2017 April - Pro Football Rumors

Colts To Sign Basketball’s Mo Alie-Cox

April 20th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Mo Alie-Cox is going from the hardwood to the gridiron. The Colts have reached agreement on a contract with the former Virginia Commonwealth University forward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Based on what we’ve been hearing, Alie-Cox is most likely to pursue a career as a tight end. However, given his athleticism and size, he could theoretically play other positions. When auditioning for teams earlier this spring, Alie-Cox’s camp allowed clubs to work him out at various drills for different spots on the field.

Regardless of where he lines up, it’s safe to assume that he will be regarded as more of a project player than immediate help for the 2017 season. The Colts are a bit thinner at tight end after trading Dwayne Allen to the Patriots, but the VCU hoopster obviously can’t be expected to fill his shoes. The Colts now have four tight ends in total with starter Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, and Brandon Williams also in the mix.

Nearly every team watched Alie-Cox work out before today’s deal with the Colts. On Tuesday, he met with the Seahawks and left without a deal, so they might be the most disappointed runner-up of the bunch.

Raiders To Exercise Khalil Mack’s Option

April 20th, 2017 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are exercising the fifth-year option on linebacker Khalil Mack, Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. This was, of course, a no-brainer for the Raiders.

Before Mack’s option kicks in for the 2018 season, it’s widely expected that the two sides will hammer out a long-term extension. Mack quickly blossomed into a superstar for the Raiders and he has been vocal about his desire to stay for the long haul. The Raiders appear to be a legitimate contender for 2017 and Oakland fans are struggling to cope with the team’s impending move to Las Vegas, so the organization has every reason in the world to lock down the former No. 5 overall pick.

Last season, Mack earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods. He finished out the season with 73 total tackles and 11 sacks and, unsurprisingly, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ top ranked edge defender. Mack’s 93.9 overall score edged out notable names like Brandon Graham, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Chandler Jones.

The Raiders have lots of cap room to work with as they talk extension with Mack and quarterback Derek Carr. Deals could go down quickly for both players, but there almost certainly won’t be any signed contracts between now and the draft.

Bills Still Mulling Mike Gillislee’s Offer Sheet

April 20th, 2017 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s widely believed that the Bills will not match Mike Gillislee‘s offer sheet from the Patriots, but no final call has been rendered. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters today that the team is still in deliberations on the matter.

“Mike’s a good player. We’re in the process of evaluating the offer sheet and we’ll have a decision in a few days,” the coach said (Twitter link via team account).

Earlier this week, the Patriots inked Gillislee to a two-year offer sheet worth $6.4MM over two years. Complicating matters for the Bills is that the deal is worth $3.96875MM in year one (exact figure via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, via Twitter). That’s less than ideal for the Bills since matching the bid will tack on another $2.2MM for the coming year over his previously scheduled $1.797MM rate. Currently, the Bills have $10.8MM in space but they still have to consider the upcoming draft and filling potential holes in late stage free agency (Twitter link).

If Gillislee is plucked away by the Patriots, the Bills will receive a fifth-round draft choice, per the terms of the original round tender. For another $1MM or so, the Bills could have placed the second-round tender on the promising young running back and likely warded off any suitors. After Gillislee averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season and proved himself a potential successor to LeSean McCoy, that probably would have been the smart play.

Bills’ Kouandjio Involved In Strange Incident

April 20th, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio was involved in a bizarre incident with police earlier this week, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Details on the incident are sparse, at the moment, but the tackle was found “not fully clothed” and in a field not far from the scene of a car accident. Kouandjio, who had climbed over an electric fence, screamed “Shoot me!” when approached by police.

“We are aware of the matter involving Cyrus and are carefully monitoring his condition and gathering more information,” the Bills said in a statement. “We don’t have all of the details, so we won’t have any further comment at this time.”

Police suspect that Kouandjio pulled off of Route 400 and ran when he saw police lights. His exact role in the accident is not clear and there’s also no word on any potential mind-altering substances being involved. One has to presume that Kouandjio has undergone psychiatric evaluation and drug testing since the incident on Tuesday.

Kouandjio, 24 in July, has appeared in 25 games for Buffalo since being drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft. The DeMatha Catholic High School and University of Alabama product has been a solid contributor for the Bills, earning a higher score from Pro Football Focus last season than guys like Jake Matthews, Russell Okung, Doug Free, Andrus Peat, and other notables.

Kirk Cousins Wants To Stay With Redskins

April 20th, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Kirk Cousins isn’t expecting to be traded this offseason and he isn’t rooting for a deal either. In a conversation this week with Peter King of The MMQB, Cousins reaffirmed his desire to stay with the Redskins.

“I want to be where I’m wanted, and that’s what I’ve said all along,” Cousins said (transcript via Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). “When a team is willing to step up and commit to me fully for the long haul, then why would I want to be anywhere else? I mean, this is an incredible fan base. It’s one of the top five fan bases in the history of the NFL. It goes all the way back to the early 1930s. There’s three Super Bowl trophies, there’s multiple Hall of Famers, there’s high character players still living in the area — Darrell Green, Art Monk, guys that we can learn from. I love this organization and want to see us get back to those glory days that they had with Coach (Joe) Gibbs in the ’80s and early ’90s. And I want to add to that great history. There’s really no reason to want to look elsewhere. It’s a matter of wanting to be where you’re wanted, and I think that’s what all of us want — not just in football but in any walk of life.”

The Redskins and Cousins’ camp might have different ideas as to what kind of deal should make him feel wanted. Cousins, for all of his loyalty to the team, is keen on getting what he perceives as fair market value. So far, the Redskins’ offers haven’t enticed him. The most recent pitch has the Redskins proposing a five-year deal worth $20MM annually, but Cousins has turned that down in favor of playing out the season on his one-year, $24MM repeat franchise tender.

If Cousins continues on his current trajectory, the Redskins will lose a great deal of leverage next offseason when a third franchise tag would cost more than $34MM. The 28-year-old (29 in August) wants to stay, but he won’t tie himself down for mid-range QB money.

Cowboys To Sign S Robert Blanton

April 20th, 2017 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

Former Bills safety Robert Blanton has signed with the Cowboys, agent Jason Bernstein tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Blanton visited with the Cowboys earlier this offseason and, one month later, he has agreed to sign.

Blanton has mostly served as a second-stringer during his five years in the NFL, except for the 2014 season with the Vikings in which he started 13 games and made 105 tackles. He’s only gotten three starts in the last two years, but he could be in for a significant role after the Cowboys’ secondary was picked apart by free agency. The Cowboys now have four safeties on the roster in Byron Jones, Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, and Blanton. Dallas is expected to add to the thin cast in this month’s draft.

Last year, Blanton appeared in ten games (two starts) for Buffalo, amassing 26 tackles in total. A foot injury halted his season in November.

Extra Points: Lions, Packers, Draft, Bucs

April 19th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

UCLA pass rusher Takkarist McKinley visited the Lions this week, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). As a result of the shoulder surgery he underwent in March, McKinley could be on the shelf until at least July. Nevertheless, he still has a realistic chance to end up a first-round pick after breaking out last season with 10 sacks. The Lions finished with a paltry 26 – the fewest in the NFC and the second-worst mark in the NFL.

After several years of superb drafting, Packers general manager Ted Thompson has slumped recently, writes Ryan Wood of USA Today. For instance, of the 21 players Thompson selected from 2011-13, only five are still Green Bay’s roster. Moreover, Thompson has found just three Pro Bowlers over the past seven years – a far cry from the seven he discovered during his first half-decade on the job.
UConn safety Obi Melifonwu, Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, Iowa quarterback CJ Beathard and Ashland tight end Adam Sheehan are four draft prospects who could hear their names called quicker than expected, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Melifonwu and Davis are already potential first-rounders, so it’ll be particularly interesting to see how high they go.
Buccaneers receiver Josh Huff‘s arrest last November on an unlawful possession of a weapon charge won’t lead to jail time, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Huff, who accepted a conditional plea, will instead get six months’ probation. The Eagles released Huff after his arrest, which occurred in New Jersey, and he quickly signed with the Bucs. Huff ended up appearing in three of their games and catching three passes for 41 yards.

NFC Draft Visits: 49ers, Panthers, Cowboys, Redskins

April 19th, 2017 at 7:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some of Wednesday’s notable pre-draft visits from the NFC:

Florida cornerback Teez Tabor and Michigan defensive back/linebacker Jabrill Peppers were among the 49ers’ visitors, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Neither will be in play for the 49ers’ first-round pick (even if they trade down from No. 2), but could still be on the board when the club’s second-rounder comes up at No. 34.
Kansas State edge rusher Jordan Willis visited the Panthers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Willis seems like a more realistic fit for the Panthers in the second round (No. 40 overall) than in the first (No. 8). Regardless, with Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson and Mario Addison each on the wrong side of 30, Carolina could use a young pass rusher like Willis, who totaled 20 sacks from 2015-16.
Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey met with the Cowboys, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Humphrey may well be off the board by the time the Cowboys are on the clock at No. 28, though it’s possible he’ll drop amid unwanted comparisons to another ex-Alabama corner, recent first-round bust Dee Milliner.
The Redskins, owners of the 17th pick, hosted Houston edge defender Tyus Bowser, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Washington amassed the ninth-most sacks in the league last year, though nine of their 38 came from outside linebacker Trent Murphy, who will serve a four-game suspension to open the season. He’s also due to hit free agency next spring. Adding another pass rusher early in the draft this year could make sense, then. Bowser racked up 22.5 sacks during his four-year college career, including a personal-best 8.5 in 2016.

AFC Notes: Browns, Raiders, Colts, Steelers

April 19th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns head coach Hue Jackson reportedly likes Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett more than some members of the team’s front office do, but executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown made it clear Wednesday that he’s also fond of the possible No. 1 pick. “We’d be proud to have him,” said Brown (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com). Meanwhile, vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry downplayed worries that Garrett took too many plays off with the Aggies. “Sometimes those concerns are a little bit overstated,” Berry offered. “The reality is in college football the number of snaps these defensive linemen have to play on a down-in, down-out basis is usually greater than what they’ll have to play at the professional level.”

Draft Rumors: Mahomes, Texans, Cards, Fins

April 19th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans believe their visit with Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday and Monday went “extremely well,” sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Mahomes agrees, telling Chase Goodbread of NFL.com: “I feel like a lot of coaches like me, but especially coach O’Brien. I think my personality and how real I am, those are things beyond what I can do on the field that he likes. It seemed like the way I was answering questions, I think he knew that I knew what was going on. You can tell when coaches have a confidence in you.” O’Brien reportedly “absolutely loves” Mahomes, though there has been skepticism about the idea of the Texans using their first-round pick (No. 25) on the local gunslinger. If they do pass on a QB there, drafting a signal-caller later would seem likely. That could be Miami’s Brad Kaaya, whom the Texans met with Wednesday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Kaaya is a mid-round-caliber prospect.

More draft-related news and rumblings:

Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer worked out for the Cardinals on Wednesday, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). Arizona was already familiar with Kizer before Wednesday, having met with him April 10. The Cardinals own the 13th pick, with which they could take Kizer, though questions about his attitude and maturity might force him out of the first round. With veteran starter Carson Palmer set to take each Wednesday off during the upcoming season, Kizer or any other QB the Cardinals select will be in position to helm the first-team offense once a week in practice.
With the Kizer workout in the rearview, the Cardinals will turn their attention to a meeting with Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Like Kizer, Reddick is a prospective first-rounder. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com regards Reddick as the 20th-best player in this year’s class, noting he’s “a three-down linebacker with the versatility to play inside or outside depending on the scheme or game plan.”
The Dolphins “love” both Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett and Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Either could be possibilities for the Dolphins at No. 22 overall, though Salguero urges Miami to take Barnett if he’s still on the board, arguing that defensive end is a much more pressing need for the club than guard.
The Jaguars hosted Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson for a two-day visit earlier this month, and the team took another look at him Wednesday in the form of a workout, relays Rapoport (on Twitter). While Robinson will probably go in the first round, this is not a strong tackle class; thus, it seems unlikely the Jags would spend the fourth overall choice on him.