HEADLINES

Marqise Lee

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/15

September 26th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Dolphins elevated center Sam Brenner from their practice squad to the active roster and cut guard Jacques McClendon, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes (on Twitter). A third-year player, Brenner made four starts with the Dolphins in 2013. McClendon’s bounced around after being selected by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, playing for five teams and only staying in the same place in consecutive seasons once, with the Jaguars from 2013-14.
  • To make room for Kam Chancellor on their 53-man roster, the Seahawks waived safety Dion Bailey, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The second-year player started the Seahawks’ opener against the Rams, but an ill-timed stumble allowed a costly Lance Kendricks fourth-quarter touchdown en route to St. Louis’ overtime victory. Bailey joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
  • Wide receiver Tony Washington received a promotion to the Jaguars‘ 53-man roster from their practice squad, while the team waived linebacker LaRoy Reynolds to make room, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports. Washington’s promotion coincides with Marqise Lee being downgraded from probable to questionable for the Jags’ Week 3 contest against the Patriots. Washington will play behind Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and recently re-signed Bryan Walters if Lee is unable to go, notes O’Halloran. Reynolds has played in 30 games for the Jags over the past three seasons, starting in three games in 2014, and O’Halloran speculates the 24-year-old special-teamer could be brought back if he clears waivers.

Jaguars Links: Blackmon, Rookies, Shorts

December 25th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars will be scoreboard watching this weekend, but not because of the playoffs. Instead, the team will be hoping that fellow 3-12 teams, the Jets and the Raiders, win their respective games. If those two teams win their contests and the Jags lose, Jacksonville will clinch the third pick in this year’s draft.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Jacksonville…

Poll: Which Rookie WR Will Have Best Season?

August 21st, 2014 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.

With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.

Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?

Jaguars Sign Second-Round Pick Marqise Lee

July 18th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

FRIDAY, 10:00am: The Jaguars announced (via Twitter) that Lee has signed his deal.

WEDNESDAY, 2:00pm: It took some time, but the Jaguars have finally signed all of their draft picks. The team has agreed to terms with second-round pick Marqise Lee, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union (via Twitter). John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets that the deal will be signed Friday, and O’Halloran adds on Twitter that the team’s rookies will report to camp on Monday.

It’s unclear why it’s took so long for Lee to get signed, but some have suggested that the projected first-round pick may have been looking to recoup some guaranteed money after falling to 39th overall. The former USC Trojan finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2012, but he had an underwhelming 2013 season. Lee finished with 57 catches for 791 yards and four touchdowns.

With Lee now off the board, three rookies remained unsigned: first-round picks Taylor Lewan (Titans) and Justin Gilbert (Browns) and third-rounder Billy Turner (Dolphins).

AFC South Links: Jaguars, Titans, Colts

July 4th, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Our Offseason in Review series has moved on to the AFC South, with Zach Links looking last night at 2013’s division champs, and the roster shuffling done by the Colts this winter and spring. Keep an eye on PFR over the long weekend for the next few installments in the series, as we tackle the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans. In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends out of the South:

  • Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida takes an in-depth look at new Jaguars wideout Marqise Lee, who is one of four 2014 draftees who remains unsigned. Considering Hornack’s piece doesn’t touch on Lee’s contract situation at all, it seems there’s little reason to be concerned about the two sides reaching an agreement this month.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union believes there should be some optimism for the Jaguars‘ pass rush this season, if only because it can’t be any worse than it has been over the last couple seasons. The club added Dekoda Watson and Chris Clemons in free agency, and expects continued growth from Andre Branch.
  • Within his latest Titans mailbag, ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky says he expects there to be a wide receiver on the team in Week 1 or Week 2 that isn’t currently on the roster.
  • Kevin Bowen of Colts.com also fields questions in a mailbag today, discussing the Colts‘ starting running back job, the team’s defensive line rotation, and its receiving corps.

Latest On Four Remaining Unsigned Draftees

July 2nd, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve discussed before when covering draft pick signings – as well as those draftees who remain unsigned – the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement has taken most of the drama out of the contracts for rookies. With set amounts on signing bonuses and total values for most rookie deals, players will haggle over things like offset language, types of payment, and guaranteed money, but for the most part, there isn’t much wiggle room.

That means that we shouldn’t expect to see many – if any – holdouts when training camps get underway later this month. Still, four of 2014’s 256 draft picks have still yet to ink their contracts, so it’s worth checking in on them to see if we can discern any particular reason why that’s the case. Here are the four draftees who remain unsigned, along with the latest updates on each of them:

  • Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8): As of last Tuesday, Gilbert didn’t sound like he was too involved in his own negotiations, deferring to his agent when asked about contract talks by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He echoed that stance later in the week, suggesting that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be in attendance when the Browns’ training camp begins. Still, even with potential disputes over offsets and roster bonuses in play at the No. 8 spot, I’d be pretty surprised if the rookie cornerback wasn’t present for the first day of camp.
  • Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11): Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote this week that he thinks the delay on Lewan may be a result of the offensive tackle looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. Last year’s 11th overall pick (D.J. Fluker) didn’t receive these bonuses in his deal, but Lewan’s teammate, No. 10 pick Chance Warmack, did get them. Considering Lewan is viewed as the Titans’ left tackle of the future, making him a more essential piece on the offensive line than Warmack, he has a reasonable case for those roster bonuses. In Florio’s view, a brief training camp holdout is a possibility for Lewan.
  • Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39): Lee was long viewed as a likely first-round pick, so the delay on his signing may be related to his trying to recoup some guaranteed money after slipping to No. 39. In his latest mailbag, John Oesher of Jaguars.com couldn’t offer any specific details on the holdup for Lee, but stated confidently that something should get done before training camp.
  • Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67): There haven’t been many rumblings about the contract talks, who is the last third-rounder to sign. Most recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote last Monday that the unresolved issues for Turner “are not insurmountable.”

AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Colts, Jaguars

May 26th, 2014 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier, we took a look at what ESPN’s NFC writers had to say on this Memorial Day. Now, let’s focus on ESPN’s AFC writers…

Pauline On Manziel, Bucs, Bortles, Raiders

May 7th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL executives widely believe that if Johnny Manziel is selected in the first eight picks tomorrow, it will be by decree of the owner rather than the scouting department or GM, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. One source told Pauline that it feels like a lot of GMs are hoping Manziel is off the board before it’s their turn to pick so that there’s no discussion or distraction of selecting the signal caller. This is especially the case in Tampa Bay where Buccaneers owners are pushing for Manziel but coach Lovie Smith is after defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Here’s more from Pauline’s column..

  • Consistent with what we’ve already heard, the Browns like Manziel but not enough to use the No. 4 pick on him. The name that Pauline hears often connected to Cleveland is receiver Mike Evans and Blake Bortles is a dark horse possibility.
  • If Bortles slides past the Vikings at No. 8, look for the Cardinals to try and move up for him.
  • The Raiders are shopping their first round pick and while there’s been interest, no team has matched their asking price. Right now Oakland would like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, or Sammy Watkins at No. 5. If they are able to trade down the pick is likely to be quarterback Derek Carr.
  • The Panthers have been known to like Joel Bitonio at No. 28 and Pauline hears the Chargers will also consider him at No. 25.
  • There’s a feeling the Panthers could attempt to trade up for a receiver or offensive tackle and the Dolphins are the obvious trade partner. Miami, Pauline hears, will entertain offers for the 19th pick if Zack Martin is unavailable. By doing that, the Panthers would assure themselves receiver Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, whichever is available. If that’s the case, Bitonio could then land with the Seahawks as the first round closes out.
  • The 49ers have let it be known they plan to be aggressive on draft day and use their arsenal of top 100 picks to move up. Right now, sources say SF has their eye on receiver Odell Beckham. The price to move up for Evans is a little steep and Beckham fills a need for them. Another plus to Beckham is that they’d provide a safeguard if Michael Crabtree‘s price tag in free agency next year is too high.

Dolphins Exploring First-Round Trades

May 7th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As draft night nears, the Dolphins are very much open for business, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who reports that the team has fielded and initiated multiple calls to other clubs, exploring potential trades up or down in the first round.

Salguero notes that the team’s apparent willingness to trade up from No. 19 is somewhat surprising, and he doesn’t have any specific details on possible moves up for Miami. In my view, it may be worth sliding up a few spots if an offensive tackle like Zack Martin or Taylor Lewan slips into the mid-teens. However, a trade down looks like the more likely scenario, particularly since the Dolphins only hold seven picks in this year’s draft, which doesn’t give them a whole lot of ammo to move up.

According to Salguero, the Dolphins have had “preliminary discussions” with the Eagles (No. 22), Browns (No. 26), and Saints (No. 27). The club has also spoken to the Niners, who hold the 30th pick, but may not want to drop behind the Panthers (No. 28), since Carolina also figures to be targeting an offensive tackle with its first pick.

As for specific targets, Salguero identifies Tennessee offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James and Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier as a couple players the Dolphins “love,” and adds that prospects like LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr., USC receiver Marqise Lee, Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, and Virginia offensive tackle Morgan Moses are also on Miami’s radar.

Draft Updates: WRs, Clowney, Latimer, Mason

April 25th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While the general consensus suggests that Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins is the clear-cut top wide receiver in this year’s draft class, that’s not necessarily the case, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After speaking to several execs, scouts, and decision-makers, La Canfora came away believing that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, who has the size advantage on Watkins, could be the first receiver to come off the board.

“Would I be surprised if Evans ended up going before Watkins?” said one evaluator. “No, I wouldn’t. But we do think there is a drop-off after those two, and we know they won’t be there when we pick [later in the first round].”

Regardless of where Watkins and Evans land, it figures to be a busy first round for receivers, according to La Canfora, who says Marqise Lee and Odell Beckham may not make it past the late teens, given the interest they’re receiving from teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Jets.

Here are a few more Friday draft items:

  • In a series of tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network shares a few insights into the draft. Among them: Many people believe Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack are worth trading up for since this year’s pass-rushing group is fairly thin. Additionally, clubs may be more inclined to trade into the late first round to draft a quarterback, since the fifth-year option for first-round picks gives teams additional flexibility.
  • Speaking of Clowney, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details on the “force plate” assessment the Falcons put the defensive end through today. According to Breer (Twitter links), Clowney’s performance was very impressive.
  • Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ basketball background could separate him from other tight ends, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Washington product is in good company as some of today’s top tight ends – Jimmy Graham, Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas – played college basketball at some point. Seferian-Jenkins could be an option for the Packers in the first or second round if he’s on the board.
  • The Eagles, who had three representatives at wide receiver Cody Latimer‘s workout today, spent 20 minutes post-workout having him run their routes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Eagles pick at No. 22 and the Indiana product’s stock appears to be rapidly rising.
  • Combine exams revealed that Auburn running back Tre Mason has a bone in his wrist that will require surgery, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Mason denied the report via Twitter, saying that he doesn’t need surgery.
  • In an Insider-only piece at ESPN.com, Mark Dominik suggests a few hypothetical draft-pick trades outside of the top 10 that could make sense for both sides.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Load More Posts