2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Kirk Cousins

March 14th, 2017 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

“There’s a growing belief in some circles” that the Browns will try to acquire Kirk Cousins from the Redskins via trade, one league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Redskins have the ability to trade Cousins now that he has signed his one-year franchise tender.

Depending on who you believe, Cousins either requested a trade last week or simply asked whether he would be getting moved. But, another source tells Florio that Cousins was concerned about the fact that the Redskins can now trade him. Specifically, the source says, he was concerned about being traded to the Browns.

Last month, there was conflicting word on whether Cousins would be open to joining the Browns. One reporter said that Cousins would only want a trade to the 49ers while another said that he finds the Browns to be “intriguing.” Cousins cannot formally block a trade, but he could deter a team from trading for him by refusing to negotiate a long-term deal.

In theory, a team like the Browns could roll the dice and trade for Cousins without an agreement for a multi-year deal in place. Then the two sides would still have several months to hammer out a contract before the July 15th deadline. If that’s unsuccessful, they would have him for $23.94MM in 2o17 with the option of tagging him again for $28MM+ in 2018.

Of course, there’s also the matter of getting a trade done with the Redskins. As Florio writes, an offer of the No. 12 overall pick plus their newly-acquired second round choice from Houston could get it done.

Dontari Poe To Visit Dolphins

March 14th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle Dontari Poe is scheduled to travel to Miami tonight for a visit the Dolphins, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. He has not left Georgia yet, however, so one has to wonder if he could possibly reach agreement with the Falcons before the Fins get face time with him.

Poe visited the Colts on Sunday and the meeting reportedly went well. After that, it was on to the Jaguars and Falcons, Poe is huddling up with the Jaguars. The 26-year-old has also garnered interest from the Raiders, and 49ers.

The market has been slow to develop for Poe. The Colts, supposedly, are open to a long-term deal, but he might prefer a one-year pact that would allow him to restore his value and try the open market in 2018. Word is that teams are concerned about Poe’s back issues. He’s still waiting for real traction with his suitors, but he shouldn’t feel too bad as fellow top defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins also remains on the board.

In the Dolphins’ 4-3 set, Poe could form a menacing interior duo with Ndamukong Suh while Jordan Phillips serves as the top reserve DT. The Dolphins project to start Andre Branch and Cameron Wake on the ends with the newly-acquired William Hayes in rotation.

Patriots Sign RB Rex Burkhead

March 14th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Finally, we’re starting to see some top running backs come off the board. Rex Burkhead has signed with the Patriots, according to a club announcement. It’s a one-year, $3.15MM deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That includes a $1.1MM signing bonus and $1.8MM in base salary. He can earn $250K via per-game roster bonuses.

The Pats’ running back depth chart is now led by Burkhead, James White, and Dion Lewis with 2016 undrafted free agent D.J. Foster in support. Burkhead could be given a chance to compete for the starting job.

The addition of Burkhead could spell the end of LeGarrette Blount‘s time with the Patriots. Blount is still without a team and the only thing we’ve heard this week is that the Seahawks are “monitoring” him. Of course, their interest level is unclear now that they have signed Eddie Lacy.

Last year, after Giovani Bernard went down, Burkhead stepped up to the plate and made a name for himself in the process. He averaged 4.6 yards per attempt for the Bengals. Now, the Patriots want to see if he can replicate that production in a larger sample. His 74 carries last year were, by far, a career high.

Burkhead was our No. 7 UFA running back this year, behind Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, LeGarrette Blount, Latavius Murray, Jamaal Charles, Darren McFadden, and Jacquizz Rodgers. He was slotted ahead of notables like Rashad Jennings, Danny Woodhead, and DeAngelo Williams.

Kevin Minter To Visit Bengals

March 14th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals’ free agent linebacker Kevin Minter, is scheduled to visit the Bengals on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Minter is currently visiting with the Colts.

The Colts’ powwow was Minter’s first free agent visit, so a trip to Cincinnati would mark his second, assuming he doesn’t first strike a deal with Indianapolis. I had Minter ranked No. 22 on my Top 50 rundown of this year’s free agents, but the market for top linebackers has been slow to develop. In terms of ability, Minter was our No. 3 ranked available linebacker, behind only Dont’a Hightower and Zach Brown. Both AFC East standouts remain in limbo.

Minter, 26, totaled 81 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Cardinals last season. Arizona has replaced outside linebacker Alex Okafor with Jarvis Jones, but they would probably like to keep Minter if they can afford him.

Cowboys Re-Sign G Jonathan Cooper

March 14th, 2017 at 3:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free-agent guard Jonathan Cooper, according to a source who spoke with Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cooper joined the Cowboys during the playoffs in January he was released by Cleveland.

The former No. 7 overall pick hasn’t come close to living up to draft day expectations, but he did do enough for Dallas to give him a second look. He also looked pretty decent in his short stint with the Browns. Pro Football Focus assigned Cooper a 73.2 overall grade in his 183 snaps for Cleveland, a score that would have put him in the middle of the pack amongst guards if he had enough playing time to qualify.

Now that Doug Free is retiring, the Cowboys could slot La’el Collins at right tackle with Cooper taking over at left guard. At minimum, Cooper could be a quality depth signing for Dallas.

Raiders Sign Cordarrelle Patterson

March 14th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cordarrelle Patterson initially left his Raiders visit without a contract, but the two sides later reached a deal, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders have since confirmed the move.

Patterson will get $5MM guaranteed in the first year of the deal, by way of a $2.5MM signing bonus and a $2.5MM guaranteed base salary, a source tells PFT’s Mike Florio. The base deal also includes a $250K workout bonus in 2017. Through playing time incentives, Patterson can get up to $7MM in 2017. He’ll get $350K for 55% playing time, another $350K for 70% playing time, $350K for 55 receptions, and another $350K for 70 receptions. He can also make $350K for a Pro Bowl selection.

There is a second year to the deal, but it will void out if Patterson has 65 receptions or participates in 65% of the offensive snaps. If Patterson can assert himself as a receiver in Oakland, he’ll collect a fat paycheck in 2017 and truly cash in as a free agent next March.

The two-time All-Pro kick returner also visited the Bears and Redskins and was vocal about his desire to stay in Minnesota. However, the Vikings didn’t fight all that hard to keep the speedy receiver/kick returner and his market wasn’t as strong as he anticipated.

Now, he goes to Oakland to provide some much-needed depth at wide receiver. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are a solid 1-2 combo, but the rest of the team’s receiving corps was lacking. Patterson hasn’t been especially effective as a receiver, but he does have five career kick-return touchdowns and the potential is still there for him to put his athleticism to use on offense.

Patterson earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2013 and ’16 and played a role as a gadget offensive weapon during those slates. In 2015, the 6’2″ elusive talent barely factored into the Vikings’ offense, playing in 16 games and gaining just 25 yards from scrimmage. However, the 2015 Raiders witnessed Patterson’s capabilities firsthand when he took back a kickoff 93 yards for a score.

Patterson has focused on kick returns as a pro and the Raiders did not have a comparable player on their roster. Jalen Richard and Taiwan Jones shared this role last season and couldn’t produce like Patterson. Richard may stay on punt return duty, however, since Patterson has fielded just one punt in his career.

For the Vikings, this continues a string of defections. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press points out (via Twitter), the team has now lost seven unrestricted free agents without signing one of their own since the 2017 league year began.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Five Teams In On Nickell Robey-Coleman

March 14th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In addition to the Vikings, the Chargers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Titans are also showing interest in defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. Robey-Coleman has found a healthy market ever since being discarded by the Bills earlier this month.

Last year, the slot cornerback earned a higher grade from Pro Football Focus than teammates Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby. All in all, he graded out as PFF’s No. 33 overall corner. He was set to make just $2.1MM this season, but Buffalo instead decided to cut him and save $1.65MM against the cap.

The Steelers had interest in Davon House before he signed with the Packers on Tuesday, so they are still in the market for help at corner. The Vikings are also a logical landing spot. They remain in pursuit of defensive back Lardarius Webb, but it’s possible that he could return to the Ravens on a cheaper deal.

Terence Newman Plans To Continue Playing

March 14th, 2017 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Terence Newman is without a gig at the moment, but he plans to continue playing. In an interview with SiriusXM (Twitter link), he indicated that a deal could be right around the corner.

“I hope to get something done in next few days,” Newman said. “I do have a deal that is imminent.”

Newman was Dallas Robinson’s No. 8 ranked cornerback heading into free agency, but we haven’t heard much about him since things got started one week ago. The Vikings are down a veteran cornerback after Captain Munnerlyn left in free agency, so it stands to reason that Minnesota has interest in re-signing him. At the same time, they’re eyeing a younger cornerback in Nickell Robey-Coleman.

Newman will turn 39 in September. Last year, he totaled 38 tackles and one interception across 15 appearances (nine starts).

Steelers Host WR Justin Hunter On Visit

March 14th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Justin Hunter visited the Steelers on Monday, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The team also met with former Green Bay linebacker Jayrone Elliott.

Hunter, a former second-round pick, has never lived up to expectations. The Titans’ old regime believed that he had the upside and talent to be a bonafide WR1 in the NFL. The new regime, led by GM Jon Robinson, cut him loose in September. From there, Hunter had stints with the Dolphins and Bills. In 13 games, he amassed ten catches for 189 yards and four touchdowns.

The Steelers presently have seven wide receivers under contract: Antonio Brown, Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, and Canaan Severin. That’s a solid top five, so it’s possible that the Steelers are eyeing Hunter as a practice squad candidate. If that’s the case, then any potential deal between the Steelers and Hunter would probably take a while to go down. Before signing a taxi squad deal, Hunter will likely exhaust all other 53-man roster opportunities.

The Patriots were linked to Hunter last week, but it’s unclear if they’re still interested following the acquisition of Brandin Cooks.

Jared Cook To Visit Vikings

March 14th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

If tight end Jared Cook does not sign with the Seahawks, he’ll take a visit to the Vikings soon, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. A return to the Packers, of course, is no longer possible after Green Bay signed Martellus Bennett.

Cook now stands as the top tight end available and there are four teams known to have interest: the Seahawks, Vikings, Bills, and Lions. Interestingly, the Bills (Charles Clay), Seahawks (Jimmy Graham), and Lions (Eric Ebron) already have big name starters at tight end. It stands to reason that these clubs could be looking to emphasize two tight end sets in 2017.

The Vikings have Kyle Rudolph and David Morgan II under contract. They’re down a tight end, however, after Rhett Ellison signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Giants. Ellison offered a much different skill set than Cook, so they might still be in the market for a blocking tight end even if they sign him.