2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Notes: Mixon, Tight Ends, Giants

February 4th, 2017 at 9:04am CST by Ben Levine

A pair of notable college players will not be showcasing their talents at the NFL scouting combine. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports that Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon and Baylor wide receiver Ishmael Zamora were not invited to the event.

Both players have had their share of issues. Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 season after having punched a woman, while Zamora was suspended three games this past season after videos emerged of him beating his dog. The ESPN report indicates that it’s uncertain whether these “off-the-field troubles were factors in their omission” from the combine.

The Sooners running back finished the 2016 campaign with 1,274 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on only 187 carries. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes Mixon is among the top-five most-talented running backs in this year’s class (behind Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, D’Onta Foreman and Christian McCaffrey). Meanwhile, Zamora appeared in 10 games this past season, compiling 63 catches for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes…

A trio of University of Washington defensive backs are garnering plenty of interest from NFL teams. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com writes that Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kevin King have been intriguing front offices. Jones is generally regarded to be one of the top cornerbacks in the draft, while Baker is projected to be taken outside of the first round.
USC wideout Adoree Jackson is a “lock” to be a first-round pick, writes Pauline. His teammate, offensive tackle Zach Banner, is projected to be drafted in the fourth round.
While many scouts believe Alabama’s O.J. Howard is the best tight end in the class, Pauline writes that South Alabama’s Gerald Everett isn’t far behind. The talented playmaker impressed coaches at the Senior Bowl, and Pauline notes that he’s currently the top tight end on the Giants‘ draft board.
One prospect who didn’t look good during the Senior Bowl was Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia, with one scout comparing him to “a deer in headlights.” Pauline notes that the lineman looked unsure of himself during team practices.

Arthur Blank: Falcons Will Extend Matt Ryan

February 3rd, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFC champion Falcons are inching closer to Super Bowl LI on Sunday, and once their showdown with the Patriots ends, they’ll reportedly get to work on locking up quarterback Matt Ryan for the long haul. Team owner Arthur Blank confirmed as much Friday, telling Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com: “[Ryan] needs to be compensated well, certainly. And he will be.”

Ryan is already under control for the next two seasons as a result of the five-year, $103.75MM extension he signed in 2013, though Blank is eager to keep the 31-year-old in the fold into his late 30s or early 40s.

“When Matt was being interviewed this week, somebody asked him, ‘What do you think about Tom Brady, his age, being 39 and will be 40 in August?’ and Matt said, ‘I’d like to play as long as Tom,’ ” Blank stated. “That’s when I jumped up off the sofa and starting clicking my heels. We have a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball. But to have our quarterback in place for an extended period of time will be incredible news for Atlanta. Matt is in great shape and takes wonderful care of himself. So, I’m excited.”

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff expects to strike a deal with Ryan early in the offseason, having recently noted the organization’s strong rapport with the four-time Pro Bowler’s agent, Tom Condon, per McClure. Given that Ryan’s in the midst of the best season of his nine-year career, Condon will certainly push to improve his client’s standing as the league’s 11th-highest-paid QB in the game.

While Ryan has been a standout since the Falcons drafted him third overall in 2008, the ex-Boston College star has truly thrived this season as the face of one of the most prolific offenses of all-time. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and is the front-runner to win the MVP, which will be awarded Saturday, after completing 69.9 percent of passes, throwing for 4,944 yards on 9.26 yards per attempt, and tossing 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions during the regular season.

Playoff success had eluded the Ryan-led Falcons in their previous four postseason trips, but not this year. The NFC South champs steamrolled the Seahawks and Packers by a combined score of 80-41 en route to their second Super Bowl berth in franchise history. Those wins came thanks in no small part to Ryan, who has hit on 70.7 percent of passes and logged seven touchdowns against no picks in these playoffs. Supremacy for the league’s 2016 campaign will be on the line this weekend, but regardless of Sunday’s outcome, it appears Ryan will have plenty of future opportunities to win championships in Atlanta.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Potential Cities For Raiders

February 3rd, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contrary to a report that the Raiders’ hopes of relocating to Las Vegas are “all but dead,” multiple sources have told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that the plan is “absolutely salvageable.” Bosnignore adds that Las Vegas-based businessman Sheldon Adelson, who on Monday backed out of putting $650MM toward a new stadium for the Raiders, will attend the Super Bowl in Houston on Sunday. There’s no word as to whether he’ll meet with Raiders owner Mark Davis and restart negotiations, however (Twitter link).

The loss of potential financial support from both Adelson and Goldman Sachs has led to optimism that the Raiders could end up staying in Oakland, but Davis still doesn’t seem eager to keep the franchise there. In fact, the Raiders haven’t even contacted Oakland officials since Adelson bailed, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Three sources indicated to Cole that the Vegas dream is indeed “dead,” though, which conflicts with what Bonsignore has heard. If it is off the table and the Raiders aren’t open to remaining in Oakland, Cole names San Antonio – a city with which the Raiders have had past flirtations – as a possible destination.

Having lost the Chargers to LA last month, the city of San Diego has also come up as a suitor for the Raiders. Mayor Kevin Faulconer has already contacted the league to let it know of San Diego’s interest, and Don Banks of SI.com and NFL.com reports that the Raiders could head there and play in the Chargers’ longtime home, Qualcomm Stadium.

While the Chargers were unwilling to continue in the 50-year-old facility, the notion of it undergoing a significant facelift and then housing the Raiders “will gain support in league circles,” writes Banks. Should that come to fruition, the NFL would regain the San Diego market, which it didn’t want to lose in the first place; further, the Raiders would land a stadium upgrade over the Oakland Coliseum, notes Banks, who adds that the league wouldn’t be opposed to having three Southern California-based franchises.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Anquan Boldin Contemplating Retirement

February 3rd, 2017 at 7:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin indicated last month that he was planning to return in 2017, which would be his age-37 season, but he sounded much less certain of his status Friday. Boldin is now considering retirement, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.

“We’ll see what’s best for us,” Boldin said, referring to himself and his family. “It’s no longer what’s best for Anquan. I’ve got three others that depend on me as well, so we’ll see.”

For the second straight offseason, Boldin is primed to become a free agent, though he’s “definitely interested” in re-signing with the Lions if he continues his career. Boldin didn’t sign with the Lions until last July, and he went on to lead the playoff-bound club in touchdown catches (eight). While he also racked up 67 receptions on 95 targets, the slot receiver averaged a career-low 8.7 yards per catch.

Boldin, who entered the NFL as the Cardinals’ second-round pick in 2003, has played for four teams and amassed 1,076 catches, 13,779 yards and 82 scores in 14 seasons. He ranks ninth, 14th and 23rd all-time, respectively, in those categories and could move up a few more places in each if he comes back in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Steelers, Antonio Brown Begin Extension Talks

February 3rd, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Steelers and superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown have opened contract extension talks, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Brown is set to enter the final year of his deal in 2017, though he and the Steelers are optimistic about reaching a new agreement well before training camp, a source told Fowler.

The 28-year-old Brown is fresh off his fourth straight 100-catch campaign and could push to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver as a result. A.J. Green of the division-rival Bengals currently paces the league’s wideouts in annual salary ($15MM), while Super Bowl-bound Falcons standout Julio Jones leads the pack in guaranteed money ($35.5MM). Without an extension, Brown will play 2017 on a $4.71MM salary and count $13.618MM against the Steelers’ salary cap.

An extension is clearly the goal, though, as Brown told ESPN’s First Take on Friday that he’d like to spend the rest of his career in Pittsburgh (Twitter link via Fowler). That came after Steelers president Art Rooney II said Tuesday that Brown is “certainly a player that we would like to have on the team for a while.” Rooney also brushed off Brown’s behind-the-scenes issues – including his decision last month to broadcast head coach Mike Tomlin‘s fiery speech after the Steelers’ divisional-round win over the Chiefs on Facebook – as “little annoyances.”

It’s easy to see why the Steelers are willing to put up with “little annoyances” from Brown: Since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 draft, the 5-foot-10, 181-pounder has hauled in 632 receptions and 50 touchdowns in just 101 games. Brown has also exceeded the 1,100-yard plateau five times – including a ridiculous 1,834-yard showing in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chiefs Plan To Extend John Dorsey, Andy Reid

February 3rd, 2017 at 7:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid are on track to enter contract years in 2017, chairman Clark Hunt would like to change that. Hunt is “very satisfied” with how the franchise has fared under Dorsey and Reid and will look to ink the pair to extensions this offseason, he told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star on Friday.

“Both [John] and Andy … I would expect to sit down with them over the course of the next year and sit down and talk about an extension,” said Hunt.

It’s no surprise that the Chiefs are interested in a new deal for Reid, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported last month that the club plans to extend the 58-year-old. Reid, who coached the Eagles from 1999-2012, joined the Chiefs in advance of the 2013 season and has since helped the franchise to a 43-21 regular-season record and three playoff appearances. Kansas City has gone just 1-3 in the playoffs under Reid, though, and was one-and-done last month after winning the highly competitive AFC West with a 12-4 mark.

The postseason troubles the Chiefs have endured with Reid at the helm haven’t hurt his standing in Hunt’s eyes, however. Reid, who’s among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7.5MM per year, has “done a great job,” per Hunt.

As for the front office, the Chiefs just watched well-regarded player personnel director Chris Ballard depart to become the Colts’ GM, so it’s possible their urgency to extend Dorsey and keep him from leaving has increased. Dorsey was previously with Green Bay from 2000-12 and has come up as a possibility to eventually return there to succeed his former boss, 64-year-old GM Ted Thompson. Since exiting Wisconsin in 2013 to grab the reins of a a KC team that won just two games in 2012, Dorsey has added crucial pieces like Alex Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce, Eric Fisher, Spencer Ware, Dee Ford, Marcus Peters, Jaye Howard and Chris Jones, among others, to the team’s roster. In doing so, he has helped turn the Chiefs into perennial playoff contenders.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Cousins, 49ers, Saints, Cardinals

February 3rd, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

If Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins becomes available either via the trade or free agency this offseason, the 49ers reportedly plan to pursue the 28-year-old. That would seemingly be a welcome development for Cousins, who praised the 49ers’ new leadership – rookie general manager John Lynch and soon-to-be head coach Kyle Shanahan – on Thursday. Cousins told KNBR 680 (via CSN Bay Area) that Lynch is “smart guy” and a “class act,” adding, ” I think it was a good hire and credit the 49ers for going outside the box and doing something different, and not just getting stuck in a rut of the same old thing.” Shanahan is an “offensive genius,” according to Cousins, who played under the longtime coordinator in Washington from 2012-13. “I’ve always been a big fan of Kyle’s,” Cousins said. “I’ve always spoken very highly of him from the day I was picked. And he called me right after the draft and preached belief in me and encouragement … I loved his system right away and saw it successfuly run with Robert Griffin. I’ve seen it now run successfully with Matt Ryan.”

Justin Forsett Mulling Retirement

February 3rd, 2017 at 4:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After nine NFL seasons, Broncos running back Justin Forsett is mulling retirement, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post.

“After the Super Bowl, my wife and I are going to take a vacation. My wife is going to have a baby so we’ll take a little time off after that,” said Forsett, who has played for six teams. “In a month or so, we’ll come up with a decision.”

If Forsett does come back for what would be his age-32 season in 2017, it might be in another uniform. Forsett is scheduled to become a free agent after spending just four games in Denver, which claimed him off waivers from the Lions in early December. Forsett wasn’t any kind of solution in his 2016 stint with the Broncos, though, as he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. That came after Forsett posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on a combined 44 tries with the Lions and Ravens, the latter of whom released him in October.

Forsett, who entered the league as the Seahawks’ seventh-round pick in 2009, had success as a reserve both there and in Houston before breaking out in Baltimore. In 2014, his best individual season, Forsett ran for 1,266 yards on 235 carries (good for an impressive 5.4 YPC), scored eight touchdowns and caught 44 passes as a member of the Ravens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Johnny Manziel Will Volunteer For Drug Tests

February 3rd, 2017 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s going to be extremely hard for any team to trust Johnny Manziel and that’s why the quarterback is taking extra steps to try and repair his image. To show that he is serious this time around, Manziel plans to volunteer for testing under the NFL’s drug policy as a part of his comeback attempt, a source tells Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.

[RELATED: Manziel Says He’s Sober]

The skeptic’s take on this would be that Manziel is simply volunteering for something that would be required of him anyway. Now, considered a “Stage Two” offender under the league’s drug policy, he would already be subject to random drug testing if signed by an NFL team. It remains to be seen whether Manziel is going to offer himself up to an even more rigorous random testing standard in the style of USADA’s monitoring.

Manziel has started working with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. to polish his skills and get back into football shape, Marvez hears. This week, he appeared in Houston to sign autographs but he declined to speak to the press.

Colin Kaepernick To Opt Out Of Contract

February 3rd, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but Colin Kaepernick will opt out of his contract this offseason, a league source tells ESPN.com Adam Schefter. Kaepernick cannot formally opt out until March 2nd, but the decision has already been made.

The writing has been on the wall for Kaepernick ever since Kyle Shanahan was hired as the team’s next head coach. The Falcons offensive coordinator will look to install his own brand of offense in SF and the one-time face of the team is not a fit for that system. Instead of getting squeezed out by the team, Kaepernick will break free from his deal in time for the legal tampering period.

Kaepernick obviously has not set the world on fire in recent years with his play, but he could be a low-cost option for teams that are desperate under center. At the same time, there’s no question that his polarizing activism will ward off some clubs. In a league consumed by the fear of media distractions, Kaepernick stands as the biggest lightning rod out there. Even putting his politics aside, many will be skeptical of his ability to regain his 2012-2014 form.

Perhaps the best thing going for Kaepernick is a lack of attractive QB options in this year’s draft. Mitch Trubisky of UNC seems to be rated as the top QB in this class, but it seems like he would not be in the mix for a top pick if this were a stronger QB crop. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson are also thought to be in the top three, in some order. All three come with plenty of uncertainty.