Jeremy Maclin

East Notes: Giants, Jets, Gronk, Maclin

April 9th, 2018 at 9:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are doing their due diligence with the top quarterbacks in the draft, and that included a Josh Rosen summit on Monday, per Peter King of SI.com. However, they may not be that interested in the UCLA alum. An NFL scout continued the building Sam Darnold/Giants buzz by indicating he’s the Los Angeles-based quarterback the team wants, rather than Rosen.

“If Darnold is available, they’re taking Darnold,” the anonymous evaluator said, via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. “They don’t like Rosen.”

This follows DraftAnalyst.com reporter Tony Pauline’s assessment of the Giants only being particularly interested in Darnold, among the quarterbacks, and more anonymous execs saying Darnold would be the Giants’ choice at No. 2 if he slipped past the Browns. If Darnold is unavailable, a Bradley Chubb–Saquon Barkley debate will transpire, the evaluator said, via Lombardo.

Seven teams have appeared on Rosen’s itinerary, and he will be on the east coast for much of this week. His Jets summit is set for Tuesday, with the Bills powwow occurring Wednesday, King reports. He’ll meet with the Chargers in a non-30 visit later this week. Longtime NFL exec-turned-analyst Gil Brandt rated the UCLA passer as his No. 1 quarterback in the draft, but it now looks like both the Browns — connected mostly to Darnold and Josh Allen — and the Giants will pass on him.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions:

Jeremy Maclin is without a team for the second time in two years. One of the wide receiver’s former employers did some work on him recently, however. The Eagles inquired on the nine-year veteran, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter), adding the Cowboys did the same. However, both have signed other wideouts. The Eagles added Mike Wallace, and the Cowboys signed both Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson. Maclin played for the Eagles from 2009-14 before signing with the Chiefs. The Chiefs and Ravens cut him in consecutive offseasons. He will turn 30 next month. Anderson adds Maclin is currently training in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Bill Belichick may have an issue with Rob Gronkowski being a TB12 client. Early last season, the Patriots coach chastised Gronk in front of other players for working out at the Alex Guererro-headed facility, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports. Nevertheless, Gronkowski remains a TB12 client and is now below his ideal playing weight, coming in at around 260 pounds presently, per Guregian.
More for the burgeoning Jets/Baker Mayfield file: team CEO Christopher Johnson was part of the contingent that met with the reigning Heisman winner on Monday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Johnson was part of the Jets‘ contingent that spoke with the top four quarterbacks at the Combine, but Cimini writes he didn’t ask any questions. He was believed to have been more involved today.
In the pros-and-cons debate surrounding Josh Allen, the Jets have done perhaps the most research. Cimini writes team brass loves the Wyoming prodigy’s arm strength but has “legitimate concerns” about his accuracy.
South Dakota State-developed tight end Dallas Goedert will have spent plenty of time with the Dolphins by the time draft weekend arrives. He’s already worked out for Dolphins brass in South Dakota and will visit Miami this week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. One of the top tight ends in the draft, Goedert has also visited the Vikings. The Dolphins are in need of a tight end, having cut Julius Thomas and submitted an unsuccessful waiver claim for Clive Walford.

Ravens Release Jeremy Maclin

March 14th, 2018 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are releasing Jeremy Maclin, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Maclin now joins an underwhelming crop of free agent wide receivers, which could help his cause as he looks for a new team.

Maclin had 40 catches for 440 yards with three touchdowns last season. It was the lowest output in catches and receiving yards in his career. Maclin was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Eagles in 2014, setting career highs in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,318).

The 29-year-old was in the second year of a two-year, $11MM deal signed with the Ravens last offseason after being cut by the Chiefs. He was set to have a $7.5MM cap hit toward this season. Maclin was due a $1MM bonus if he was still on the Ravens’ roster Friday.

The decision to cut Maclin comes a day after the Ravens agreed to deals with John Brown and Ryan Grant. Brown should help replace the speed threat presented by Mike Wallace, who’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Grant caught a career-best four touchdowns with the Redskins last year.

Along with Wallace, Michael Campanaro is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Ravens still have Chris Moore, Breshad Perriman, Quincy Adeboyejo, DeVier Posey and Tim White rostered at wide receiver

Maclin joins a wide receivers market that features Wallace, Jordy Nelson, Terrelle Pryor and Eric Decker. Maclin was a fairly reliable option through his first five years in the league, which came with the Eagles who drafted him 19th overall in 2009. He played in at least 15 games in four of those seasons and had 60-plus catches in four of the seasons as well before signing with the Chiefs in 2015.

Ravens Notes: Smith, Wideouts, Draft, Humphrey

March 3rd, 2018 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens “continue to get positive reports” on cornerback Jimmy Smith‘s recovery from a torn left Achilles tendon. The veteran suffered the injury in a December win over the Lions. While there’s uncertainty if Smith will be ready in time for the start of the regular season, the defensive back has still been rehabbing the injury at the team facility “on a regular basis.”

“I see Jimmy. He’s there because he’s rehabbing. I see him in the building. He’s telling me he’s doing very well,” said general manager Ozzie Newsome (via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). “I spoke with Drew [Rosenhaus] earlier in the week and Drew indicated that he just spent some time with Jimmy and Jimmy was doing well.”

Before his injury, Smith had compiled 28 tackles, nine passes defended, and three interceptions. The 2011 first-round pick has spent his entire seven-year career with the Ravens.

Let’s check out some more notes out of Baltimore…

Newsome previously said that the team is expected to reset the wide receiver position this offseason, and Zrebiec tweets that the sentiment “doesn’t bode well” for the returns of wideouts Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace. The duo combined for only 92 receptions, 1,188 yards, and seven touchdowns last season. Maclin has one year remaining on his contract (along with a $7.5MM cap hit), while Wallace is an unrestricted free agent.
With the Ravens apparently seeking reinforcement at wide receiver, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that a reunion with Torrey Smith is a “very real possibility.” The Eagles are expected to decline the 29-year-old’s 2018 option. Smith started 14 games during his only season in Philly, hauling in 36 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. The 2011 second-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore.
Despite Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti‘s assertion that his team wouldn’t select a successor to Joe Flacco, La Canfora believes the team could still “invest a high pick” on a quarterback in this year’s draft. The Ravens haven’t been in the market for backup quarterbacks, and the team is “most likely” to select a wideout with their first-round pick. However, the reporter notes that the team is doing “considerable work” on the rookie passers, and they “very well could use a top pick on a quarterback if the right guy is there.”
The felony robbery charge against cornerback Marlon Humphrey has been dismissed, reports ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The 2017 first-rounder was accused of stealing a phone charger from an Uber, but Judge Joanne Jannik ruled that there was no probable cause to prosecute. After being selected 16th-overall in last year’s draft, Humphrey filled in admirably for Jimmy Smith, compiling 34 tackles and two interceptions.

AFC Notes: Brady, Maclin, Bowman, Jets

January 19th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by GregGoldstein

Tom Brady suffered a “painful” thumb injury during a practice that took place at the beginning of the week, reports Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston. According to Curran, the 40-year-old quarterback cut his thumb badly when a running back smashed it while the team was running a play at practice. However, Curran notes that Brady can throw, but doesn’t know exactly just how much it will affect the Patriots gameplan this Sunday.

As always, Curran notes that the team is not letting much information out to the press or public at this time. It’s highly unlikely that Brady will not play in the AFC Championship game, but it is a story that people should keep track of as the game time approaches over the weekend. Perhaps the biggest development that Curran has to offer is that Brady is “not taking snaps from under center”.

The team has listed Brady as questionable on the most recent injury report, but the impact of the injury could have a major effect on Bill Belichick‘s gameplan even though nobody expects the five-time Super Bowl winner to miss such a big game.

Here are more stories coming out of the AFC:

The Ravens have a few players that could be cut in order to create some more cap space for potential offseason moves. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun listed some of the veterans that could be on their way out. These names included: Lardarius Webb, Danny Woodhead, Brandon Carr, Austin Howard, Breshad Perriman and Albert McClellan. However, the most interesting player on his list could be wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. The Ravens thought Maclin would be a key addition after he has cut by the Chiefs last offseason, but it was mostly a pedestrian year for 29-year-old pass catcher. Baltimore needs a makeover at the receiver position and could make room for new targets for Joe Flacco by cutting Maclin and letting the likes of Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro walk in free agency.
While the addition of NaVorro Bowman could not stop the bleeding of a disappointing 2017 Raiders season, that doesn’t necessarily mean that new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther doesn’t want the veteran linebacker back in the fold in 2018, reports Scott Bair of NBC Sports. “NaVorro is a prototype middle linebacker, really,” said Guenther. “The thing that impressed me most with NaVorro is that they got him here midseason and by the end of the year, it appeared to me that he was kind of the leader of the unit, making a lot of calls. You can see that on tape. It looks like he is a smart guy that understands the game. I love smart guys that love playing football. Hopefully we can get him back in the fold and keep him a Raider.”
Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson was arrested on a number of charges earlier this morning. Connor Hughes of NJ.com has more details about what occurred to bring this type of discipline. According to a police report that NJ.com obtained, Hughes reports that Anderson”rapidly accelerated” past cops at 105 mph after he saw them on the side of the road. As the cops followed behind Anderson, the report states that Anderson was “all over the road”, and seemingly “failed to maintain a single lane on numerous occasions.” Anderson did eventually stop the car and was arrested, but not until make a number of threats to the police officer’s wife. These details spell more bad news for Anderson who already was arrested back in May while he was at a festival in Miami. The wideout may face discipline from the NFL, but the league still must do their due diligence investigating the incidents until any punishments will be handed down to the 24-year-old.

Browns Rumors: Jackson, Haslam, Haden

December 7th, 2017 at 8:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hue Jackson did not want to confirm a report that he and ousted executive VP Sashi Brown weren’t on speaking terms, but Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the two had clashed on numerous occasions — and certain players were at the root of this friction. Carson Wentz, Marvin Jones, A.J. McCarron and Jimmy Garoppolo induced disagreements between the Browns’ power structure, as previously reported, but Cabot adds Jackson and Brown were at odds about the likes of Joe Haden, Demario Davis and Jeremy Maclin.

Jackson wanted the Browns to sign Maclin, Cabot reports. They were loosely connected to the UFA wideout, but the Ravens, Bills and Eagles were well ahead of them. Jackson presumably wanted Haden to remain in Cleveland, but the Browns released him. Davis was also shipped back to the Jets and has enjoyed a productive season. Cabot also notes Jackson and Gregg Williams received pushback from some members of the front office in the Myles Garrett-vs.-Mitch Trubisky argument that transpired in April, with the coaches’ side winning out and Garrett being the pick.

Here’s the latest on a busy day in Cleveland.

Jimmy Haslam made this move Thursday in order to not fall behind on the GM carousel, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com reports, adding the owner saw the Giants taking an early lead by landing their former GM Ernie Accorsi to lead a search to replace Jerry Reese. Ownership was “adamant” not to fall behind in this pursuit, per Grossi. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said during a radio appearance on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland the early Brown firing was to get an early start on a John Dorsey push (Twitter link). The Browns do not have to wait until season’s end to interview Dorsey like they would an active exec, and Miller reports many believe he will be Cleveland’s next GM. Dorsey steered the Chiefs to three playoff berths in four seasons after taking over following a 2-14 season.
Haslam was tinkering with the idea to make in-season changes for the past couple of weeks, Albert Breer of SI.com reports, noting the owner was considering bringing in a football voice to complement Brown rather than replace him. But after research, the owner decided to fire Brown and begin a search for his replacement.
Both Breer and Grossi confirm the Thursday-afternoon report the Browns are going after Dorsey. Grossi reports Dorsey has been “endorsed heartily” by at least one of the football execs with whom Haslam’s already consulted. Breer notes a Dorsey/Jackson arrangement makes more sense than Brown/Jackson, with the ex-Chiefs GM’s scouting background aligning more with Jackson’s admitted old-school approach to football development. That, and not necessarily his impressive work in Kansas City, made him a key name to watch in Cleveland, Breer notes.
A Dorsey hire could well mean a more prominent role for ex-Colts GM Ryan Grigson, Grossi writes. Grigson’s currently working as a senior personnel exec, with an emphasis on scouting. Dorsey and Grigson’s friendship and mutual respect would stand to lead to a better title for the since-fired Indianapolis decision-maker.
The Browns’ decision to part with Brown and not Jackson could lead to an increased interest in Josh Rosen. Miller notes. Jackson likes the UCLA quarterback as a prospect, with a source informing the draft-based reporter Rosen is “Jackson’s guy.” Rosen seems more certain to declare for the 2018 draft than Sam Darnold at this juncture.

Details On Jeremy Maclin’s Ravens Contract

June 26th, 2017 at 6:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When Jeremy Maclin‘s two-year, $11MM contract with the Ravens was first announced, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports indicated the deal didn’t contain much “funny money,” suggesting the accord was a fairly straightforward pact. While that’s true, the structure of the contract will still allow Baltimore to escape the deal after the 2017 campaign with little dead money accelerating onto its cap.

Maclin received a $5MM signing bonus, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, meaning $2.5MM will be prorate onto the Ravens’ salary cap in both 2017 and 2018. For the upcoming season, Maclin’s base salary will be only $1MM, meaning he’ll take home $6MM in year one of his new contract. In 2018, however, Maclin’s salary will increase to $4MM, $2MM of which is guaranteed for injury, per Hensley. Additionally, Baltimore holds a $1MM roster bonus on Maclin that must be exercised by the third day of the 2018 league year.

In sum, Maclin’s cap charges will be $3.5MM and $7.5MM over the next two seasons. If the 29-year-old struggles again in 2018 as he did with the Chiefs in 2016, the Ravens could move on relatively easily. Assuming he’s healthy, Baltimore could cut ties after the 2017 season with only $2.5MM in dead accelerating onto its cap (against a savings of $5MM).

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Chiefs

June 15th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, set to enter his age-35 season and his 14th in the NFL, doesn’t see retirement on the horizon. “I don’t want to hang on at the end and just be a guy that’s hanging on,” Rivers told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “But if I still feel like I can help a team and I enjoy it the way I do and more importantly, if the team feels that I can help them. … I don’t see myself shutting it down any time real soon.” Rivers, who still has three years remaining on his contract, posted the fifth 30-touchdown and eighth 4,000-yard campaign of his career last season, though he also tossed a personal-worst 21 interceptions as a member of an injury-plagued, five-win team.

Like Rivers, Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski would like to continue his career into the foreseeable future. One key difference between the two is that Janikowski is already on the cusp of his 40s. Nevertheless, the 39-year-old’s aiming to remain the Raiders’ kicker when they relocate to Las Vegas in 2020. “I hope so, that’s my goal,” he said, via the Associated Press. “That’s not my decision.” Janikowski will be 42 when the Raiders move, which isn’t an unprecedented age for a kicker to play at (the Colts’ Adam Vinatieri is 44, and ex-Raider George Blanda lasted until he was 48, notes the AP), but it would make for a remarkable run with one franchise. Janikowski is entering his 18th year with the Raiders, who raised eyebrows when the then-Al Davis-led organization chose him 17th overall in the 2000 draft. The ex-Florida State Seminole has generally been effective for the Raiders since, including when he made 29 of 35 field goals last year.
One of Janikowski’s Raiders teammates, quarterback Derek Carr, is a candidate to receive a record contract worth $25MM-plus per year prior to the season. But Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com is somewhat skeptical of Carr and the Raiders, arguing that it will be tough for either to replicate their 2016 performances this year. Carr will have difficulty avoiding negative regression on both his paltry interception rate (1.1 percent) and lofty fourth-quarter comeback total (seven) from last season, while the Raiders probably won’t win 12 games again unless they dramatically improve their point differential, Barnwell contends. Oakland only outscored its opposition by 31 points last season, leading to a Pythagorean Expectation of 8.7 wins. Additionally, the club went a hard-to-sustain 8-1 in games decided by seven or fewer points.
Ravens wide receiver Jeremy Maclin told PFT Live on Thursday that the manner in which the Chiefs notified him of his release earlier this month left him “upset” and “shocked.” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey informed Maclin via voicemail that the team was moving on from him after two years, 131 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Maclin also confirmed that the Chiefs tried to trade him and never asked him to take a pay cut, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported two weeks ago.

Ravens Sign WR Jeremy Maclin

June 13th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by Zachary Links

The decision is in. Jeremy Maclin has signed with the Ravens, according to a team announcement. It’s a two-year deal for the wide receiver worth $11MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll earn $6MM in year one of the deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) says, adding that there isn’t a lot of “funny money” in the contract.

The Ravens aren’t done adding to the receiver group, either. Even though Maclin has been signed, the Ravens continue to be in the mix for Eric Decker, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Jets have informed Decker that he will either be released or traded in the coming days, but it is not clear whether the Ravens are looking to make a deal with Gang Green or wait to see if he is cut loose. The Ravens and the Jets had preliminary trade talks about Decker last week.

Baltimore surprised many during the draft when it did not select a wide receiver. The patient approach has paid off for the Ravens as they have landed a former Pro Bowler in the late stages of the offseason. The Ravens will now roll into 2017 with a receiver group led by Maclin, Mike Wallace, and Breshad Perriman. Joe Flacco will have nothing but speed at his disposal and that could mean big things for this Ravens offense.

The Ravens are hoping that the addition of Maclin will help to mitigate the loss of tight end Dennis Pitta. Pitta was released earlier this month after he suffered yet another hip dislocation. Last season, he returned to his old form and became one of Flacco’s top targets. Although Pitta will be missed, the Ravens passing attack is likely in better shape than it was in 2016.

In 2015, Maclin had 87 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chiefs. Even though he is not far removed from that performance, KC cut him in order to avoid paying his $9.75MM base salary for 2017. Last season, Maclin had 44 catches for 536 yards and two scores in 12 games.

NFC Notes: Maclin, Revis, Newton

June 12th, 2017 at 9:54pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that the Eagles, not the Bills, were the runners-up for Jeremy Maclin‘s services, which came as something of a surprise given last week’s report that Philadelphia did not have interest in reuniting with Maclin. Per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links), Eagles head coach Doug Pederson claims he was not being coy when he said the team was not considering Maclin, but that the Eagles did not reach out to Maclin until the weekend, when they contacted him to gauge interest. However, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets the Eagles never really got into a bidding war with the Ravens, who ultimately signed Maclin and who apparently gave him “solid money” to come to Baltimore.

Now for more from the NFC:

Cowboys WR Dez Bryant tweeted free agent corner Darrelle Revis yesterday and told him to consider signing with the Cowboys, leading some to speculate that the club could be interested in relocating Revis Island to Texas, despite earlier reports to the contrary. Nonetheless, Clarence Hill, Jr. of the Star-Telegram, citing a team source, tweets that there is “nothing going on with Revis.”
We heard earlier today that Eddie Lacy passed his weigh-in with the Seahawks, which netted him a $55K bonus, but he was not the league’s biggest loser this week. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, Cowboys offensive lineman Byron Bell picked up $150K by weighing in at less than 320 pounds on Monday, and he can earn another $300K if he meets his weight requirements at the start of training camp and the first week of the regular season. And, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), if Falcons NT Dontari Poe weighs 340 pounds or less tomorrow, he earns $125K.
Panthers QB Cam Newton will not throw at this week’s minicamp, but the quarterback is still on schedule with his recovery and is expected to be ready for training camp, as Edward Lewis of NFL.com writes.
The Saints may be shopping Travaris Cadet, but Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune does not believe they can realistically expect to get any takers, so the team will probably be forced to release him.
We learned earlier tonight that Rams DT Aaron Donald could miss this week’s mandatory minicamp as he continues to push for a long-term deal.

Eagles Were Runners Up For Jeremy Maclin

June 12th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday morning, it was reported that Jeremy Maclin was deciding between signing with the Ravens or the Bills. As it turns out, the decision actually came down to the Ravens and the Eagles, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This news comes as a surprise since Maclin’s only two known visits were with Buffalo and Baltimore. Furthermore, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said last week that the team did not have interest in the wide receiver “at [the] time.” Apparently, Pederson was playing coy with the media and Maclin felt familiar enough with the Eagles that he did not require a visit to Philadelphia.

The Bills went hard after Maclin, but apparently they did not crack his top two. Running back LeSean McCoy started the recruitment effort early by reaching out to his former Eagles teammate and Maclin’s visit stretched into a second day, but Buffalo was still not to his liking. One has to wonder where the Bills will go from here since their wide receiver group continues to look shallow. The Bills could use at least one receiver with a pedigree like Maclin’s to provide support behind oft-injured star Sammy Watkins. Robert Woods, who was a solid WR2 for the Bills, left the team in free agency this spring.

Load More Posts