T.Y. Hilton - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Garrett, Browns, Cardinals, Bradford, Packers, Allison, Colts, Hilton

September 30th, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Myles Garrett, last year’s number one overall pick, has gotten off to a great start in 2018. He has 4.5 sacks through four games, and has established himself as one of the best pass-rushers in the league at the age of 22. He’s been a genuine force, and has been a large part of Cleveland’s defensive resurgence. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com even thinks Garrett will be in the “conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year as long as he stays healthy.” Garrett had an injury plagued rookie season, but it looks like Sashi Brown and the old Browns front office clearly made the right choice by taking him first overall in 2017.

Kay Cabot also thinks the Browns would be wise to attempt to trade quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has been sent to the bench due to the strong play of Baker Mayfield, and the Browns no longer need him in the final year of his contract. It’s unclear if Taylor and his hefty contract have any actual trade value, but Kay Cabot thinks Cleveland should be calling up quarterback needy teams like the 49ers.

Here’s more from around the league:

After promoting Josh Rosen to be the team’s starter, the Cardinals made an interesting decision to demote Sam Bradford to third string and make Mike Glennon the backup. Many assumed the decision was because Bradford would no longer earn his per game roster bonuses of over $300K as an inactive third-stringer, but Arizona coach Steve Wilks denied that after the game today. Wilks said the decision was all his and not forced on him by the front office, and that it was just about “making the best decision for the team” according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN (Twitter link).
Packers receiver Geronimo Allison sustained a concussion in the team’s win over the Bills today, according to Jason Wilde of ESPN (Twitter link). Allison has started to emerge as a viable number two receiver this year, and him missing any amount of time would be a big blow to a receiving corp that’s already dealing with an injury to Randall Cobb.
Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton had to leave the team’s loss to the Texans with a hamstring injury, and coach Frank Reich told reporters Hilton probably won’t be able to play in the team’s Week 5 game against the Patriots, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The Colts will be playing on a short week on Thursday Night Football, and will be tasked with beating New England on the road without their best offensive playmaker.

Trade Rumors: Colts, Dolphins, Bears, Pats

October 30th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton is indeed on the trade block, and while Indianapolis is receiving calls on their top offensive weapon, general manager Chris Ballard & Co. hold Hilton in “high regard,” tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. As such, a deal involving Hilton remains “highly unlikely.” That notion doesn’t come as a complete surprise, given that Hilton has still been productive even without quarterback Andrew Luck available, and remains under team control for several seasons at reasonable rates.

Let’s take a look at more surrounding the NFL’s trade deadline, which hits Tuesday at 4pm Eastern:

The Dolphins are focusing on improving their offense via trade, and are more willing to exchange players than draft picks, sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. That Miami would be set on fixing an offense that ranks dead last in both points and yards per game comes as no surprise, but other teams are apparently more receptive to draft selection-oriented deals. Wide receiver, running back, and offensive line are all possible positions of need for Miami, and the “elephant in the room” is slot receiver Jarvis Landry, per Salguero. Landry has mentioned in trade talks before and has yet to be offered an extension, so it makes sense that the 2018 free agent could be on the table.
Having already made one trade to acquired receiver Dontrelle Inman, the Bears are likely done making deals, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Inman deal was almost a necessity, as rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky needed some sort of offensive weaponry reinforcement following a four-completion day in Week 7. Acquiring more players is probably out of the question given Chicago’s position on the win curve, and dealing away veterans such as cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara would signal the raising of a white flag, something the Bears aren’t willing to do given their surprising 3-5 record, per Biggs.
After shipping backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers earlier tonight, the Patriots are now on the hunt for defensive run-stuffers, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). In fact, La Canfora suggests New England could use their newly-acquired second-round pick in order to pick up a defender before tomorrow’s trade deadline. Of course, given that San Francisco’s second-rounder will likely be the No. 33 or 34 selection in the 2018 draft, the Patriots would likely be looking for a high-impact defensive player.
Speaking of Garoppolo, the Browns apparently only offered a second-round pick “and change” in exchange for New England’s No. 2 signal-caller during the draft, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Some reports indicated Cleveland was willing to part with a first-rounder in order to land Garoppolo, but that apparently wasn’t the case.

Extra Points: Vikings, Zeke, Williams, Lynch

October 29th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sam Bradford does not have a return timetable after making a brief cameo in Chicago earlier this month. The Vikings quarterback is still experiencing knee pain, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). However, Minnesota may be set to finally have some quarterback depth again after its Week 9 bye. Teddy Bridgewater is expected to come off the PUP list after the bye, and Rapoport expects him to immediately compete with Case Keenum for the Vikes’ starting job. A mostly Keenum-led team this season, the Vikings lead the NFC North after their win over the Browns on Sunday. Bridgewater reclaiming his job might be a bit tricky considering where the team is in the standings and how long it’s been since the fourth-year passer was at the controls. But a Bridgewater return gives the Vikings options they don’t currently have with Bradford still on the mend.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Ezekiel Elliott did not travel with the Cowboys back to Dallas on Sunday night, instead trekking to New York for his seminal court date, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). Elliott did not attend his previous hearing with New York’s Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans earlier this month. The Cowboys star back rushed for more than 100 yards for a second straight week and has five touchdowns over the past two games but could see his suspension go into effect as early as next week if Monday goes poorly for his side.
Trent Williams is hoping the Redskins‘ bye week gives him time to heal his knee injury, but the Washington tackle isn’t certain that will do the trick, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Williams said earlier this month he’s hoping to put off surgery until after the season but revealed Sunday (via Keim) some doctors have told him that’s a six- to nine-month rehab process. Calling this a deep bone bruise, Williams added other medical personnel have said he can go the rest-and-recover route. So this bye week will be critical for the status of Washington’s injury-ravaged offensive line.
Speaking of left tackle injuries, Joe Staley suffered an orbital bone fracture Sunday. But the 11th-year 49ers edge blocker received a bit of good news, with Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reporting (via Twitter) no surgery will be required. Still, this could end any Staley trade speculation and keep him in San Francisco for another full season.
Paxton Lynch is no longer on the Broncos‘ injury report, and the second-year quarterback could be in uniform Monday night for the first time this season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The Broncos have not received much help from their offense the past three games and have fallen to 3-3. The team obviously would be interested in getting its 2016 first-rounder on the field at some point, but Trevor Siemian won the job in the preseason. However, if the Broncos slink out of the playoff race as a result of a brutal upcoming schedule — the Chiefs, Eagles and Patriots represent Denver’s ensuing three games — Lynch could be summoned for a full-on audition.
Devon Still is considering retirement. The former Bengals rotational defensive lineman told TMZ he plans to decide in a couple of weeks if he will pursue a shot at another opportunity or not. The 28-year-old interior defender is currently a free agent, having last played with 2016 Texans. The Jets cut Still in August.
T.Y. Hilton is rumored to be on the trade block. Florio hears from multiple sources the NFL’s reigning receiving-yardage leader is available. Florio opines a future Hilton-type talent could come out of a mid-round draft pick, allowing the Colts — now run by a decision-maker in Chris Ballard who did not draft the sixth-year wide receiver — to offload Hilton’s $13MM-AAV contract and improve the roster with the savings.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton Available Via Trade?

October 29th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

T.Y. Hilton‘s name has popped up as a player who could be traded before Tuesday’s deadline, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While the asking price for the Colts’ No. 1 wideout would presumably be sky-high, a source tells Florio “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” in relation to a potential deal.

Hilton, 28 next month, has no interest in leaving Indianapolis, per Florio, and also wouldn’t be amenable to altering his contract in order to ease a trade. The Colts inked Hilton to a five-year, $65MM extension prior to the 2015 campaign, and he still has three years remaining on his current pact. The former third-round pick has non-guaranteed base salaries of $11MM, $13MM, and ~$14.5MM over the next three seasons, all of which are relative bargains for a pass-catcher of Hilton’s caliber.

The Colts have struggled in 2017 without Andrew Luck under center, but despite the lack of quality talent on Indianapolis’ roster, there’s been no indication the club is ready to undergo a complete rebuild under general manager Chris Ballard. In 10 months as the Colts’ top decision-maker, Ballard hasn’t traded away any key pieces, as his most high-profile deals have included spare parts in tight end Dwayne Allen and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.

Dealing Hilton, though, would signal Indy’s intention to revamp its roster, as he’s been the team’s top offensive weapon for four-plus seasons. From 2013-16, Hilton averaged 81 receptions, 1,250 yards, and six touchdowns per season, and while his numbers in 2017 aren’t as eye-popping given the absence of Luck, Hilton has still managed 512 receiving yards through seven games.

Hilton isn’t the only Colts player to be mentioned in trade rumors today, as left tackle Anthony Castonzo and cornerback Vontae Davis have also been bandied about as potential candidates to be shipped out prior to Tuesday.

Watt, Bryant, Others Get Salary Guarantees

March 13th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Sunday, the fifth day of the league year. Let’s check in on those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (Dolphins): $3.5MM of $17.975MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Cowboys): $13MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver (Colts): $3MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $6MM roster bonus now payable.
Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle (Colts): $2.5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $4.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Tyron Smith, offensive tackle (Cowboys): $10MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Branden Albert, offensive tackle (Dolphins): $6MM of $8.245MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Mike Pouncey, center (Dolphins): $9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed, as is $2MM of Pouncey’s $7.95MM base salary in 2017.
Maurkice Pouncey, center (Steelers): $3.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Cameron Heyward, defensive end (Steelers): $5MM roster bonus now payable.
J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans): $10.5MM base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed.
Robert Quinn, defensive end (Rams): $7,777,777MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Lavonte David, linebacker (Buccaneers): $5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Broncos): $6.9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Pats, Hilton, Rice, Manziel

September 17th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this week, the NFL reinstated Patriots employee Jim McNally from suspension for his role in the DeflateGate scandal. McNally may not be totally out of the woods yet, though, as new allegations against him have come to light. Former official Mark Baltz, the league’s head linesman from 1989-2013, told WTHR.com that he was always suspicious of McNally, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com.

“[McNally] was always worried about the footballs. Always,” Baltz stated. “It was very odd. I reported him to the league, but never got any reaction from them. I don’t think they thought it was a big deal at the time. But [McNally] did things that 31 other locker room attendants don’t do.”

Baltz said he reported McNally to the league six to eight years ago.

“All I know is, when he got [the footballs], he would run. He would take off,” Baltz added. “Whether he was going somewhere and letting air out, I’m definitely suspicious, but I don’t know for sure.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Colts No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton caught seven passes for 88 yards before suffering a knee injury that caused him to leave the team’s 27-14 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. Afterward, there was fear that he’d be out for a solid chunk of time. However, Hilton and head coach Chuck Pagano think he could be ready to go in time for Monday’s game against the Jets. “A game-time decision depending on how I feel,” Hilton said Thursday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Pagano said he has “a lot” of optimism that Hilton will play this week.
With LeSean McCoy‘s hamstring injury continuing to be an issue, the Bills suddenly look thin at running back. However, don’t expect them to sign free agent Ray Rice, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). Instead, look for rookie Karlos Williams‘ workload to increase. Williams rushed for a team-high 55 yards and a touchdown on just six carries in the Bills’ win over Indianapolis.
There aren’t many believers left when it comes to Johnny Manziel, but Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is one of them. “Johnny has tremendous physical attributes — tremendous physical attributes,” DeFilippo said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We just have to keep grooming him and keep teaching him situational football and when to take chances and when not to.”
The Ravens got just 190 total yards from their offense in their 19-13 opening week loss to Denver. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman took the blame, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Trestman said his offense has to find ways to get the ball downfield. That should be easier this week against a thin Oakland secondary.

T.Y. Hilton To Miss Several Games?

September 13th, 2015 at 4:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton left today’s game against the Bills after suffering a knee injury, and owner Jim Irsay told reporters, including Mike Chappell of CBS 4 (Twitter link), that Hilton is expected to miss several weeks. Meanwhile, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that Hilton “should be fine”, but that he will undergo an MRI.

The two reports aren’t mutually exclusive, as Hilton could still be “fine” even if he is sidelined for a few weeks. Indy’s hope, obviously, is that Hilton didn’t suffer a serious injury that will force him out for an extended period of time. The Colts do have the receiver depth to cover for a Hilton injury, though, especially if it’s only for a short period of time. Andre Johnson would step in as the club’s No. 1 pass-catcher, while Donte Moncrief and rookie Phillip Dorsett could see expanded roles.

Still, losing Hilton for any period of time will certainly hurt. The 25-year-old caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and was handsomely rewarded for his efforts, inking a five-year, $65MM extension earlier this year.

Extra Points: Rivers, Hilton, Ngata, Cherilus

August 17th, 2015 at 9:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Over the weekend, the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers reached agreement on a lucrative four-year extension worth $84MM. Today, we learned the details of the contract.

Rivers will earn a $22.5MM signing bonus with $15MM fully guaranteed in 2015, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. He’ll have a $16.5MM injury-only guarantee in 2016 which converts to a full guarantee on the second day of the ’16 waiver period. In 2017, Rivers will earn $14MM with $11MM guaranteed for injury only that will convert to a full guarantee on the second day of the waiver period. In the final two years, he’ll make $10MM and $11MM, respectively, with a $5MM roster bonus in each of those seasons.

That’s big bucks for the Bolts QB, but as we learned earlier tonight, that kind of deal apparently isn’t good enough for Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Here’s more from around the NFL..

T.Y. Hilton‘s deal with the Colts calls for him to earn base salaries of $1MM, $3MM, $8MM, $11MM, $13MM, and $14.54MM, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Hilton’s new deal with Indianapolis could pay him $65MM in total with $39MM guaranteed.
Contract talks between the Lions and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata are ongoing and positive, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Ngata, a five-time All Pro, indicated in March that he would be open to an extension, and Lions GM Martin Mayhew has said that team management is also interested in working out a long-term deal.
Gosder Cherilus‘ deal with the Buccaneers is worth $7MM over two years, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The offensive lineman will earn $2.5MM this year and $4.5MM next year. Cherilus gets a $500K roster bonus in 2016 and his $2M base salary escalates to $3M if he plays 75 percent of the snaps in 2015, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
Cardinals UDFA rookie linebacker Zack Wagenmann broke his foot again and will miss the entire 2015 season, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

T.Y. Hilton, Colts Agree To Extension

August 15th, 2015 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 8:42am: The breakdown of Hilton’s extension, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), shows the Colts’ top wideout attached to just a $3.14MM cap number this season.

Hilton’s dues skyrocket beginning in 2016, however, with an $11MM cap figure slated for next season. The number plummets to $10MM in 2017, before the current version of this contract peaks the following year at $15MM. It finishes at $14.54MM in 2019.

Forty-four wideouts have greater cap hits in 2015 than does Hilton. The fourth-year receiver’s previous number resided at $1.67MM, less than $200K above 2015 first-rounder Phillip Dorsett.

THURSDAY, 8:20am: The Colts announced that they have have reached agreement on a five-year extension with T.Y. Hilton. It’s a $65MM extension with $39MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

“It’s a great day for the Indianapolis Colts, T.Y. Hilton and his family,” Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said in a statement. “We’re extremely happy as an organization to ensure that T.Y. will continue to be a part of our journey for many years to come. His daily excellence on and off the field is a shining example of an individual striving for greatness and what it truly means to be a Colt.”

Hilton’s $39MM guaranteed is nearly twice as much guaranteed money as any other player on the Colts roster. Quarterback Andrew Luck is second on the team in that category at $22.1MM, though his next contract could catapult him back to No. 1. Hilton, 25, enjoyed his best season to date in 2014, hauling in 82 catches for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns. That performance earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection and the Colts were eager to lock him up even though he still had a year to go on his third-round rookie contract.

It’ll be interesting to see the exact breakdown on Hilton’s guarantees and get a clearer picture on how his deal stacks up against the likes of Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas. Right now, we know that Hilton’s deal came a little bit shy of both players on overall value since both players got five-year, $70MM deals from their respective teams.

Still, with an AAV just $1MM lower than Bryant and Thomas, the deal sounds like a solid one for agent Drew Rosenhaus. After all, one could argue that the 5’10” Hilton isn’t an elite No. 1 receiver or a red-zone threat like Bryant or Thomas and someone like Randall Cobb might be a more apt comparison for what he does. Cobb, who hauled in 91 balls and scored 12 touchdowns in 2014, signed a team-friendly four-year, $40MM deal with the Packers earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To T.Y. Hilton’s Extension

August 13th, 2015 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday morning, the Colts and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $65MM with $39MM guaranteed. That deal put Hilton just yards away from the substantial five-year, $70MM deals inked by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas just weeks ago and that kind of cash made it worthwhile for him to forfeit testing his value on the open market down the road. Here’s a look at some of the reactions to Hilton’s new pact..

Colts GM Ryan Grigson is moving away from Bill Polian’s philosophy of only doing new deals with players after contracts are completed and that suggests that an extension for Andrew Luck will get done in 2016, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
Jimmy Sexton, Julio Jones‘ agent, is probably happy with Hilton’s deal, Corry tweets. Sexton likely views Hilton as a tier below Jones, which would set his the Falcons receiver up for a payday that exceeds the contracts signed by Hilton, Bryant, and Thomas.
Now that Hilton is under contract, the Colts won’t have to tag him in 2016. That means that the franchise tag available for use on someone else, like left tackle Anthony Castonzo or tight end Coby Fleener, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The tender is much lower for tight ends than left tackles, so Florio writes that it would make sense for the Colts to sign Castonzo to a new deal and use the tag on Fleener.
Locking up Hilton is just the start for the Colts and their core players, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. Wells feels that Castonzo is next on Indy’s to-do list, with tight ends Dwayne Allen and Fleener to follow. Wells seems to think that Luck staying is a foregone conclusion, writing that Colts owner Jim Irsay will make him the league’s highest paid player.
If Bryant and Thomas were playing under $12.823MM franchise tags, then Hilton wouldn’t have gotten this extension, Corry tweets.
Kevin Bowen of Colts.com looked at how the Hilton talks unfolded over the course of the offseason.
Hilton is getting paid but the deal is a win-win for the wide receiver and the team, Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star writes. Doyel also commends Hilton for his professionalism in the wake of the team’s selection of Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett, a player who has a very similar skill set.