2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals QB Carson Palmer To Return In ’17

February 9th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official: Carson Palmer says he’ll return for the 2017 season. The announcement has been expected for about a week now since Bruce Arians hinted that the veteran QB would be back.

Palmer, a three-time Pro Bowler, will turn 37 during the 2017 season. While he has defied his age in the past, 2016 was a so-so year for him and one could argue that he’s in decline. The Cards are happy to have Palmer back, but it might make sense for them to invest in a backup QB who can simultaneously be a future starting option and a safety net in the present.

In 2016, Palmer threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had Palmer rated as the No. 17 QB in the NFL, which still puts him ahead of notables like Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.

Palmer is under contract through 2018 and set to rake in a $15.5MM base salary next season. All in all, he’ll carry a $24.1MM cap hit.

Colts Cut LB D’Qwell Jackson

February 9th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team has also confirmed the news via press release.

Jackson, 33, has been with the Colts for the last three seasons. He joined the team on a four-year, $22MM contract with the expectation that he would anchor the team’s linebacking core. After a Pro Bowl season in 2014, Jackson started showed signs of decline and his off-the-field missteps haven’t helped matters. In March of last year, he was found guilty of simple assault, stemming from a February 2015 altercation with a delivery driver. Then, in December, he was handed a four-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have Jackson ranked as just the 80th best linebacker in the league out of 87 qualified players for 2016. By PFF’s numbers, Jackson has actually been playing below-average football for the last four seasons, with his last respectable season coming in 2012. In any case, the Colts are looking to go younger at linebacker and they were unwilling to pay Jackson a $500K roster bonus in March. Had they kept him, he would have carried a $5.75MM cap number for ’17.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Cutler, Watson

February 9th, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Will new Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates bring Jay Cutler to New York? One recent report indicated that’s a possibility, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears the Jets will not be suitors for the Bears QB. From what Cimini can glean, Tyrod Taylor (if he’s released by the Bills) and free agent Mike Glennon are higher on the team’s wish list than Cutler. Cutler is expected to be released by the Bears in the coming weeks and you can expect him to be the subject of many rumors, some including the QB-needy Jets.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

The Jets are reportedly putting in “extensive work” on Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News would be surprised if Watson is in consideration for the Jets’ No. 6 overall pick. To date, Mehta says he hasn’t spoken to any talent evaluator who believes that Watson is worthy of a Top 10 pick. Of course, the draft isn’t strictly about talent and the best player available. Teams often reach for players, particularly quarterbacks, and it’s not out of the question that a team could take him early if they believe he’s a future star.
Should the Dolphins pursue free agent tight end Martellus Bennett? James Walker of ESPN.com writes that he would provide the big, athletic playmaker in the middle of the field that Ryan Tannehill needs. By the same token, he’d be an expensive addition. The Dolphins could instead find a tight end in the draft this year. The TE class is headlined by Alabama’s O.J. Howard and the University of Miami’s David Njoku.
Should the Patriots stock up for their repeat championship bid by trading quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo? Click here to cast your vote.
Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is reportedly on the Browns’ radar. Meanwhile, Taylor says he hopes to remain with Buffalo.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Wallace, Browns

February 9th, 2017 at 9:53am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC North:

Mike Wallace‘s contract is probably the most difficult cap decision facing the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. After a 1,000-yard season, Wallace is the Ravens’ best receiver and they’re looking thin after Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken heading to free agency. However, Wallace has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team at $8MM and they can save $5.75MM if they drop him. In theory, Wallace could be dropped if the team can get a cheaper possession receiver to put next to speedsters Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore.
The Browns shouldn’t rush into a long-term deal with restricted free agent Isaiah Crowell, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes. With a first- or second-round tender, the Browns can either retain the young tailback or cash in on a compensatory pick if another team signs him away. Grossi says it would be “stupid” for another team to make that kind of investment in Crowell and I’m inclined to agree. Crowell has skills, but he’s not worth a valuable draft pick in addition to a free agent deal.
The Steelers were without defensive end Cam Heyward for the second half of the season but the D-Line actually managed to stepped its game up. Now, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, both the starters and reserves are under contract for next season except Ricardo Mathews, who started five games. Now, the unit can grow together for an additional year and that should mean an additional step forward. As for Mathews, the Steelers may not re-sign him after L.T. Walton came on strong to close out the season.

Extra Points: Broncos, Jags, 49ers, Falcons

February 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have been connected to quarterback Tony Romo, whom they could pursue in free agency if the Cowboys cut him, but head coach Vance Joseph insisted Tuesday that Denver’s 2017 starter is already on its roster. On whether he’s committed to Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, Joseph said (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com): “Absolutely, I am. They’re both smart guys. Obviously different skill sets, but I’m committed to both of those kids. They’re good football players and we’ve got to build around those guys.” Joseph’s offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, echoed his boss, saying he’s “happy with the guys we have.”

After the Broncos hired Joseph and McCoy last month, Mike Klis of 9News reported that the club would rather start Lynch than Siemian next season. As a first-round rookie last year, Lynch sat behind Siemian – who fared OK in his first season as a No. 1 – but did see action in three games and pick up two starts.

Rams Hire Matt LaFleur As OC

February 8th, 2017 at 7:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their offensive coordinator. LaFleur previously served as the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach.

LaFleur is widely credited with helping to develop Matt Ryan. Long considered a solid starter, Ryan put it all together this past season en route to an MVP award. Pro Football Focus’ metrics also ranked Ryan as the No. 2 QB in the game, putting him behind only Tom Brady, whose Patriots knocked off Ryan’s Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

LaFleur worked with new Rams head coach Sean McVay while the two were with the Redskins. McVay picked his defensive coordinator a long time ago, but it seems that he waited specifically so that he could hire LaFleur. After molding Ryan into a beast, LaFleur’s next task will be to get the most out of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. While Goff showed flashes in his rookie season, the youngster is still largely green. The right tutelage will go a long way toward helping his progress, but the Rams will also have to improve their offensive line in order to maximize his time in the pocket.

The 37-year-old LaFleur has worked as an offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, with his most recent college job coming as the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 2014. He served in the same capacity with the Redskins from 2010-2013.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that the Rams would hire LaFleur. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Notes: Clady, Marshall, QB Targets

February 8th, 2017 at 7:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on Gang Green:

The Jets’ reworking of left tackle Ryan Clady‘s contract last month didn’t actually do much to change his deal, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team still faces a mid-February deadline on a $1MM payment, which was previously an option bonus but is now a fully guaranteed roster bonus. It’s possible that the Jets will pick up that option and try to convince Clady later in the offseason to agree to a pay cut, Florio writes. Clady is currently slated to play 2017 – his age-31 campaign – on a $10MM salary, which is an unpalatable amount for an injury-prone player coming off a disappointing season.
While releasing Brandon Marshall would save the Jets his entire cap hit for 2017 ($7.5MM), the wide receiver expects to remain with the club, he told Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media. “They haven’t said anything otherwise,” he stated. “There was no indication that they don’t want me back.” Marshall, who will turn 33 next month, indicated in December that he wants to stay a Jet. That came toward the end of a mediocre season for Marshall, who caught just 59 of 128 targets for 788 yards and three touchdowns after posting a 109-catch, 1,502-yard, 14-TD 2015.
The Jets might turn to one of Marshall’s ex-teammates, Jay Cutler, as their next starting quarterback if the Bears release him, but doing so wouldn’t make any sense, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. Instead, of all the QBs the Jets could pursue this offseason, Buccaneers backup and pending free agent Mike Glennon is the likeliest, posits Costello. Conversely, if the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick becomes available, it’s highly improbable the Jets would court him, per Costello. Owner Woody Johnson would have to sign off on that, and the President Donald Trump appointee’s political views don’t exactly jibe with the outspoken Kaepernick’s.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/8/17

February 8th, 2017 at 6:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor moves:

The Giants have waived linebacker Uani Unga, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Unga, who missed all of last season with an undisclosed injury, racked up 59 tackles and two interceptions in a 13-appearance, three-start 2015 campaign.
The Jets have signed free agent offensive tackle Jeff Adams, writes Randy Lange of the team’s website. The 27-year-old Adams has totaled four regular-season appearances and two starts, all of which came as a Texan from 2014-15. He finished last season on Houston’s practice squad.
The Bengals have claimed wide receiver Chris Brown off waivers from the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Brown, who went undrafted out of Notre Dame last year, broke his foot during training camp and spent the season on injured reserve.
The Eagles have waived defensive lineman Connor Wujciak, tweets Yates. Like Brown, Wujciak was on IR for all of 2016 after going undrafted during the spring. Wujciak underwent shoulder surgery in August.

Redskins Notes: Davis, WRs, Cap Casualties

February 8th, 2017 at 5:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the exception of tight end Vernon Davis, the Redskins haven’t yet had any discussions with their pending free agents regarding new contracts, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Aside from Davis, the team’s list of unsigned players includes quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, and defensive end Chris Baker, among others. As Keim notes, though, the team’s decision not to engage with any of its potentially soon-to-be available players isn’t necessarily cause for concern, writing that “there’s no urgency yet and multiple agents weren’t surprised no one has been contacted.” Nevertheless, it would behoove the Redskins to retain at least one of Garcon or Jackson, opines Keim, who argues that better options in free agency will be few in number. Garcon and Jackson were the only Redskins targets to exceed 1,000 receiving yards last season, and losing the pair would leave them with Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson – who endured a lost rookie year because of an Achilles injury – as their top two wideouts.

Colin Kaepernick Undecided On Opt-Out

February 8th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contrary to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter last week, the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick is not a lock to opt out of his contract by the March 2 deadline, a source close to the quarterback told Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kaepernick is currently undecided on which path he’ll take and wants to talk to the franchise’s new brass – general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan – before determining his future. As of now, Kaepernick “feels his relationship with the team has never been better and doesn’t want the team to think he wants to leave,” writes Lynch.

Even if Kaepernick wants to stay in San Francisco, that doesn’t mean the club will have interest in retaining him, of course. Cutting Kaepernick would save the 49ers $16.9MM in cap space next season and give them nearly $100MM in breathing room. Plus, Shanahan is reportedly likely to want someone else under center, and veterans Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Jimmy Garoppolo (Patriots), Matt Schaub (Falcons) and Jay Cutler (Bears) have come up in recent weeks as candidates to become the 49ers’ next starting signal-caller. San Francisco is also in possession of the second pick in this year’s draft, so it could conceivably reel in its starting passer for 2017 via that route.

Kaepernick, meanwhile, drew more attention for his political activism than his play last season, though the 29-year-old did post respectable numbers as part of a two-win team. After a truncated, injury-laden 2015 in which he threw six touchdowns against five interceptions and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, Kaepernick bounced back with 16 scores, four picks and a 7.2 YPA in 2016. His completion rate was again below average (59.2 percent – right in line with a career 59.8), but he did reestablish himself as a major threat on the ground with a robust 6.8 yards per carry and two more TDs on 69 rushes. Only the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor had more rushing yards among QBs than Kaepernick’s 468. It’s now possible each of those two will end up available in the coming weeks, as the Bills could cut Taylor.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.