HEADLINES

Month: March 2017

NFC Notes: Giants, Hankins, Lions, Rams

March 27th, 2017 at 10:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch confirmed Monday that the team has an offer on the table to re-up free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, per James Kratch of NJ.com. The Giants submitted the multiyear proposal before the opening of the market, where Hankins hasn’t been able to find a payday to his liking. Contrary to a prior report, the Giants haven’t set a deadline for the 25-year-old to accept their contract, according to Tisch, who’s “very optimistic” an agreement will happen and “pretty convinced” Hankins wants to re-sign.

A few other NFC notes:

  • Tisch also spoke on the Giants’ long-term quarterback situation, saying “there’s no urgency” to find an heir to Eli Manning, “but it’s in the back of everybody’s mind” (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). Manning will play his age-36 season in 2017.
  • The Lions are in the “very early stages” of contract extension negotiations with quarterback Matthew Stafford, general manager Bob Quinn told the team’s website (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Quinn indicated that it’s going to take “months, not weeks” for a deal to come together. Stafford, 29, is slated to enter a contract year.
  • On the heels of their unsuccessful attempt to swipe center Ryan Groy from the Bills, the Rams continue to look for a solution at the position, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The Rams want an experienced pivot to team with young quarterback Jared Goff, and they’re scouring the trade and free agent markets to acquire one (Nick Mangold is available, for what it’s worth). Aside from possibly signing a center, the Rams are all but done with free agency, Gonzalez adds.

AFC Notes: Texans, Browns, Jimmy G., Fins

March 27th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans plan to discuss a contract extension with head coach Bill O’Brien after next season, according to owner Bob McNair (via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle). The 2017 campaign will be the penultimate year of O’Brien’s contract, and he has thus far led the typically quarterback-weak Texans to three nine-win showings and two playoff berths.

Houston continues to be in dire need of help under center, of course, which McNair realizes. “It’s important that we upgrade the play at quarterback,” he told McClain. McNair did express confidence in incumbent starter Tom Savage, though he’s leery of the 26-year-old’s durability issues. “He’s played twice (in regular season) and gotten hurt twice,” McNair noted. “That’s our only concern with Tom. He’s smart enough. He knows the system. He’s got a good arm. I think he can get the job done, but if we depend on him, and he gets hurt in the first or second game . . .”

Savage is only atop the Texans’ depth chart now because of the horrid play of Brock Osweiler, whom they traded to the Browns earlier this month. The move was “a shocker” for McNair, who “couldn’t believe” general manager Rick Smith was able to dump Osweiler’s contract on the Browns (albeit at the cost of a second-round pick). Osweiler is just a year into the four-year pact the Texans handed him as a free agent last offseason. Featuring high cap hits and $37MM in guarantees, the deal quickly became an albatross, and McNair has a theory on why things went so poorly for Osweiler in Houston (via McClain). “(O’Brien) didn’t have a chance to get to know him. That’s one of the problems with free agency,” lamented McNair. “In the draft, we’re able to bring them to Houston, sit down with them, watch them interviewed by a bunch of coaches, and you have time to check them out. You can’t talk to them before they become a free agent. You can’t work them out. We didn’t know him that well.”

Texans brass, including McNair, all seemed to love Osweiler last March, but he then bombed on the field and didn’t mesh with O’Brien in his lone Houston season.

More from the AFC:

  • “An NFL source familiar with all the principals involved” speculates the Browns will “make another run” at Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at the league meetings, ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi writes. Business tends to go down at the league meetings with everyone in the same place and we could see trade talks get a jumpstart this week in Phoenix. If a trade does happen, however, the same source says it might not occur until closer to the draft on April 27.
  • Free agent linebacker Zach Brown is reportedly choosing between the Dolphins and Raiders, but Miami’s Mike Tannenbaum-led front office doesn’t seem to be going all-out to sign him, observes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. “The lion’s share of our focus right now is on the draft,” said Tannenbaum, the team’s executive vice president of football operations. “If an opportunity came along, we’d evaluate it appropriately. But our focus is really on the draft and something comes along, we’ll certainly look at it.”
  • Defensive tackle Mike Pennel‘s one-year contract with the Jets is worth $990K, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. There’s no guaranteed money in the deal, but it does come with up to $250K in roster bonuses and a $50K workout bonus.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Lions Not Ruling Out Adrian Peterson

March 27th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions haven’t added any running backs this offseason to a stable that was among the NFL’s worst in 2016, but a prominent rusher could be on the way. Lions general manager Bob Quinn indicated Monday that he’s open to signing longtime NFC North rival Adrian Peterson, per Justin Rogers of the Detroit News.

Adrian Peterson (vertical)

“I think AP still has plenty left in the tank,” Quinn said of the former Viking and current free agent. “We’ll see how it goes.”

While Detroit only has roughly $8.4MM in cap space, which could make a Peterson addition difficult, the team’s nonetheless “definitely still open for business in terms of free agency,” according to Quinn.

Quinn’s the first executive who has publicly expressed an openness to signing Peterson during what has been a disappointing offseason for the seven-time Pro Bowler. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson since the Vikings declined his option in late February. Minnesota, which conceivably could have brought Peterson back at a lower price, then went in a different direction by picking up Latavius Murray. And another NFC North club, the running back-needy Packers, aren’t planning to meet with Peterson in the near future.

A few factors working against Peterson are his age (32), the injury-marred 2016 he endured, and a reportedly high asking price. But Peterson has disputed that he’s demanding too much money, and he’s now hoping to join a contender. Having made the playoffs last season, the Lions would seemingly fit the bill.

Detroit won nine games and got to the postseason despite posting the league’s sixth-worst yards-per-carry average (3.7), though it did go without the banged-up Ameer Abdullah for all but two games. Peterson, meanwhile, tore his meniscus in Week 2 and only played in three cntests. The seven-time 1,200-yard man and 2012 MVP was far from his usual self during that limited action, as he registered a paltry 1.9 YPC over 37 carries. However, Peterson won the league’s rushing title just two seasons ago, so it’s possible a healthier version in 2017 would jump-start the Lions’ backfield if they were to sign him.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Steelers, Ravens

March 27th, 2017 at 7:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Browns will host North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky for a private workout Friday, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Trubisky’s workout won’t count as one of the Browns’ 30 allotted pre-draft visits because it’s a pro day for prospects who are either from the area (Trubisky’s an Ohio native) or attended college there. While the Browns have two first-round picks (Nos. 1 and 12), they’re only considering using the second selection on Trubisky, relays Cabot. They’re primed to spend the top choice on Texas A&M edge defender Myles Garrett.

More from Cleveland two other AFC North cities:

  • At least one of the Browns’ current QBs, Brock Osweiler, isn’t a lock to stay on their roster. “Brock could be on our team or we could trade him,” owner Jimmy Haslam told Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. “There’s lots of options out there.” Haslam’s noncommittal attitude toward Osweiler isn’t remotely surprising, as the expectation is the Browns will cut or trade him. It’s fair to say Cleveland only acquired Osweiler (and his $16MM base salary) from Houston this month as a way to pick up a second-round pick. Haslam noted that the Browns are “excited” about that selection.
  • More information on the Browns, who “made a very aggressive” and “long-term” offer to re-sign wide receiver Terrelle Pryor before he inked a one-year, $6MM deal with Washington, Haslam confirmed (via Ulrich). The Browns were reportedly willing to give Pryor $8.5MM per year.
  • Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has mulled retirement this offseason, but it seems the 35-year-old will play in 2017. Roethlisberger said earlier this month he’s “leaning towards” continuing his career, and head coach Mike Tomlin revealed Monday the two have had “pretty fluid conversation” about the Steelers’ offseason moves (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com).
  • Tomlin also laid out Monday what the Steelers’ main needs are entering the draft, telling Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that they must add pass rushers and defensive backs who can play man coverage. “Our inability to play man-to-man effectively and our inability to apply pressure on the quarterback without blitzing were issues in that game,”  Tomlin said of the Steelers’ 36-17 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game, in which Tom Brady completed 32 of 42 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns.
  • With less than $8MM in cap room remaining, the Ravens are unlikely to pursue any more free agents until at least after the draft, team president Dick Cass informed Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. “We’d like to preserve the opportunity to win a compensatory draft pick,” said Cass. “We really have to wait until [May 9] before we will sign a player, most likely. But you never say never. If an opportunity comes along, we might take it.” Cass added that the Ravens “have to be careful” with their remaining spending space, though he does think they’ll use all of it.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

March 27th, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While it’s possible that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick‘s polarizing views have contributed to his inability to find a job this offseason, at least one team wouldn’t let his politics stand in the way of a deal. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam revealed Monday that he’d be open to adding Kaepernick, reports Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.

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“If football people came and recommended [him], we’d go with the football people,” said Haslam, though he noted that he and his co-owner and wife, Dee, “have not been involved in any conversations regarding Colin Kaepernick.”

Head coach Hue Jackson has chased Kaepernick in the past, and the Browns’ current veteran QB – Brock Osweiler – might not be on their roster next season. However, Jackson echoed Haslam’s sentiment in telling the NFL Network on Monday that the Browns haven’t had “any discussion” regarding Kaepernick.

Like the Browns, the Broncos also gone after Kaepernick before, but they no longer view him as a fit for their offense (and they like the QBs they have on hand), according to general manager John Elway (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). The potentially backup-needy Lions don’t think Kaepernick is a match for their system, either, per GM Bob Quinn (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Having drawn no interest from teams in need of a No. 1 passer, it’s clear the 29-year-old Kaepernick, a longtime starter, will have to settle for a reserve role – if anyone signs him. One team that could be in the market for a backup is Seattle, whose No. 2 option, Trevone Boykin, is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a weekend arrest.

The 23-year-old Boykin could easily continue with the Seahawks, but it’s worth noting that Kaepernick has a high opinion of head coach Pete Carroll, a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The two are quite familiar with each other, of course, as Kaepernick spent the first six years of his career with NFC West rival San Francisco and engaged in some memorable tilts with the Seahawks when he was a quality starter and the 49ers were contenders. It’s unclear, though, if Carroll is bullish on Kaepernick or if he’d be willing to ditch Boykin. What is clear, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, is that the Seahawks don’t want to invest much money in a backup for Russell Wilson. That could rule out any chance of a Kaepernick-Seahawks union.

Cowboys Not Ready To End Tony Romo Saga

March 27th, 2017 at 6:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Tony Romo presumably won’t be on the Cowboys’ roster next season, nor are they likely to find a trade partner for him, but he won’t be leaving Dallas imminently. There’s a possibility the Cowboys will retain the soon-to-be 37-year-old past the draft, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Tony Romo

The Cowboys have been hoping to trade Romo, who’s now behind Dak Prescott in their QB pecking order, but they’re lacking leverage. There are only two obvious possibilities for Romo, Denver and Houston, and the Broncos seem uninterested in acquiring the veteran. Even if the Cowboys release Romo, the Broncos don’t intend “to go that direction,” general manager John Elway told Mike Klis of 9News. Before his conversation with Klis, Elway indicated he’s content to let in-house signal-callers Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch compete for the No. 1 job in 2017.

The Texans, unlike the Broncos, don’t have anything resembling a starting QB on their roster. As a playoff-caliber team, they’re a clear fit for the accomplished Romo. One possible problem for the Texans is that they share a state with the Cowboys, whose owner, Jerry Jones, might not want to help out another Texas-based NFL franchise by cutting Romo and essentially giving him to Houston.

The likelihood is that Jones will eventually release Romo, who’s currently slated to rake in a $14MM base salary and count $24.7MM against the Cowboys’ cap in 2017. By designating Romo a post-June 1 cut, the Cowboys would save $12MM of spending space for next season. That would come in handy for a team with just under $5.5MM in breathing room at the moment.

49ers To Re-Sign DuJuan Harris

March 27th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers are re-signing reserve running back DuJuan Harris to a one-year deal, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

DuJuan Harris

The 28-year-old Harris first joined the 49ers in 2015, when they signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad. Harris is now coming off a 10-game 2016 campaign in which he averaged 3.6 yards per carry on 38 attempts. He also caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. A veteran of eight NFL organizations since going undrafted from Troy in 2011, Harris has totaled 590 yards and two scores on 145 carries, good for 4.1 per rush, and 21 receptions for another 244 yards.

Although Harris hasn’t seen much action in his career, he’s easily the 49ers’ most established running back behind starter Carlos Hyde. After losing Shaun Draughn in free agency, their other options are Mike Davis and Raheem Mostert. The 49ers also have well-paid fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who they hope will serve as a weapon next season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/27/17

March 27th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Monday’s minor moves:

  • The Bills have claimed defensive end Scott Crichton off waivers from the Vikings, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The Vikings used a third-round pick (No. 72) on Crichton in 2014, but he has failed to live up to that selection thus far. The 25-year-old spent 2016 on injured reserve after combining for five tackles in 21 appearances over his first two seasons.
  • The Seahawks have re-signed linebacker Dewey McDonald, an exclusive rights free agent, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The three-year veteran is coming off his first season as a member of the Seahawks, with whom he logged a personal-best 14 appearances and played 63.3 percent of special teams snaps.
  • The Browns have announced the signing of offensive tackle Matt McCants. The five-year vet is already a journeyman at the age of 25, as he’s now on his fifth team. McCants set career highs in games (13) and starts (three) in 2013 with the Raiders, but he hasn’t started in any of his 15 appearances since.

Elway: Broncos Content With Siemian, Lynch

March 27th, 2017 at 4:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Cowboys backup quarterback Tony Romo reportedly wants Denver to be his second NFL stop, but if we’re to believe Broncos general manager John Elway, the feeling isn’t mutual. Elway once again gave votes of confidence to the Broncos’ top two signal-callers, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, on Monday, and indicated that the pair will engage in “a great competition” to decide the team’s starter for 2017 (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).

Paxton Lynch & Trevor Siemian

“Like we’ve said, we really feel good about the two young ones we have,” Elway said of the 25-year-old Siemian and Lynch, 23. “Trevor did a good job for us last year and Paxton was young. The plan is to stay the course there and see what’s available in the draft.”

Considering Lynch was a first-round pick a year ago, it seems doubtful the Broncos will use another valuable selection on a passer this year. Although Lynch didn’t play much in his rookie season, when he appeared in three games and made two starts in place of an injured Siemian, the Broncos would reportedly prefer for him to win the job next season. That makes sense, as the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Siemian doesn’t match up with the 6-7, 244-pound Lynch in terms of size, arm strength or draft pedigree. To Siemian’s credit, though, the 2015 seventh-round pick was was reasonably effective in his first pro action last season, especially relative to his $615K salary. All told, Siemian completed 59.5 percent of throws, averaged 7 yards per attempt and tossed 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 14 starts, eight of which resulted in wins for a 9-7 team that disappointingly missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl.

While Romo is obviously a far more proven option than either of the Broncos’ QBs and could theoretically help the club return to championship contention, he comes with myriad questions. Romo will be 37 in April, has barely played over the past two seasons because of injuries, and, if the Cowboys go the expected route and release him, would certainly warrant a higher salary as a free agent than those of Siemian and Lynch. Still, it’s not a lock those factors will combine to prevent the Broncos from at least kicking the tires on Romo if he reaches the market. As Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes (on Twitter), Elway’s not allowed to publicly discuss Romo because he’s still under contract another team. Thus, the Romo-to-Denver speculation probably won’t completely go away until his 2017 destination is actually known.

Fallout From Raiders’ Relocation To Las Vegas

March 27th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, NFL owners voted in overwhelming favor of relocating the Raiders to Las Vegas. The Bears were said to be among the few teams with concerns about the proposal, but Dolphins owner Stephen Ross turned out to be the only nay vote in the room. Las Vegas (vertical)

“My position today was that we as owners and as a League owe it to fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us until all options have been exhausted,” Ross said in a statement (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). “I want to wish Mark Davis the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas.”

Here’s the latest fallout from today’s historic news:

  • Owner Mark Davis says the Raiders might ask for a third one-year lease option in Oakland, allowing them to stay through the 2019 season, as Mark Maske of The Washington Post tweets. Currently, the Raiders are contracted to remain in place through the 2018 campaign.
  • Davis says he’ll refund season ticket deposits to fans who will no longer want to go to games since the Raiders are moving (Twitter link via Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 710).
  • Davis said he lost faith in local officials when they came up with nothing new on the eve of the team’s Los Angeles bid and then raised their rent (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle).
  • Oakland will be discussed as a new “open” market for a possible relocation, Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News hears (on Twitter), but so will the idea of another team sharing Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers in Santa Clara, California.
  • In a statement, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf said she is “disappointed that the Raiders and the NFL chose Las Vegas over Oakland when we had a fully-financed, shovel-ready stadium project.” Ultimately, the league did not view Oakland’s proposal as viable and today’s last-minute effort from Schaaf to delay the NFL’s vote was likely just for show.
  • “The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA,” Davis said as part of a press release statement. He also thanked casino magnate Sheldon Adelson for his “vision and leadership” and said the project would not have “become a reality” without him. The gratitude shown towards Adelson is notable since there has been some concern in NFL circles that the powerful businessman could stand in the way of the franchise after their business deal went south.
  • Adelson responded with a supportive statement of his own (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). “We remain optimistic about the significant economic and tourism benefits the stadium development would provide Southern Nevada,” he said.
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