HEADLINES

Rodney McLeod

Extra Points: Agholor, Eagles, Steelers, Robinette

May 27th, 2017 at 12:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • The Eagles signed free agent wideouts Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith this offseason, putting former first-rounder Nelson Agholor‘s spot on the depth chart in doubt. However, the 24-year-old made it clear that he embraces the competition. “I think I was worried about taking such a large leap in a day. It’s all about getting better consistently each day, even if it’s just a little bit,” Agholor told ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. “Some of the best players in this league, they didn’t just become really great the first day they’re there. It took a process and continuous progression every day, so that’s my focus right now.” In 28 career games, Agholor has collected 59 receptions for 648 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Earlier this offseason, the Eagles signed safety Rodney McLeod to a five-year, $37MM deal ($17MM guaranteed). The team has apparently slightly altered the contract to open up some cap space, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that the team saved $2.4MM by converting $3.225M of his salary into a bonus.
  • There have been whispers that the Steelers could convert William Gay to safety or even release the veteran. However, as Chris Bradford of the Beaver County Times notes, the 32-year-old is seemingly still the team’s slot cornerback ahead of Senquez Golson and Cameron Sutton. Gay has spent 10 seasons with the Steelers, and last year was the first time since 2010 that he started less than 10 games.
  • We learned yesterday that The Air Force Academy had barred wideout Jalen Robinette from graduating, putting both his Air Force and NFL future in doubt. Following the announcement, the player’s agency released a statement to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post: “Jalen Robinette is currently awaiting a determination on a non-criminal disciplinary proceeding. Jalen continues to look forward to serving the country that he loves and remains committed and loyal to the United States Air Force.” Robinette finished his collegiate career as the team’s all-time leader in receiving yards.

Extra Points: Colts, McLeod, McCown

June 4th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • There were questions surrounding the relationship of Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano, but ESPN.com’s Mike Wells writes that the two have seemingly resolved their issues ever since receiving extensions. With the pair being under contract for the same amount of years, the duo has made sure that they’re “on the same page when it comes to the makeup of the roster.”
  • Before settling in on a five-year, $37MM contract with the Eagles, safety Rodney McLeod received similar offers from other teams. Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice tweets that McLeod heard from the Jaguars, Browns, and Buccaneers.
  • Josh McCown would prefer that the Browns make their starting quarterback decision sooner than later, the signal-caller said on 850 WKNR in Cleveland (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m a human being and there’s no doubt, you want things mapped out,” McCown said. “I don’t like it, but I think it helps me get better.”
  • Former Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman was charged with vehicular assault following a car crash last October (via the Associated Press). The 25-year-old appeared in 14 games with Seattle in 2015, compiling 32 yards on eight rushing attempts.

 

Giants Sign Janoris Jenkins

March 10th, 2016 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 1:52pm: The Giants’ signing of Jenkins is official, as Dan Salomone of Giants.com writes.

For a sneak peek at what Jenkins might look like in his new jersey, follow Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

WEDNESDAY, 9:39am: Jenkins is expected to get $29MM in fully guaranteed money, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).

9:29am: Jenkins’ five-year deal with the Giants is expected to be worth $62.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). That’s an annual average of $12.5MM.

Janoris Jenkins/Giants Uniform (Vertical)

Photo courtesy of @ProFootballRumors on Instagram

6:48am: The Giants are prepared to sign cornerback Janoris Jenkins when the free agent market officially opens later today, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Jenkins’ new contract is expected to be worth in excess of $12MM per year.

Jenkins, 27, has spent the first four years of his career with the Rams since being selected by the team with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Since entering the league, Jenkins has been a starter at cornerback in St. Louis, picking up a total of 10 career interceptions, including five for touchdowns. However, it appears he won’t join the team in Los Angeles.

Prior to the franchise-tag deadline, the Rams had been mulling over whether to use their tag on Jenkins or fellow cornerback Trumaine Johnson. The club ultimately opted to lock up Johnson with the non-exclusive franchise tag, clearing the path for Jenkins to reach the open market.

While the Rams did want to keep Jenkins, negotiations between the two sides didn’t appear to progress the way the four-year veteran anticipated. After a report surfaced suggesting that Jenkins had declined a five-year offer worth about $45MM, the former second-round pick changed agents, and tweeted. “Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks.”

For the Giants, Jenkins looks poised to team with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the secondary, suggesting free agent corner Prince Amukamara likely won’t be back in New York.

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Giants may be targeting other big-name free agents on the defensive side of the ball. Graziano reports that Big Blue may make a run at defensive end Olivier Vernon, and adds that the team has also expressed interest in Jenkins’ former teammate, safety Rodney McLeod.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Sign Rodney McLeod

March 9th, 2016 at 6:19pm CST by Luke Adams

6:19pm: The Eagles have announced that they’ve officially signed McLeod.

11:45am: The Eagles and free agent safety Rodney McLeod have agreed to terms on a five-year, $37MM contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The deal, which averages more than $7MM annually, will feature $17MM in guarantees, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It can be made official after 3:00pm central time today.Rodney McLeod

McLeod, 25, has started all 48 regular season games in the Rams’ secondary over the last three seasons, picking up five career interceptions and six fumble recoveries during that time. Pro Football Focus has been fond of McLeod’s play, ranking him 10th among safeties in 2015, grading him as both a solid run defender and coverage man.

In Philadelphia, McLeod will be the most recent addition to an Eagles’ defensive backfield that’s seen turnover already this offseason. Cornerback Byron Maxwell, signed to a massive free agent deal just last year, will be shipped to the Dolphins, while fellow CB Nolan Carroll is a free agent. The Eagles did agree to an extension with safety Malcolm Jenkins last month, but the signing of McLeod likely means that Walter Thurmond, who played well in his first season after transitioning to safety, will head elsewhere on the open market.

The Rams, meanwhile, will lose the second key member of their secondary, as McLeod will follow corner Janoris Jenkins — who earlier today agreed to sign with the Giants — out the door. Los Angeles did place the franchise tag on CB Trumaine Johnson, so they still have at least one solid option in the defensive backfield, but with a lot of cap space in reserve, the secondary might be an area the club targets in the coming days.

McLeod was ranked as PFR’s No. 14 free agent. He becomes the second high-profile safety to agree to terms today, as George Iloka has reportedly agreed to return to the Bengals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: McLeod, Vernon, Steelers, Sweezy

March 9th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

Safety Rodney McLeod is one of the top young safeties set to hit the market today, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that the Ravens are a “strong contender” for the Rams’ free-agent-to-be.

While the Ravens could use some help at free safety, since Kendrick Lewis didn’t prove in 2015 that he’s the long-term answer and Lardarius Webb doesn’t have much experience at safety. But the idea that Baltimore would make a play for someone like McLeod is surprising, since the team typically doesn’t foray too aggressively into free agency, and doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility.

As we wait to see if anything comes of the Ravens’ apparent interest in McLeod, let’s check in on a few other free agent rumors….

  • In an interesting piece for TheMMQB.com, defensive end Olivier Vernon, one of the top free agents available, acknowledges that he “probably” won’t be back with the Dolphins in 2016.
  • With Heath Miller having retired, the Steelers are exploring the tight end free agent market, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Coby Fleener, Ladarius Green, and Jared Cook are names worth monitoring for Pittsburgh.
  • Over a half-dozen teams remain in the mix for offensive lineman J.R. Sweezy, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that the Broncos are worth keeping an eye on.
  • Offensive tackle Bobby Massie has received interest from the Bears and Giants, but his market isn’t up to $8MM per year yet, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. A Monday report indicated that Massie could end up landing a deal in that range.
  • The Rams are intent on trying to re-sign defensive end William Hayes, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, Hayes has a “nice market,” but wouldn’t rule out a return to the Rams.
  • The Bears resumed negotiations on Tuesday with tight end Zach Miller, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Miller’s reported asking price of $5MM per year, which seemed outrageous a few weeks ago, doesn’t look quite as far-fetched after Dwayne Allen got $7MM+ annually from the Colts.

FA Rumors: Vinatieri, Gates, Hayes, Moses

March 1st, 2016 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts are working on a new contract for future Hall-of-Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that this was an “open secret” at the combine in Indianapolis. A report last month indicated that the team wanted to bring back Vinatieri, who expressed a desire to continue playing — perhaps for multiple years.

“Not only a season, but Lord willing, a couple of years,” Vinatieri said at the time. “There will come a time when it’s over for me. I don’t think that time is yet. I enjoy playing. I enjoy doing my thing.”

As we wait to see if the Colts and Vinatieri can hammer something out within the next few days, let’s round up several more notes and rumors on free-agents-to-be….

  • The meeting at the combine between Antonio Gates and the Chargers went well, reaffirming the mutual interest between the two sides for a new deal, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Gehlken, it’s likely just a matter of time until the veteran tight end finalizes a new contract with the Chargers.
  • If another team signs Olivier Vernon to an offer sheet that the Dolphins decide not to match, expect the team to pursue a lower-priced defensive end like William Hayes, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Per Salguero, Hayes is a player Miami likes “very much.”
  • The Chiefs have expressed interest in bringing back free agent linebacker Dezman Moses, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Moses is one of several Kansas City defensive players eligible for free agency, though he’ll probably come cheaper than most, since he’s primarily a special teams contributor.
  • The Saints would like to re-sign UFA kicker Kai Forbath, a source tells Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. If Forbath does sign a new deal with New Orleans, I imagine it would be a modest one that wouldn’t preclude the team from bringing in competition.
  • Rams safety Rodney McLeod is one free agent who will be “in demand” next week, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that plenty of NFL people like McLeod.

Combine Updates: Packers, Colts, Rams

February 25th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The scouting combine continues today in Indianapolis, and so have the press conferences and media scrums with head coaches and general managers around the NFL.

Here are some highlights from a few of those conversations, sorted by team:

Green Bay Packers:

  • Despite the fact that the Packers aren’t generally major players in free agency, GM Ted Thompson said his team isn’t averse to exploring the market. With that in mind, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) says Green Bay will likely be in the mix for a complementary wide receiver.
  • Asked whether Thompson listens to him if he wants a certain player, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, “Everybody wants something. Someone has to say no. That’s why you have a chain of command. Someone has to be the bad guy” (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • McCarthy also said today that he’s “disappointed” in Mike Pennel‘s four-game suspension, according to Demovsky. “Mike’s one of our guys, but we’ll see him through this,” McCarthy said. “He’s a young player who really came on in the second half of the season.”

Indianapolis Colts:

  • Colts head coach Chuck Pagano didn’t go into specifics on personnel moves today, but he didn’t pull punches when discussing the team’s pass rush, tweets Stephen Holder of ESPN.com. Pagano conveyed that it hasn’t been good enough, and needs to be upgraded.
  • GM Ryan Grigson also weighed in on the idea of adding pass rushers, suggesting that the draft isn’t as deep at that spot as he’d like, and acknowledging that there will be some financial constraints in free agency (Twitter link via Holder).
  • Asked about Andrew Luck‘s potential contract extension, Grigson said today that the team has yet to open negotiations, “but that will probably happen soon” (link via Holder). While he declined to discuss specific numbers, the GM expressed confidence that there would be no issues holding up talks.

Los Angeles Rams:

  • The Rams’ top priority right now is re-signing the team’s many free agent defensive backs, GM Les Snead said today, per Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, along with safety Rodney McLeod, are eligible to hit the market in March.
  • The Rams released three veteran players last week to create cap room, but the team is planning to keep offensive lineman Rodger Saffold on its roster, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Snead made it clear today that, in addition to addressing this year’s free agents, the Rams are also hoping to lock up key extension candidates, including defensive tackle Michael Brockers and linebacker Alec Ogletree (Twitter link via Wagoner).

Rams Re-Sign Austin Davis, Other RFAs

April 20th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

With the team’s offseason workout program getting underway today, the Rams locked up several of their restricted and exclusive rights free agents, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. According to Balzer, quarterback Austin Davis, safety Rodney McLeod, tight end Cory Harkey, and guard Brandon Washington all re-signed today with the Rams.

Davis, who started 2014 as the third quarterback on the Rams’ depth chart, eventually took over for Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill as the team’s starter for eight games, leading the club to a 3-5 record in those games. He compiled 2,001 passing yards to go along with a 63.4% completion rate and an 85.1 passer rating, earning him a low-end RFA tender from St. Louis. He and Harkey will both earn $1.542MM salaries in 2015.

While Davis is perhaps the most well-known player re-signed today by the Rams, McLeod should be the most important of the group in 2015. The 24-year-old has started all 32 games for the Rams at free safety over the last two seasons, totaling 151 tackles, four interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and four fumble recoveries during that stretch. He got a second-rounder tender from the club, putting him in line for a ’15 salary of $2.356MM.

Washington, who hasn’t seen any real playing time during his stint with the Rams, had been an exclusive right free agent.

Rams Tender Rodney McLeod, Two Others

March 6th, 2015 at 11:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier tonight, we heard that the Rams tendered offers to ensure that exclusive rights free agents Chase Reynolds and Brandon Washington remain with the team. However, those weren’t the only free agent tenders issued by the team on Friday. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links), the club also tendered offers to safety Rodney McLeod, quarterback Austin Davis, and tight end Cory Harkey.

McLeod, who was eligible for restricted free agency, was the only player of the trio to receive a second-round tender, worth $2.356MM. The offer ensures that if McLeod gets an offer to sign elsewhere, the Rams would have the opportunity to sign an offer sheet, and would receive a second-round pick as compensation if they chose to let him go. When I previewed the Rams’ offseason earlier in the week, I identified the safety as one of the free agents the team would make an effort to retain, since he has established himself as a solid starter and is still entering his prime.

Davis and Harkey were both eligible to be restricted free agents as well, and they received the minimum-level tender from the team — that’s a one-year offer worth $1.542MM. Of the two, Davis seems more likely to draw interest from another club, and if he were to sign an offer sheet, the Rams wouldn’t receive any compensation if they didn’t match the offer. Depending on what St. Louis decides to do with prospective free agent quarterback Shaun Hill, Davis could return to the team as the No. 2 signal-caller behind Sam Bradford next season.

Offensive lineman Tim Barnes, another potential restricted free agent, didn’t receive a tender offer from the Rams, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next week, tweets Thomas.