He joins a Lions interior D-line corps featuring Alim McNeill, John Cominsky, free agent signing D.J. Reader, 14-year veteran Tyson Alualu, former Day 2 picks Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, along with sixth-round rookie Mekhi Wingo.

Giants Add Chris Snee To Scouting Staff

May 7th, 2024 at 6:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The most decorated 21st-century Giants offensive lineman will make his way back to the organization. Former All-Pro guard Chris Snee will join Joe Schoen‘s staff.

Snee will be part of Schoen’s scouting contingent, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes. This addition comes two years after the parties could not make an agreement work back in 2022. But Schoen and the former 10-year Giants O-line starter circled back to a deal, which will begin a reunion Snee has hoped for since retiring.

Part of a solid offensive line nucleus during the Giants’ two Super Bowl seasons, Snee earned four Pro Bowl invites and two All-Pro nods — including a first-team appearance in 2008 — during a career spent only with the Giants. The team drafted Snee in Tom Coughlin‘s first offseason as HC, bringing in the interior O-lineman after the Boston College alum had already become Coughlin’s son-in-law.

The pick produced a 141-start career, with Snee becoming a right guard anchor for Big Blue. Of the Giants’ long-running O-line quartet that included David Diehl, Sean O’Hara and Kareem McKenzie, Snee led the way in terms of Pro Bowl nods. No pure guard in Giants history matches Snee’s four Pro Bowl invites.

Snee, 42, hung up his cleats just before training camp in 2014. He reunited with Coughlin as an O-line scout for the Jaguars during the latter’s time as the team’s executive vice president. Snee also returned to his alma mater in 2022, working as a football analyst. Talks to bring Snee on two years ago did not produce a deal, but the Giants will move forward with a reunion during Schoen’s third offseason in charge.

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