Trae Waynes - Pro Football Rumors

NFC North Notes: Howard, Vikings, Packers

February 27th, 2019 at 9:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Jordan Howard matched his career high with nine rushing touchdowns last season, his overall and per-carry yardage numbers continued to decline. The Bears‘ starting running back failed to eclipse 1,000 yards for the first time and averaged 3.7 per tote, as Tarik Cohen gained a bigger foothold in Matt Nagy‘s offense. Howard did not make progress as a receiving back, either, in his third year. The Bears are indeed shopping Howard at the Combine, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. One season remains on the former fifth-round pick’s rookie contract.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

Also being dangled for a trade, per JLC: Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes. One of three first-round picks in Minnesota’s corner corps, Waynes has been a two-year starter. But he is going into his fifth-year option season, which will cost the Vikings just more than $9MM. With Kirk Cousins‘ fully guaranteed contract on their books, along with several recently extended homegrown talents, the Vikings are up against the cap, holding barely $7MM.
One place the Vikings may need funding for is their offensive line. Guard starter Nick Easton missed all of last season, hurting an already embattled unit, and is slated for unrestricted free agency. Rick Spielman said (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer) Easton should be medically cleared to resume his career soon. Easton underwent surgery to address a herniated disk in his neck. Easton also fractured his ankle in December 2017, so he may have to settle for a one-year deal somewhere.
Brian Gutekunst confirmed what we heard recently: Jimmy Graham will have a second chance to make an impact with the Packers. A possible cap casualty, Graham is in line to come back, per Gutekunst (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). When asked Wednesday about Graham, Matt LaFleur was not yet sure the 32-year-old is the type of tight end that can create matchup problems at this point in his career, adding the caveat of not being in Green Bay last year to observe the physical issues with which Graham dealt.
Gutekunst was non-committal about Nick Perry‘s future with the team. Indicating the veteran outside linebacker has been productive when on the field, the second-year Packers GM said a decision has not been made on this front. “Nick’s struggled through some injuries,” Gutekunst said. “It’s been unfortunate. When he’s been out there, he’s been a good player for us. We’ll make those decisions as they come.” It would not be financially advantageous for the Packers to cut Perry. The cap savings would barely exceed $3MM, while the dead-money figure would surpass $11MM. Three years remain on the contract Perry signed in 2017. Perry played in nine games last season and 12 in 2017. He registered just 1.5 sacks last season.

Vikings Pick Up Trae Waynes’ Option

April 30th, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, the Vikings made an easy call. The fifth-year option for cornerback Trae Waynes has been exercised, according to a team announcement.

As the No. 11 pick in the 2015 draft, Waynes will earn $9.069MM in 2019. As shown on PFR’s Fifth-Year Option Tracker, many of the first-round picks from that class have already had the extra season tacked on to their contracts. Teams have until Thursday to make determinations on the remaining players.

Waynes started in all 16 games for the first time in his career last year. He tallied 65 total tackles, two interceptions, eleven passes defensed, and his first career sack.

Waynes will return as the team’s CB2 alongside First-Team All-Pro Xavier Rhodes. The Vikings will also get cornerback Mike Hughes involved after selecting the UCF product with a late first-round choice.

The bar is set high in Minnesota after the team finished out as the league’s No. 1 defense in 2017, but the unit looks as fierce as ever thanks to the addition of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

Community Tailgate: Who Will Win DROY?

August 20th, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still a few weeks away from the start of regular-season battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This summer, we launched a new series here at PFR known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Yesterday, we asked you to take your pick on who will be this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Today, in the interest of equal time, we want to know who you think will be this year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Any list of DROY contenders has to have Jets rookie Leonard Williams near the top. The USC defensive lineman was touted by some as the top talent in this year’s class but thanks in part to the team needs at the top of the draft, the Jets managed to snag him with the No. 6 overall pick. At 6’5″ and 300+ pounds, Williams offers tremendous athleticism for his size and is a proven run stopper. Many wondered exactly where Leonard would fit on the Jets defensive line, which already featured stars like Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, but Richardson’s suspension and subsequent run-in with the law have opened up a major opportunity for Williams to be an impact player in his rookie year.

Linebacker Vic Beasley, taken at No. 8 by the Falcons, is another strong contender for the award. Beasley has been roundly praised for his agility at the linebacker position and many feel that he’s going to be a menace for opposing quarterbacks right out of the gate. It also helps Beasley’s case that he’ll be under the tutelage of Dan Quinn, who is known for developing tough players in the front seven. For what it’s worth, the Clemson product also looked impressive in his preseason debut.

Outside of those top ten picks, other viable candidates for the trophy include a pair of “red flag” guys in Cowboys linebacker Randy Gregory and Broncos defensive end/linebacker Shane Ray. Without their respective off-the-field issues, both players would have been strong candidates to go inside of the top ten on talent alone. Staying in the front seven, there was great buzz surrounding Kentucky’s Bud Dupree in the months leading up to the draft and he now finds himself with a franchise that is historically known for it’s hard-nosed defense.

A defensive back has not won DROY since Charles Woodson did it in 1998, but early cornerbacks like Marcus Peters (Chiefs) and Trae Waynes (Vikings) could get in the mix if they get opportunities to make big plays.

Who do you think will win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015? Let us know in the comments below!

Draft Notes: Vikings, Rams, Patriots, Bears

May 10th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings could have an exciting offense next season, and that’s because the front office dedicated last year’s draft picks to improving their team on that side of the ball. Although the organization had acquired some foundational players, including quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, head coach Mike Zimmer said his team was still considering offensive weapons in the first round of this year’s draft. Via Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune…

“The Teddy thing was huge because that was really the number one priority of the organization. We had to get a quarterback we thought could take us to the next level. Honestly, we didn’t go into this draft saying this was going to be a defensive draft. We went in and we had offensive guys targeted, but they might have gotten picked before we could pick them.

When we picked Trae Waynes, there were three or four guys there we thought we would be happy with, but part of it with Trae was the position he plays. Typically when you draft those corners, you draft pretty high. Once it gets down lower, to the second round, they don’t produce like the higher picks. Knock on wood — we hope we’re drafting a little lower next year.”

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the NFL…

The Rams were involved in the bidding for undrafted free agent La’el Collins, head coach Jeff Fisher told ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “Yeah, we were involved in it,” Fisher said. “There were some things, we still had some unanswered questions at the time in which he made his decision but we were involved. We were told by them that we were in the final four, which is not necessarily a consolation but we were involved, yes.”
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck contacted Collins to recruit him to their respective teams, tweets Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez. The reporter adds that the lineman seriously considered the Dolphins‘ pitch.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes the Patriots would have willingly traded their first-rounder if an inquiring team had sweetened their offer. Ideally, the Patriots would have preferred an early second-round pick and a third-round pick in return. Reiss clarifies that the team is still please with their selection of Malcom Brown.
The Bears had been eyeing quarterback Shane Carden during the draft, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes that the team was thrilled about the opportunity to sign the player as an undrafted free agent. “He was actually a guy that we had good grades on, a guy that could have potentially been a draft pick,” Bears coach John Fox told Dickerson. “Our scouts, obviously, saw a lot more of him than the coaching staff. But he was productive, smart. He has good moxie, being able to execute in a pass offense that throws the ball quite a bit and was very productive.”

Vikings Sign Entire Draft Class

May 7th, 2015 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Well, that was pretty easy for the Vikings. While most teams tend to sign their draft choices in drips and drabs, the Vikings announced that they have signed their entire 2015 draft class. Those ten rookies are:

Round 1, CB Trae Waynes
Round 2: LB Eric Kendricks
Round 3: DE Danielle Hunter
Round 4: OL T.J. Clemmings
Round 5: TE Mycol Pruitt
Round 5: WR Stefon Diggs
Round 6: OL Tyrus Thompson
Round 6: DL B.J. Dubose
Round 7: OL Austin Shepherd
Round 7: LB Edmond Robinson

The signing of Waynes was leaked out earlier today by Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The eleventh player selected in the 2015 draft, Waynes will earn nearly $13MM over the life of his rookie contract, and will have the opportunity to make several extra million in 2019 if Minnesota exercises his fifth-year option. Because he just missed the cutoff to be a top-10 pick, Waynes’ fifth year won’t be as pricey as it otherwise would’ve — those amounts aren’t known yet, but for 2016 options, the difference in salaries between a top-10 cornerback and a corner picked between 11th and 32nd exceeded $3.5MM.

Kendricks was last season’s Butkus Award winner, giving him the crown of best collegiate linebacker in the country. Kendricks’ brother, Mychal, plays for the Eagles and father Marvin Kendricks, played running back at UCLA and enjoyed a stint in the CFL.

With ten UDFAs also in the fold, the Vikings’ roster is now at 90 players, according to the press release.

Vikings Sign Trae Waynes

May 7th, 2015 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes is officially a Viking, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP. A source tells Wolfson (Twitter link) that Waynes has signed his four-year rookie contract with the club.

The 11th player selected in the 2015 draft, Waynes will earn nearly $13MM over the life of his rookie contract, and will have the opportunity to make several extra million in 2019 if Minnesota exercises his fifth-year option. Because he just missed the cutoff to be a top-10 pick, Waynes’ fifth year won’t be as pricey as it otherwise would’ve — those amounts aren’t known yet, but for 2016 options, the difference in salaries between a top-10 cornerback and a corner picked between 11th and 32nd exceeded $3.5MM.

Of the 10 players the Vikings selected in last week’s draft, Waynes is the first one reported to have signed his rookie deal, though the others figure to follow suit shortly.

Breer’s Latest: Titans, Gurley, Rams, Bears

April 30th, 2015 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

With the draft less than an hour from getting underway, Albert Breer of the NFL Network took to Twitter to pass along a number of draft-related nuggets. Here are the highights from Breer (all Twitter links):

The Titans have fielded offers for the No. 2 pick, but haven’t gotten any to their liking yet and are ready to draft Marcus Mariota. The club isn’t very interested in picks below 15th overall as a central part of any trade package.
Teams like the Browns, Dolphins, and Chargers are eyeing Todd Gurley, and it’s possible one of those clubs – or another suitor – will get anxious and trade up for the Georgia running back, given the interest he’s generating.
Although Washington, the Jets, and the Rams are all viewed as trade-down candidates in the top 10, St. Louis is a little more flexible than the other two teams, who may not want to drop too far. Washington may target an offensive lineman like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers if Scot McCloughan decides to move down, and those players – or Andrus Peat – could be targets for the Giants and Rams as well.
There’s a belief that Giants GM Jerry Reese would prefer a pass rusher to an offensive lineman at No. 9, but depending on how the first few picks play out, the value might not match up.
According to Breer, the run on offensive lineman may happen earlier in the first round than people think, which may motivate one or two teams to trade up. Cameron Erving has a chance to go in the teens. The Panthers and Broncos are among the teams picking late in the first who are seeking offensive linemen.
Cornerback Trae Waynes is generating buzz and could go as high as seventh overall to the Bears. Dupree and Kevin White are also in the mix at No. 7. The draft range for Amari Cooper appears to be between the third and sixth overall pick, so he likely won’t be available for Chicago at No. 7.
The Falcons may decide to move up from No. 8 for an impact defender like Leonard Williams, but if they stay where they are, Bud Dupree could be their man.
Either Sean Mannion or Bryce Petty figures to be the third quarterback off the board, and it’s not likely to happen in the first round.
According to Breer, teams believe Shane Ray will slip but will be picked in the first round, whereas Randy Gregory isn’t viewed as a first-round pick.

North Notes: Browns, A. Brown, Vikings

April 26th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Rory Parks

The Browns have drafted a quarterback in the first round in two of the past three seasons, and by the time their first pick in this week’s draft rolls around–they hold the N0. 12 overall selection–the top two quarterbacks in the class, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, will be long gone. After those two signal-callers, the general consensus is that the drop-off to the next tier of QBs is pretty steep.

But Cleveland needs a quarterback. They’ve needed one since they rejoined the league in 1999. Which is why, despite their recent investments at the quarterback position, investments that can only be classified as abject failures at this point, they may consider moving up in the draft to nab Mariota. Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Browns’ interest in Mariota is “very real,” but whether they decide to pull the trigger and trade up would of course depend on the price. Trading up to the No. 2 overall pick–which they may have to do, since the Titans, who currently hold that selection, are reportedly more interested in Mariota than many originally believed–would probably be too cost-prohibitive.

But if Mariota slides past Tennessee, than the Browns may be tempted. In addition to the No. 12 overall pick, they also hold the No. 19 selection, so they have the ammunition to move up. Given the team’s series of missteps at quarterback, such a move would certainly make Browns fans nervous, but until Cleveland gets a franchise player under center, they will continue to stare up at the other three teams in their division. Despite his shortcomings, Mariota has the chance to be that player if the system, and the price, is right.

Now for some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

Antonio Brown, who is coming off a magnificent 2014 campaign, is reportedly trying to renegotiate his current contract with the Steelers. But as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, Pittsburgh holds all the cards at the moment. Brown would suffer significant fines, signing bonus give-backs, and lost wages if he were to hold out beyond voluntary workouts and OTAs this spring, and the Steelers simply do not renegotiate this early in a player’s contract (Brown still has three years left on his current deal).
Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune looks at a few key positions the Vikings might target in the first round of the 2015 draft and makes an argument for each. Ultimately, he concludes that trading back might represent the team’s best option.
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says all signs point to the Vikings selecting Michigan State corner Trae Waynes in Thursday’s first round.
Although Matt Forte‘s decision to skip the opening phase of the Bears‘ offseason program was reported, Martellus Bennett‘s decision to do the same thing went unannounced. Bennett is coming off a career year, but the average annual salary of his current deal ($5.1MM) puts him fairly low on the list of the league’s highest-paid tight ends. As ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson writes, the team has a three-day voluntary minicamp scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday of the coming week, and the Bears will have a better idea of Forte’s and Bennett’s offseason intentions at that time.
Kyle Meinke of MLive.com ranks the Lions‘ pre-draft needs, with the guard position topping the list.

West Notes: Bennett, Rams, Waynes

April 20th, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett is not expected to be in attendance for the Seahawks’ voluntary workouts, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. Bennett denies that he’s seeking a trade out of Seattle but sources have said he would like the team to redo his contract. Bennett is entering the second year of a four-year deal worth $28.5MM signed last spring. When asked if he’s happy with is deal, the veteran replied: “I can’t really say that, but I mean I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money that they’re making. But at this point, I’m just trying to be a good Seahawk.” Here’s more from the AFC and NFC West..

The Rams will host Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes on Tuesday and South Carolina offensive guard A.J. Cann on Wednesday, according to Nick Wagoner of the Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The Rams pick at No. 10 and they have the opportunity to jump the Vikings at No. 11, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (via Twitter).
Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson says that he hopes to play for another 3-5 years, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The Chiefs could create $5.2MM in cap savings by releasing Johnson, but team chairman Clark Hunt recently said that he expects that the veteran will stay put.
In addition to Justin Houston and Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were also absent from Chiefs camp due to academics, Paylor tweets.
Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith is in Denver today visiting the Broncos, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). Smith visited the Vikings in Minnesota earlier in April.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC East Notes: Dez, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles

April 16th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Since the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Dez Bryant in March, there hasn’t been much progress in keeping the 26-year-old in Dallas long term. One reason, according to Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com, is a dispute between Bryant’s representatives at Roc Nation and his former adviser, David Wells. In February, one of Bryant’s attorneys, Jordan Siev, sent Wells a cease-and-desist letter ordering him to terminate his formal business relationship with the two-time Pro Bowler. Wells claims to have an adviser agreement with Bryant that runs through 2016, however, and has served as an off-field mentor to the star wideout.

“My job is to make sure Dez is productive in society and do what he’s supposed to do to make him a better citizen, so he can be a productive player for the Dallas Cowboys,” Wells said, per Taylor.

Other news on Bryant, the Cowboys and a couple of their NFC East rivals:

Bryant still hasn’t signed his franchise tender with the Cowboys yet, but Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News doesn’t believe it’ll be a big deal until the July 15 deadline to negotiate a long-term deal passes. If Bryant doesn’t sign either the tender or new contract by then, it’ll mean that he’s a potential training camp holdout. What’s more, even if Bryant ends up signing the tender and reporting, he and the Cowboys won’t be able to restart negotiations on a new contract until the end of next season.
Dallas worked out UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
Neither of the Giants’ starting safeties for 2015 are currently on their roster, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Graziano also tweeted that offensive linemen Brandon Scherff (Iowa) and Ereck Flowers (Miami) and Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes are among the draft prospects the Giants are eyeing. All could be potential first-round targets for the Giants, who hold the ninth overall pick.
If the Eagles are unable to land quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft, Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com doesn’t expect them to address the position with a high-round pick – perhaps opting instead for a developmental project to put behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez. McManus also believes there’s a good chance the Eagles will use their first-rounder, the 20th overall pick, on a defensive back.