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NFL Draft Rumors: Falcons, Jaguars, Browns

April 21st, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons top two sack-getters last year (Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree) are currently free agents. And while free safety Jessie Bates‘ first season in Atlanta went swimmingly with career highs in tackles (132), forced fumbles (3), and interceptions (6), as well as Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, he seemed to be the only player showing up each Sunday for the Falcons.

With all this in mind, it’s no surprise to hear that adding draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball is expected to be a major focus for Atlanta come this week’s draft, according to Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. In Caplan’s most recent mock draft, he slotted Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner as the team’s first-round pick. Previous iterations of his mock draft saw Atlanta taking Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins and Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse.

Going pass rusher seems to make more sense after losing Campbell and Dupree to free agency, but expect multiple picks throughout the three-day event to address both positions. Turner is likely the preferred option as most see him as the top pass rusher on the board, but Verse or even UCLA’s Laiatu Latu could be the selection if Turner is drafted before they have the chance to claim him.

Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:

Browns Not Looking To Trade CB Greg Newsome

April 20th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns will soon have a decision to make on Greg Newsome‘s fifth-year option. A recent report indicated Cleveland is expected to pick up the 23-year-old cornerback’s option, and general manager Andrew Berry‘s public comments on his future point further in that direction.

During a pre-draft press conference, Berry said (via 850 ESPN’s Tony Grossi) he does not wish to trade Newsome. Given the latter’s age and status as a starting member of the Browns’ secondary, that comes as little surprise. Still, The Browns already have one lucrative commitment at the cornerback spot in Denzel Ward, who is attached to a $20.1MM-per-year deal. Exercising Newsome’s $13.38MM 2025 option would add considerably to the cap charges in Cleveland’s secondary.

The team also has 2022 third-rounder Martin Emerson in the fold at CB, and he has proven to be an impactful producer in the defensive backfield. Emerson has amassed 29 pass deflections over his first two seasons in the NFL, and in 2023 he led the team with four interceptions. The Mississippi State product will be eligible for an extension next offseason, and he could be in line for a lucrative new deal. That, in turn, would further complicate the matter of retaining Newsome for years to come.

The latter has not been able to match Emerson’s ball production to date, and his only two career interceptions came last season. Newsome did record a new personal best in tackles (49) in 2023, though, and he improved in coverage. The Northwestern product allowed a 56.7% completion percentage and a 74.8 passer rating as the nearest defender, leading to an overall PFF grade (69.6) in line with that of his previous campaigns.

The Browns will have the Ward-Emerson-Newsome trio in place for at least one more season, but its up-and-coming members will become expensive shortly if their strong play continues. Cleveland drafted Cameron Mitchell in the fifth round last year, and he saw a rotational defensive role as a rookie. If the Browns – a team which does not own a Day 1 selection but is positioned to retain its second-round selection – add further in the secondary, options could be in place to take over following a Newsome departure via trade or free agency. As things currently stand, though, he is firmly in the team’s plans.

NFL Draft Rumors: Bills, Lions, Browns

April 20th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite the draft routinely having 32 first-round picks, one for each NFL team, most draft rooms will not have 32 players with first-round grades. This makes things especially difficult for playoff teams who, barring a trade, always pick at the back end of the first round. One of those teams this year is the Bills, who reportedly do not have 28 players with first-round grades despite holding the 28th overall pick, according to Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News.

Most NFL teams will, on average, have somewhere from 18 to 24 players with first-round grades. For teams that fall outside the first 24 picks, the strategy is usually to hope that one of your players falls through the cracks and finds their way back to you. Some teams get antsy and, when only one or two first-round prospects remain, trade up to ensure they get their guy. Other teams refuse to draft players higher than their projected value and trade back to ensure that they find players in the appropriate draft slots.

After trading up last year for tight end Dalton Kincaid, Bills general manager Brandon Beane addressed both situations this week, saying, “You know, I’ll take any call. You know me. Next week the phones start ringing all over the place. Teams that want to bail out…I don’t know if teams in the top 10 are calling us, I wouldn’t expect that. Teams in the teens will start calling because maybe they got their eye on a couple guys and, if they don’t get those, they would as soon add something maybe, depending on what’s on the board. We’ll assess them all, have conversations, see who’s on the board when their picks come up. And we’ll be doing the same. We’ll also be looking the other way.”

Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:

  • The 2024 NFL Draft will be taking place in Detroit, MI, this year. Despite all the fans who are expected to be in attendance, the Lions won’t hesitate to trade back out of the first round, should the opportunity present itself, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit holds the 29th pick in the draft, a perfect spot for teams looking to trade back into the first round in order to include a fifth-year option in their draft pick’s contract. General manager Brad Holmes doesn’t stress about disappointing fans, saying, “We have to do the right thing for the organization, and if it makes sense and it lines up and it’s the right thing to do, then we have to do the right thing…and hopefully our fans will forgive us.”
  • In each of the last two drafts, the Browns haven’t had a first-round pick. Then, as fans eagerly awaited their first pick of the draft in the second round, the team traded back, forcing those fans to wait until the third round. It’s a strategy that makes a bit of sense. After trading away draft picks for players, trading back to acquire more picks can be helpful. This year is a familiar look, with the Browns’ first pick coming late in the second round at 54th overall, but general manager Andrew Berry intends to break the recent trend. According to Tony Grossi of ESPN, Berry communicated that he will try to avoid trading out of the second round this year, if possible.

Browns Sign OL Germain Ifedi

April 18th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns have added depth to their offensive line ahead of the upcoming draft. Germain Ifedi signed with Cleveland on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Ifedi spent his first four seasons in Seattle, seeing time at both right guard and right tackle. The former first-rounder did not develop as hoped despite serving as a full-time starter, though, and the team’s decision to decline his fifth-year option led to a free agent departure in 2020. Ifedi played on a pair of one-year contracts with the Bears following his Seattle tenure.

The 29-year-old saw 23 starts and 25 total appearances in Chicago, splitting his time between guard and tackle during that span. His PFF evaluations improved compared to his Seahawks tenure, with pass protection being viewed as the strong point of his skillset. Still, Ifedi has struggled to find a permanent home in the NFL, having bounced around to the Falcons, Lions and Bills over the past two years.

The Texas A&M product played sparingly in Atlanta in 2022, logging only eight snaps on offense. He was set to join the Lions last offseason but was ultimately let go before final roster cutdowns. Back on the market, Ifedi signed with the Bills in a move which provided the team with depth ahead of the campaign. During a year in which the Bills remained healthy up front, though, Ifedi did not see the field throughout the 2023 season.

Cleveland, by contrast, dealt with a number of injuries along the O-line last year. The team has had a quiet offseason to date up front, as Ifedi represents the only outside addition made before the draft (reserve guard Michael Dunn was previously re-signed). The Browns could certainly still look to add a rookie offensive lineman next week, but Ifedi will give them a veteran of 83 starts capable of competing for a roster spot in training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/24

April 17th, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some minor moves from around the NFL today:

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

  • Placed on reserve/retired list: P Jon Ryan

Murray has been a journeyman lineman since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2016. While his most productive season came over three years with the Cardinals during which he started 20 games in 30 appearances, Murray has spent time in Denver, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Oakland, Buffalo, Las Vegas, and Tennessee. Most recently, he signed to the Browns’ practice squad midseason last year before signing a reserve/futures contract in January. Instead of competing for a roster spot, Murray will join wide receiver Rashard Higgins and linebacker Christian Kirksey in retirement.

Brown, a former sixth round pick out of Penn State, has spent his rookie contract as a core special teamer for the Giants. He’ll attempt to earn a bigger role in Miami in 2024.

After a 12-year NFL career, including 10 straight seasons with the Seahawks, Ryan found himself off of a roster following his 36-year-old season in 2017. Determined to continue playing, Ryan has continued punting, and excelling, in the Canadian Football League over the past few years. Now 42 years old, Ryan seems to have finally resigned to end his football career. He’ll retire a Seahawk.

WR Rashard Higgins, LB Christian Kirksey To Retire As Browns

April 16th, 2024 at 8:49am CST by Adam La Rose

Both wideout Rashard Higgins and linebacker Christian Kirksey have officially decided to hang up their cleats, but they will do so as members of the team which drafted them. Both players will sign one-day contracts with the Browns, the team announced on Tuesday.

Higgins spent his first six years in Cleveland, serving as a complementary receiver along the way. His best campaign came in 2020, when he posted 37 catches for 599 yards and four touchdowns. His 16.2 yards per catch average demonstrated his ability as a vertical threat, but by 2022 signs pointed to a free agent departure.

Indeed, the former fifth-rounder signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal that offseason. Higgins, 29, appeared in only three games that year, however. He was out of the league for the past campaign, and instead of pursuing a comeback, he will end his NFL run with roughly $8.3MM in career earnings.

Kirksey signed with the Bills ahead of the 2023 season, aiming to join a contender. His time in Buffalo proved to be very short-lived, though, and in September he informed the team of his intention to retire. That move was not officially made during the campaign, as evidenced by today’s news, but the former third-rounder was not on the field with any team last season.

Over the course of six years with the Browns, Kirksey started 54 of 73 games. He eclipsed 100 tackles twice in that span (2016 and ’17), doing so again during his 2022 performance with the Texans. In both Cleveland and Houston, the Iowa product earned his team’s nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Kirksey remained a full-time starter during his single season with the Packers in 2020, as well as his two campaigns as a Texan. The 31-year-old spent much of his career on rebuilding teams, and he was released halfway through his most lucrative pact (a four-year, $38MM Browns extension signed in 2017). Still, he made an NFC championship game appearance with Green Bay and accumulated just over $39MM during his career.

“We are thrilled that Rashard and Christian wanted to come back and retire as Cleveland Browns,” a team statement reads. “Both players obviously made an impact on the field, but they each made a lasting impression in the Cleveland community as well. It’s a testament to who they are as individuals, and we are honored to have them retire as part of our Browns family.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/24

April 15th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Lorenz Metz

Washington Commanders

Today marks the first day for teams with holdover HCs to begin offseason programs. That date frequently coincides with restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents officially coming back into the fold. McCloud’s signing and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson inking his second-round tender leaves 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, also given a Round 2 tender, as the lone unsigned RFA. McCloud will be tied to a nonguaranteed $2.99MM salary.

A former UDFA out of Michigan State, Bachie has been with the Bengals for the past three seasons. The young linebacker has been a regular special-teamer in that time; over the past two seasons, Bachie has been on the field for more than 60% of Cincinnati’s ST plays.

The Commanders signed Tyler Ott in free agency. The longtime Seahawks snapper spent 2023 with the Ravens; the veteran staying in the Mid-Atlantic region will lead to Addington — a three-game Washington long snapper in 2023 — being moved off the roster.

Murtaugh and Metz are coming to the NFL via the league’s International Pathway Program. Murtaugh hails from Australia and has a background in Australian Rules Football. He spent a bit of time with the Lions in 2023. A German, Metz spent time with the Bears last year but did not make their roster. He was not with a team during the season. If Murtaugh and Metz fail to make their respective team’s 53-man roster, they can be carried as a 17th practice squad player via the IPP program.

Browns Trade T Leroy Watson To Titans

April 12th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns and Titans have pulled off a minor swap in advance of this month’s draft. Cleveland has sent offensive tackle Leroy Watson to Tennessee in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round selection (No. 227). Both teams announced the move Friday.

Watson entered the league as an undrafted free agent. He joined the Patriots’ practice squad ahead of the 2022 season, but in matter of days he took a spot on the 49ers’ taxi squad. San Francisco signed him to a reserve deal at the end of the campaign, one in which he did not see playing time. Watson was waived during 2023 roster cutdowns, but he was retained on the practice squad to begin the season.

As Cleveland dealt with a number of injuries along the offensive line, however, additions were needed up front. That led the Browns to sign the UTSA product to their active roster in November, paving the way for Watson to see his first regular season action. He made a total of seven appearances last season, playing sparingly at both left and right tackle. In a total of 55 offensive snaps, Watson did not commit a penalty and PFF did not charge him with any sacks or pressures allowed.

The 23-year-old will now be able to continue working alongside Bill Callahan. The longtime Browns offensive line coach took the same position with Tennessee this offseason to work with his son, first-time head coach Brian Callahan. Watson will aim to carve out a roster spot during the summer while working under a familiar face on the coaching staff.

The Titans still have two seventh-round selections in 2024 as a result of this deal (although No. 227 was the team’s highest pick in the round), and seven in total. The Browns, meanwhile, will see their pick total increase to six (including a pair of Round 7 selections) with this swap. 2024 marks the third and final draft in which Cleveland will not have a first-rounder owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, but the team will now have extra Day 3 capital.

WR Notes: Allen, Bolts, Colts, Bills, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Panthers, Saints, Bears

April 12th, 2024 at 12:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly dealt to the Texans, Keenan Allen will soon team with D.J. Moore on the Bears. Only Malcom Floyd enjoyed a longer WR tenure with the Chargers, who surprised Allen (per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) by requesting a pay cut after a 1,243-yard season (career-high 95.1 per game). The process that ended with Allen shipped to Chicago for a fourth-round pick stunned the 11-year veteran, whose camp presented the Bolts with a counteroffer that would have made the 31-year-old talent one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. The team quickly rejected that proposal, Rhim adds.

Cutting Mike Williams to move under the cap, the Chargers had already restructured the deals of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The team asking Allen for a pay cut despite moving well under the salary ceiling surprised the wideout’s camp, per Rhim, though the Bolts wanted more room to work in free agency. Because of a 2023 restructure, Allen was due to count more than $34MM on Los Angeles’ cap. The Bears, who paid Allen’s $5MM roster bonus shortly after acquiring him, have the six-time Pro Bowler on the books at $23.1MM. As of now, Allen is due for free agency in 2025.

Shifting to the draft, here is the latest wide receiver news:

  • The Bills and Colts are taking a close look at this draft’s fastest player. Xavier Worthy recently visited Buffalo and is now in Indianapolis for a meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Blazing to a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy is coming off a 75-catch, 1,014-yard season. The ex-Texas speedster added 12 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021. Buffalo certainly needs receiving help, after losing Gabe Davis in free agency and trading Stefon Diggs to Houston, while Indianapolis has been Michael Pittman Jr.-dependent for a while. The Colts did see intriguing rookie-year work from Josh Downs (771 yards), but the 5-foot-8 wideout profiles as a slot player.
  • Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey has now met with the Browns and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. McConkey has spoken with at least 14 teams, Rapoport adds. Several teams have placed a first-round grade on McConkey, who also fared well in his Combine 40 (4.39). The 5-foot-11 target took a backseat to Brock Bowers at Georgia, never eclipsing 800 yards in a season. While McConkey totaled 762 in 2022, that number came in 15 games. Debuting late because of a back injury last season, McConkey finished with just 30 catches for 478 yards. Viewed as a strong route runner with untapped potential, McConkey could be an outside or inside option for his NFL team.
  • The Jets, Panthers and Browns are among the teams to have hosted Oregon wideout Troy Franklin on a “30” visit, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Franklin had previously met with the Bills and Patriots. Franklin broke through for a 1,383-yard season alongside Bo Nix last year; the 6-3 target should be on the radar as a second-round pick in this deep WR class.
  • The Saints are the latest team connected to Western Kentucky target Malachi Corley, Rapoport adds. Corley will make a Saturday trip to New Orleans for a “30” visit. The Saints made an effort to trade up in last year’s first round but did not make a major investment at receiver in the draft. They have since signed Stanley Morgan and Equanimeous St. Brown, but considering the Michael Thomas release, it would not surprise to see New Orleans make a bigger move in the draft. Corley is expected to be a second-round pick.
  • Bears GM Ryan Poles has broken the front office and coaching staff into pods debating the merits of choosing a wide receiver, tackle or defensive end at No. 9, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. This makes for an interesting behind-the-curtain look for a team that has done some work on wideouts pre-draft. Worthy, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze appeared on Chicago’s docket of “30” visits. Odunze or Nabers being available at 9 would certainly be tempting for the Bears, though the Allen trade provides the team some flexibility following Darnell Mooney‘s free agency exit.

Browns Rework Nick Chubb’s Contract

April 11th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Adam La Rose

Ahead of free agency, signs pointed to Nick Chubb remaining with the Browns as he continues to recover from the major knee injury which ended his 2023 campaign. That will indeed be the case, with team and player working out a revised contract for the upcoming season.

The four-time Pro Bowl running back has agreed to a restructured deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. Chubb has lowered his base salary ($11.78MM) for 2024, the final year of his contract. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that figure will now check in at $6.28MM. His scheduled cap hit – $15.83MM – will unsurprisingly come down as well, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com adds.

Incentives are in place on this new arrangement, which will give Chubb the opportunity to earn back the $12.2MM in total compensation he was previously due. Much of his ability to do so, of course, will depend on when he is able to return to game action. Cleveland expects the 28-year-old to play at some point in 2024, and in the event that happens both sides will enter next offseason with more clarity regarding his future in the organization.

The high cap hit the Browns were set to carry in the final year of Chubb’s deal led some to speculate he could become a cut candidate. However, the team has remained confident the former second-rounder can return to his pre-injury form upon receiving medical clearance. Chubb has undergone two operations aimed at repairing the damage done to his MCL during Week 2 of the 2023 season. Prior to that injury, he had generally been healthy throughout his career.

The Browns’ run game is at its best with Chubb in the picture, and the team took a step back in production on the ground without him last year. Cleveland was not among the big spenders at the RB spot during free agency, but both pass catcher/returner Nyheim Hines and journeyman D’Onta Foreman have been added on one-year deals this offseason. They will join incumbents Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong in the backfield to start the season.

Cleveland entered Thursday with $3.9MM in cap space, one of the lowest figures in the league. The Browns’ financial situation remains tight in large part because a new restructure has not been agreed to with quarterback Deshaun Watson; the latter is set to carry a cap hit of $63.77MM in 2024 as things currently stand. While it will be interesting to see what happens in Watson’s case, Chubb’s immediate financial future has been clarified.

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