Christian Hackenberg

East Notes: Eagles, Romo, Tannehill

Despite the old NFL adage that says, “if you want to win a Super Bowl, make sure you don’t have a great wide receiver,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Eagles need to address their wide receiver position, currently the weakest area of their roster, if they want to become true contenders. Although it is unlikely the club could acquire a top-flight wideout via trade this year, there may be a few quality free agent options this offseason, such as Alshon Jeffery or old friend DeSean Jackson. Plus, Philadelphia could invest a fair amount of money at the position while Carson Wentz is still playing under his rookie deal.

As McLane notes, Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Josh Huff have shown little to suggest they can develop into premier receivers, which leaves Jordan Matthews–who is better suited to the slot–as Wentz’s only truly reliable wideout. With Wentz looking like the real deal, the Eagles could be legitimate threats this year, but they could cement their contender status moving forward if they can give their young signal-caller another weapon or two.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Tony Romo‘s most likely return date is November 6 against Cleveland, not October 30 against Philadelphia. And, despite the Cowboys‘ insistence that Romo will regain the starting role when he is healthy, Archer says the team could be “singing a different tune” if Dak Prescott is still winning. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Prescott has more support in the Cowboys’ locker room to keep the status quo than Romo has to change it.
  • Martellus Bennett is thriving in his first year with the Patriots, but despite that, and despite the fact that he is set to hit the open market at season’s end, the 29-year-old tight end insists he is not thinking about his next contract, as Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com writes. Bennett said, “For me, I haven’t even thought about [next year]. It’s not something I want to think about, really. I just want to enjoy each game with my teammates and my friends on this team and go out there and ball.”
  • The Dolphins continue to insist that, although Ryan Tannehill shares a fair amount of the blame for the team’s woeful start to the 2016 season, their quarterback problem is not strictly a Tannehill problem. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that, upon reviewing game film, Miami’s coaching staff sees offensive linemen and receivers alike simply missing assignments and demonstrating poor technique, and if the team can remedy those issues, the staff believes Tannehill can realize his potential. In fact, Salguero writes, “speaking to people within the organization, there’s a concern that if this team gives up on Tannehill now, he would go elsewhere and in the years to come would be a good quarterback. Some other team’s good quarterback.”
  • Despite being fourth on the only four-man quarterback depth chart in the NFL, Jets rookie signal-caller Christian Hackenberg is not discouraged. He is trying to maximize his scout team reps, is taking copious notes, and is otherwise remaining upbeat as he waits for his moment. Hackenberg said, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m happy for the [other rookie quarterbacks] playing well. I know a lot of them. That’s cool, but there are a lot of ways to get it” (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).

Extra Points: Jets, Kubiak, Broncos, Las Vegas

Some assorted notes from around the league…

  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com sees similarities between this year’s Jets team and the 2007 squad, with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan playing the roles of Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum. Both squads were tentative about going all-in as they looked towards the future, although Fitzgerald believes that 2007 squad did a better job of evaluating prospects. The big X-factor is quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who the writer compares to 2006 draftee Kellen Clemens.
  • Fortunately for the JetsMuhammad Wilkerson is the only player whose “roster status is “relatively firm.” The team is still a “massive rebuilding project,” according to Fitzgerald, and the writer believes the team could ultimately look to deal some of their veteran talent for future assets.
  • The Broncos are serious about Gary Kubiak‘s recovery. How serious? ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports (via Twitter) that the team doesn’t want anyone to talk to their head coach about football while he’s recuperating. Meanwhile, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post wonders if interim coach Joe DeCamillis could become a “viable” head coach.
  • On Tuesday, the Nevada State senate approved a bill that would “potentially pave the way for an expanded convention center and an NFL-ready stadium” in Las Vegas, writes Jeff Gillan of News3LV.com. The bill will now head to the general assembly, who could deny the plan to fit a new stadium under the boosted “room tax.”

Jets To Keep Four QBs

The Jets are likely to retain all four of their quarterbacks, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). That means roster spots will go to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg.

As the starter, Fitzpatrick was a shoo-in all along. So was Hackenberg, whom the Jets chose in the second round of this year’s draft. Questions surrounded Smith and Petty, though cutting or trading the former would have left the Jets without an experienced backup. Petty, meanwhile, was a fourth-rounder just a year ago, so it’s not surprising that New York is hesitant to move on from him. He did leave the Jets’ preseason finale with a bruised shoulder, but head coach Todd Bowles said afterward that he didn’t suffer any structural damage.

Extra Points: Jets, Bosa, Seahawks, Eagles

The Jets’ concerns over quarterback Christian Hackenberg‘s throwing mechanics will likely render this a redshirt year for the second-round rookie from Penn State, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Hackenberg was the fourth of 15 quarterbacks to come off the board during the draft, but he’s the only one who hasn’t yet appeared in a preseason game. He’s also lagging well behind fellow reserves Geno Smith and Bryce Petty on the Jets’ depth chart. As a result, the Jets will stash Hackenberg at the bottom of their 53-man roster this year and could tinker with his mechanics to a significant extent next offseason, according to Cimini. On the possibility of overhauling Hackenberg’s mechanics, Jets quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo told Cimini, “That’s not something we’re going to get into right now. We’re just trying to see where he’s at, what he knows.”

More on Gang Green and a few other teams:

  • With Hackenberg guaranteed a roster spot and Smith, not Petty, set to serve as the Jets’ backup in their third preseason game on Saturday, it could spell doom for Petty, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. If the team decides against keeping four QBs, Petty is likely to be the odd man out despite going in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
  • One anonymous NFL general manager blames the Chargers for the Joey Bosa debacle, tweets Michael Silver of NFL.com. “[The] Chargers essentially had first pick in draft since the two quarterbacks were going first. [They] could have made sure Bosa would accept the terms,” the GM said.
  • Thanks to an ankle injury to rookie Jarran Reed, recent signing Tony McDaniel could go into the season as a starting defensive tackle for the Seahawks, observes John Clayton of 710 ESPN Seattle. McDaniel isn’t yet a lock to crack the roster, though, as the Seahawks have decisions to make on him, fellow veteran Sealver Siliga and undrafted rookie Brandin Bryant. McDaniel seems to have the edge on those two, relays Clayton. Click here to read the interesting story of how McDaniel’s deal with the Seahawks came together.
  • Stephen Tulloch‘s one-year pact with the Eagles calls for a $1.75MM fully guaranteed base salary with nearly $47K in per-game bonuses that max out at $750K, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He can also earn $750K through incentives.
  • In case you missed it, free agent safety Donte Whitner will visit the Panthers on Friday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

QB Notes: Patriots, 49ers, Jets

In an interview with the Patriots Radio Network on Thursday, team president Jonathan Kraft exalted Tom Brady and expressed frustration over the quarterback’s season-opening four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal.

Of Brady, who has won four Super Bowls with the Patriots, Kraft said (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI), “From our perspective, he’s the type of professional athlete that you want to celebrate, hold up as an example, not only to other players in the league but hold up to kids that are playing the game, and just as somebody you want to model your life off of, not only as a professional athlete but how he is as a father to his children, a husband, a son to his parents, a brother to his sisters. He is as good of a human being as you can get.”

After praising Brady, Kraft took aim at the NFL, stating that the league’s treatment of the 39-year-old “eats at” the Patriots organization. “And there’s still a tremendous amount of, there’s frustration around how the pure facts of science and lack of any type of tangible, hard evidence that certain people can look at those circumstances and then try to taint him or his legacy without that type of evidence,” he continued.

A few items on Brady’s fellow quarterbacks:

  • Colin Kaepernick is vying for the 49ers’ starting job, but shoulder tightness is currently preventing the sixth-year man from competing with Blaine Gabbert, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. It’s important to note that Kaepernick’s right shoulder – not the left shoulder that required November surgery – is the one bothering him. The 28-year-old is “not too concerned about” the issue, he said Friday, and classified it as “just tightness.” Nevertheless, Kaepernick’s inability to garner first-team reps isn’t helping his cause in a battle that Gabbert looks primed to win, according to Inman.
  • Despite going in the second round of this year’s draft, Christian Hackenberg was unable to get into the Jets’ preseason opener against Jacksonville on Thursday. Head coach Todd Bowles offered an explanation afterward, telling reporters (including Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday), “We wanted to take a look at Geno (Smith) and Bryce (Petty). And to play Hackenberg with minimal reps in practice would be doing him a disservice to play him with minimal reps in a game.” Bowles went on to state that it “remains to be seen” whether the former Penn State signal-caller will appear in either of the Jets’ next two preseason games. “It’s not like we’re forced to play him right now,” added Bowles, whose club has two veteran options in starter Ryan Fitzpatrick and Smith, a fourth-year man. Petty was a fourth-rounder last year who hasn’t yet appeared in a game.
  • If any Jets quarterback is in jeopardy of the team handing him a pink slip this summer, it’s likely Petty. But Tara Sullivan of USA Today opines that New York should take the rare route of keeping four passers. Indeed, with Fitzpatrick and Hackenberg not going anywhere, Smith possessing substantial experience, and the Jets having made a somewhat significant investment in Petty just over 15 months ago, they do look like strong candidates to employ a quarterback quartet.
  • In the biggest QB-related news of Friday, the Bills inked starter Tyrod Taylor to an extension.

Jets Notes: Marshall, Decker, QBs, Richardson

The latest on the Jets:

  • Wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker were both absent from OTAs today and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey told reporters (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post) that both players were also absent yesterday. There is speculation that the two are staying home to put pressure on the Jets to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick. When asked if Decker and Marshall are making a stand, Gailey said that he doesn’t think that’s the case, “but you’ll have to ask them that question.” Center Nick Mangold has also been away, but his wife gave birth Tuesday, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • Gailey claims that the team will be comfortable with whoever wins the quarterback job (Twitter link via Costello). Currently, the Jets have Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and second-round pick Christian Hackenberg in camp. Of course, the shadow of Fitzpatrick looms large and there is pressure on the team to get a deal done.
  • Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson says he has spoken to the NFL with regards to its investigation, Costello tweets. Richardson, who served a four-game suspension at the start of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, was his usual effective self upon returning, picking up five sacks and forcing a couple fumbles. Pro Football Focus, which classified him as an edge defender, ranked him 30th out of 110 qualified players in the group.

Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Hackenberg, Fitzpatrick

Jets players hope to see Muhammad Wilkerson soon, but they shouldn’t count on it, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. “He’s the leader of the D-line,” linebacker David Harris said.

Actually, he’s one of the leaders of the defense. He’s a tremendous talent. He’s one of the best D-ends in the league, hands down. I hope he’s here.”

However, Wilkerson would hurt his leverage for a long-term deal if he were to show up before July 15, his deadline to sign the franchise tag tender. Furthermore, he’s still rehabbing his surgically repaired broken leg and it’s not necessarily guaranteed that he’ll be with his teammates in July. Some people believe that the Pro Bowl defensive end could consider not reporting to training camp, which would put some additional tension between the player and the team.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

  • Many view Jets rookie Christian Hackenberg as a developmental quarterback, but offensive coordinator Chan Gailey says the Penn State product could be closer NFL-ready than you might expect. “He retained a great deal from the pro style of offense that [former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien] had,” Gailey said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. “He’s ahead in that respect, but he’s behind in seeing what’s going to happen to him defensively in the NFL.”
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick and the team’s receivers are missing out on valuable time to grow together, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Last year, Fitzpatrick’s chemistry with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker made everyone wonder about the damage they could do if they all had a full offseason to work with each other. Now, Mehta feels that the Jets are hurting their cause by not having a deal done with the veteran.
  • Recently, Decker expressed his desire to see Fitzpatrick back with the team ASAP. Marshall, meanwhile, said that the team will “be OK” with Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and Hackenberg.

Draft Pick Signings: Jets, Bucs, Bills, Broncos

The latest round of draft pick signings from around the NFL features a pair of second-round selections, including a New York quarterback who could get a chance to see the field in 2016, depending on how the rest of the offseason and training camp plays out. Let’s round up the latest signings…

  • Second-round quarterback Christian Hackenberg and seventh-round receiver Charone Peake have signed their rookie contracts with the Jets, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Gang Green has now secured five of its seven draftees, including Hackenberg, who may get an opportunity to vie with Geno Smith and Bryce Petty for the starting QB job if the team doesn’t bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick.
  • The Buccaneers announced that they’ve signed second-round defensive end Noah Spence, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The only Tampa Bay pick that has yet to sign his rookie deal is perhaps the most controversial pick of the draft — second-round kicker Roberto Aguayo.
  • Bills sixth-round wide receiver Kolby Listenbee tweeted out a picture of him signing his contract. Listenbee posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time of any wide receiver at this year’s scouting combine when he clocked in at 4.39 seconds.
  • The Broncos have signed sixth-round fullback Andy Janovich and sixth-round safety William Parks, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. As the 176th overall pick, Janovich will be in line for a four-year deal worth $2.504MM, with a signing bonus of about $164K. Parks, selected nearly an entire round later at No. 219, will get a bonus of about $100K.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Latest On Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Jets used a second-round pick on Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg on Friday, but they don’t plan on throwing him into the fire as a rookie. Instead, their goal is to sit Hackenberg next season and break him into the NFL slowly, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Rapoport expects the Jets to bring back veteran free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick on a one-year Ryan Fitzpatrickdeal, though the two sides haven’t had meaningful contract talks in weeks, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).

Fitzpatrick and the Jets have been at an impasse since the signal-caller’s contract expired last month. Per an ESPN.com report Thursday, the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick remains in the $7MM to 8MM annual range, while the veteran signal-caller is believed to be seeking upward of twice that amount.

At least one report has suggested that the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick is similar to the deal the Eagles gave Chase Daniel, which was worth $21MM over three years, but included another $15MM in incentives. However, on the heels of a career season in which he threw 31 touchdowns and helped the Jets to a 10-6 record, it appears Fitzpatrick wants New York to make an offer less reliant on incentives and heavier on base value.

If the Jets and Fitzpatrick aren’t able to find common ground, the second-best option available in free agency is Brian Hoyer. While Hoyer visited with the Jets earlier this month after the Texans released him, New York reportedly isn’t one of the teams that has made him an offer. The Steelers, Cowboys and Bears are pushing for his services, and he’s likely to make a decision on his future soon.

NFL Draft Rumors: Lynch, Hackenberg, Elliott

During interviews on official visits with teams, Paxton Lynch seemed to deflect blame to many of the critical questions thrown his way, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (via WalterFootball.com). The Memphis product “did not throw anyone under the bus,” but he seemed to make ‘a number of excuses,” Pauline hears. Overall, teams left with the concern that Lynch is not yet ready to be the guy to lead a franchise. Many now believe that Lynch may be able to eventually blossom into a franchise guy, that time is not today and he may be better off with a situation where he can take his time. Lynch’s poor interviews may help to explain his apparent stock drop in recent days.

  • Conversely, Pauline is hearing good things about quarterback Christian Hackenberg‘s interviews. The Penn State signal caller apparently took responsibility when asked uncomfortable questions and admitted that certain things were his fault. There have been reports of Hackenberg throwing Penn State coach James Franklin under the bus, but Pauline doesn’t buy it based on conversations that he has had.
  • If Laremy Tunsil does not fall into their laps, the Ravens will consider Ezekiel Elliott with their No. 6 choice unless they are able to trade down, Pauline hears.
  • In the last week, there have been conflicting reports on how much the Jets like Lynch. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) doesn’t believe that the Jets like him very much at all. He also doesn’t believe that he’ll last until pick No. 20.
  • If the Cowboys take Elliott, Miller (on Twitter) expects the 49ers to try very hard to move up for FSU defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
  • The Texans have displayed late-round draft interest in Valdosta State running back Cedric O’Neal, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. O’Neal, an All-Gulf South Conference running back who led the conference with 17 touchdowns last season, has also drawn interest from the Chiefs and Eagles.
  • Cincinnati defensive back Leviticus Payne is drawing late interest from the Colts, Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Texans, Wilson tweets.