Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

Adam Hayward Tears ACL, Out For Year

August 22nd, 2015 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 12:05pm: Washington has put Hayward on the IR, reports Mike Jones of The Washington Post (via Twitter).

FRIDAY, 10:00am: Washington linebacker and special-teamer Adam Hayward left Thursday’s game against the Lions with a knee injury, and according to John Keim of ESPN.com, Hayward has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. The injury will land Hayward on IR, sidelining him for the entire 2015 season.

A longtime reserve linebacker for the Buccaneers, Hayward signed a three-year contract with Washington before the 2014 season. In his first year with the club, the former sixth-round pick played almost exclusively on special teams, appearing in just 14 defensive snaps. In kick and punt coverage, Hayward was a key contributor for Washington, accumulating eight tackles before a leg injury forced him to miss the last five weeks of the season.

It’s the second big blow for Washinton’s special teams, as the team also lost tight end Niles Paul to a season-ending injury earlier this month. With Hayward and Paul out for the year, fullback Darrel Young figures to head up the special teams unit heading into the season.

In other injury news out of Washington, Robert Griffin III left last night’s game with a concussion, as Zac Boyer of the Washington Times writes. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that the concussion isn’t believed to be severe, and it’s possible RGIII could return to the field next week against Baltimore, so it sounds like his regular-season availability isn’t in jeopardy for now.

QB Rumors: Eagles, Bills, RGIII, Browns

August 21st, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming he doesn’t make any significant errors during the team’s remaining preseason games, quarterback Tim Tebow is on track to earn a spot on the Eagles‘ regular season roster, a source tells ESPN’s Dianna Russini. According to Russini, head coach Chip Kelly has been getting increasingly excited about using Tebow in two-point and short-yardage scenarios.

With Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, and Tebow likely to make the Eagles’ roster, it would seem to leave Matt Barkley on the outside looking in. According to Russini’s source, Barkley remains available in a potential trade.

Here’s more on a handful of unsettled quarterback situations around the NFL:

Bills head coach Rex Ryan sees potential big-play ability in quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and would prefer to start him over the team’s other QB options, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, Cole adds that other members of the Buffalo coaching staff believe Matt Cassel would make fewer mistakes than Taylor, and is the more consistent, reliable option.
In a separate video at Bleacher Report, Cole also tackles the Washington quarterback situation, indicating that the decision on Robert Griffin III‘s long-term future – or lack thereof – with the team will ultimately be made by owner Daniel Snyder. Head coach Jay Gruden and his staff want RGIII in the starting lineup as much as possible this year, so that the club can get a thorough evaluation of the former second overall pick before that decision is made.
On the heels of Josh McCown‘s underwhelming, two-interception performance against the Bills, Browns head coach Mike Pettine stressed that he’s not looking to create a QB competition, and that McCown remains his No. 1 guy over Johnny Manziel. Still, Pettine wasn’t ready to guarantee that McCown would be the team’s starting QB in Week 1 (Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).

NFC Notes: Benjamin, Falcons, AP, RGIII

August 19th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers are holding their collective breath as they await the results of an MRI on Kelvin Benjamin‘s left knee. The Panthers wideout went down with an apparent non-contact injury during today’s joint practice with the Dolphins, and while head coach Ron Rivera indicated that it’s a sprained knee, there’s a chance the injury is more serious than that. If Benjamin has to miss regular-season action, it’ll be bad news for a Carolina receiving corps that’s lacking legit playmakers outside of Benjamin. Jonathan Jones and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer have the details.

As the Panthers and their fans wait on the results of that MRI, let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….

A report yesterday suggested that free agent quarterback Rex Grossman was drawing interest from the Falcons, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says it’s the other way around, tweeting that Grossman is interested in the Falcons. According to Ledbetter, the team is happy with T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree behind Matt Ryan.
Within an extensive look at Adrian Peterson‘s unusual offseason, Eli Saslow of ESPN The Magazine says that the Vikings running back wants to play another eight season in the NFL, in the hopes of breaking Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record.
Washington would like to stick with Robert Griffin III as the team’s starting quarterback for the entire 2015 season in order to make a fully informed decision about his future, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The club has already picked up RGIII’s fifth-year option for 2016, but that salary doesn’t become guaranteed until the first day of the ’16 league year, so Washington could still decide to move on from the young QB if this season doesn’t go well.
The Cardinals‘ signing of running back Chris Johnson is a potential coup, and a move straight from the Steve Keim playbook, writes Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic.
Lions safety James Ihedigbo, who had been seeking a new contract earlier this year, still feels like he’s in his prime as he prepares to turn 32 years old, he tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

East Notes: Brady, Cooley, RGIII, Eli, Manuel

August 18th, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reporters in attendance at Patriots‘ practice today have indicated that Tom Brady is absent, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today offers a likely explanation, tweeting that Brady plans to attend tomorrow’s federal court hearing in New York. The session in Judge Richard M. Berman’s courtroom is optional for Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell, but the fact that the Patriots quarterback will attend in person could score him some points with Judge Berman.

As we wait to see what – if anything – comes of tomorrow’s hearing on the Brady case, let’s check in on several more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

Former Washington tight end Chris Cooley admits he is “literally begging” to join his old team, explaining that he has offered to play on “the most minimum deal possible” if Washington signs him, per J.J. Regan of CSNWashington.com. Cooley’s proposal to Washington includes no bonuses or incentives, no guaranteed money, and a promise that he’d give $50K of his salary to charity.
Robert Griffin III is currently under contract through the 2016 season, but he’d like to remain in Washington beyond that, telling CSNWashington’s Chick Hernandez that he hopes to stay with the club for his “whole career.”
Despite John Mara‘s comments about wanting to get Eli Manning locked up to an extension before the season begins, there’s no rush or deadline for the Giants, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who writes that a new deal will happen sooner or later. We heard yesterday that Manning wants to become the league’s highest-paid player, and while that was met with disbelief by some, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why it’s not as outrageous as you might think.
As he competes for the starting job in Buffalo, quarterback E.J. Manuel acknowledges that his days with the Bills may be numbered if he doesn’t earn that No. 1 role, writes John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Wawrow suggests that Manuel is behind both Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel in the race for the Bills’ starting job, but the former first-round pick remains confident in his NFL future. “At the end of the day, if I play well, it should take care of itself,” Manuel said. “Whether it’s here or whether it’s somewhere else, I don’t know.”

East Notes: Wilkerson, Washington, Battle

July 5th, 2015 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a few notes from the league’s east divisions:

Other writers have opined the same thing, but Darryl Slater of NJ.com definitively asserts that Muhammad Wilkerson, despite some speculation to the contrary, will not be holding out of Jets training camp this month.
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at five players who may begin the season on the Washington bench but who could crack the starting lineup before the end of the year. He tabs ILB Martrell Spaight and OLB Preston Smith as particularly intriguing players to watch in the Washington front seven.
Similarly, John Keim of ESPN.com believes Smith will ultimately overtake Trent Murphy as a full-time starter at outside linebacker. Washington‘s coaching staff loves Smith’s length, his hands, and his versatility, and Smith appears to have a much higher ceiling as a pass rusher.
In the same piece, Keim writes that Kirk Cousins still has fans on the Washington coaching staff and among certain players, but even though he showed flashes of strong play last year, the critical turnovers he made and his inability to respond well to those turnovers have compelled the team to hand Robert Griffin III the starting job.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not expect the Giants to be interested in any of the players available in the supplemental draft. We heard yesterday that Clemson OT Isaiah Battle may be a good fit for Big Blue, but Raanan thinks otherwise. Although New York may take a flier on Battle in the sixth or seventh round of the supplemental draft, there are likely a number of other teams who will put a much higher value on his talent.
Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe offers her take on the 10 best moves made in the AFC East this offseason.

East Notes: Carr, RGIII, Cannon

June 1st, 2015 at 6:14pm CST by Luke Adams

In a series of several tweets, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram checks in on the Brandon Carr situation in Dallas, writing that the Cowboys haven’t approached the cornerback’s agent recently about a possible pay cut. The team did so earlier in the offseason, but was rebuffed, and now it seems as if Carr may head into the 2015 season with his contract unchanged. According to Hill, nothing is set in stone yet, but Carr has talked to the media about the issue more than he’s talked to the team about it.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Speaking at the team’s charity golf tournament on Monday, Washington president Bruce Allen touched on a handful of topics, calling the decision to pick up Robert Griffin III‘s fifth-year option a “no-brainer,” according to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. Allen also said that DeSean Jackson‘s absence from the club’s OTAs isn’t a concern (link via Scott Allen of the Washington Post), and suggested that Washington is still keeping an eye on players to acquire (link via ESPN.com’s John Keim).
According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Marcus Cannon‘s contract with the Patriots includes a $35K weight bonus — to earn that bonus, the offensive lineman must be under 345 pounds today.
A first-round pick in 2012, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins has been traded by the 49ers and cut by the Chiefs, and now hopes his third team is the charm. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that Jenkins is grateful for the opportunity he’s getting from the Cowboys, who signed him last week.

Washington Notes: Kerrigan, Williams, Scherff

May 11th, 2015 at 12:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has accrued an impressive 38 sacks during his four seasons in Washington and is a year away from free agency, where he stands to cash in big. Kerrigan might not reach the open market, however, as ongoing extension talks between his agent and Washington “are progressing well,” he told Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link). Kerrigan, who racked up a career-high 13.5 sacks last season, will make just over $7MM in the final year of his contract.

In addition to Kerrigan, Washington is at risk of losing three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams to free agency after next season. General manager Scot McCloughan hopes to keep Williams, whom Pro football Focus (subscription required) ranked 18th out of 84 qualifying tackles last season and who will count over $13.7MM against Washington’s cap in 2015.

“We’re going to take care of our own. That’s very important,” McCloughan said, per El-Bashir (Twitter link).

More news and notes on Washington:

Washington agreed to deals with nine of its 10 draft picks from this year’s class earlier Monday. The only one without a contract, first-rounder Brandon Scherff, won’t be unsigned for much longer. An agreement between the team and its highly touted offensive lineman is “very close,” said McCloughan, according to Tom Schad of the Washington Times (via Twitter). It could get done in time for the club’s rookie minicamp this weekend.
Robert Griffin III’s first year under Jay Gruden didn’t go well, but the head coach is expecting improvement from his quarterback in 2015. Gruden believes RGIII knows the system better and won’t have to think as much, tweeted Mike Jones of the Washington Post. For his part, Griffin says he feels better mentally (Twitter link).
Former Alabama quarterback Blake Sims will try out for Washington as a running back or slot receiver this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Sims worked out for teams as a return man prior to the draft.
McCloughan originally wanted to sign 13 undrafted free agents. Two fell through, one on account of retirement, per Schad (Twitter).

First-Round Rumors: Titans, Mariota, Rams

April 30th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans‘ No. 2 overall pick appears to be the hottest trade chip on the market today, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) hears that the club has spoken to the Rams and the Jets, in addition to the Browns and Eagles. According to ESPN’s Bob Holtzman, the Titans are “open for business” when it comes to trading the second overall pick, but the team is using the Robert Griffin III trade as a point of reference, which would mean getting three first-rounders for the No. 2 pick.

Multiple reporters, including Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), are suggesting that the Titans’ asking price is massive. Rapoport points out that Tennessee is seeking such a huge return that it’s making rival teams think the Titans just want to draft Marcus Mariota and be done with it.

As we wait to see what the Titans will do with their pick, let’s check in on a few more first-round rumors…

Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) hears from multiple sources that UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks is in the mix for the Cardinals in round one.
The Rams‘ discussions with the Titans haven’t amounted to anything “meaningful” at this point, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Meanwhile, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that the Rams may be looking at bailing out of the top 10 and picking up more picks. The Jets and Washington have also been cited as potential trade-down candidates in the top 10.
Browns coach Mike Pettine told NFL Network’s Andrea Kremer that “opinions on Marcus Mariota in this building are varied,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Cabot notes (link) that opinions on Johnny Manziel inside the building were varied too, but that didn’t stop the Browns from drafting him in 2014. She also hears that the Browns do not want to surrender their first-rounder in 2016 to land the Oregon quarterback (link).
A big problem for the Browns in any potential trade involving Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is that he may not negotiate a long-term deal anytime soon with the Browns, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Bradford may prefer to be dealt to the Titans and, presumably, would be more open to a long-term deal there.
In the event that the Browns acquire Sam Bradford or another quarterback, the Cowboys will not be interested in trading for Johnny Manziel to replace Brandon Weeden, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
NFL.com’s Michael Silver says that the Jaguars are a team to keep an eye on as they could move their high second round choice to get back into the back third of the first round.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Washington Exercises RGIII’s 2016 Option

April 27th, 2015 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

11:06am: Speaking today to reporters, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), Washington GM Scot McCloughan confirmed that the team is exercising Griffin’s 2016 option. The club made it official in a press release.

8:32am: Since his Pro Bowl rookie season, Robert Griffin III has been plagued by injuries and has struggled to make an impact when he’s been healthy. Still, Washington will likely exercise the fifth-year option for the former No. 2 overall pick, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that Griffin has yet to be notified of the decision, but Keim’s source agrees that it appears likely to happen.

Griffin, who threw 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions and averaged a league-high 8.1 yards per passing attempt in his rookie year, has seen his production slip since then, and ceded playing time to Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy last season. He’s expected to head into the 2015 season as the starter, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Washington make a change if he doesn’t look good in camp or early in the season.

Because he was a top-10 pick in 2012, Griffin’s 2016 option is worth $16.155MM, the same amount that the Colts and Dolphins would have to pay Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill, respectively. That’s a significant investment for a player who doesn’t even have the starting quarterback job locked up, but the salary doesn’t become fully guaranteed until the first day of the 2016 league year.

Of course, that ’16 salary is guaranteed for injury if it’s exercised, and given RGIII’s injury history, there’s certainly some risk there. But as Breer points out (via Twitter), if Griffin doesn’t meet expectations this coming season, he may not even see the field for a good chunk of the year, and he wouldn’t be a real injury risk if he’s sitting on the bench.

Washington will have until May 3 to make a decision on the option.

East Notes: E. Manning, Cowboys, Dolphins

April 26th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Rory Parks

Eli Manning is entering the final year of his contract with the Giants, and there have been no discussions about an extension, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, the lack of negotiations has not phased the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

“I haven’t made a big deal about it,” Manning said. “[It] is not something I’m going to argue about or make a fuss about.”

Of course, Manning did receive a six-year, $97.5MM deal from the Giants back in 2010, a contract he is going to play out, so he has reason to be patient as his next contract negotiations approach. One would think that he is in line for one more big payday, even though he will be 35 when he hits unrestricted free agency next winter. New York could put the franchise tag on him if it comes down to it, though it is difficult to imagine Manning finishing his career on anything other than a multi-year deal with Big Blue.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News believes there is only one direction for the Giants to go with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft: offensive line. Even if an elite wide receiver prospect like Amari Cooper or Kevin White falls to New York, Vacchiano believes the team should resist temptation and grab one of the top offensive linemen like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers.
Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News looks at the top priorities for the Cowboys heading into the draft. He lists cornerback and defensive line as the two positions the team absolutely must address.
For a number of reasons, the Cowboys have been pretty successful in the draft under head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett and assistant director of player personnel Will McClay have a good eye for talent, executive VP Stephen Jones has wielded a “firm and disciplined hand,” and owner Jerry Jones is meddling a little less. As David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes, the one drawback to success in the draft is that other teams want to poach the successful team’s players, which has happened with the Cowboys this offseason. Running back DeMarco Murray, linebacker Bruce Carter, and special teams ace Dwayne Harris were all part of Garrett’s first draft class and all left in free agency, so the team must now deal with the unique challenge that drafting well presents: not only adding talent to the nucleus of the roster, but replacing lost talent in the most cost-effective manner possible, which includes mining hidden gems in the lower rounds. Dallas must show they are up to that task if they are to repeat as NFC East champions.
John Keim of ESPN.com takes a look at a number of Robert Griffin III-related questions in his latest mailbag, including the ramifications of Washington‘s decision to either exercise or not exercise RGIII’s fifth-year option.
In a couple of Dolphins-related items, James Walker of ESPN.com examines whether Miami would really be willing to roll the dice on Georgia RB Todd Gurley and what the holdup is in exercising Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option.
In Bill Belichick‘s 15 drafts with the Patriots, the team has traded up 17 times and traded down 17 times. As Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes, New England is one of two teams holding five of the top 101 picks in this year’s draft, so you can expect more wheeling and dealing from the Pats this week.
Despite the buzz surrounding Marcus Mariota and the disappointment surrounding Geno Smith, Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News believes the Jets should go with the “strategically smart” decision and trade down from their No. 6 overall pick to select Stanford OT Andrus Peat.