Jeremy Hill - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots To Sign Jeremy Hill

March 16th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by Micah Powell

Just moments after adding veteran Adrian Clayborn to their defensive front four, the Patriots continued their reshuffling by reaching an agreement with former Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets.

Yates reported on Thursday the team was set to meet with the running back on Friday and the two sides quickly agreed to a deal.

A second-round pick in 2014, Hill burst on the scene with 1,124 yards and nine rushing touchdowns as a rookie. The following season, the LSU product tied for the league lead with 11 rushing scores. After another solid season in 2016, Hill was phased out after the team drafted Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon in the second round. Hill recorded just 116 yards on 37 carries.

Despite the departure of Dion Lewis to the Titans, the Patriots’ depth chart at running back is still chock full. Earlier in the week, the team re-signed Rex Burkhead, and it already has pass catcher James White and Mike Gillislee under contract.

Hill has served in a two-headed rushing attack since entering the league, splitting carries with Giovani Bernard in his first three seasons as well as Mixon in 2017.

[RELATED: Patriots Depth Chart]

RB Jeremy Hill To Visit Patriots

March 15th, 2018 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite rostering three capable running backs, New England is apparently seeking more reinforcement at the position. Free agent Jeremy Hill is set to visit with the Patriots tomorrow, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for Hill, who was listed ninth in our free agent positional rankings. It doesn’t sound like the former second-rounder will be returning to the Bengals, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. After rushing for 1,124 yards in his rookie season, Hill hasn’t been able to match that production in the past three years.

2017 was arguably the 25-year-old’s worst NFL season, as he finished the campaign with only 116 rushing yards on 37 carries (leading to a career-low 3.1 yards per carry). After having compiled 29 touchdowns through his first three seasons in the league, Hill finished last year with zero. The running back was limited to only seven games (seven starts) after injuring his ankle in November.

The Patriots running back depth chart is already relatively crowded, especially after the team re-signed Rex Burkhead earlier this week. New England is also rostering pass-catcher James White as well as Mike Gillislee (special teamer Brandon Bolden is also on the team). Despite the depth, the Patriots are clearly looking for another back, as they reportedly have interest in former player Danny Woodhead.

Top 2018 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

March 5th, 2018 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market. The same goes for players who have been franchise tagged or transition tagged.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2018:

Quarterback:

There were many difficult calls when putting this list together, but ranking Kirk Cousins as the No. 1 QB available was not among them. Cousins is the best quarterback to reach free agency in recent history and he’ll become the highest-paid player of all-time – at least, for some period of time – in mid-March. Who will make history with Cousins? That’s anyone’s guess right now. The Browns have more cap room than any other team, but a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets, and Vikings as the final suitors for Cousins. Of those four, the Jets have the most money to work with, but they’re concerned about the Vikings winning out and Cousins’ desire to win could point him in another direction. If the Broncos and Cardinals want in on the Cousins sweepstakes, they’ll have to get creative with the books.

Drew Brees is included here, but by his own admission, he’ll be re-signing with the Saints rather than testing the open waters of free agency. Unless the Saints lowball their franchise QB, it’s hard to see him leaving New Orleans.

Case Keenum put together a tremendous season for the Vikings, but he doesn’t have a history of success beyond 2017. There will be plenty of interest in Keenum, but only after QB-needy teams strike out on Cousins. The incumbent Vikings could re-sign Keenum, but right now, it seems like they are intent on exploring the Cousins waters first.

There isn’t a ton of footage on A.J. McCarron, which made his placement on this list awfully tricky. We know this much: McCarron did well in place of Dalton in the home stretch of the 2015 season and his former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was salivating at the chance of landing him before the Browns bungled the trade with the Bengals. McCarron’s relative youth is a plus (he won’t turn 28 until September) and his lack of experience can be looked at as a positive. Unlike some of the other names on this list, he hasn’t run up his NFL odometer.

What will NFL teams make of Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford this offseason? Not long ago, both seemed like quality starting options. However, there are serious injury questions about both players and any team signing them will either look to backstop them with another decent option or ask them to come onboard as a QB2. With that in mind, one has to wonder if Bradford would consider retirement if asked to hold the clipboard for another signal caller. Bradford has earned upwards of $110MM over the years in the NFL, so it’s safe to say that he has enough money in the bank to call it quits if he wants. For now, he’s intent on playing.

Colin Kaepernick‘s placement on this list is sure to draw some strong reactions from his fans and detractors alike. Looking purely at his football ability, there’s no question that he belongs on someone’s roster. At minimum, Kaepernick profiles as a high-end backup, even after a year out of the game.

Quarterbacks coaches have long believed that Mike Glennon is capable of great things, due in part to his height. At 6’7″, he can see over any defensive line, but he hasn’t done much on the field to prove that he is a quality Week 1 starting option. Josh McCown, who is a decade his senior, edges him here for his surprisingly strong performance in 2017 at the helm of a weak Jets offense.

Running back:

We’re in the illegal tampering period which, frankly, is just as active as the legal tampering period. Already, Dion Lewis is attracting attention from a number of teams and it’s speculated (wink wink) that the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts will have interest in him when things get underway next week. Le’Veon Bell has a franchise tag coming his way, so Lewis stands as the most attractive RB option out there.

Carlos Hyde didn’t have the kind of platform year he was hoping for, but he’s still just 26 and could headline a running back by committee group.

Jerick McKinnon‘s placement on this list figures to be controversial, but his athleticism and pass-catching ability can blow a game wide open. No one will bank on McKinnon to carry the ball 20 times per game, but he can be a real difference maker for a team out there.

Can Frank Gore outrun father time? History indicates that he can’t and so does his 3.7 yards per carry average in 2017. You have to give credit where credit is due, however. Gore has been ruled out by many for years, but he has not missed a regular season game since the 2010 season. He’s also just one year removed from cracking 1,000 yards and he almost did the same last year.

Wide receiver:

For most teams, Allen Robinson would be a franchise tag candidate. However, that may be too much of a luxury for the cash-strapped Jaguars. He presents a fascinating free agent case. Robinson missed all but three snaps of the 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL, but he’s the most talented wide receiver on the board in the eyes of many. His 2015 season – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes GMs drool. His quieter year in 2016 (73 catches, 883 yards, and six touchdowns) is less worthy of salivation. His 2017 season, of course, was a lost cause. For all the question marks, you can expect Robinson to see more dollars than any other free agent WR this year, particularly since Jarvis Landry has been held back by the tag.

Some in the football world may prefer Sammy Watkins for his big-play ability, but his down contract year amidst a capable offense is cause for concern. His injury history doesn’t do him any favors either. No matter your feelings on Watkins, there’s no debating that this year’s WR market has a top tier comprised of just two players – Watkins and Robinson. With few quality receivers out there, they’ll both get paid.

Marqise Lee represents a much less sexy option (speaking in football terms, of course), but he had the most receptions of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Teams looking for a quality WR2 in free agency could do a lot worse than Lee and he’ll be far cheaper than the two-man top tier.

Danny Amendola hauled in 61 receptions for 659 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and continued his strong play in the playoffs. However, teams will wonder if he can thrive in his age-33 season while playing outside of the Patriots’ offense. It’s also quite possible that he never tests the market as his stated preference is to remain in New England.

After that, you’ll notice a pretty significant drop off. That’s because this year’s WR class isn’t all that deep. Terrelle Pryor had to settle for a one-year prove-it contract last year and, to put it mildly, he did not prove it. Paul Richardson caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 2017, but that marked his first NFL season of real note.

Tight end:

Trey Burton spent most of the year behind Zach Ertz on the Eagles’ depth chart, but he emerged late in the season and set himself up nicely for free agency. Given his age and potential, there’s no question that he is the belle of the ball at tight end.

The rest of the tight end crop is not nearly as inspiring. Jimmy Graham has enjoyed back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons with the Seahawks, but he’ll turn 32 in November and he’s no longer the monster playmaker that he was in New Orleans. He had ten touchdowns in 2017, but his 9.1 yards per reception average is a career low.

Odds are, you have Tyler Eifert ranked over Austin Seferian-Jenkins given the fact that Eifert has played just ten games over the last two years. ASJ, meanwhile, rebounded from personal issues to post a 50-catch season for the Jets. Personally, I’m picking Eifert based on upside. Hopefully, we can still be friends.

Virgil Green, Darren Fells, and Lee Smith aren’t exactly fantasy football superstars, but they are quality blocking tight ends that will draw more dollars than expected.

With some uninspiring names towards the backend of the list, you may be wondering where former Ravens notable Crockett Gillmore is on this list. Gillmore is transitioning to the offensive line, so he did not warrant consideration here.

Fullback:

Jon Gruden may go eagerly shopping for fullbacks, but they’re not nearly as popular as they once were.

Offensive tackle:

Offensive line play is down across the board and evaluators around the league have been openly complaining about an increasing dearth of tackles coming out of college. That makes for a generally uninspiring lot in free agency.

Nate Solder battled through injuries in 2017 and did not miss a game. He’s no longer a top-flight option, but he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 32 tackle last year, meaning that he’s starter quality at left tackle. You’ll notice that three of the top five tackles on this list are Patriots. There’s little chance that the Pats let all three get away.

Justin Pugh offers the ability to play both guard and right tackle, though he might not do either one particularly well.

Interior offensive line (guard/center):

Andrew Norwell is the undisputed king of this category after netting an All-Pro selection in 2017. Norwell also earned a career-high 88.8 overall score from Pro Football Focus, which positioned him third in the entire NFL amongst guards. A team with greater means than the Panthers might have used the franchise tag on him. Fortunately for rival teams in need of interior help (such as the Giants), they won’t cuff him with the one-year placeholder.

Jeremy Hill Intends To Test Market

January 31st, 2018 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears the Bengals and Jeremy Hill are going their separate ways. The running back’s rookie deal expired at season’s end, and with the Bengals having both Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard signed long-term, Hill is going to test the free agent market.

Hill posted on Twitter that he won’t be playing for the Bengals next season and said (via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer) he’s going to be available come March. He’d left the door somewhat ajar about a Bengals reunion after the season but is now set to head elsewhere.

“I’m not nervous at all,” Hill said. “I think the chips will fall where they may and I’m good with that going forward. I’m going to put the work in and when you do that you can sleep good at night knowing you did everything you could, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Although the former second-round pick is just 25, he is not going to be entering free agency with much momentum.

The LSU product who enjoyed a strong rookie season (1,124 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) and followed it up with an 11-touchdown 2015, but he ventured to IR last season and was the third-string running back prior to doing so. Hill received just 37 carries in 2017 after an incredibly consistent workload (222, 223 and 222 carries during his first three seasons) prior to his contract year.

Hill averaged 5.1 yards per carry as a rookie but failed to exceed four yards per tote in each of the following slates. Hill, who switched agents early in the season, told Owczarski he played through ankle trouble over a multiyear period and decided to undergo surgery to get ready for free agency.

“I had some bone spurs build up in my ankle the past few years, just from rolling it, playing through it,” Hill told said. “… At that point in the season, they decided to go forward with Joe and my people, my family and myself, we just thought it would be best for me to have surgery and make sure I’m good to go going forward, putting my career over this season. That was a decision that I felt was best for me going forward and that’s what I did.”

He’ll join Carlos Hyde, Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West and Jerick McKinnon among fifth-year players looking for their second contract. Le’Veon Bell is technically a free agent, but the Steelers are expected to either use the franchise tag on him or reach an extension agreement.

Injury Notes: Winston, Freeman, Fuller, Hurns

November 13th, 2017 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard yesterday that Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston could miss “an extended period” of time as he recovered from a shoulder injury. However, head coach Dirk Koetter was still adamant that the franchise signal-caller would take the field again this season.

“Again, (the plan we adopted) was for Jameis to rest for two weeks and then we’re going to see where he’s at,” Koetter said (via Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders). “We’ve talked to multiple doctors (about it) and that’s what the plan is.

“And I know that Jameis plans on playing again (this year). And there’s been no discussion between Jason and myself of him not playing again so that would all be something that would have to come up in the future.’’

Let’s take a look at some more injury notes from around the NFL…

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is unlikely to suit up for next Monday’s game against the Seahawks, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Freeman suffered his second concussion of the season this past weekend, although Schefter notes that the player isn’t expected to miss multiple games. The 25-year-old has compiled 515 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season.
Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee may be forced to shut it down for several weeks. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the defender is unlikely to play this week or during the team’s Thanksgiving contest against the Chargers. Head coach Jason Garrett confirmed that Lee may miss several games, noting that “it might be some time” before he returns (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).
Texans wideout Will Fuller suffered a cracked rib during his team’s loss to the Rams this weekend, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Fortunately, the second-year player didn’t experience extensive damage and may only miss a single game. The 23-year-old has been a touchdown machine this season, hauling in seven scores.
We learned last week that Bengals running back Jeremy Hill‘s season was over, and it sounds like it was the player’s decision to be placed on the injured reserve. Head coach Marvin Lewis said it was Hill who ultimately opted for the ankle surgery, which resulted in him landing on the injured reserve (via Rapoport on Twitter). The former second-rounder has compiled only 116 rushing yards on 37 carries this season, a far cry from his 1,124-yard performance in 2014.
Jaguars wideout Allen Hurns suffered a right ankle injury against the Chargers on Sunday, and coach Doug Marrone doesn’t see him taking the field this weekend. “Yeah, I don’t anticipate him playing this week,’’ Marrone said (via Cummings). “I would say yes (in terms of him missing this week), but I wouldn’t know (about his availability) after that.’’ As Cummings points out, Hurns absence could force the team to finally play wideout Dede Westbrook, who is eligible to be activated off of the injured reserve.

Bengals Place RB Jeremy Hill On IR

November 11th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals have been busy this morning, making a series of roster moves. The team announced on Twitter that they’ve placed running back Jeremy Hill on the injured reserve and waived kicker Marshall Koehn. To take their place on the roster, the team has promoted safety Brandon Wilson and defensive tackle Josh Tupou.

Hill has been battling an ankle injury recently, forcing him to miss last weekend’s game against the Jaguars. Despite starting all seven games this season, the 25-year-old was on pace to set career-lows in several statistic categories. The former second-rounder has compiled only 116 rushing yards on 37 carries, a far cry from his 1,124-yard performance in 2014. The impending free agent running back had also hauled in only four receptions for 16 yards. With Hill done for the season, the team will presumably turn to Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard to handle the majority of the carries.

Marshall Koehn filled in for Randy Bullock during last weekend’s game, converting his lone extra point attempt. With the team waiving the rookie out of Iowa, it’s a clear indication that Bullock should be ready to go this weekend against the Titans.

Wilson, a sixth-round pick in this past year’s draft, had spent the entire season on the Bengals’ practice squad. The Houston product will presumably slide in behind Shawn Williams, George Iloka, and Clayton Fejedelem on the Bengals’ depth chart. Meanwhile, Tupou is expected to fill in for defensive lineman Pat Sims, who is dealing with a calf injury.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Murray, Steelers, Hill

October 31st, 2017 at 12:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are under .500 for the first time since October 2012 and have seen their aerial attack sputter this month. They are considering benching Trevor Siemian for Brock Osweiler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Osweiler was once ahead of Siemian in Denver’s pecking order prior to departing as a free agent, starting seven games in relief of Peyton Manning in 2015, but has seen his stock plummet considerably in between Broncos stays. Siemian, though, threw three interceptions against the Chiefs and has now thrown 10 this season — as many as he did in 14 games in 2016. Paxton Lynch would be the more logical choice for a longer-term change but has only practiced three times thus far. Still, if the Broncos’ losing streak continues — and games against the Eagles and Patriots loom the next two weeks — it would stand to reason Lynch could see the field soon for the lengthy audition he’s yet to receive.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on trade deadline day.

DeMarco Murray has heard “rumblings” he could be traded, Ed Werder tweets. This would be an obviously interesting move given the Titans‘ placement in the AFC South and wild-card races and their affinity for ground success under Mike Mularkey. Murray has no guaranteed money left on his through-2019 deal. The Cowboys are reportedly calling about running backs after Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension was restored, and Werder notes Murray makes sense due to his All-Pro season for Dallas in 2014.
Martavis Bryant has been informed he’s going to be part of the Steelers‘ Week 10 game plan, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports, continuing to squelch the notion the mercurial pass-catcher could be traded today. The Steelers have said they are not trading the fourth-year wide receiver, one who has another season remaining on his rookie contract since it tolled while he was suspended. Fowler notes Pittsburgh could get blown away by an offer but doesn’t see a trade coming.
Steelers rookie cornerback Cameron Sutton returned to practice on Tuesday, the team announced. He remains on IR, and the Steelers have 21 days to activate the third-round pick. Pittsburgh has six cornerbacks on its active roster presently.
Jeremy Hill‘s contract year is not going especially well, and the Bengals running back made an agency switch, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter). Hill will now be represented by Joel Segal and Greg Barnett, per Owczarski. The fourth-year ball-carrier has just 113 rushing yards on 37 carries. He profiles as a possible trade candidate due to Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard being signed long-term. Hill rushed for at least 790 yards in each of his first three NFL seasons, which would seemingly make him an intriguing free agent despite the role reduction this season.

Extra Points: Bills, Redskins, Bengals, 49ers

February 24th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills general manager Doug Whaley might be content to go into 2017 with Cardale Jones at quarterback, but the team is only going to release Tyrod Taylor if rookie head coach Sean McDermott signs off on it, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Whaley and McDermott have equal say in how the Bills assemble their roster, per Carucci, who notes the coach hired an offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, who might be able to get more out of Taylor. Dennison is a Taylor fan, having previously coached him in Baltimore, and Albert Breer of The MMQB senses that the coordinator would like for Buffalo to continue with Taylor under center.

AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Jags

June 1st, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Ben Levine

ESPN’s NFL writers answered questions from their readers this weekend. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…

Jay Cutler‘s deal with the Bears and Alex Smith‘s likely extension with the Chiefs will have an impact on the Bengals negotiations with Andy Dalton, writes Coley Harvey.
Even though the team selected Jeremy Hill in the second round this year (and Giovani Bernard in the second round last season), Harvey would be surprised if the Bengals let go of veteran running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
In spite of the above opinion, Harvey says the team will likely part ways with one of Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman or Rex Burkhead. The writer believes that Burkhead is at the most risk of being cut.
Scott Brown says “it would make all the sense in the world” for the Steelers to bring back Brett Keisel. In an another article, Brown writes that Heath Miller‘s recent quote (the tight end stated that the linebacker was not with the team “right now”) is an indication that the veteran will return.
LaVon Brazill, Da’Rick Rogers and Griff Whalen will likely be competing for the Colts‘ final wideout spot, writes Mike Wells. The writer believes that Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks and Donte Moncrief are locks to make the roster.
If the Jaguars weren’t in such good shape cap-wise, Michael DiRocco thinks the team would have cut or tried to restructure the contract of tight end Marcedes Lewis.

Bengals Sign Second-Rounder Jeremy Hill

May 26th, 2014 at 8:40am CST by Rob DiRe

Former LSU running back Jeremy Hill announced via Twitter that he has officially signed with the Bengals.

The second-round pick will join Giovani Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis in the Cincinnati backfield. Hill had over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns last year for LSU.

Hill’s signing leaves only two members of the Bengals’ rookie class left to be signed, in first-round pick Darqueze Dennard and third-rounder Will Clarke.