Austin Davis - Pro Football Rumors

Deone Bucannon spent his 2017 offseason rehabbing from an injury, and the Cardinals became concerned the fifth-year linebacker suffered a serious setback at practice Thursday. But a day later, the team is relieved after an MRI revealed Bucannon did not damage any knee ligaments, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Bucannon did suffer a hyperextended knee and bruised a kneecap, per Rapoport, and the Cards aren’t going to rush him back as a result. Ankle injuries limited Bucannon to 12 games last season, and 2018 will be critical for him. He will play this season on a fifth-year option and is due for 2019 free agency. The Cards’ shift to a 4-3 look will result in their 2014 first-round pick lining up at outside linebacker. Initially a safety, Bucannon moved to an inside ‘backer slot and played there full-time over the past two seasons.

The 49ers saw a former first-round pick go down during camp as well. Here’s the latest from the NFC West:

Arik Armstead missed much of the past two seasons because of an injury, and the 49ers‘ 2015 first-rounder’s now dealing with another one. A hamstring malady is expected to sideline Armstead for multiple weeks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Armstead went on IR with a shoulder injury in 2016, and a broken hand ended his 2017 campaign. He also underwent foot surgery this offseason. The 49ers picked up Armstead’s $9MM 2019 option in May. He’s expected to remain a defensive end starter this season.
The Seahawks drafted Alex McGough in the seventh round, but ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes he hasn’t provided Austin Davis with much competition. It appears certain Davis will reprise his role as Russell Wilson‘s top backup this season. “Austin has been really solid,” Pete Carroll said. “I think it’s been really hard for Alex to get going. He’s been struggling. It’s been hard for him. We are a very high-tech offense, there’s a lot going on and he hasn’t been able to get back to even where he was in the offseason.”
Kyle Shanahan admitted he’s had doubts he made the right decision to convince John Lynch to trade up to select Joe Williams in the 2017 fourth round, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. A Utah product who stepped away from football in college due to off-field issues, Williams did not impress the 49ers’ staff during 2017 training camp and has yet to play in a game. While Shanahan’s seen a stronger commitment from the second-year back this summer, Williams isn’t a roster lock. He’s competing with Raheem Mostert for the 49ers’ third-string running back job, behind Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida, Branch adds.
Before the 49ers made an offer to McKinnon, Kyle Juszczyk helped recruit him. The NFL’s highest-paid fullback began texting with the former Vikings backup running back during the winter, and once informed the 49ers were going after him, the team told Juszczyk to keep pushing with his recruitment, Juszczyk said (via Maiocco). McKinnon surprised many by fetching a four-year, $30MM contract, including his new fullback. “I don’t know if I knew he was going to be the top-paid running back in the market that year,” Juszczyk said. “But I figured he’d be a guy that we’d be interested in.”

Seahawks Re-Sign QB Austin Davis

April 16th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are re-signing quarterback Austin Davis on a minimum-salary deal, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, Garafolo hears this will not end the team’s talks with Colin Kaepernick.

Davis spent last season as Russell Wilson’s backup, though he did not throw a pass in the regular season. His last attempted throw came in 2015 with the Browns as he appeared in three games with two starts. Davis is perhaps best known for his time with the Rams, which included eight starts (3-5 record) in 2014.

Last week, the Seahawks postponed a scheduled workout with Kaepernick as they look to get a read on the quarterback’s future plans, including whether he’ll kneel for the anthem in the coming season. Reportedly, the team “asked for his plan moving forward on how to handle everything and there was not a firm plan.” The Seahawks are also said to have concerns about Kaepernick’s overall commitment to football as he continues to push social justice initiatives.

Jags Audition Kellen Clemens, Austin Davis

April 2nd, 2018 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kellen Clemens saw the Chargers agree to terms with Geno Smith on Sunday night, and it looks like he’ll be in need of another employer. A potential suitor emerged Monday.

The Jaguars worked out both Clemens and Austin Davis, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Jags lost longtime backup Chad Henne recently but traded for Cody Kessler.

Blake Bortles agreed to an extension to stay in Jacksonville but is recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Kessler is the only other quarterback on the Jags’ roster, so the team may have some work to do for depth purposes. They will need more arms to run offenses during OTAs at the very least, and Clemens has been one of the game’s longer-tenured backups.

This is the 34-year-old passer’s first visit this offseason. He spent the past four seasons backing up Philip Rivers and has worked in this capacity for most of his career. Although, he started nine games for the 2013 Rams in Sam Bradford‘s stead. A former second-round Jets pick, Clemens has attempted 100 passes in a season just twice in a 12-year career.

A teammate of Clemens’ in St. Loius, Davis spent the 2017 season backing up Russell Wilson in Seattle. The Seahawks remain in need of a No. 2 QB behind Wilson, and both Davis and Clemens worked under new Seattle OC Brian Schottenheimer with the Rams. So, they would be natural options to play behind Wilson. Seattle has not been connected to either quarterback thus far this offseason, however.

Davis, 28, served as the relief arm for Bradford in 2014, when he suffered another knee injury, but has not thrown a pass in a game since the 2015 season while with the Browns.

Henne spent four seasons as Bortles’ backup but signed to play behind Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. It’s likely the Jaguars will at least look at passers in this year’s draft, and with Kessler now in the picture, there might not be room for a veteran should Jacksonville take a quarterback in the middle rounds or higher. But both Henne and Davis have more experience as NFL backups than Kessler.

West Notes: Broncos, Seahawks, 49ers

January 15th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Broncos have fallen quite a ways from their Super Bowl 50 win about two years ago. The team’s biggest question mark is obviously at quarterback, but there are a number of questions that John Elway and company will have to answer over the course of the offseason, explains Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

Jhabvala mentions that the Broncos wide receiver position could really change over the next few months depending on how the front office approaches some of the playmakers that could enter free agency. The big name she mentions is Demaryius Thomas who could test the open market should Denver decline his $4MM option. He’s controllable for non-guaranteed salaries for the next two seasons, but the team could save some money or re-negotiate a new contract before a decision has to be made about that option. In addition to Thomas, Cody Latimer is an unrestricted free agent, Bennie Fowler is a restricted free agent and Emmanuel Sanders is a controllable veteran that could hit the trade block if the team rather invest in Thomas long-term.

Jhabvala also focuses on veteran cornerback Aqib Talib. She notes how he’ll turn 32 in February and is set to make $11MM in 2018. Although, the Broncos would only be responsible for $1MM if he were to be released. With Chris Harris and Bradley Roby under contract as well, it’s unlikely the team would hold onto all three for next season.

The article finally keys in on Denver’s starting running back, C.J. Anderson. Anderson is paid well for his position as he’ll make $4.4MM next season. However, his last two years of his original four-year deal that he signed in 2016 are non-guaranteed, so there is definitely significant money to be saved should the team move onto the likes of Devontae Booker, De’Angelo Henderson or potentially a another running back that they draft in April.

Here’s more from the NFL’s West divisions:

Denver has to deal with an off-the-field problem at receiver as well. Their 2017 third-round draft pick, Carlos Henderson, was arrested this afternoon for possession of marijuana, per Brad Cesak of NBC6News (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was placed on the injured reserve with a thumb injury in the preseason, but could face league discipline for his most recent incident. This would be his first offense, but it’s not encouraging for a Broncos team potentially looking for steady contributors on that side of the ball.
The news that Pete Carroll would be replacing Darrell Bevell with Brian Schottenheimer as Seattle’s next offensive coordinator was met with some skepticism across the football world. However, Seahawks backup quarterback Austin Davis thinks that the change will bring some positivity to the team’s offense in 2018, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Schottenheimer coached Davis for three seasons while the two were in St. Louis. “We were very creative in St. Louis,” Davis told 710 ESPN Seattle. “We threw a lot of things at the defense, whether it was drop-back, whether it was play-action, whether it was quarterback movement, we had it all. And we were a really good screen team. If there was one thing I could pick out from last year, we couldn’t run screens.” The Seahawks offense was carried by Russell Wilson last season and is in need of a new identity as the team looks to get back into the postseason.
49ers promising rookie linebacker Reuben Foster recently got in trouble with the law for having possession of marijuana, which is likely to effect his paycheck in the years to come. The 2017 first-round pick had about $2.5MM in guaranteed money from 2018-2020, but that will probably be voided because of specific wording in his contract, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Corry explained that Foster had a clause in his contract that if he were to be fined for a violation of the NFL’s drug policy, that money would lose its guaranteed status. The former Alabama defender fell down the draft board a bit last year because of some personality issues, and his immaturity has now clearly cost him in terms of his wallet.
Current 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made some extra cash after the Patriots beat the Titans to advance to the AFC Championship, according to Corry in another tweet. Corry reports that Garoppolo received an extra $51k in playoff money for the victory because he was with New England for at least eight games this past regular season.

NFC Notes: Seahawks, Redskins, Rush

August 27th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

During Friday’s preseason game, Austin Davis outplayed Trevone Boykin as the pair of Seahawks quarterbacks battled for the backup gig behind Russell Wilson. While Davis finished with a perfect quarterback rating, Boykin went 0-for-6 while tossing an interception. Despite the clear disparity in their performance, coach Pete Carroll was adamant that the organization won’t be basing their final decision on one game.

“I really think that we were just out of sync so much for the first 10, 12 plays there that Boykin just couldn’t get rolling,” Carroll said (via Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times). “It just felt like we were out of whack for a bit. Austin came right in we kind of fit together very nicely.

“Trevone has had a really good preseason so far. I don’t think five to six passes he threw in this game should be in the final decision. I think he’s done very well.”

Of course, the team could decide to hang on to three quarterbacks, and Carroll seemingly left that possibility open.

“It’s a good idea if you can do it,” Carroll said. “They’re so important. It just depends on the rest of the roster.”

The Redskins could potentially trade a tight end before the regular season gets underway, opines John Keim of ESPN.com. Rookie fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle looks poised to serve as Washington’s third tight end behind Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, meaning the club’s final slot at the position will be filled by either Derek Carrier or Niles Paul. The one who doesn’t earn a roster spot could be dealt for either a reserve offensive lineman or a draft choice, per Keim, who adds that both Carrier and Paul would “hold value” to other NFL teams.
Cooper Rush will earn a place on the Cowboys‘ roster as a backup quarterback, as owner Jerry Jones says Dallas will not try to sneak Rush through waivers in order to stash him on the practice squad (link via Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com). Rush, an undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan, is still in contention for the Cowboys’ No. 2 quarterback job behind Dak Prescott, although he’s competing with veteran Kellen Moore for that role. While Rush has completed 75% of his preseason passes for six touchdowns and no interceptions, Moore has posted a 54% completion rate, one touchdown, and one pick.
Just months after being selected in the fifth round of the draft, running back Jeremy McNichols is not a roster lock for the Buccaneers, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “He’s gonna get one final chance to show what he can do,” said head coach Dirk Koetter, referring to Tampa Bay’s final preseason game on Thursday. McNichols, who’s been shown having a hard time grasping the Buccaneers’ offense on Hard Knocks, only saw two plays on Saturday (including a failed blitz pickup) before being yanked, per Laine. While Doug Martin will miss the first three games of the season while on suspension, Tampa Bay has other backs to replace him, including Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims, and Peyton Barber.
49ers defensive end Tank Carradine has played sparingly since being selected in the second-round of the 2013 draft. With only 36 games and 57 tackles over four seasons, some wondered whether Carradine could be looking for a new gig following the preseason. However, based on an evaluation from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, it sounds like the 28-year-old is a lock to make the roster. “With Tank, when I say ‘elite,’ I’m talking as a run-down, six-technique, someone who just can really dominate his edge and own the line of scrimmage,” Saleh said on NBC Sports Bay Area (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Rumors: Falcons, Freeman, Seahawks

June 21st, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC:

The Falcons are confident that a deal is close for Devonta Freeman, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) says that it will be a hard deal to do. For starters, Freeman is one of the league’s most explosive running backs and he is only 25 years old, so he can command a whooper of a contract. But, if Le’Veon Bell re-sets the market in July with the Steelers before Freeman signs, it may get even tougher for Atlanta to get a deal done.
Austin Davis will receive a $30K bonus if he is on the Seahawks‘ roster for the first game of the regular season, a league source tells Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The quarterback’s one-year deal is worth $855K overall with $50K guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus. It’s a minimum salary benefit deal, meaning the cap charge for 2017 is just $695K. Davis was signed earlier this summer to duke it out with Trevone Boykin for the role of Russell Wilson‘s primary backup.
The Giants historically have gotten big performances out of undrafted free agents like Victor Cruz, Mark Herzlich, Romeo Okwara, and Will Tye, so James Kratch of NJ.com surveyed the current roster to find the next diamonds in the rough. Cornerback DaShaun Amos, he opines, is the most likely UDFA to make the final cut this year. The Giants presently have two cornerbacks spots up in the air and Valentino Blake is the only one in the fringe group with real NFL experience, so Amos seems to have a good chance. Linebacker Calvin Munson, tackle Chad Wheeler, wide receiver Travis Rudolph, and cornerback Nigel Tribune round out Kratch’s top five Big Blue UDFAs.

NFC West Rumors: Maclin, Cardinals, Rams

June 6th, 2017 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC West:

The Cardinals have no interest in Jeremy Maclin, according to an NFL source who spoke with Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The Cardinals, in theory, could have used Maclin as a No. 2 option opposite of Larry Fitzgerald, but they’re apparently not giving him much thought. For now, the Cards will have the speedy John Brown, JJ. Nelson, Brittan Golden, and Jaron Brown as the WRs behind Fitzgerald. While the Cardinals are not interested in Maclin, at least four teams are in on the veteran.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was missing from Rams OTAs until Monday, but that was not due to any issues over his contract, as Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Right now, I’m happy to be here and playing ball,” Johnson said. “I’m controlling what I can control. When that contract stuff comes up, I’ll handle it.” The Rams have until July 15 to sign Johnson to a new contract. Otherwise, he will play under his one-year, ~$17MM franchise tender.
Austin Davis‘ deal with the Seahawks is for the veteran’s minimum, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The quarterback will earn a $775K base salary with a $50K signing bonus plus a $30K roster bonus if he makes the team. Seattle inked Davis earlier this week, effectively choosing him over Colin Kaepernick.

Colin Kaepernick, Seahawks Didn’t Exchange Offers

June 5th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Likely having closed the door on a Colin Kaepernick addition after signing journeyman Austin Davis, the Seahawks may not have been deep into financial discussions with the 29-year-old quarterback’s camp. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeted on Friday the Seahawks and Kaepernick were apart on money but took an opportunity Monday to clarify that wasn’t necessarily the case.

Garafolo reports Kaepernick and the Seahawks did not exchange formal offers. While the reporter notes (video link) the sides did discuss expectations of a contract before Kaepernick trekked to Seattle, but numbers-wise, the talks didn’t progress into detail beyond that.

ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported late last month the Seahawks were looking for quarterback help at closer to the veteran minimum, and Garafolo expects Davis’ deal to come in around that. Davis did not see any time last season as the Broncos’ third-string quarterback, and he eventually was waived in December. Garafolo and Steve Wyche note Davis isn’t a lock to wrest the backup job away from Trevone Boykin, either. Wyche also relays an NFL.com report that indicated more Seahawks fans called the team to voice negative opinions of a Kaepernick addition than vice versa.

A report emerged in March that Kaepernick was potentially seeking low-end starter/high-end backup money, but nothing substantial has come out on that front since. Kaepernick has seen several teams go elsewhere to fill their backup spots, with franchises like the Cowboys and now Seahawks bringing in less accomplished players, and the No. 2 signal-caller market for players like Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III continues to dry up.