Mystery Club In On Johnathan Hankins?
An unidentified team has reportedly jumped into the Johnathan Hankins sweepstakes over the past week, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, that mystery club may not have expressed serious interest, because the Hankins market remains “all quiet,” per Raanan.
[RELATED: Top Available Defensive Free Agents]
Hankins, 25, is the best free agent still left on the board — he’s one of only five of PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents left unsigned, and he also ranks as PFR’s best free agent interior defender. Despite that fact, Hankins’ market has been slow to evolve, as the Dolphins are the only external club known to have been in communication with the defensive tackle. Miami, however, is only looking for a rotational lineman to play alongside Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips.
The Giants, meanwhile, are open to re-upping Hankins, and the club has had a “solid” multi-year offer on the table for weeks. Big Blue is reportedly pushing for a quick answer from Hankins, who may want to keep hunting for a better offer. Much of the league views Hankins as a two-down player, though, meaning a superior proposal may not exist.
Ravens To Re-Sign Lardarius Webb
Less than one month ago, the Ravens released Lardarius Webb. Today, the defensive back is set to return to Baltimore. The two sides are nearing agreement on a new deal, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). It will be a three-year pact with a maximum value of $10.5MM, reports Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). 
Webb, 31, was displaced by the signing of former Arizona safety Tony Jefferson. Jefferson will play a more prominent role in the Ravens secondary, but Webb can still be expected to see a good amount of playing time. Jefferson is much younger than Webb, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus indicated that they both played at a high level in 2016. Webb was PFF’s No. 15 ranked safety while Jefferson placed in fifth.
To date, Webb has spent his entire eight-year career in Baltimore and he’s now ticketed for a ninth campaign with the Ravens. In total, he has appeared in 111 games with 82 starts. Last season, he finished with 73 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 16 games.
AFC South Rumors: Texans, Jags, Fournette
The Texans again have a choice to make at quarterback, especially now that Tony Romo retired. Currently, Tom Savage tops the depth chart. Various AFC coaches and staffers mostly agree there is some upside to the longtime backup who’s now watched the franchise cycle through four different starters in three years. But the consensus is that he hasn’t shown enough to be considered an unquestioned starter, which is what he would be right now.
“I liked his arm talent but thought he was more of a developmental player. … I know some folks like his upside and potential after watching him play a little this [past] season, but I still think he is more of a backup than a starter at the position,” an AFC personnel executive told NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks.
One AFC player personnel director views Savage as a backup who can win games as a spot starter. None of the five staffers Brooks surveyed made a case for the Texans to give the job to Savage this season. This is Savage’s contract year, and it’s likely evaluators will know more about the soon-to-be 27-year-old passer at season’s end. As of now, he has 92 career pass attempts — two fewer than Jimmy Garoppolo, who has generated significantly more buzz based on his somewhat similar timeline — and has completed 61 percent of his throws. Houston has not been connected to any of the available UFAs, having all but ruled out Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick, but is believed to be ready to select a quarterback.
Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC South.
- Don’t count on the Jaguars or Colts trading for Richard Sherman, offer ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco and Mike Wells. As much as the team has prioritized impact defenders in recent years, the Jaguars just authorized two mega-contracts for A.J. Bouye and Calais Campbell and have the promising Jalen Ramsey. The Colts are in need of a starter alongside Vontae Davis, but Wells points to Chris Ballard wanting to build this operation through the draft rather than give up multiple picks for Sherman. DiRocco believes it will take a first-round selection and another mid-range pick to pry Sherman from the Seahawks. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports Seattle seeks a high pick and a “very good player” in exchange for the 29-year-old Sherman.
- Doug Marrone told Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com he wants a running back who can move the sticks when teams know they’re going to run the ball. This thinking leads Breer to believe Leonard Fournette could be in play for the Jags at No. 4. Jacksonville has gone defense with three of its past four first- or second-round picks, with T.J. Yeldon being the only outlier since 2015. The Jags met with Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon last week. Breer reports multiple teams prefer Cook to Fournette due to the Florida State back’s “21st-century style” compared to the more run-centric Fournette. PFR’s Dallas Robinson projects the LSU dynamo to fall to No. 16 to the Ravens.
- Rick Smith‘s tenure as Texans GM could end due to his inability to find a starting quarterback, Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News writes. Since Matt Schaub‘s stock tumbled in 2013, Smith has gone through Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer (and Ryan Mallett), and Brock Osweiler. Mosley believes the GM was reluctant to give up a late draft pick for Romo because of the passer’s health history.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Lynch, Bills, Blount
Tony Romo now being out of the picture for the Broncos turns them back to their incumbents, whom the franchise has praised this offseason. Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch now will have a full-fledged competition for Denver’s starting job, and despite the first-round investment the Broncos made in Lynch, he may have an uphill battle edge going into the team’s offseason workouts. Siemian indeed has the upper hand going into the Broncos’ first Vance Joseph-led program, James Palmer of NFL.com notes.
Joseph himself told Palmer that “players want to play for” Siemian and “they want to win for him.” The Broncos’ staff believes Siemian “played at a higher level than many assume” last season, per Palmer. Conversely, Joseph identified leadership and grasp of Denver’s offense as areas Lynch needs to improve upon.
Mike McCoy did well to tailor previous Broncos offenses to the strengths of Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow before incorporating much of Peyton Manning‘s Colts concepts into the 2012 Broncos’ playbook. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com writes that observing whether or not McCoy can tailor an offense to Lynch’s strengths will be worth monitoring this offseason. Earlier this year, Lynch looked like the player the team wanted to win the job. Lynch being a first-round pick might mean that’s still the case, but Siemian looks to have a big backer in Joseph just as he did in Gary Kubiak.
Here’s the latest from the West divisions.
- Under the terms of the Seahawks extension Marshawn Lynch signed in 2015, he’s set to make around $9MM this year. While the Raiders refused to outbid the Vikings for Latavius Murray on an offer far less than that, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the Bay Area native would mean more to this Raiders team than just as a running back. Although only one back (Le’Veon Bell) is set to take up more than $7MM of his team’s cap this year, Florio points out that Lynch could do well for a wounded Raiders Oakland-area fanbase that just saw the franchise agree to move (again) only to say it’s going to play the next two years in Oakland. Lynch’s productivity history, the Raiders’ lack of a proven every-down back on their roster and the ball-carrier’s Bay Area popularity give Lynch leverage in Florio’s mind. Of course, this running back draft class is believed to be quite deep, which could negate some of Lynch’s leverage.
- Lynch would be a good fit behind the Raiders’ power-based run game, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com observes. He’d allow the aforementioned complementary backs — Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington — to serve in similar roles that they did last year, with Brooks noting Lynch’s presence would help stop defenses from shifting too much attention to Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
- The Patriots have an offer out to LeGarrette Blount, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes the bulldozing running back is probably looking for the team to increase the guaranteed money in said offer. While Blount has continued to circle back to the Patriots in recent years, Reiss believes this is a take-it-or-leave-it proposal due to the deep running back class.
- The Bills are going to feature an easier-to-comprehend defense under Sean McDermott, according to Breer. “You can see the schemes are simple, and intended to help the players play fast,” a Bills veteran informed the reporter. Rex Ryan‘s defenses were not known for their simplicity. Buffalo ranked 19th in total defense in each of the past two years.
Tony Romo Discusses Retirement, Dak, Cowboys
It’s been a busy couple of days for former quarterback Tony Romo. The veteran announced his retirement earlier week, although he was subsequently released by the Cowboys. We later learned that Romo would be joining CBS to be one of the network’s lead commentators.
While we’ve seen plenty of reactions to these unexpected moves, but we haven’t heard a whole lot from Romo himself (except one quote that had him hinting that a future return to the NFL could be possible).
Romo appeared on several radio programs this week, including Mike Krzyzewski’s SiriusXM show, Basketball and Beyond, and the Ben and Skin show on KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan. Thanks to Jon Machota of the Dallas News, we’ve been able to collect several of those soundbites below…
On his decision to retire:
“Yeah, it was tough. I think one of the hardest things was just not really knowing what direction — I mean right after the season I was playing football. That was a no-brainer for me at the time. And then I just, I feel like I do with all big decisions I’ve made in my life, you don’t want to make them emotional or quick, you want to kind of just soak in it, think about it and take your time and things start to reveal themselves I feel like. And you pray about it, go talk to your close family and people you trust, then you make the call and it feels right. It really does.”
On his relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott:
“It probably wouldn’t have went the same way if Dak wasn’t, you know, a good kid. He’s very respectful. He’s someone that wants to learn.”
If you really just care about football. At the core, if you just love the game, I’m going to like you as a teammate. I’m going to root for you, I’m going to want to see you succeed and I’m gonna want to go out of my way to help you.
“He has the appetite to want to be great and he’s got a skillset that’s good. I think he’s just going to continue to develop it.”
On his relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones:
“Jerry is just very unique in that he’s probably the most loyal person I’ve ever been around. Every once in a blue moon you can get in trouble with that. When you run an organization, you know, it’s like, you almost want to keep it a business sometimes because if you make it about the people you can make poor business decisions. And he really runs that fine line.
“I don’t know that he’s as close to all the players as people think, but he loves his players. He knows that they go lay it on the line. Our sport is a very physical, physical sport where people’s bodies are laid out there each week. Well Jerry, he knows that, he played the game. And so he knows enough to know when these guys go out there it’s really important on how they mentally go into it, physically they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
On his relationship with former coach Jason Garrett:
“I mean, Jason played quarterback in the NFL. He’s a very intelligent guy. Some of his wisdom, which is different than Coach Parcells, could come in with, a little bit was the mental aspect of it. Jason’s approach is a little bit probably what I really needed at the time [in 2007]. It was mostly about just trying not to do too much. It was just execute the play and we’ll see what happens. As the years developed you started to get a sense that if you have a really good team and you just go execute, you’re going to be very successful at the quarterback position.”
Draft Notes: Jets, Howard, Melifonwu, Texans
With the Jets having a number of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, would the organization really select a tight end with the sixth-overall pick? ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini believes the team has more pressing needs, but he could understand why Alabama tight end O.J. Howard is worthy of a top-10 pick.
Unlike former Jets second-rounder Jace Amaro, Howard can excel in both blocking and receiving situations, so he’d be an every-down player. In offensive coordinator John Morton‘s west-coast offense, the tight end would certainly be relied on to move the chains. Furthermore, his lack of injuries and “high floor” makes him a relatively safe pick.
Cimini has talked to several scouts who regard Howard as a “special talent,” with one evaluator saying that “Howard is the first legitimate tight-end prospect we’ve seen in two or three years.”
Lets check out some more draft notes from around the NFL…
- After visiting with the Browns yesterday, Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu is set to meet with the Redskins today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Melifonwu, who finished last season with 73 tackles and four interceptions, was listed 46th on Daniel Jeremiah’s list of the top-50 prospects. The defensive back has garnered interest from a number of teams, including the Lions, Panthers, Steelers, Seahawks, Saints, Cowboys, and Dolphins.
- Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson had a private workout with the Texans on Friday, tweets Wilson. Jeremiah listed Anderson as the 49th-best prospect in this year’s draft. The senior finished last season with 31 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
- We learned yesterday that Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon will visit 15 teams prior to the NFL draft.
Panthers Sign Kaelin Clay
Kaelin Clay has found a new home. The Panthers announced that they have signed the speedy return specialist. Terms of the agreement are unknown.
The former sixth-rounder has bounced around the NFL since entering the league in 2015, spending time with the Buccaneers, Lions, and Ravens. He ultimately appeared in seven games with Baltimore in 2015, serving primarily as a returner. The Utah product finished that campaign with 14 kick returns for 343 yards (24.5-yard average) and 23 punt returns for 244 yards (10.6-yard average) and one touchdown.
The 25-year-old was set to serve a similar role last season, but he suffered a foot injury during the preseason. Clay landed on the Ravens injured reserve and was subsequently waived.
The Panthers could certainly use some reinforcement on the return game, as Ted Ginn joined the Saints earlier this offseason. Besides Clay, the Panthers could also look towards Fozzy Whittaker, Joe Webb, and Damiere Byrd, as the three players were also involved in Carolina’s return game last season.
Falcons, Desmond Trufant Agree To Extension
Cornerback Desmond Trufant has agreed to an extension with the Falcons, reports Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post (via Twitter). It’ll be a five-year deal worth $69MM, with nearly $42MM guaranteed.
This news shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as we heard exactly a month ago that the two sides were working towards a “lucrative contract extension.” At the time, it was suggested that a Trufant extension would fall just below the five-year, $75MM contract that Josh Norman received from the Redskins last year, and that appears to be the case.
The 2013 first-round pick has been a consistent force in the Falcons secondary over the past four seasons. Trufant started all 48 games through his first three campaigns, and his 2015 performance earned him a Pro Bowl birth. A torn pectoral muscle sidelined Trufant for six games this past season, but the cornerback still managed to finish the year with 31 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. When he went down with the injury, Pro Football Focus had Trufant ranked as the 32nd-best cornerback in the NFL out of 119 qualified players.
Cornerback could arguably be the Falcons deepest position. Trufant will be joining a depth chart that features Robert Alford, Jalen Collins, Brian Poole, Deji Olatoye, C.J. Goodwin, and Blidi Wreh-Wilson.
Extra Points: Pats, Browns, Saints, Mixon
There have been conflicting reports over the past couple months on whether the Patriots will consider trading backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. The latest update, via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, indicates the Pats “do not want to deal” Garoppolo, even though he could hit free agency next year. No team has shown more interest in Garoppolo this offseason than the Browns, but they’ve seemingly given up hope on acquiring him, per Rapoport, who adds that the Pats regard the 25-year-old as a franchise-caliber passer. New England already has an all-world option under center in Tom Brady, of course, but the five-time Super Bowl champion is set to play his age-40 season in 2017.
One of Garoppolo’s New England teammates, cornerback Malcolm Butler, has also been a prominent part of trade rumors this offseason. While the Patriots’ intention is to keep Butler, according to owner Robert Kraft, Larry Holder of NOLA.com anticipates that they’ll ultimately deal him to the Saints (video via NFL.com). New Orleans has chased Butler, a restricted free agent, and has reportedly had productive long-term contract discussions with him. The Saints aren’t willing to give up the No. 11 overall pick for Butler, but they could dangle the 32nd selection, which they acquired from the Pats in the Brandin Cooks trade.
More from around the sport:
- Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon will rack up 15 visits with teams prior to the beginning of the draft on April 27, his agent, Peter Schaffer, told Michael Gehlken of Pro Football Talk. “(This many visits) is clearly not efficient and (consumes) a lot of time,” said Schaffer. “But at the same time, it’s important to have it. It’s a blessing for any player to get considered for the draft. Along with that blessing comes hard work.” Many of the clubs Mixon has met with are willing to forgive him for his checkered past, which jibes with a report that he could go as high as the second round. “Everyone who has brought him in has remarked how remorseful he is about what he did when he was 18 … and that he’s deserving of a second chance,” Schaffer revealed.
- Former NFLers Greg Hardy, Ahmad Bradshaw, Kellen Winslow, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Ben Tate and Ricky Stanzi have reported to West Virginia to partake in the Spring League, relays Mike Florio of PFT. The league, which isn’t affiliated with the NFL, will play a six-game season from April 15-26. Its participants won’t receive pay – only lodging and meals during the season – writes Florio. Some pro scouts will be on hand, though, giving the players an opportunity to stand out and earn either a first NFL shot or, in the cases of the aforementioned six, a repeat chance(s).
- The expectation is that the Ravens will eventually release cornerback Kyle Arrington, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The Ravens would first like Arrington to pass a physical, notes Zrebiec. Arrington suffered a concussion during the preseason last summer and landed on injured reserve at the end of August. Cutting the 30-year-old would save Baltimore $2.1MM, against just under $667K in dead money.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, 49ers, Packers
Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan was “mind-blown” when the Ravens traded him to the Eagles on Tuesday, he told reporters, including Zach Berman of Philly.com. Jernigan didn’t expect to be a long-term fit in Baltimore after it re-signed nose tackle Brandon Williams to a massive contract last month, but he figured he’d remain there in 2017. Now that he’s in Philadelphia, Jernigan is excited to line up next to Fletcher Cox and play in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s scheme. Schwartz told Jernigan he has “big plans” for the 24-year-old, who set career highs in starts (15) and sacks (five) in 2016. “This is my first time ever being told, ‘Go,’ “ Jernigan said. “I’ll prove my point.”
More from the NFC:
- The Lions are planning to pursue a contract extension with defensive end Ziggy Ansah, which the 27-year-old would welcome. “OK,” Ansah told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “That would be great.” Ansah is a year away from potentially hitting free agency; in the meantime, he’s slated to earn $12.734MM under his fifth-year option in 2017. Since going fifth overall in the 2013 draft, Ansah has tallied 32 sacks, though he posted a career-low two in 13 games last season.
- Releasing cornerback Tramaine Brock on Friday is unlikely to significantly affect the 49ers’ draft plans, observes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The team was already cognizant of its need at corner, per Wagoner, who notes that this year’s draft class includes plenty of promising prospects. Arguably the best of the bunch, Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore, visited the 49ers on Wednesday.
- With Aaron Rodgers firmly entrenched under center, odds are the Packers will trade backup quarterback Brett Hundley over the next year-plus, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Green Bay’s hope is that it will be able to flip Hundley for a pick more valuable than the fifth-rounder it used on him in 2015. Hundley has since attempted 10 passes, all of which came last season, and is entering his penultimate year of team control.
- The Lions only have two QBs – Matthew Stafford and Jake Rudock – but it’s a “guarantee” they’ll add a third, general manager Bob Quinn informed Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. That won’t necessarily come via the draft, though Quinn did talk last offseason about the importance of regularly collecting youthful signal-callers. “I think it’s really good football business to acquire a young quarterback every year, or every other year,” Quinn said. “There’s such a value in the position, and nowadays in college football, there’s a lot of spread offenses, which means it’s a lot different than pro football. So it takes these young quarterbacks time to develop.”