2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Packers Release Sam Shields

February 8th, 2017 at 4:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers have released veteran cornerback Sam Shields with a “failed physical” designation, per a team announcement.

The release of Shields doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as the 29-year-old struggled to stay on the field during the 2016 campaign, ultimately only playing in a single game (the season opener). A concussion sidelined him for the remainder of the year, and Packers doctors never cleared him after that. Still, despite suffering two major head injuries in a nine-month span, Shields has maintained that he has no plans to retire.

Shields, who served as Green Bay’s No. 1 corner for a three-year stretch, agreed to forgo free agency in 2014 by agreeing to a four-year, $39MM deal. Although he made it through 75% of that contract, Shields won’t see the final season, as the Packers will save $9MM in salary cap space by cutting him. The club will also incur $3.125MM in dead money by parting ways with Shields.

A former undrafted free agent, Shields spent seven years with Green Bay, starting 62 games and racking up 18 interceptions during that span. The 2014 Pro Bowler will now hit the free agent market for the first time in his career, and he’ll face stiff positional competition. Other cornerbacks available on the open market this offseason include A.J. Bouye, Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, and Dre Kirkpatrick, among others.

The Packers have now cleared roughly $12MM in the past two days by releasing Shields and running back James Starks, and could invest some of that savings in free agency, as the club is reportedly open to delving into the market for the first time in years.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported Shields’ release. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dont’a Hightower Open To Franchise Tag

February 8th, 2017 at 4:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Fresh off winning their fifth Super Bowl title, the Patriots have decisions to make on a cavalcade of pending free agents before the market opens March 9. The best of the bunch is likely star linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who implied Wednesday that he’ll be amenable to playing next season as the Patriots’ franchise player if they’re unable to reach a long-term deal, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

“That’s a lot of money,” Hightower told ESPN’s Wendi Nix regarding the possibility of the Patriots tagging him.

If New England does designate Hightower as its franchise player, it’s likely to cost the club in the neighborhood of $14.754MM. That might be the route the Patriots have to take, too, as Hightower rejected a contract extension worth more than $10MM per year prior to the season, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Now the Patriots might have to fork over a deal in the five-year, $60MM range with $30MM in guarantees, contends Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). That would be similar to the pact ex-teammate and fellow linebacker Jamie Collins inked last month with the Browns, who handed him $50MM ($26MM guaranteed) over four years.

Hightower, a five-year veteran who will turn 27 next month, has been working toward a mega-deal since entering the NFL as the 25th overall pick in 2012. The ex-Alabama standout has started in 64 of 67 regular-season appearances and amassed 17 sacks along the way. He was also hugely instrumental in the Patriots’ shocking Super Bowl LI victory over the Falcons on Sunday, when his fourth-quarter strip sack of quarterback Matt Ryan proved crucial in helping the Patriots to erase what was then a 16-point deficit en route to an overtime win.

Going forward, one concern with Hightower is that he has missed at least two games in four seasons (2013 was his only 16-game campaign), including three in 2016 as he dealt with knee and shoulder problems. Still, he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers last year and won’t need to undergo knee or shoulder surgery this offseason, tweets Howe.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chip Kelly Not Interested In Alabama’s OC Job

February 8th, 2017 at 3:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former 49ers/Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was viewed as a legitimate candidate for the Falcons’ offensive coordinator position, but now that that role has been filled by former Alabama OC Steve Sarkisian, Kelly has no interest in replacing Sarkisian in Tuscaloosa or accepting any other collegiate job, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Instead, Kelly hopes to remain in the NFL and ultimately land another head coaching or play-calling gig, per Cole.

The idea that Kelly is eyeing an NFL job jibes with reports from earlier this offseason which indicated Kelly wanted to immediately jump back into the coordinator ranks. The problem, as our 2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker shows, is that every offensive coordinator vacancy in the NFL is now occupied. Kelly was in consideration for at least two of those jobs, as he interviewed with the Jaguars in addition to receiving interest from Atlanta. Additionally, Kelly recently met with the Patriots and close friend Bill Belichick, and could potentially take a position with New England.

Indeed, the most likely outcome for Kelly entails him taking some sort of offensive assistant/consultant job, and waiting for more coordinator vacancies to open in 2018.

QB Jay Cutler A “Possibility” For Jets

February 8th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets have hired Jeremy Bates as their new quarterbacks coach, the club announced today. While Bates’ addition seems fairly innocuous, the fact that he previously served as QBs coach in Denver with Jay Cutler, who is expected to become a free agent soon, has already provided a possible link between Cutler and Gang Green. Indeed, Cutler is considered a “possibility” for New York, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who notes that any union would be dependent on an appropriate price tag.

Cutler is expected to be released by the Bears in the coming weeks, and he could make for an interesting bounceback candidate under Bates and new New York offensive coordinator John Morton. With Bates’ assistance, Cutler posted perhaps the best season of his career in 2008, passing for more than 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns while managing a Total Quarterback Rating of 67.09. Those numbers are a far cry from Cutler’s disastrous 2016 campaign, when mounting injuries limited him to five starts.

The 33-year-old Cutler is just the latest quarterback to be linked to the Jets this offseason, as the club has also been tied to draft prospects Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky and pending free agent Mike Glennon. New York has two signal-callers already on its roster, but the team’s front office reportedly has doubts that either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg will develop into more than a backup-caliber passer.

In addition to Bates, the Jets announced the hiring of three other coaches: offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi, offensive assistant Jason Vrable, and assistant strength coach Joe Giacobbe.

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Cards, Njoku

February 8th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Texas A&M safety Justin Evans could sneak into the back end of Round 1 in the 2017 draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, who reports the Cowboys are among the clubs currently interested in Evans. Dallas has two safeties headed for free agency — Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox — meaning the club could use depth and potentially a new starter in the defensive backfield. The Cowboys currently hold the 28th pick in the first round.

Here’s more on the NFL draft:

The Giants are “very high” on Miami tight end David Njoku, per Pauline. Njoku, who posted eight touchdowns and nearly 700 yards receiving in 2016, placed as the No. 12 overall player on Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com‘s most recent Top 50 rankings, just above of fellow tight end O.J. Howard. New York’s tight end group is currently comprised of Will Tye, Larry Donnell, Matt LaCosse, and Jerell Adams, but the club is clearly looking for an upgrade, as they’ve also been linked to South Alabama’s Gerald Everett.
The Packers are expected to target cornerbacks in the draft and free agency, one source told Pauline in a separate post, adding Green Bay will look to acquire “lots” of defensive backs. After fielding an abysmal pass defense in 2016, and releasing veteran Sam Shields earlier today, the Packers could look for a new defender in the first round of the draft, or target help on the open market.
Not only are NFL clubs not in unison on who the No. 1 quarterback in the draft is, but teams have varying views on the top-five signal-callers available, writes Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. One scout told Miller that his organization has Pittsburgh’s Nathan Peterman ranked ahead of Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, but graded both as Round 2 players.
The Cardinals could still target an early-round wide receiver even after Larry Fitzgerald announced his intention to return for the 2017 season, as Miller reports. Although Fitzgerald will be back, Arizona will be without Michael Floyd, who was released at the end of the season and had been set to hit free agency. I identified wideout as an area of focus for the Cardinals when assessing their top offseason needs.
Although CBSSports.com projects Clemson wide receiver Artavis Scott to come off the board in Rounds 3 or 4, one scout isn’t enthused about the Tigers pass-catcher, telling Miller that Scott “lacks the speed to separate in the NFL.”

Giants Sign DC Steve Spagnuolo To New Deal

February 8th, 2017 at 2:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have re-signed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose contract had expired after the Super Bowl, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The new deal is for two years, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, meaning Spagnuolo is now signed through 2018.

In the second season of his second stint with New York, Spagnuolo led a defense that ranked second only to Denver in DVOA. The unit, buoyed by additions such as Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison, and Eli Apple, ranked 10th in the league in yards allowed and second in points allowed.

Spagnuolo, 57, had a previous run as the Giants’ DC from 2007-08, during which time the club earned a Super Bowl victory. Since that time, Spagnuolo has spent time with the Rams (as head coach), Saints, and Ravens before working his way back to New York.

Bills QB Tyrod Taylor On Browns’ “Radar”

February 8th, 2017 at 2:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo remains the Browns’ No. 1 choice at quarterback, but the club has backup plans in case the price for Garoppolo is too steep. Cleveland will have Bills signal-caller Tyrod Taylor on their “radar” if he’s released by Buffalo, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

The Bills have until March 11 to make a decision on Taylor: the club holds a $15.5MM option bonus on its quarterback that would lock in $30.75MM in total guarantees. The club is expected to release Taylor before that decision is due, but the hiring of new head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison could change that view. While Buffalo’s front office is said to be in favor of cutting Taylor, McDermott’s view on Taylor is an unknown, as Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News writes, while Dennison’s arrival is thought to be a positive for Taylor given that the pair has a prior working relationship.

Meanwhile, the Browns have been linked to a number of quarterback options this offseason, and are likely to pursue a new signal-caller through the draft, free agency, or via trade. Cleveland now has at least one connection to Taylor, as the club today hired former Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee to the same role. Lee, who worked with Taylor during the past two seasons, will presumably offer Browns head coach Hue Jackson a fresh opinion on Taylor.

Cleveland won’t be the only club to express free agent interest in Taylor, who’s averaged roughly 3,000 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions during his two campaigns as a starter. The Cardinals are also expected to pursue Taylor if he hits the open market, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently reported.

Falcons Sign Six To Reserve/Futures Deals

February 8th, 2017 at 2:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following a devastating Super Bowl loss, the Falcons have begun their offseason by inking six players to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced. The following players were inked to futures deals, which will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective club’s offseason 90-man rosters:

OL Carter Bykowski
WR B.J. Daniels
OL Kevin Graf
DE Martin Ifedi
TE Darion Griswold
DT Jimmy Staten

Atlanta had previously inked center Trevor Robinson (link) and wide receiver Anthony Dable (link) to futures contracts, bringing the club’s total to eight.

Eagles Release CB Leodis McKelvin

February 8th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles went into this offseason with a plan to create a “significant” amount of cap space, and they’ve started that process today. Philadelphia has released cornerback Leodis McKelvin, the club announced.

McKelvin followed former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to Philadelphia, inking a two-year, $6.2MM deal last offseason. The 31-year-old McKelvin was due a $1.2MM roster bonus later this offseason, a payment the Eagles clearly had no intention of paying. By releasing McKelvin now, Philadelphia clears $3.2MM in cap room, and incurs just $250K in dead money.

In his first (and only) season with the Eagles, McKelvin appeared in 13 games (12 starts), managing 16 passes defensed and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Even with the benefit of playing in a familiar scheme, McKelvin graded as just the league’s No. 71 corner among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

McKelvin is unlikely to be the only veteran released by Philadelphia this offseason, as previous reports have indicated Connor Barwin, Ryan Mathews, Jason Kelce, Ron Brooks, Allen Barbre, and Mychal Kendricks could all be on the chopping block.

Rival Clubs Asked About Antonio Brown Trade

February 8th, 2017 at 1:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Several NFL clubs recently asked the Steelers if wide receiver Antonio Brown was available via trade, but those inquires were met with an emphatic “no,” according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.

While rival teams were likely just doing due diligence, there was at least some reason to think Pittsburgh might be open to dealing Brown given his recent pattern of — as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin deemed them — “little annoyances.” Brown infamously broadcast a portion of Tomlin’s post-game speech on Facebook Live last month, while Ben Roethlisberger and former Steeler Heath Miller have reportedly addressed problems with Brown in the past.

Still, Pittsburgh doesn’t figure to part with Brown anytime soon, and Freeman writes that any potential trade would require a minimum of a first-round pick (though it’s unclear if Freeman is reporting or speculating here). Indeed, the Steelers have opened extension talks with Brown after previously following their policy of not negotiating with players who have more than one year left on their contract. At present, Brown is signed through 2017, and will earn a base salary of $4.71MM and carry a salary cap charge of ~$13.6MM.

Brown, 28, earned his third consecutive first team All-Pro nod in 2016 after putting up 106 receptions for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns.