Johnathan Hankins - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Rumors: Giants, Peterson, Hankins

March 28th, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

When asked whether the Giants might have interest in Adrian Peterson, coach Ben McAdoo replied “never say never,” (link via PFT). We’ve been here before. McAdoo also left the door open for Peterson earlier this offseason, but days later it was reported that the Giants were not in the mix. This week, we learned that the Lions have not ruled out a Peterson signing.
Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins remains on the open market and some believe his agent is to blame, as Dan Duggan of NJ.com writes. Kevin Poston and his brother Carl Poston were once among the NFL’s most powerful reps, but their once impressive stable has been whittled down to nothing. Poston’s contract demands for Hankins have been “outrageous,” according to one league source who spoke with Duggan, and that seems to be the calling card of the Poston brothers.
Although the Eagles signed veteran defensive end Chris Long earlier today, the club is still expected to target edge rushers in the draft, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The same can probably be said at cornerback, where Philadelphia agreed to terms with Patrick Robinson. Both Long and Robinson are veterans who agreed to short-term deals, so their additions shouldn’t affect the Eagles’ plans to add to their defense as the draft approaches.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Giants, Hankins, Lions, Rams

March 27th, 2017 at 10:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch confirmed Monday that the team has an offer on the table to re-up free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, per James Kratch of NJ.com. The Giants submitted the multiyear proposal before the opening of the market, where Hankins hasn’t been able to find a payday to his liking. Contrary to a prior report, the Giants haven’t set a deadline for the 25-year-old to accept their contract, according to Tisch, who’s “very optimistic” an agreement will happen and “pretty convinced” Hankins wants to re-sign.

A few other NFC notes:

Tisch also spoke on the Giants’ long-term quarterback situation, saying “there’s no urgency” to find an heir to Eli Manning, “but it’s in the back of everybody’s mind” (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). Manning will play his age-36 season in 2017.
The Lions are in the “very early stages” of contract extension negotiations with quarterback Matthew Stafford, general manager Bob Quinn told the team’s website (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Quinn indicated that it’s going to take “months, not weeks” for a deal to come together. Stafford, 29, is slated to enter a contract year.
On the heels of their unsuccessful attempt to swipe center Ryan Groy from the Bills, the Rams continue to look for a solution at the position, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The Rams want an experienced pivot to team with young quarterback Jared Goff, and they’re scouring the trade and free agent markets to acquire one (Nick Mangold is available, for what it’s worth). Aside from possibly signing a center, the Rams are all but done with free agency, Gonzalez adds.

Giants Offering Hankins Multiyear Deal

March 26th, 2017 at 9:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It appears the Giants have a legitimate shot to re-sign free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and if it happens, it’s unlikely he’ll have to settle for a “prove-it” deal. The Giants have a multiyear offer on the table for Hankins, reports the NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones, who adds that the proposal “stacks up well in this free agent market.” New York has had a “solid offer” on the table “for weeks,” though Hankins is holding out for a far richer contract, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com adds (Twitter links).

While it’s obvious Hankins’ goal is a sizable payday, it could be difficult to come by for a player who has only drawn reported interest from one other team, the Dolphins. And unfortunately for Hankins, Miami doesn’t seem particularly gung-ho on the 25-year-old, as it’s only searching for a rotational defensive tackle to play with Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips. On the other hand, Hankins has been a full-time starter in New York since 2014, his second season in the league.

By retaining Hankins, which Jones expects to happen, the Giants would return all 11 defensive starters from last year, she notes. That would be an auspicious development for a team whose defense topped the NFC in DVOA and finished second overall in the league, trailing only the Broncos’ all-world stop unit.

It’s debatable how much of an impact Hankins made last year, as he didn’t post mind-blowing traditional stats (43 tackles and three sacks), nor did he impress Pro Football Focus or some around the NFL. Nevertheless, Giants owner John Mara made it clear Sunday that the team would like to re-sign Hankins if it’s financially feasible.

“We certainly want him back but it’s got to make sense for us,” Mara told Tom Rock of Newsday. “He’s an important part of our team, he’s a great kid, he’s young and he fits in very well with us. So we hope to have him back.”

The Giants have upward of $12MM in spending space remaining, Raanan reported Thursday, which puts them toward the bottom of the league.

Extra Points: Broncos, Redskins, Raiders

March 26th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos were reportedly all but out of the Tony Romo sweepstakes as of Friday, and nothing has occurred at the NFL owners meetings to suggest otherwise. Broncos general manager John Elway hasn’t engaged in any trade talks at the meetings with Cowboys CEO and fellow competition committee member Stephen Jones, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “We’ve been here all week and his name never came up,’’ said Elway, who also gave further votes of confidence to Denver’s current top two QBs, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, per Klis. Even if the Cowboys end up releasing Romo, the expectation is Elway will still pass on the soon-to-be 37-year-old, notes Klis, who nonetheless cautions to “never say never.”

Latest On Johnathan Hankins

March 25th, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is still searching for a long-term deal on the open market, “optimism has increased” among Giants players who believe Hankins will ultimately re-sign with New York, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Indeed, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post suggest there’s a “good shot” Hankins agrees to a new deal with the Giants.

Hankins, 24, is the best free agent still left on the board — he’s one of only five of PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents left unsigned, and he also ranks as PFR’s best free agent interior defender. Despite that fact, Hankins’ market has been slow to evolve, as the Dolphins are the only external club known to have been in communication with the defensive tackle. Miami, however, is only looking for a rotational lineman to play alongside Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips.

The Giants, meanwhile, are open to re-upping Hankins, but only at their price, which is rumored to be around $4MM. Hankins, however, is hoping to land a deal in the $10MM range. Big Blue is reportedly pushing for a quick answer from Hankins, who may want to keep hunting for a better offer. Much of the league views Hankins as a two-down player, though, meaning a superior proposal may not exist.

Extra Points: Peterson, Hankins, Panthers

March 24th, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from around the NFL:

Two NFL sources tell ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter) that they believe Adrian Peterson is still a free agent because his initial price was too high. Fowler adds that the Packers were considering having Peterson in for a visit, but have decided against it for the time being. The Packers reportedly have some interest in Peterson, but they’ll likely wait until after the draft to consider him and weigh a Peterson signing against their other options. After losing Eddie Lacy in free agency, Green Bay’s running back depth chart consists of Ty Montgomery, Don Jackson, and the recently re-signed Christine Michael.
Most teams around the league view Giants free agent Johnathan Hankins as primarily being a two-down player, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. That could explain why his own evaluation has been so far off from what the market has been willing to offer him so far. The Dolphins have reached out to Hankins but it’s not clear if they can land him given their budgetary constraints. By the same token, no team seems to be throwing around big money to sign Hankins. He may need to go the Dontari Poe route and accept a one-year deal, but it might come at a lower salary.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman indicated that team didn’t know the full extent of Charles Johnson‘s back injury when they re-signed him this offseason, Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets. Still, he indicated that wouldn’t have changed the team’s thinking. Johnson had back surgery earlier this week but is not expected to miss regular season time as a result.

Latest On Dolphins’ Free Agent Targets

March 22nd, 2017 at 6:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins still want to sign free agent linebacker Zach Brown, but Brown is likely looking for a multi-year pact in the range of $6MM annually, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miami, meanwhile, would be more comfortable paying $3-4MM per year. Brown, who’s been linked to the Bills, Raiders, and Colts in addition to the Dolphins, is “exploring all options” at the moment, as his agents tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

Miami has also inquired on defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and have in fact called on him “a half dozen times,” reports Salguero, but Hankins is still looking for more money than the Dolphins are willing to expend. Hankins, 25, is hoping to reel in $10MM annually on a multi-year contract, an asking price that appears unlikely to be met at this juncture. The Giants want to re-sign Hankins, but are reportedly hoping for a quick response on their outstanding offer.

Clearly, the Dolphins are searching for a defensive tackle to play alongside Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips, but former Miami defender Jared Odrick won’t be returning to town. While Odrick would like to reunite the Dolphins, the club won’t be placing a call to Odrick for “multiple reasons,” per Salguero, who doesn’t specify what those reasons may be. The Patriots worked out Odrick last month, but Odrick isn’t interested in playing for New England, says Salguero.

Finally, free agent defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois won’t be on the Dolphins’ radar as the team doesn’t view him as a scheme fit, according to Salguero. Jean-Francois has visited the Packers, Seahawks, and Bears since being released by the Redskins.

Latest On DT Johnathan Hankins

March 20th, 2017 at 8:21am CST by Zachary Links

Johnathan Hankins has been trying to hard to top the Giants’ standing offer to retain him. He hasn’t done it yet and the G-Men are getting antsy. The Giants want an answer from him soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Over the weekend, we heard that the Giants have a “50-50” chance of keeping the defensive tackle. The Giants’ exact offer to the 25-year-old is not known, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY says they’re unlikely to offer him anything more than a one-year, $4MM deal because of their cap situation. That would be a crushing blow to Hankins who came into March looking for a deal worth more than $10MM per year. After Dontari Poe settled for a one-year deal with an $8MM base, a lucrative multi-year deal seems unlikely for Hankins, even though he’s younger.

So far, the incumbent Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins have been the only teams to be linked to Hankins. However, the Redskins have already made defensive line upgrades and the Dolphins’ interest might not be all that serious. Right now, all signs are pointing towards Hankins returning to the Giants, but their offer might have an expiration date.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Saints, Hankins

March 19th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this month that the Buccaneers have “loose plans” for Doug Martin, which seemed to substantiate a prior report that the team was considering retaining their long-time running back. Martin, who will be suspended for the first three games of next season as part of a four-game ban he received in 2016 for violating the league’s PED policy, recently completed a voluntary rehab stint and met with head coach Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht a week before the scouting combine. Koetter and Licht both had nice things to say about Martin, but they were still vague on his future with the club.

As Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times writes, there are a number of factors working against Martin’s return, including his injury history, the above-referenced suspension, and the fact that his salary is no longer guaranteed as a result of the suspension. Cummings believes the team would be wise to select a running back from the deep class of RBs in the 2017 draft, and if the Bucs land one of this year’s top prospects, that might spell the end of Martin’s tenure in Tampa Bay.

Now for more from the NFC. We took a swing around the AFC earlier today:

Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders says that the Buccaneers‘ recent signing of Nick Folk suggests that the team is prepared to move on from Roberto Aguayo, though Tampa Bay could carry two kickers next season if need be and have Aguayo serve as a kickoff specialist if he cannot beat out Folk for full-time duties. Folk recorded just 39 touchbacks in 2016, the third-worst mark in the league, though he and Aguayo averaged the same distance average on kickoffs.
The Saints need to bolster their pass rush in 2017, and after signing Alex Okafor earlier this week, they are now meeting with one of the better pass-rushing prospects in this year’s draft class. As Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune writes, the club is meeting with Kansas State DE Jordan Willis today. Willis is considered a second- or third-round prospect, and New Orleans has been monitoring him in recent months.
Free agent safety Duke Ihenacho will apparently not return to the Redskins in 2017. As Peter Hailey of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes, Ihenacho fired off several cryptic tweets over the past couple of days indicating that his time with Washington is over. Given that the Redskins recently acquired D.J. Swearinger and plan to move Su’a Cravens back to safety, Ihenacho’s departure makes sense.
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes there is currently a 50-50 chance that DT Johnathan Hankins returns to the Giants. He also hears that Big Blue wants to add a physical power back to complement Paul Perkins, and LeGarrette Blount could be an option in that regard.
Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press examines seven free agents still on the market that could benefit the Lions, including LB Zach Brown and DE Chris Long.

NFC Notes: Giants, 49ers, Eagles, Vikings

March 17th, 2017 at 10:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Giants would like to re-sign free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, but they’re unlikely to offer him anything more than a one-year, $4MM deal because of their lack of cap room, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. That probably won’t suffice for Hankins, who’s reportedly seeking upward of $10MM per year. Free agency hasn’t unfolded to Hankins’ liking, and one reason is that some around the NFL don’t see him as “an impact player,” sources told Vacchiano. Hankins went without a sack during a nine-game 2015 campaign and only notched three last year, Vacchiano notes. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with Hankins’ performance in 2016, as it graded the 24-year-old just 72nd out of 127 qualified interior D-linemen.